Standards for Humanities Courses

MavEd Framework (p. 5 & 8):

Breadth courses are centered on the methodology of a given area (e.g., social sciences, humanities) while simultaneously reinforcing skills from at least one fundamental skills area (e.g., writing). Courses satisfying Humanities should reinforce writing.

MavEd Framework (p. 7):

Humanities (3 credits). Students will examine the cultural, historical, and philosophical aspects of human society through critical analysis and interpretation and focus on the exploration of human creativity, values, beliefs, and expressions across different civilizations and time periods.

Students use at least one of the standard humanities methods/approaches

• Close Reading & Textual Analysis: Meticulous analysis or interpretation of texts, performances, artworks, and/or cultural objects and phenomena, including discourse analysis and interpretation through specific lenses (e.g., political, historical, intellectual, aesthetic).
• Rhetoric & Argumentation: Analysis and production of arguments, including attention to audience, purpose, rhetorical strategies, and the construction and evaluation of claims and evidence.
• Archival & Historical Analysis: Examining primary sources — for example, diaries, letters, photographs, and documents—to interpret past events and cultures.
• Theoretical & Critical Analysis: Applying philosophical or theoretical frameworks to analyze topics, creating new interpretations of existing literature or artifacts.
• Digital Humanities (DH) Methods: Using computational tools to analyze large cultural, language, or historical datasets, including text mining, data visualization, AI, and mapping.

Student Learning Outcomes

• A Humanities course will incorporate: Critical Thinking and Communication: Developing skills to analyze evidence, formulate arguments, and communicate effectively through writing and speech.

It will also incorporate at least one of the outcomes below:

• Analysis and Interpretation: Using the methodologies listed above, analyzing literature, history, philosophy, language, and/or cultural objects and phenomena.
• Evaluation: Evaluating texts, artifacts, or cultural phenomena through informed judgment and deliberation.
• Historical and Cultural Context: Understanding how humanistic works reflect the values and beliefs of specific times and cultures.
• Global Citizenship: Applying knowledge of the humanities to recognize, engage with, and evaluate a
  multiplicity of human experiences and perspectives.