Program & Courses

About the Global Humanities Program

Study in the Global Humanities Program delivers to graduate students the means to achieve a broad and sophisticated understanding of human culture throughout history and around the globe and to translate that knowledge into practice, through seminar work and experiential opportunities such as workshops, encounters with visiting scholars, and internships.

In completing the 36-unit program of the master’s degree in Global Humanities, students will develop skills of critical thinking, analysis, research, and both written and verbal skills through seminar discussions, reading, presentations, research papers, digital communications, and thesis and internship options.

Seminars combine theory and practice, providing students with the critical and analytical tools that enable us to address “real world” problems, in readings, discussion, and projects.  Seminars may be supplemented by internship and practicum opportunities. The program also sponsors regular informal seminars and lectures, which will address topics and issues central to the global humanities, open to all global humanities faculty and students. 

Program Requirements and Options

Total Units:  36 credit hours

Students may fulfill the 36 required credit hours through one of the following courses of study:

  • Thesis Option: Successful completion of the introductory seminar (3 credits), 6 interdisciplinary thematic seminars (3 credits each or 18 total credit hours), and 3 elective seminars* (3 credits each or 9 total credit hours), culminating in the Master’s thesis (6 total credit hours).
  • Anthology Option: Successful completion of the introductory seminar (3 credits), 6 interdisciplinary thematic seminars (3 credits each or 18 total credit hours), and 5 elective seminars* (3 credits each or 15 total credit hours), with an anthology submitted at the end of the final semester.
  • Internship Option: Successful completion of the introductory seminar (3 credits), 6 interdisciplinary thematic seminars (3 credits each or 18 total credit hours), and 4 elective seminars* (3 credits each or 12 total credit hours), plus one 3-credit internship.

*Elective credits may include topics seminars in the program, graduate seminars in related fields (approved by the director), or internships. However, no more than 6 credits of internship may count toward the degree.  All internships must be approved by the director and shall include a reflective, written component.

Course Descriptions

The following graduate-level courses are offered in Global Humanities. Graduate-level courses are numbered 500-899. You can view course descriptions in the Graduate Catalog.

Introductory Seminar

  • HUMA 600 INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE STUDIES IN GLOBAL HUMANITIES (3.00 units)

Interdisciplinary Thematic Seminars

  • HUMA 602 EMPIRE (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 610 WAR (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 612 ENVIROHUMANITIES (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 613 DISEASE, LIFE, AND DEATH (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 614 TRANSLATION (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 615 POWER (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 616 THE HUMAN (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 618 COLONIALISM, POSTCOLONIALISM, and DECOLONIZATION (3.00 units)

Topics Seminars

  • HUMA 604 LOVE IN LITERATURE (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 623 CONSTRUCTING THE ARCTIC (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 631 HISTORY OF HISTORICAL THOUGHT (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 634 THE TRAVELER (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 670 SPECIAL TOPICS IN GLOBAL HUMANITIES (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 750 GLOBAL AUTHORS (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 752 GLOBAL THEMES SEMINAR (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 780 INTERNSHIP IN GLOBAL HUMANITIES (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 897 HUMANITIES THESIS (6.00 units)
  • HUMA 898 HUMANITIES THESIS (3.00 units)
  • HUMA 899 THESIS CONTINUUM (1.00 units)