Arts and Humanities - Courses

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of Asian American literature from the late 19th century to the present. Introductory study of prose fiction and non-fiction, poetry and drama written by Americans of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry. Regular writing assignments required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of Asian American fiction written by Americans of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Southeast Asian ancestry. Regular writing assignments required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introduction to major African-American authors from 1930 to the present. The work of Richard Wright, Margaret Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ralph Ellison, John Killens, James Baldwin and LeRoi Jones are studied, as well as the works of writers who formed the Black Arts Movement that flourished during the 1970s. Focus on understanding the dynamics of African-American life through an analysis of the literature. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Chronological survey of the major works of representative African-American dramatists from 1925 to the present, with particular focus on their techniques, ideas and the cultural milieu in which the works were produced. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory workshop in minority creative writing. Students learn to write in the three genres–prose fiction, drama and/or poetry. In addition, students have the opportunity to meet and work with distinguished professional minority writers. Students should consult with the instructor about the semester syllabus and Minority Literature Concentration. (Cross-listed with CHS 280 and ENGL 280.) (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Survey examination of religion as practiced by Africans once removed from their homeland of Africa. Major emphasis on the importance of religion to the development of African culture in the New World. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examines the literatures of people in Africa and the Caribbean. Establishes the theoretical, historical, cultural and imagistic framework within which that literature operates. Thematic analysis of the literatures with respect to both their comparative experiences and their specifically different backgrounds. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisites: CHS, ENGL or AFRS 155; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of selected works by contemporary Black women writers, including Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Ntozake Shange and Maya Angelou. Themes explored include correcting the images, movement from masking to self-revelation, male-female relationships and search for wholeness. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Study of the varieties of religious beliefs, rituals and experiences showing the relationship between people and their society, culture, environment and universe. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

This course presents an introduction to the anthropological analysis of expressive culture. Each course offering will focus on a specific form of expressive culture, such as clothing, food, music, or visual art. Students explore the history of the cultural form; consider how it reflects and communicates societal structures and cultural meanings and values; and examine how the study of expressive culture can be used to probe broader environmental, social, political, economic, and ideological issues. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the study of folklore from a cross-cultural perspective, including major forms such as folktale, legend, ballad, joke, riddle, proverb and festival, and the theories used to interpret them. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Corequisite: ART 100L. Not available for Art major credit. Experiences for the non-art major in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art processes. Provides an understanding of the place of art in life through actual participation. 1 hour discussion, 4 hours studio. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Survey of the visual arts of the Western cultural tradition from ancient to modern times emphasizing historical, religious and socio-cultural contexts. Discussion, research and writing on the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, book arts, ceramics, textiles and body arts. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities for non-art majors.)

