Humanities, Liberal Arts Concentration, BA

The Liberal Arts concentration of the Humanities BA, offered by the Department of Humanities , offers students a broad exposure to global humanities with students choosing electives from across the Humanities Department’s course offerings. With a major advisor’s help, students can also design a particular pathway through the major with select courses from other departments. The BA Humanities, Liberal Arts is an interdisciplinary major integrating approaches from the humanities, the arts, environmental studies, and the social sciences.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 22 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 0 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 3 (Recommended HUM 100W)

Lower Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 3

Upper Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 2-4

Major Requirements: 48

University Electives: 32-34

Total: 120

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

Complete a course offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts in a discipline other than your major.

4. Major Requirements (48 units)

Core Courses (24 units)

HUM 80 - Reading the World 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)
HUM 95 - Introduction to Digital Humanities 3 unit(s)
HUM 101 - Introduction to Critical Humanities 3 unit(s)
HUM 160 - Special Topics in Humanities 3 unit(s)
HUM 190 - Senior Seminar in Humanities 3 unit(s)

Comparative Courses (9 units)

Complete three courses:

AMS 129 - The U.S. in a Global Context 3 unit(s)
AMS 159 - Nature and World Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
CA 173 - Thinking About Contemporary World Arts 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
HUM 128 - Global Humanities in the Modern Era 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
RELS 131 - Gender, Sexuality, and Religion 3 unit(s)

Major Electives (24 units)

Choose Eight Courses From The Following, At Least Two From Each Area:

Area 1: Global Humanities

HUM 114 - Legacy of Asia 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
HUM 119 - Myths, Heroes, and Global Cultures before 1500 CE 3 unit(s)
HUM 128 - Global Humanities in the Modern Era 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
RELS 144 - Chinese Traditions 3 unit(s)
RELS 145 - Middle Eastern Traditions 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Area 2: American Studies

AMS 129 - The U.S. in a Global Context 3 unit(s)
AMS 139 - Animals and Society 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
AMS 159 - Nature and World Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
AMS 169 - The American Dream 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
AMS 179 - Issues in US Popular Culture 3 unit(s)

Area 3: Creative Arts

CA 95 - Introduction to Queer Arts 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
CA 172 - The Arts in U.S. Society 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
CA 173 - Thinking About Contemporary World Arts 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
CA 176 - Creativity and Creative Leadership 3 unit(s)
RELS 120 - Censors and Icons: Arts and Religion 3 unit(s)

Area 4: Religious Studies

RELS 122 - Magic, Science and Religion 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
RELS 131 - Gender, Sexuality, and Religion 3 unit(s)
RELS 142 - Contemporary Buddhism and its Roots 3 unit(s)
RELS 162 - Religion and Political Controversy in the US 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
RELS 191 - Religion in America 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)

5. University Electives (32-34 units)

The Department highly recommends majors complete the following:

One year of college level foreign language or equivalent related to chosen area 0-10 unit(s)