500

Prerequisite: At least 12 graduate credit hours in Humanities and permission of the instructor. Graduate students may serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate Humanities courses. The assistant would attend classes, tutor students, and join in periodic conferences with the instructors. Other duties would include organizing discussions, helping with constructing exams, and arranging for non-print media instruction. May be taken only twice. Grading is on a S/U basis.

Prerequisites: Completion of the proseminars HIST 501, PLRL 501, LIT 501, FA 501 and permission of both the instructor and program director. An individual course for special fields of interest beyond regular course offerings. Students wishing to take a directed reading course should have a clear topic in mind before approaching an instructor, who will help the student plan an appropriate reading program. Proposals must include a course description, reading list, and required assignments.

Humanities Colloquia are reading intensive courses that build on skills learned in the proseminars and introduce students to the scholarship on a particular topic, theme, era, or genre, providing both an overview of its critical debates and the range of methodologies or approaches appropriate to the field. Course topics vary according to discipline and specialization of faculty.

This graduate seminar examines the political, cultural, and ethical dimensions of international migration through a comparative study of contemporary border zones. It is dedicated to the U.S.–Mexico frontier—particularly the twin cities of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso—but its objective is to serve as a space of reflection for migratory crisis both locally and globally. Student will explore how borders materialize hierarchies of labor, race, and gender through: poetry books, documentaries, theoretical essays, art performances, high-definition images, and experiential learning.  We begin by situating current debates within philosophical, historical frameworks of migration studies, tracing the evolution of border regimes. The course then turns to a case study that illuminates a variety of border cultural and economic practices and issues. Through these examples, students will examine how borders operate not merely as geopolitical lines but as complex zones of encounter, surveillance, and resistance. The final project consists of a digital-collaborative publication in Scalar, allowing students to synthesize research and creative work around a shared theme. In addition, students will develop a partnership with the Centro Hispano de Frederick, fostering community engagement and reflection on the lived realities of migration and border politics.

The course addresses the histories, narratives, and identities of Native peoples of the Americas. The course material explores interdisciplinary approaches to the topic. Students are welcome to develop paper topics that are interdisciplinary in nature and draw on other fields in the humanities, that explore cultural issues across the Americas, or that help teachers develop classroom applications.

In this course we will study select works of literature, music, visual art, and film that are inspired by, are commentaries on, or are in some other way informed by war. This includes not only works that directly take up the subject of war but also works created in the shadow of war that only indirectly imply wartime culture. Among the themes we will discuss are: (1) the relationship between art and propaganda; (2) how the concept of "human nature" changes during and after times of war; (3) how different forms of art give voice to wartime despair using the materials unique to that genre (the use of words in literature, the use of sound in music, the use of images in visual art, etc.); and (4) how wars give rise to new, previously underrepresented perspectives in art and culture. Though this class focuses primarily on the western wars of the twentieth century, students are invited to address other eras or wars in their final projects. This class is particularly recommended for teachers looking to supplement their understanding, and pedagogy, of western history with case studies drawn from various artistic and intellectual trends of the twentieth century. Examples of such trends that we will cover include: experiments in literary style as a context for understanding World War I; developments in music and visual art as a context for understanding totalitarianism; existentialist philosophy as a context for understanding World War II; etc. The course is open to students from all humanities disciplines, and teachers are encouraged to pursue assignments with potential classroom applications in mind

Incorporating readings from philosophy and literature, this interdisciplinary seminar explores questions of meaning and value in human existence, particularly those connected to our attempts to live authentically as individuals who are essentially connected to one another. Topics to be discussed include the challenges of dealing with anxiety, despair and alienation and the role of love and relationships in making life worth living. Primary authors are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre and Camus.  With readings from Kierkegaard's Works of Love and Either/Or, the course will explore romantic, marital and divine love and the role of each in helping us respond to anxiety and despair. With Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra we will discuss the character of the übermensch and his rejection of the divine, love of the earth and anticipation of a posthuman future. With selections from Sartre's Being and Nothingness and No Exit, we will explore human consciousness and desire and role of the Other in shaping how we see ourselves. Finally, with Camus's The Plague we will discuss the absurd hero and the significance of friendship and working in solidarity with others to fight disease and face human mortality.

The Middle Ages were a time of intense questioning and discovery, and a crucible in which the basis of many of our modern concepts was forged.  Medieval Europeans were engaged in a series of deep investigations into the nature of identity.  Their questions were both philosophically timeless (what does it mean to be human?) and timely (how do non-Christians fit in a social system whose structures are built on Christian thought and practice?)  In many cases, the responses developed to these questions of identity created deep social schisms, and established a series of stereotypes and patterns of social exclusion that continue to resonate today.   This interdisciplinary seminar will examine a wide range of the textual and visual presentations of medieval notions of identity, difference, race, and belonging as we explore various medieval ideas about the world and humanity's place within it. Themes will include monsters and the idea of monstrosity, religious difference, medieval notions of race, the construction of the exotic or distant Other, and how these traditions appear in modern ideologies. Examining these ideological structures in the past expands our understanding of the history of critical issues by placing these issues in a wider framework, and provides models for discussing such issues in thoughtful, informed ways both in and out of the classroom.

In this seminar, we will ask questions about the nature of sex, sexual desire, lust and love, particularly romantic love, as well as discuss the conditions for meaningful sexual agency and explore some of the many ethical issues surrounding expressions of love and sex. When is sex permissible or forbidden? Does sex require love, and does love require sex? What is required for sex to be consensual? What kind of deception vitiates consent? What is the relationship between sex and power? Is seduction coercive? Is sex work, including pornography and prostitution, empowering or demeaning, and under what conditions? What is sexual objectification, and is it permissible or problematic? These are some of the kinds of questions we will be considering in this seminar as we think critically about sex and love, including our assumptions about what constitutes “good” sex and “true” love, and as we explore the conditions that enhance sexual agency and make both sex and love mutually empowering.

