This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uwgb.edu.

Humanities

https://www.uwgb.edu/humanistic-studies/

(Bachelor of Arts)

The Humanities is designed to help students develop a greater understanding of what it means to be human through the study of history, literature, philosophy, religion, languages, world cultures and civilizations. The Humanities program explores some of the central questions in life, such as the meaning of beauty, justice, and the “good life,” as well as the importance of language, culture and artistic expression.

The Humanities comprise those fields that study human creations of all sorts, including literary studies, creative writing, linguistics, history, ancient and modern languages, cultural studies and philosophy.

The Humanities Major offers three areas of emphasis:

  • The Ancient and Medieval Studies emphasis. In this track students will study the cultures and civilizations of the ancient and medieval worlds through courses in history, literature and philosophy as well as through interdisciplinary courses.
  • The Digital and Public Humanities emphasis. In this track students will engage in an interdisciplinary study of the humanities with an emphasis on how we think about, and through, digital and public spaces. Students will use their training in the humanities to create digital and public humanities projects that further the public's knowledge of culture, society, and history.

  • The World Cultures emphasis. This track leverages the power of the humanities to broaden and deepen students’ insight into the human condition through the study of other cultural perspectives with the aim of creating better informed, more empathetic and culturally proficient graduates, able to engage intelligently in world cultures and issues

The Humanities Minor offers seven areas of emphasis:

  • One area emphasizes World Cultures.
  • Another area emphasizes Ancient and Medieval Studies.
  • Another area emphasizes the Environmental Humanities.
  • Another area emphasizes Film and Cinema Studies.
  • Another area emphasizes Humanities Online.
  • Another area emphasizes Linguistics / Teaching English as a Second Language.
  • Another area emphasizes Religious Studies.

While the factual content of Humanities courses ranges widely in subject matter, all courses emphasize a distinct set of broadly useful skills. Among these are the ability to express one’s ideas in a clear, organized, well-reasoned, and grammatically correct manner in speech, writing, and new media; to think critically and analyze texts; to make arguments and present them effectively; to understand context (how history and culture shape us); to recognize and appreciate nuance and complexity of meaning; and to understand and appreciate cultural diversity.

Designed to provide a broader understanding of interdisciplinary contexts, a major or minor in the Humanities complements other courses of study. Besides being a natural accompaniment to majors or minors in History, Philosophy, English, French, German or Spanish, as well as First Nations Studies, Art and Design, Theatre, and Women’s and Gender Studies, a degree in Humanities also enhances majors and minors in business, education, social work, the social sciences and the natural sciences.

In conjunction with other courses of study, a Humanities major or minor is an excellent preparation for many graduate programs in the humanities and in law, medicine or engineering. The general intellectual skills emphasized in Humanities courses and the flexibility and versatility they impart help graduates succeed in today’s rapidly changing, increasingly global job market, where specific factual knowledge can quickly become outdated. The two of the most common career paths of Humanities majors are in the fields of education and business, but the skills acquired by Humanities students are applicable to nearly any career.

Students may also study abroad at other campuses across the globe and in the United States through UW-Green Bay’s participation in international exchange programs and the National Student Exchange. A wide selection of internships in the humanities and travel courses led by Humanities are another great option for obtaining academic credits and completing requirements. 

Major Area of Emphasis

Students must complete one of the following areas of emphasis:

Language Requirement

All Humanities majors are expected to fulfill the non-English language requirement by completing one of the following:

  • Complete at least two college-level semesters of a non-English language. Students who have taken French, German or Spanish in high school or who have acquired a knowledge of the language elsewhere may receive credit for that preparation by passing an advanced-level UW-Green Bay course with a grade of “C” or better.
  • Demonstrate the equivalent level of proficiency in a non-English language on a proficiency exam. NOTE: Students seeking to fulfill the language requirement through proficiency testing in French, German, or Spanish should contact the appropriate language coordinator. For skill assessment in other languages, students should contact the chair of Modern Languages.

Curriculum Guide

An example: Four year plan for Humanities Major with an Emphasis in Ancient and Medieval Studies
120 credits necessary to graduate.
Plan is a representation and categories of classes can be switched. Check with your advisor.

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
FallCredits
HISTORY 101
Foundations of Western Culture I
or World Civilizations I
3
WF 105 Research and Rhetoric 3
HUM STUD 2XX Ancient and Medieval Languages or Modern Language 3
First Year Seminar 3
General Ed 3
 Credits15
Spring
HISTORY 102
Foundations of Western Culture II
or World Civilizations II
3
HUM STUD 2XX Ancient and Medieval Languages or Modern Language 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
 Credits15
Sophomore
Fall
HUM STUD 334 The Ancient World (or Ancient/Medieval Elective) 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
 Credits15
Spring
HUM STUD 335 The Medieval World (or Ancient/Medieval Elective) 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Junior
Fall
ENGLISH 335 Literary Eras (Ancient and/or Medieval Content or Ancient/Medieval Elective) 3
PHILOS 401 Plato and Aristotle (or Ancient/Medieval Ancient History Course) 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
ENGLISH 333 Literary Themes (Ancient and/or Medieval Content or Ancient/Medieval Elective) 3
HUM STUD 326
Non-Western Religions (or Ancient/Medieval Elective)
or Religion and Medieval Philosophy
3
Medieval History Course 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Senior
Fall
HUM STUD 480 Humanities Seminar 3
Ancient/Medieval Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
Ancient/Medieval Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
 Total Credits120

Faculty 

David N Coury; Professor; Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Jennifer Ham; Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers University, chair

Derek S Jeffreys; Professor; Ph.D., University of Chicago

Mark Karau; Professor; Ph.D., Florida State University

Hye-Kyung Kim; Professor; Ph.D., Marquette University

Rebecca A Meacham; Professor; Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Cristina M Ortiz; Professor; Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Charles A Rybak; Professor; Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

David J Voelker; Professor; Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Hernan Fernandez-Meardi; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Universite de Montreal (Canada)

Clifton G Ganyard; Associate Professor; Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo

Daniel Kallgren; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

John P Leary; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison*

James Vincent Lowery; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Ann Mattis; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Loyola University

Valerie Murrenus-Pilmaier; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Marquette University

Rebecca L Nesvet; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Lisa M Poupart; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State University*

Heidi M Sherman; Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Jennifer Young; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University

Julialicia Case; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Mario Chacon; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Cornell University

Jonas Gardsby; Assistant Professor; Ph.D.

Kristopher Purzycki; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Christopher Williams; Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Forrest W Brooks; Associate Teaching Professor; M.S., University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee*

Kevin M Kain; Associate Teaching Professor; Ph.D., Western Michigan University

Linda M Toonen; Associate Teaching Professor; M.A., University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Roshelle Amundson; Assistant Teaching Professor; M.F.A., Goddard College

Alexander Bozzo; Assistant Teaching Professor; Ph.D., Marquette University

Jennifer Lynn Ronsman; Assistant Teaching Professor; M.F.A., Minnesota State University

Erica Wiest; Assistant Teaching Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee