Course Descriptions

Graduate Humanities

HUMANITIES (HUMN)

530 Technology and the Humanities. 3 hrs.
This course surveys the effects of electronic media on the humanities and how they are taught in the postmodern society. Content will subsume both philosophical/theoretical issues and technical matters.

560-63 Staff Development. 1-4 hrs. S/U.
Courses and activities designed to meet specific needs of public school personnel. Credit may be used for certificate renewal and salary upgrading if approved but not in degree programs.

600 Introduction to Study in Humanities. 3 hrs.
Interdisciplinary core course addresses questions/concepts central to the humanities. Texts from philosophy, history, literature, the arts and the sciences provide insights into selected historical periods.  Open to non-degree students.

601 Literary Theory and Criticism. 3 hrs.
Core course introduces modern critical approaches, concepts and methods of research and scholarship in the broad field of literature. Open to non-degree students.

602 Historical Studies. 3 hrs.
Core course acquaints students with problems of historical knowledge, changes in the interpretation of history, nature of historical forces, and methods of historical research. Open to non-degree students.

603 History and Theory of the Arts. 3 hrs.
Core course provides chronological survey of the arts, emphasizing the social, political and/or religious motives that underlie artistic production. Emphasis on theories of modern art. Open to non-degree students.

604 Expository Writing for Research. 3 hrs.
This core writing course develops proficiency in writing for research. Note: a degree student may demonstrate competency through an alternative assessment to have the requirement waived. Open to nondegree students.

605 Western Traditions and Contemporary Cultures. 3 hrs.
Using primary materials from different cultural periods, as well as contemporary critical analyses, this core course explores epistemological questions that underlie conflicts between cultures. Open to non-degree students.

 
650 Selected Topics. 1-9 hrs.

680 Independent Research Symposium. (formerly 701), 3 hrs.
Prerequisite: 24 credit hours, required courses, and comprehensive examination. A pro-seminar required of all Humanities degree students who are beginning the thesis or final project. S-U grade.

681 Independent Research Symposium. (formerly 702), 3 hrs.
Prerequisite: Humanities 680. A continuation of the pro-seminar for students electing the thesis option. The student will produce a thesis suitable for submission to a committee. S-U grade.

HUMANITIES: ARTS AND SOCIETY (A & S)
 

500 Study of Periods and Movements in Western Art and Music. 3 hrs.
The course relates major periods, schools, and movements to the culture of the place and time. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours.

501 Studies in Non-Western Art and Music. 3 hrs.
Studies emphasizing non-Western art or music (e.g., Chinese art; art of the Middle East). May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours.

510 Comparative Arts. 3 hrs.
Study of artistic movements and specific stylistic features in art, music and literature. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours.

550 Sunrise Internship. 3 hrs.
A specially designed project under the guidance of specialists at Sunrise Museums (requires special permission from the program director and Sunrise Museums).

560 Film Art and the Popular Media (formerly Media 560). 3 hrs.
A consideration of films as the successor to earlier popular literatures. Relevant aspects of media history and techniques will be examined.

600 Selected Topics in Arts and Society. 1-6 hrs.
Selected topics in arts and society. The specific topic will be announced in the schedule of classes. Students may take up to nine hours in selected topics.

620 Selected Topics in Decorative Arts. 1-6 hrs.
Selected topics in history and practices of decorative arts (e.g., interior design, furniture styles, architecture).

HUMANITIES: CULTURAL STUDIES (CULS)
 

500 Studies in Thought and Culture. 3 hrs.
Basic concepts and cultural expressions in words, principally of area or period studies, such as classical Western, medieval Western, modern European and American.

530 Fundamental Approaches to Communication Criticism. 3 hrs.
Course examines the theoretical approaches to criticism across the broad range of media, with focus on the philosophy behind each and on their various applications.

540 World Religions. 3 hrs.
Study of several religions as they developed within their individual times and cultures.

550 Ethics. 3 hrs.
A critical examination of ethical theories as seen in a detailed examination of several works. Theories may include naturalism, intuitionism, non-cognitivism, utilitarianism, and natural law.

560 History of Ideas. 3 hrs.
A study of the efforts of philosophers to construct general conceptions of the world. Recent approaches in the investigation of ontology and cosmology will be examined.

600 Selected Topics in Cultural Studies. 1-6 hrs.
Selected topics in an area of cultural studies. The specific topic will be announced in the schedule of classes. Students may take up to nine hours in selected topics.

610 Seminar in Appalachian Culture. 3 hrs.
Exploration of selected aspects of culture (e.g., art, music, folklore, history, literature), emphasizing regional culture from an interdisciplinary perspective.