This course explores transatlantic fictional works from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1930s. Considering novels and short stories by American and British writers, the seminar examines the dynamic internationalism involved in the development of modernist literature. Critical attention throughout the semester will focus on the interrelations of texts and contexts. Investigations into the artistic movements and aesthetic features that define the era's many modernisms will combine with inquiries into issues of nation and empire, as well as cultural constructions of gender, class, and race. Selections range from the prewar, wartime, and postwar periods; authors may include Cather, Conrad, Daly, Fitzgerald, Forster, Hemingway, Hurston, Joyce, Mansfield, and Woolf.

This class examines the history of female monasticism through the art, music, literature, and material culture of their own making. After first studying the origins of Christian monasticism in late antique Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean, we will follow the migration of missionary monks and nuns to medieval Europe. Establishing self-sustaining communities with the power to mint coinage, administer farms, and even levy taxes, religious women often exercised a high degree of social influence, clashing and even collaborating with male secular and religious authorities. Within the cloister walls, these highly educated women used the arts as nourishment for their spiritual journey. Our own journey through the history of female monasticism will follow the music and medicinal recipes of the medieval polymath Hildegard of Bingen, the mystical writings of Teresa of Ávila, and the poetry of Juana Inés de la Cruz. In-class discussion will highlight the monasteries and churches in which these women lived, as well as anonymous devotional art made by or for nuns. Following the spread of Catholicism through colonial missions to the Americas and concluding with the optimistic yet problematic vision of social justice that emerged with Vatican II in the 1960's and 1970's, the second half of the semester continues scrutinizing primary sources while introducing counterpoints from popular culture.

This course will delve into the origins, composition, distribution, and enduring impact of the Arabian Nights, also known as One Thousand and One Nights. Compiled between the 9th and 11th centuries, this rich tapestry of tales has roots in ancient Indian, Persian, and Arabic narrative traditions. The course will explore the diverse origins of the stories that constitute the Arabian Nights, examining their role within the geopolitical context of the Abbasid Empire's formation. Through detailed textual analysis, we will investigate how these stories have been pivotal in shaping European narrative traditions, marking a significant contribution to the development of Western literature. Additionally, the course will address the profound legacy of the Arabian Nights in the realm of creative fiction, highlighting its influence on genres ranging from fantasy to realism. We will also consider the collection's continued relevance in international political discourse, demonstrating how these age-old tales remain pertinent in shaping contemporary cultural and political narratives. Through lectures, discussions, and critical analysis, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Arabian Nights' multifaceted impact on global culture and politics, appreciating its lasting significance in both historical and modern contexts.

This course examines the history of Dirty Wars in twentieth century Latin America. These wars developed in the context of the U.S. “sphere of influence” in the Cold War and were defined by a disregard for normal legal rules of war and cultural taboos, and led to extreme violations of human rights. Dirty Wars from Mexico to Argentina left war-torn nations seeking truth, reconciliation and justice in the years since. Central questions include: What led states to carry out Dirty Wars? How have historians and political scientists analyzed this phenomenon and what conclusions have they reached? What are the limits of representation, reconciliation, and “truth-telling” in societies recovering from Dirty War? How have survivors of Dirty Wars engaged the arts and politics to make sense of their traumatic past? Readings will include testimonio literature in post-traumatic societies, political science analyses of “antipolitics” and state repression, as well as histories of resistance and (limited) national reconciliation.

Feminist art is often viewed from an exclusively Western lens. This course is designed to broaden this viewpoint by discussing contemporary visual arts practices within a global context. As a result, the Feminist Art movement, formed in the United States in later 1960s/early 1970s, will be examined alongside feminist art created around the world. The relationship between feminism, gender, and sexuality will be explored, and feminist theory will be applied.

Humanities Seminars are research-based courses. The goal of each seminar is to provide students with the opportunity to design and carry out original research, constructing their own substantive interpretation and argument according to accepted professional standards. Students work on their own research papers and present them in formats appropriate to the seminar's method and topic. Course topics vary according to discipline and specialization of faculty.

Reading and/or research in a selected field. An approved title for the independent study must be submitted with the registration forms. Prerequisite: permission of the chair of the department. A maximum of 6 credits may be applied to a degree program.

Prerequisites: Completion of at least 24 credits to include HIST 501, PLRL 501, LIT 501, FA 501 and all elective coursework and approval of the MAH Advisory Committee.

This is a substantial independent research project, or a creative writing project with an academic introduction. The student will work closely with a faculty advisor and two other faculty members to develop, draft, and defend their thesis over the course of two semesters.

Prerequisite: HUM 580A

Completion of master's thesis research

Prerequisites: Completion of at least 27 credits to include HIST 501, PLRL 501, LIT 501, FA 501, and all elective coursework and approval of the MAH advisory Committee. The student will select one substantial paper from three different completed courses and work closely with the Portfolio advisor to develop and revise these papers while adding a scholarly introduction that connects the papers to each other and a student’s broader area of academic interest.

Prerequisites: FA 501, HIST 501, LIT 501, PLRL 501, completion of at least 21 credits towards the M.A., GPA of 3.0, and Permission of Instructor 

This course offers students in the Humanities program the opportunity to pursue a humanities-related internship that complements their academic and/or professional goals. Students must determine the specific nature and workload of an internship with their faculty advisor and are responsible to identify an appropriate on-site internship supervisor.

A special topics course may be offered either within a single department or on an interdepartmental basis. The content and methods of such courses depend upon the interests of the faculty and students.