Survey of the visual arts of India, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, emphasizing historical, religious and socio-cultural contexts. Discussion, research and writing on the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, book arts, ceramics, textiles and body arts. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introduction to basic drawing experiences. Graphic representation of objects stressed through a variety of techniques and media. Emphasis on form, structure, values, line and systems of perspective and space. For non-art majors; 5 hours lab. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introduction to the elements and principles of 2-dimensional design that are common to the visual arts. Foundation course stressing visual perception and an effective knowledge of the graphic means of expression and communication. 6 hours per week. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Study of the elements and principles of 3-dimensional design and their applications, with emphasis on form in space, design systems and contemporary art concepts. Experimentation in both natural and synthetic material. For non-art majors; 6 hours per week. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. An introduction for the non-Art major to the relationships between art and mass culture. Illustrated lectures explore the development, techniques, and ideas underlying the contemporary visual environment, including the media arts of photography and advertising, as well as painting, sculpture and architecture. Art majors may take this course for university elective credit. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Analysis of literary traditions throughout the history of Central America from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The course will focus on 20th and 21st century literary movements, with the main emphasis placed on the historical and political elements and the ideological proposals of these works. It includes a discussion of the relationship between literary creation and the construction of Central American identity (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Survey of Chicana/o visual art, music and drama and their role in Chicana/o culture. Offers a historical approach to Chicana/o contributions in the arts. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Comprehensive overview of the literary heritage of Mexico from pre-Colombian times to the present. Includes an analysis of its historical, technical and lyrical dimensions and its relationship with other Hispanic literature in order to develop a critical appreciation of literary art. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introductory course in minority, creative writing. Students study and experiment with techniques and strategies from four genres: personal narrative, prose fiction, drama and poetry, and then introduce these to secondary students in schools. Consult with the instructor about the semester syllabus and the minority literature concentration. Students must complete 15 hours of service learning at either a middle school, a high school or an agency that serves the Chicano/a or Latino/a community. (Cross-listed with AFRS and ENGL 280.) (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the cultural, instrumental and musical aspects of predominant regional musical styles of Mexico from Pre-Cuauhtemoc to contemporary times. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Comparative historical study of Mexican Catholicism and American Protestantism and their influence on Chicanas/os in the U.S. Examination of issues involving church, religion, and politics in Chicana/o communities including analysis of theologies of liberation, faith-based community organizing, and feminist, queer, and indigenous spiritualities. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the intellectual life of Mexico from its indigenous pre-Colombian roots through the Spanish and European influences up to its own distinctive present-day perspectives and philosophical outlook. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of major Chicana/o writers. Includes an analysis of Chicano novels, short stories, theater and poetry. Students develop analytical skills through class discussions, written assignments and readings. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the literature produced by contemporary Chicana writers. Reading and discussion of narrative works, poetry and drama, as well as socio-historical criticism, literary theory and biography. Socio-critical and textual analysis. Regular written assignments required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the myths of Greeks and Romans, and of their impact on the literature of the Western world. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introduction to principles, techniques and practices in solo performance of poetry, fiction and drama. 15 hours of communication experience outside of class are required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

TV and film communicative art forms. Representative films and television programs are exhibited and analyzed. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the art of the cinema in order to establish a unique visual literature with its own critical standards. Feature films of various types and from diverse sources are screened. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory workshop course in creative writing. Students have the option of concentrating on one of three modes: prose fiction, poetry or drama. Part of the Writing Option in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory study of the genres of imaginative literature—prose fiction, poetry and drama—with special emphasis on the interrelationships between form and theme. The course will feature a specific cultural tradition (e.g., Western, Postcolonial, African American, etc.) to be chosen by the instructor. Critical writing is an integral part of the course. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities and meets the lower division literature requirement for Liberal Studies majors.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of works of major English writers from the Middle Ages to Samuel Johnson, with attention to literary movements and backgrounds. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of works of major English writers, from Blake to the present, with attention to literary movements and backgrounds. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the important works of a selected number of American writers from the colonial period to modern times. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Upper division standing. Not for credit in the English major and minor. Study and analysis of selected major works of fiction, poetry, drama and major authors since approximately the end of World War II in England and America. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Upper division standing. Not for credit in the English major or minor. Introductory study of representative poems and plays. Attendance at performances and/or films is required. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of comics, including comic strips, comic books and graphic novels, from literary and cultural studies perspectives. Emphasis on both history and form, including image-text relationships. Topics also may include fan culture, particular genres of comics and connections between comics and other forms of visual text. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Preparatory: Upper division standing. A study of the short story, beginning with careful examination of some classics in the genre, followed by analysis of more contemporary works. Not allowed for credit in the English major or minor. Critical writing required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The course explores the traditions that inform the values and aesthetics of present-day Japan and make one of the most technologically advanced nations distinctly Asian and traditional. It also examines the foreign influences on Japan, the modifications that were made to suit Japanese taste and influences of Japan on other countries. The areas investigated include indigenous beliefs, religious and philosophical teachings that inform the arts and martial arts, and various aesthetic principles and their manifestations in poetry, theater and other arts. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to masterpieces of European literature from the Middle Ages through the Classical period. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to masterpieces of European literature from Romanticism to the modern period. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. No background of Italy or knowledge of the language required. This course offers students an in-depth study of major Italian literary masterpieces (fiction, poetry and drama) and aesthetic theories developed during the period of Humanism and Renaissance (1380-1550). Such a study allows students to appreciate the importance of new literary, spiritual and human values that emerged at that time and the unique role played by Italian Humanism and Renaissance on European literature and civilization. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course will examine different individuals within the Italian-American experience, exploring their contributions in the fields of cinema, literature, philosophy and classical music, and how through each we see an additional paradigm offered in and to the mainstream artistic and humanistic endeavor in the U.S. Conducted in English. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Preparatory: GWS 100. Women and Entertainment is a broad, introductory examination of women’s experience and interface with the entertainment arena, including but not limited to, film, music, and other popular cultural sites of knowledge production, from a uniquely feminist lens that focuses on the intersectionality of gender, race, class and sexuality. The course explores women’s roles in entertainment as producers, participants as well as consumers of various media. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

