Below you will find a list of all M.A. Humanities graduate coursework. This is not all of the coursework M.A. Humanities students have access to; it simply provides a list of primary courses in the area. Depending upon circumstances, M.A. Humanities students may also access coursework in Education, Education Technology, Leadership, Fine Arts, Dance, and more. 

The program also offers opportunities to study abroad and an opportunity to complete a Wilson College Teaching Apprenticeship. The teaching apprenticeship allows the student to mentor under a member of the Wilson faculty in up to two undergraduate courses. As part of the experience, students take part in the creation of materials for the classes, observe the class, hold office hours, tutor students in the subject, research and devise selected teaching materials, and teach one unit as the primary instructor, including the grading of paper/assignments.

Unless otherwise noted, courses in Spanish (SPN) are offered in both Spanish and English translation.

HUM 510 Methods and Materials of Humanities Research
Introduces students to the study, practice, and materials of humanities scholarly inquiry, especially in preparation for further graduate-level work. Students will learn how to craft and answer inquiries typically found within the humanities field. Through analytic reading, guided discussion, and intensive study of best research practices, students will explore the disciplinary knowledge, modes of inquiry, defining principles, and core ideas of the humanities.

COURSE CONCENTRATION KEY
LL = English Language and Literature track
AC = Arts and Culture track
WS = Women’s Studies track
CT = Critical and Cultural Theory track
 

AWS 530 Sexual Politics in Classical Mythology
Critical reading of episodes from Greek and Roman mythology that include elements of forced marriage and sexual violence. Readings of secondary literature and discussion will ask students to evaluate these myths in light of their legacy of misogyny and current developments in sexual political thought and activism. WS, LL

COM 503 Communications Law and Ethics
Legal and ethics-based study of court rulings and other issues that concern media practitioners, especially with respect to censorship, obscenity, libel, copyright, privacy and First Amendment rights and responsibilities. LL

COM 504 Media Theory 
Examines the influence of traditional forms of media as well as new media technologies and the cultural conditions they establish. The course explores the history and theories of print media, communications, and digital technology, and their impact upon and implications for contemporary society and intercultural dialogue. CT, LL

COM-510 Gender, Media, and Society
Class, ethnicity, gender and other relevant social and cultural aspects of media audiences and media culture are examined, as well as current trends in feminist theory and criticism that come to bear on the production of popular media and communications in society. WS

ENG 517 American Literature Since 1945 
New directions in poetry, drama, fiction and literary innovations in the context of international conflict, feminism, environmentalism, civil rights and gay rights. LL

ENG 518 Chaucer 
Detailed analysis and study of The Canterbury Tales. Includes close, critical readings of the original Middle English text and examination of the social, political, and cultural climate in which Chaucer composed. LL

ENG 521 Adv Creative Writing: Poetry 
Intensive study and practice in the creation of poetic writing, including detailed craft and skill-building instruction, written and oral peer-critiquing, self-reflective analysis, regular examination of contemporary theoretical trends in creative writing poetry, and the completion of several significant projects. LL

ENG 523 Adv Creative Writing: Fiction 
Intensive study and practice in the creation of prose fiction, including detailed craft and skill-building instruction, written and oral peer-critiquing, self-reflective analysis, regular examination of contemporary theoretical trends in creative writing fiction, and the completion of several significant projects. LL

ENG 525 Adv Creative Writing: Creative Non-Fiction and Literary Journalism
Rotating topics in the study of creative writing. Course includes detailed craft and skill-building instruction, written and oral peer-critiquing, self-reflective analysis, regular examination of contemporary theoretical trends in creative writing, and the completion of several significant projects. LL

ENG 533 Multicultural Environmental Literature
This course examines inequality in access to natural resources and the wealth they produce, in exposure to toxins, and in participation in environmental decision-making as represented through literature by Native American, African-American, Latino, and Asian-American authors. LL, WS

ENG 535 Film Genres and Genders 
Historical study of Hollywood film genres and their relation to dichotomous gender. Emphasis on the genres of screwball comedy, maternal melodrama and film noir. Advanced readings in gender-analysis and film-studies scholarship. Representative directors include Pabst, Hawks, Sturgess, Rapper, Dmytryk, Ray, Hitchcock and Aldrich. AC, LL, WS

