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Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (AP) – Humanities

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Location: 262 Vanier College, Tel.: 416-736-5158
Website: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/huma/huma
Chair: M. Lockshin
Undergraduate Program Director: TBA
Program Coordinator: TBA
Program Coordinator (General Education and Foundations): S. Tweyman
Affiliated Faculty: K. Anderson, G. Argyle, S. Bailey, J. Berland, S. Blake, S.A. Brown, D. Burke, T. Burke, G. Butler, A. Buturovic, C. Carpenter, M. Cauchi, K. Chakraborty, S. Chrostowska, E. Clements, M. Clark, T.V. Cohen, D. Cooper-Clark, C. Cowdy, P. Cumming, A. Davis, M. Derayeh, J. Dwyer, J. Edmondson, C. Ehrlich, A. Emberly, S. Ford, D. Freake, J. Gibson, P. Giordan, A. Goldberg, T. Goossen, P. Harland, M. Herren, S. Horowitz, T. Hyun, S. Ingram, J. Judge,  M. Kadar, S. Katz, J. Keeping, A. Kitzmann, A. Kulak, E. Lawee, B. Lee, B. Lightman, M. Lockshin, D. McNab, D. Orr, J. Rahn, M. Reisenleitner, J. Robinson, L. Sanders, J. Scott, V. Shea, L. Stan, P.J. Steigerwald, F. Sturino, P. Taylor, R. Teleky, D. Trotman, A. Turner, R. Tordoff, S. Tweyman, G. Vanstone, S. Warwick, K. Weiser, A. Weiss, W.E. Westfall, S. Zecevic

The Department of Humanities offers Honours BA, Honours iBA and BA degrees in humanities that allow students to take advantage of a wide range of courses addressing important themes in the liberal arts. This broadly-based program of interdisciplinary study emphasizes the different ways in which human cultures and their multiple forms of expression have developed historically and continue to develop today. Humanities courses devote particular attention to the cultural practices of peoples in various times and places and the ways they have expressed cultural values and ideas of a philosophical, religious, moral, political and aesthetic nature. They foster a critical approach to reading and research that, in helping students learn to identify and question preconceived assumptions and values, allows them to engage and appreciate the interrelationship between diverse value systems and thereby to develop an analysis of the human and of human community. Courses stress careful scrutiny of texts and cultural artifacts, critical thinking, reading, writing, seminar discussion and close contact between teacher and student.

For purposes of meeting degree program requirements, all nine-credit foundations courses count as six credits towards the humanities major or minor. Six-credit first year courses do not count toward the major or minor.

General Education and Foundations Courses

Most 1000- and 2000-level humanities courses offered in the Department of Humanities count towards the general education requirements of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (see General Education Requirements). The general education curriculum provides students with a breadth of knowledge and interdisciplinary training in the humanities, assists in acculturating students to the scholarly life of the university, and offers critical learning skills for successful study in liberal arts and professional programs. Students may choose between six-credit general education humanities courses at the 1000 level and nine-credit foundations Humanities courses offered at the 1000 and 2000 level. Nine-credit courses place greater emphasis on developing critical thinking, reading and writing skills.

Courses in Humanities

3000-Level Courses

Note for Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies students: enrolment in 3000-level humanities courses may require the fulfillment of one of the following requirements: a previous humanities course or permission of the instructor. 3000-level humanities courses with either of these prerequisite requirements will be clearly identified in the departmental supplemental calendar. Failure to satisfy the listed prerequisite requirement will result in de-enrolment from the course.

4000-Level Courses

Note for Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies students: enrolment in 4000-level humanities courses may require the fulfillment of one of the following requirements: a previous humanities course or permission of the instructor. 4000-level humanities courses with either of these prerequisite requirements will be clearly identified in the departmental supplemental calendar. Failure to satisfy the listed prerequisite requirement will result in de-enrolment from the course.

Humanities is offered by the Faculties of Glendon and Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.