Humanities

OFFICE: Arts and Letters 662
TELEPHONE: 619-594-5186 / FAX: 619-594-1004
WEBSITE: http://classicsandhumanities.sdsu.edu

Faculty

Chair: Risa Levitt (B.A., York University; Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Joseph Smith, Associate Professor of Classics (B.A., University of Rochester; Ph.D., University of Southern California)

April Anson, Assistant Professor of Humanities (B.A., George Fox University; Ph.D., University of Oregon)

Lecturer:

Michael Caldwell, Ph.D.

Emeritus Faculty:

Robert E. Eisner, Ph.D., 1970-2003, Professor of Classics and Humanities

E. Nicholas Genovese, Ph.D., 1970-2003, Professor of Classics and Humanities

Charles D. Hamilton, Ph.D., 1974-2001, Professor of History and Classics

Edward W. Warren, Ph.D., 1963-1990, Professor of Philosophy and Classics

The Major

Humanities takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of culture with attention to history, language, literature, media, philosophy, visual arts, and economic, political, social, and spiritual institutions. Humanities does not seek to establish objective truths but rather to think about the diversity of aesthetic trends, historical narratives, ideological systems, and lived experiences that comprise societies past and present, local and global. It does so through engagement not only with dominant cultural narratives, expressions, and institutions, but also with the perspectives of non-dominant individuals, communities, and cultures.

Through humanistic inquiry, we gain insights into other cultural heritages and develop skills that are vital in the global society we inhabit: the abilities to engage critically and effectively with perspectives other than our own, communicate and collaborate across cultural boundaries, and address complex problems with attention to how they affect diverse populations.

Humanities graduates are prepared to enter into a broad range of professions or may go on to pursue a graduate degree in a specific humanities discipline or in business, law, or medicine.

Advising

All College of Arts and Letters majors are urged to consult with their department adviser as soon as possible; they are required to meet with their department adviser within the first two semesters after declaration or change of major.

Impacted Program

The humanities major and emphasis are impacted programs. To be admitted to the humanities major or emphasis, students must meet the following criteria:

Complete preparation for the major;
Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)