ENG 545 Shakespeare’s Histories and Comedies 
Critical reading of representative histories and comedies, including a strong theoretical approach to the texts. LL

ENG 546 Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Romances 
Critical reading of representative romances, tragedies, and genres, including a thorough introduction to Shakespeare and his sonnets. LL

ENG 560 Language and Culture
This course focuses on the interconnected relationship of language to culture, including exploring issues of cultural identity, acculturation and resistance, ethnocentrism, medial diffusion, and language study. LL, AC

ENG 561 Applied Linguistics
This course studies language as an integrative system of component parts. Students gain both a theoretical grounding and an understanding of scaffolding content for English language learners, including exploring learner strategies. Topics include syntactic structure, the English sound system, oral and written language variation, and pragmatics and semantics. LL

ENG 580 Literary and Cultural Interpretation 
In-depth study of developments in the history of interpretation. Representative methods include hermeneutics, feminism, psychoanalysis and semiotics. AC, CT, LL

FA 540 Drawing/Painting Workshop
Emphasis on combined techniques in drawing and painting as well as conceptual and theoretical problem solving within the disciplines as the focus of the course. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. AC (4 credits)

FA 528 Photography Workshop
Photography Workshop emphasizes in-depth exploration of a student's conceptual and technical development integrating film and digital media. Experimentation, historical research, and demonstrations form the basis for the student to develop a personal photographic voice. Substantial self-direction is expected. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. AC (4 credits)

HIS-530 Ancient World Film/Popular Cul
An investigation of the history and mythology of the ancient world in popular culture, including film and literature. Topics could include "History vs. Myth in the Greek World," "Women," "Slavery," "Great Men" and "Film as a Historical Thought Experiment." LL, AC

HIS-532 Museums and Material Culture
An examination of museums as social and cultural institutions and how they represent the past, the role that they play in heritage management, and how they actively shape our understandings of the past. Students will also apply methods for the study of material culture through a research project using artifacts from the Wilson College Archives. AC

HUM 518 Empathy 
An historical, cultural, and social exploration of the concept and manifestation of empathy in both the past and the present, emphasizing an applied component to foster leaders who are caring, civic minded, and socially aware and connected. CT

HUM 555 M.A. Internship
A practical course in experiential learning that combines research components, authorship and manuscript generation, and the presentation of appropriate materials.

HUM 570 Cultural Theory 
Survey of key concepts and schools of thought in the interdisciplinary field of contemporary critical and cultural theory. Topics include textual analysis, political economy, and audience research, with emphasis on the application of such theories and methods to a wide range of literary and media texts. LL, AC, CT

HUM 597 Master’s Project
Preparation and completion of a significant project carried out under the supervision of a project director in the final semester of study. Student will complete 10,000 word academic article; abstract; and oral defense. Prerequisite: HUM 510; permission of program director.

HUM 598 Master’s Thesis I
Preparation of thesis for M.A. degree carried out under supervision of thesis director. A student preparing a thesis must complete the thesis sequence in consecutive semesters and must be in the final two semesters of degree study. Prerequisite: HUM 510; completion of thesis proposal; permission of program director.

HUM 599 Master’s Thesis II
Completion of thesis for M.A. degree carried out under supervision of thesis director. A public oral defense of thesis is required. A student preparing a thesis must complete the thesis sequence in consecutive semesters and must be in the final two semesters of degree study. Prerequisite: HUM 598.

LDR 501 Ethics and Leadership
This course examines ethical theories and decision-making methods relevant to leadership, the virtues of leadership, and the role of leadership in cultivating ethical organizations and communities. CT

LDR 535 Interpersonal Dynamics
The course provides students with a greater understanding of interpersonal communications in a data-gathering setting. Students learn to assess verbal and nonverbal behavior and become more effective at obtaining information through individual interviews and interactions. Instruction covers non-confrontational interview techniques; techniques for conflict resolution and negotiation become integral parts of these activities.