An introduction to the major topics, themes, literature and dreams of Western Civilization, from its ancient origins to the early modern era. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

An introduction to major social, political, intellectual and cultural developments in modern Western Civilization from the Renaissance to the present. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Intended to introduce upper division students to the concepts and unresolved problems that have shaped the development of Western Civilization prior to 1500. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Themes in the institutional, political, socioeconomic and cultural development of Western Civilization since 1500. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory course provides instruction in the interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of meaning in art, music and literature ,and in the understanding of philosophical ideas in their own right and as they influence styles and themes in works of art. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Interdisciplinary study of major eras of humanistic development from the ancient world to the 15th century through representative works of visual art, architecture, music, philosophy, religion and oral and written literature. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Interdisciplinary study of major eras of humanistic development from the 16th to 20th century through representative works of visual art, architecture, film, music, philosophy, religion and oral and written literature. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the elements of religion—especially myth, ritual, concepts of the sacred and profane, and types of religious authority—and how these are expressed within Judaism. Judaism’s concepts and practices are examined historically, with a focus on their interaction with other religions and with the secular, pluralistic culture of the modern world. Regular written assignments are required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Preparatory: Completion of lower division writing requirement. Study of ancient and medieval Jewish culture examining literature, art and architecture, law, music, philosophy and science. Their distinctive genres, styles, methods of inquiry and creative processes are examined, as are the links between these areas of Jewish culture and their contribution to and dependence on similar expressions in non-Jewish cultures. Regular written assignments are required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Development of proficiency in basic ballet skills and development of understanding and appreciation for ballet as an art form. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Development of proficiency in modern dance technique skills and development of an understanding and appreciation for modern dance as an art form. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Principles of dance composition—movement sources, rhythmic, spatial and dynamic techniques of organization, and thematic development. Composition of solo and small group dances. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Lab practice in choreography. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Corequisite: KIN 380L. History, aesthetics, performance forms, musical forms, cultural and racial heritages, and contemporary directions of dance in education and art. Dance is examined as a performing art, ritual, social/recreational activity and subject for scholarly investigation and analysis. Students participate in dance techniques related to content presented in the classroom. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

This course draws heavily from current issues in society to highlight the role of language. It explores strategies used to construct and reflect our identities (as skaters, rappers, school girls, nerds, etc.), to form new meanings and to accommodate popular new technologies (e.g., texting). This course also examines personal and societal perceptions and attitudes toward the language use and competence of others. Students will undertake a challenging, collaborative, hands-on analysis to appreciate (how) language matters. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

History of Western music traditions, examining musical style and structure, relationships with other art forms and aspects of their roles in Western culture. Lecture, listening, discussion and outside concert attendance. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

A survey of Hip Hop music, with an emphasis on its musical elements and influences. Students will acquire the appropriate vocabulary necessary to analyze Hip Hop music and trace its development as a form of human expression and its relationship with the media. Lecture, listening and discussion. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Survey of music in our society, including selected material from rock, jazz, pop, folk, traditional, show, film and art styles, as well as the impact of technology on today’s musical life. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Exploration of the role of music in films as it stimulates the emotional response to the visual aspects of the art form; examination of the historical evolution of film scoring; and examination of the role of the composer in joining sonic art with visual art. Film clips, both historical and contemporary, illustrate the principles developed. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of lower division writing requirement. Survey of the development of Jazz, with emphasis on the influence of historical and socioeconomic factors. Includes stylistic analysis of Jazz and its musical elements in order to develop musical awareness. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher, or credit in Developmental Writing 098, or completion of GE Analytical Reading/Expository Writing. Introduction to philosophy emphasizing the concepts of knowledge, reality and mind, with attention to such topics as skepticism, dogmatism, common sense, materialism, mind-body dualism, the existence of God and free will. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher, or EPT and a credit in 098. Philosophical examination of a range of today’s moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, the environment, war and world hunger. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