611 Appalachian Studies: Themes and Voices. 3 hrs.
This interdisciplinary course orients students to the significant issues and research in Appalachian studies. Important political, social, and cultural issues will be considered. Research areas are introduced.  (This core course in the Graduate Certificate in Appalachian Studies may be taken by degree students in Humanities.)

612 Time and Place in Appalachia. 3 hrs.
This interdisciplinary course orients students to the importance of geography, topography, and geology to the history and development of the Appalachian region. (This core course in the Graduate Certificate in Appalachian Studies may be taken by degree students in Humanities.)

620 Women, Men, and Cultural Change. 3 hrs.
A study of gender differences from sociological and philosophical perspectives. Topical areas covered include communications, law, literature, popular culture, ethics, and business.

650 Classical Foundations in Communication Studies. 3 hrs.
Course surveys major contributions to rhetorical theory during the classical period and the development of rhetorical criticism in the centuries since. Philosophers/writers will include Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Quintilian.

652 Communication and Social Movements. 3 hrs.
Course examines the role of communication in successful social movements. Contemporary reform movements are analyzed to determine communication strategies, organizational issues, leadership concerns and rhetorical focus.

653 Media and the Political Process. 3 hrs.
An introduction to the study of political rhetoric, the course relates rhetorical theory to political communication and considers the impact of political communication in government, the electoral process, and society.

HUMANITIES: HISTORICAL STUDIES (HIST)

580 Ethnic History of West Virginia. 3 hrs.
This course focuses on the contributions that individuals and groups with diverse ethnic backgrounds have made to the economic, social, and cultural history of the state.

585 Coal Mine Life, Work and Culture in West Virginia. 3 hrs.
This course provides students with a better understanding of the continuing economic, political, environmental and cultural impact which the extraction of coal has had on West Virginia.

600 Selected Topics in Historical Studies. 1-6 hrs.
Selected topics in history. The specific topic will be announced in the schedule of classes. Students may take up to nine hours in selected topics.

601 Historic Preservation. 3 hrs.
Course broadens historical awareness and provides practical applications of historical knowledge. It covers the built environment and focuses on the history, processes and legal basis of the historic preservation movement.

 
620 Civil War and Reconstruction. 3 hrs.
This course examines the complex causes and lasting effects of the American Civil War. Issues such as slavery, sectionalism, emancipation and Reconstruction will receive attention.

HUMANITIES: LITERARY STUDIES (LITS)
 

510 Comparative Approaches to Literature. 3 hrs.
Exploration of literature via literary movements, themes, genres, or relationship to other disciplines.  Specific works will be read and discussed as examples of the announced approach.

520 Creative Writing and Practical Criticism. 3 hrs.
Exploration of the possibilities for communication and expression in contemporary writing with emphasis on comprehension of structure, technique and self-criticism of the writing experience.

522 Selected Topics in Writing. (formerly Media 522), 3 hrs.
The study of selected topics in writing (e.g., the expository essay, screen-writing, techniques of editing, etc.)

540 Studies in Mythology/Folklore. 1-6 hrs.
Selected topics in mythology and folklore (e.g., folk drama, folk tale, folk art). May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours.

580 Literature for Teachers. 3 hrs.
Study and appreciation of selected works with special reference to the high school curriculum.

600 Selected Topics in Literary Studies. 1-9 hrs.

615 Modern Southern Literature. 3 hrs.
Course surveys important figures in Southern literature since the Southern Literary Renaissance of the 1920s and the Agrarian and Fugitive Movements.

625 Updating Shakespeare: Text, Stage, and Film. 3 hrs.
Focusing on selected Shakespearean plays, this course considers recent critical interpretations and
explores how these have influenced stage and film productions. Contemporary adaptations of the plays will also be considered.

636 Literature and Society in Late 18th C. England. 3 hrs.
This course examines biographies, social, political and scientific writings, literary texts and the arts from 1750-1800 to understand English culture and the eighteenth-century world.

660 Modern Irish Novel. 3 hrs.
This course examines the subject matter, techniques, and critical background of the modern Anglo-Irish novel. Students will study representative examples by major novelists from the Republic and
Northern Ireland.

662 Twentieth-Century Irish Drama. 3 hrs.
From the founding of the Abbey Theatre to the present, this course traces the development of Irish drama as art form and cultural artifact.

670 Contemporary World Fiction. 3 hrs.
Contemporary works of shorter fiction from around the world offer opportunities to apply cultural critiques and comparative literary perspectives, while considering the different national and cultural traditions represented.

HUMANITIES: STUDIO ART (ARTS)
 

500 Selected Topics in Studio Arts. 1-6 hrs.