LDR 549 Leadership Models and Practice 
This course reviews contemporary and empirically proven approaches and methods to inspire, motivate and lead. Its focus is on high-level, integrative approaches to fortify and empower effective change agents and leaders to design and implement the highest standards in any professional setting. CT

MFA 510 Praxis: Creative Writing 
Students examine histories, theories, and practices in writing-based art forms drawn from the last 100 years. Rotating topics place the writers studied in the sociopolitical context of their times. May include both practice-led and academic scholarship. LL, AC

MFA 510 Praxis: Visual Arts
Students examine histories, theories, and practices in visual-based art forms drawn from the last 100 years. Rotating topics place the visual artists studied in the sociopolitical context of their times. May include both practice-led and academic scholarship. AC, CT
 
MFA 523 Praxis: Movement Arts
Students examine histories, theories, and practices in movement-based art forms drawn from the last 100 years. Rotating topics place the movement-based artists studied in the sociopolitical context of their times. May include both practice-led and academic scholarship. AC

PHI 501 Ethics and Leadership
This course examines ethical theories and decision-making methods relevant to leadership, the virtues of leadership, and the role of leadership in cultivating ethical organizations and communities. CT

PHI 535 Aesthetics
Advanced survey of classical and contemporary theories of the meaning and function of art (including visual art, literature, music, dance and other art forms), beauty and aesthetic value and the interpretive process. CT, AC

PHI 570 Topics: Love and Friendship
Multidisciplinary exploration of love through representations in the arts, literature, science and medicine, and popular culture. Topics include romance, sex, friendship, and philosophical and religious love. AC, LL

PHI 570 Topics: Postnatural Humanities 
Drawing on science, art, literature, pop culture, religion, and philosophy, this course explores representations of the human role in destroying nature, decimating biological life, and polluting soil, water, and food, even as it challenges us to consider prospects for human creativity and meaning at nature’s end. AC, LL

SOC 515 Sociological Theory
Survey of theoretical perspectives that have guided sociological thought and inquiry. Considers both classical social theorists (e.g., Marx, Weber, Durkheim) and contemporary theoretical perspectives (e.g., feminist, postmodernist, deconstructionist). CT

SOC 540 Social Movements and Social Change
Surveys the theoretical literature (collective behavior, identity politics, resource mobilization and new social movements) on social movement analysis within the context of studying specific social movements. Questions such as why people start, join and leave movements are addressed along with discussions of movement strategies for attracting adherents and for achieving social change. Movements across the political spectrum and throughout the globe are considered. CT

SOC 580 Qualitative Methods of Social Research
Introduces students to basic research procedures for collecting qualitative data in the social sciences. Students learn to analyze qualitative data, and to conduct archival research, participant observation, and depth-interviews. Considers theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research with special attention to research ethics and project design. CT

SPN 520 Hispanic Film Studies
Designed to familiarize students with Hispanic cultures through the lens of film. Students will study cultural themes of major importance to the Hispanic world, as seen in both Latin American and Spanish cinema, as well as become familiar with both major and minor directors and film movements in the Spanish-speaking world. AC, LL

SPN 523 Coloniality in the Hispanic World 
Focuses on the various forms of colonialism (imperial, racial, ethnic and gendered) perpetrated and perpetuated in the Hispanic world (Spain and the Americas) through analysis of theoretical formulation and cultural constructions, such as literature, art, philosophy, politics and economics. AC, CT

SPN 524 Hispanic Women Writers 
Focuses theoretically and practically on how women writers were able to open up spaces for their own artistic creation within the traditional, patriarchal boundaries erected by masculine authority/authorship in the Hispanic world. LL, WS

SPN 532 Cervantes’ Don Quijote de la Mancha
Close reading and discussion of Don Quijote. Background lectures will depict the contexts (historical, social, cultural) in which Cervantes wrote his masterpiece. Additional readings will acquaint students with some of the most important criticism relating to Don Quijote, particularly its role as perhaps the first metafictional modern novel. LL

WS 520 Feminist Theory: Visual Culture
A study of feminist theory that explores the mutually constructive relationship between gender identities and visual cultures; analyzes the way in which feminist insights drive many modes of understanding visual culture; and recognizes that visual experience is one of the key modes by which gender is culturally inscribed. AC, CT, WS

WS 521 Feminist Theory: Literary Analysis 
A study of feminist theory that explores how women have been able to actively author texts despite being considered passive objects by patriarchal authority, thus analyzing how creative literary expression has enabled these women to literally write their subjectivity into existence. WS, CT, LL