The Dominican educational philosophy, which prizes the fruitful intersection of self, community, service and reflection, guides the Humanities and Cultural Studies curriculum. The major’s plan of study complements the broad general education liberal arts curriculum by providing greater depth in the key humanities disciplines via foundational coursework, and even greater depth in a single academic discipline or a thematic area via the student’s chosen concentration. The multidisciplinary coursework inspires students to consider key social, cultural, personal, and historical interconnections from multiple perspectives. Finally, the capstone courses insure that students thoughtfully engage important social issues at considerable intellectual depth.
Requirements
Foundational Courses
18 total units of foundational courses are selected in consultation with the student’s academic advisor. At least 9 of the foundational course units must be upper division and taken at Dominican.
Art History
Any 3 unit Art History course that provides a global perspective or covers a broad time period. 1 unit courses may not be used as a substitute.
History
Any 3 unit History course that provides global context and covers more than a single time period. 1 unit courses may not be used as a substitute.
Philosophy
Select one 3 unit course from the following
Literature
3 units of upper division literature involving literary analysis. The 1.5 unit genre and ethnic literature courses may be used in combination for a total of 3 units. Creative writing courses do not satisfy this requirement.
Language
Any 3 unit language course other than English, including American Sign Language. Students with four years of language taken at the high school level are encouraged to challenge their language course through the language department or take a CLEP or Excelsior exam.
Cultural Perspectives
Select one 3 unit course from the following
| Any HCS course in the 3100 or 3200 series | |
| MUS 3301 | History & Literature of Music from Antiquity-1750 | 3.00 units |
| MUS 3302 | History & Literature of Music from 1750 to the Present | 3.00 units |
| MUS 3327 | World Music | 3.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Concentration Requirements
Concentrations are chosen in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and are based on the student’s individual interests. A concentration, involving 15 units of credit, of which at least 9 must be upper division units, is based in a single discipline or is structured around a thematic area. Students are encouraged to expand their concentration to earn a minor in fields offering a minor.
Policies
A maximum of 9 units earned for a GE requirement can be applied to a requirement for the major. A maximum of 12 lower division transfer units may be applied to the major. These courses must have earned a ‘C-’ or higher. Of the 12 allowed lower division transferable units, a maximum of 9 may be applied toward foundational requirements and a maximum of 6 may be applied to the concentration.
The following concentrations are offered:
| Thematic |
|
Discipline-based |
| Environment and Culture |
|
|
| Social and Cultural Studies |
|
Art & Art History |
| Social Justice and Community Engagement |
|
History |
|
|
English |
| Teacher Preparation* |
|
Music |
| Business and Culture |
|
Philosophy |
| Student Defined Concentration |
|
Religion and Spirituality |
*Students interested in moving toward a teacher credential work with their academic advisor to identify which course will be most valuable for their particular credential interest in preparation for state exams. Students can opt to substitute LS 4001 Capstone for HCS 4910 Senior Project, although they must also enroll in HCS 4920, the corresponding Humanities workshop.
Capstone Requirements
Select one of the following
| HCS 4996 | Internship/Career Exploration: Humanities & Cultural Studies | 1.00 units |
| or | |
| Any Service Learning course | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 11-13 |