Department Co-Chair: Thomas Bowen, 847.376.7084, tbowen@oakton.edu
Department Co-Chair: Mohamed Mehdi, 847.376.7287 or mmehdi@oakton.edu
The Exploring Humanities Pre-major is based on a range of offerings from the Humanities and Philosophy Department. This interdisciplinary Pre-major combines materials and approaches from several different areas, including visual art, film, music, theater, literature, poetry, philosophy and popular media. Some courses include materials from all these disciplines, while others focus on a particular one. These courses use materials from the humanities to shed light on the cultural, artistic and intellectual movements and ideas that have shaped our societies, from ancient times to the present.
This pre-major is suitable for students who are interested in liberal arts but are not yet decided on a particular discipline. This pre-major offers a broad introduction to many disciplines, and provides a good background for transferring into many liberal arts programs. Students who are interested in a particular discipline within the arts should consult the programs offered by the Art, English, and Music or Theater departments. The Exploring Humanities pre-major can be easily combined with one or more concentrations, including Women’s and Gender Studies, Global Studies, Peace and Social Justice Studies, Great Books and Environmental Studies. Students who take this interdisciplinary pre-major can also choose to focus on a specific area, such as art, music or film by taking several offerings in one of these disciplines over three to four semesters.
The pre-major is designed for students who have not decided upon a specific four-year college or university. Once a transfer school is selected, students are strongly encouraged to consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success and the transfer institution’s catalog to select courses that will meet both Oakton and transfer institution requirements. Part time students should also consult the Office of Advising, Transitions, and Student Success for part-time pre-major recommendations.
The recommended sequence of courses can be altered based on the interests of students and scheduling needs. Students should consult with the Co-Chair of the Humanities Department about alternative course selections and sequencing. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester One | Hours | |
| EGL 101 | Composition I | 3 |
| MAT 125 | General Education Mathematics | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Western Culture and the Arts: Beginnings through the Middle Ages | ||
| Western Culture and the Arts: Renaissance through the 20th Century | ||
| Contemporary Culture and the Arts | ||
| World Mythologies 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies 2 | ||
| Ethics | ||
| World Religions 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Art | ||
| Introduction To Music | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| EGL 102 | Composition II | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Note: At least one science course with lab is required for degree completion | ||
| Introduction to Life Science (lab) | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science (lab) 1 | ||
| Plants and Society 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Western Culture and the Arts: Beginnings through the Middle Ages | ||
| Western Culture and the Arts: Renaissance through the 20th Century | ||
| Contemporary Culture and the Arts | ||
| World Mythologies 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art History: Art of the Non-Western World 1 | ||
| Introduction to Global Literature 1 | ||
| Global Cinema 1 | ||
| Introduction to World Music 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology 1 | ||
| World Regional Geography 1 | ||
| Cultural Geography 1 | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology 2 | ||
| Social Problems 3 | ||
| Introduction to Global Studies 1 | ||
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Semester One | ||
| SPE 103 | Effective Speech | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| African-American Culture and the Arts 2 | ||
| Introduction to LGBTQ Studies 1 | ||
| Women and Creativity 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Asian Philosophy 1 | ||
| Ancient and Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Philosophy | ||
Modern Language course (2021 or higher) 4 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| History of Photography | ||
| Art History: Art of the Non-Western World 1 | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Perspectives on Film | ||
| Music Literature and History | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Western Civilization to 1650 | ||
| Western Civilization since 1650 | ||
| History of Contemporary Non-Western Civilizations 1 | ||
| History of the Islamic Middle East from the 7th Century to 1918 1 | ||
| History of the Islamic Middle East in Modern Times 1 | ||
| History of Modern Latin America 1 | ||
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Asian Humanities 1 | ||
| Women, Art and Culture 2 | ||
PHL (Philosophy) course not taken previously | ||
HUM (Humanities) course not taken previously | ||
Modern Language course (202 1 or higher) 4 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Drama | ||
| Introduction to Fiction | ||
| Introduction to Poetry | ||
| Introduction to Literature (or other Literature course) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Note: At least one science course with lab is required for degree completion | ||
| Descriptive Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to Earth Science (lab) | ||
| Introduction to Weather and Climate | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| A Survey of Oceanography | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Comparative Government 1 | ||
| International Relations 1 | ||
| Human Development | ||
| Social Psychology 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Sociology of Sex and Gender 2 | ||
| Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2 | ||
| Introduction to Ethnic Studies 2 | ||
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Total Hours | 61-63 | |
- 1
Course fulfills the Global Studies requirement. At least one Global Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 2
Course fulfills the U.S. Diversity Studies requirement. At least one U.S. Diversity Studies course is required for degree completion.
- 3
Course fulfills both, the Global Studies and U.S. Diversity Studies requirements.
- 4
Transfer institutions may have a language requirement. Any Modern Language Intermediate II course can meet the Humanities and Global Studies requirements.
Note: Pre-major is a recommended sequence and selection of courses. See Associate in Arts (A.A.) page for degree requirements.