Humanities (HUM)
HUM 1500 - Engaging the Human Experience
3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
HUM 1500 orients students to the Jesuit tradition of higher education by introducing them to key themes and disciplines in the liberal arts. In particular, the course stresses the Ignatian principle of care for the whole person (cura personalis), which means concentrating on the richness of the human experience beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge. Thus, we will explore the contemplative life and how human beings create stories, meaning, and various forms of artistic expression. We will also consider how humans forge new discoveries, participate in economic systems, and engage the political sphere. At the end of the course we will reflect on how these seemingly disparate aspects of life can be unified into a coherent framework for human flourishing. Required for all, the course will provide a shared experience for SPS students and should be one of the first courses taken at the school.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 1930 - Special Topics
1-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
HUM 2000 - Ethics of Writing
3 Credits
Ethics of Writing introduces students to the foundations of critical reading, writing, and thinking— examining how to develop these skills as they work through their program of study. This course also focuses on the elements and ethics of rhetoric that govern communication: audience, purpose, discourse community, and context. Students will be introduced to the rhetorical strategies necessary for writing and speaking persuasively in academic and public settings and incorporating research methods into writing. (offered occasionally)
Prerequisite(s): PST 1500
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 2100 - Cultivating Intellectual Virtues for Lifelong Learning
3 Credits
This course introduces students to concepts and terminology associated with the intellectual virtues like humility, love of knowledge, and tenacity. Students explore how the intellectual virtues differ from related cognitive and moral virtues. The course provides students with a common virtue-based vocabulary, which they can apply to their own self-understanding. (Offered in Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 2150 - How to Think Critically
3 Credits
This course encourages students to think consciously and deliberately and skillfully in ways that are transformational. Students will explore the forces that prevent deep thinking. To counteract these forces, students will learn the cognitive processes and logical steps that foster healthy contemplation. (Offered in Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 2930 - Special Topics
1-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
HUM 2980 - Independent Study
1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
HUM 3300 - Then and Now: Thinking Historically
3 Credits
This course explores the contemporary relevance of historiography. Students will learn to identify important historical questions, locate and critically analyze primary source materials, and communicate original historical interpretations in clear prose. Ultimately, students will apply this knowledge to trace the historical antecedents of a contemporary problem or social issue. The course will demonstrate how historical perspective contributes to a multi-faceted approach to problem solving. (Offered in Fall)
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 2005
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 3400 - Creative Thinking: Cultivating an Imaginative Mind
3 Credits
Creativity is at the core of artistic activity, but it can be applied in all areas of life from business to the STEM fields. Students will explore what creativity means, how it works, and why it matters. Among other topics, this will include an analysis of the notion of creativity, understanding how it is measured, analyzing processes of creativity, and exploring how creativity can contribute to solving complex problems. (Offered in Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 3450 - Interpreting Texts
3 Credits
We decipher the meaning of human actions, texts, and other meaningful material every day. This course introduces students to hermeneutics, the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, a behavior that is intrinsic to our daily lives. Students will focus primarily on the interpretation of written texts. (Offered in Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
Attributes: Prof. Studies Students Only
HUM 3500 - Writing in a Digital Age
3 Credits
Radical changes in all forms of publication have given people an opportunity to “write” in many different ways, but what is required to create effective materials in this wide variety of media? This course explores the changing nature of composition practices and rhetorical strategies in the digital age. Students are introduced to a variety of digital writing platforms that expand communicative practices beyond print-based media. (Offered in Spring)
Prerequisite(s): CORE 1905
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
Attributes: Prof. Studies Students Only
HUM 4100 - Engaging Difference in a Pluralistic World
3 Credits
There are seemingly irresolvable differences in the beliefs, values, and identities of citizens in a diverse and globalized world. This course introduces students to principles of civic discourse in a pluralistic environment. Students will learn the importance of empathy and intercultural fluency for their engagement with others in a professional context and the public sphere.
Prerequisite(s): HUM 2100; CORE 1900
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
Attributes: MLIC Elective, UUC:Writing Intensive
HUM 4200 - Working for the Common Good
3 Credits
How do we promote human flourishing for ourselves, our neighbors, and our environment? We have new technology that can do almost anything, but will this alone promote the common good. Students will explore questions rooted in theological and ethical discourse to develop strategies for promoting the common good in their communities and professional environments. (Offered in Spring)
Prerequisite(s): CORE 1605
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
HUM 4800 - General Studies Capstone
3 Credits
In this capstone course, students will integrate their learning across all General Studies courses in a final interdisciplinary project. We are increasingly confronted by complex, interconnected economic, political, environmental, and social problems that cannot be resolved with a singular disciplinary approach. Rather, it requires a transdisciplinary imagination. Students will draw on knowledge, skills, and strategies from their previous coursework to propose a holistic solution to a complex problem.
Prerequisite(s): CORE 1905; (CORE 1000 or UUC Ignite Seminar Waiver with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500*
* Concurrent enrollment allowed.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students with a classification of Senior.
Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.
Attributes: Prof. Studies Students Only, UUC:Reflection-in-Action
HUM 4930 - Special Topics
3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
HUM 4980 - Advanced Independent Study in Humanities
1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)