In this course, students will examine philosophical themes within popular culture, and will use philosophy to investigate how they relate to popular culture. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher, or credit in Developmental Writing 098, or completion of GE Analytical Reading/Expository Writing. Critical examination of selected topics in ancient Western philosophic thought, with attention to the pervasive influence of Plato and Aristotle. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: EPT score of 151 or higher, or credit in Developmental Writing 098, or completion of GE Analytical Reading/Expository Writing. Critical examination of topics in modern philosophic thought selected from the writings of such figures as Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisites: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; 3 units of philosophy. Introduction for upper division students to such central philosophic problems as knowledge, truth, reality and mind. Regular written assignments will be required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The course addresses philosophical issues central to biological sciences, including the creation/evolution debate and other social implications of contemporary biological theories. It also introduces basic concepts in philosophy of science, such as demarcation, scientific explanation and the scientific method, which are necessary for examining the above issues. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Analysis of the concepts reality, knowledge, mind and theory that attempts to answer the question: What is the character of the scientific picture of human beings and nature? (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Philosophical examination of the concepts, values and arguments relevant to understanding and evaluating practical social and political issues central to current public debates concerning such matters as civil and political rights, social and economic inequality, the environment, biotechnology, economic policy and global trade, and the national defense. Regular written assignments will be required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Study of the elements of religion and selected contemporary religious issues. Examines such subjects as myth and ritual, the sacred and profane, dreams and theophanies, priests and prophets, science and religion, history and religion, and the expansion of religion today. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Survey of the basic content and major themes of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), New Testament and Apocryphal writings. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examination of religious views of women in oral and literary cultures, focusing on the roles, symbols and concepts of women within an international and historical framework. Also addresses women’s own perspectives on religion, as reflected in historical sources and in contemporary theology and religious life. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The study of the influence of religious traditions on the formation of American culture and the modification of religious traditions by the American context. Also addresses major American religious thinkers and movements, and religion’s role in shaping American thought, literature and ethos. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of literature to discover to what extent a religious tradition or the lack of one influences an author’s understanding of human existence. Writers who reflect religious traditions, as well as those who are informed by humanism or atheism, are read and interpreted. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Study of selected major writings in religious thought, with the aim of analyzing representative modern approaches to such questions as God and the world, faith and self-understanding, and belief and social consciousness. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Emphasizes the development of skills in critical thinking through analysis of such contemporary ethical issues as abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, sexual behavior, racism, gender bias, punishment, animal rights, the environment and the relationships between religion and morality. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course examines how religious beliefs and practices contribute to humans’ protection, utilization and/or damage of the natural world. Students explore the resources for environmental sustainability within at least two world religious and in new “green” theologies, nature mysticism and radical environmentalism. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Introduction to theatre through reading and discussing play scripts, analyzing dramatic forms and writing about live performances. Regular critical writing assignments and attendance at live performances are required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Not open to Theatre majors. Introduction to theatre through an emphasis upon its central performer–the actor. Illustrative acting exercises. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Not open to Theatre majors. Introduction to the theatre through the experience of attending performances, preparatory lectures and post- performance discussions and critiques. Critical writing assignments required. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This class is a survey of Western musical theatre history, drama and practices from late 19th century through modern day. Students will analyze the role of musical theatre in the culture of the United States by examining the context of changes and trends in American musical theatre from the 1890s to the present. Students will evaluate American history as it is reflected in musical theatre and the effects of multicultural historical events on the theater. Students will study musical theatre’s elements and structure through the lens of major librettists, composers, lyricists, designers, directors, choreographers, and performers. (Available for General Education, Arts and Humanities.) (IC)