BACHELOR OF ARTS IN HUMANITIES
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities (4YP)
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
The Humanities program produces graduates who can:
a. Effectively gather data for interpretation and appraisal through looking, listening, and research, as grounded in the Humanistic disciplines of Literature and Language, Philosophy, History, and Art. This grounds the graduates’ capacity to recognize diversity and unity of disciplines in pursuit of wisdom, the synthesis of love of God and knowledge, faith and reason, culture and life.
b. Complementarily use the methods of the Humanistic disciplines in Interpreting, Analyzing, and Appraising the human person, human society, and culture, fostering openness, appreciation, and sensitivity for what is human.
c. Innovate and develop new ideas that meet the demands of the ever-changing socio-cultural landscape through the appreciation of how the different Humanistic disciplines are distinct and complementary to each other. This grounds the graduates as persons who are conversant, adaptable, and drawn to contribute to the upliftment of the human condition in the pursuit of the truth.
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
The Bachelor of Arts in Humanities is designed to train Humanities students in the methods practiced in the humanistic disciplines of Literature, History, Philosophy, Art, and Language. The courses offered aim at developing the use of multi-disciplinary approaches of research, interpretation, analysis, and appraisal in the study of the human person, human society, and culture.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates of the AB Humanities program are prepared to take on jobs related to any of the humanistic disciplines. At the same time, they are prepared for further specialization within the career paths of their choice. Intensive training in the complementary use of various methods drawn from different humanistic disciplines in the discipline of their choice leads students to a deeper understanding of the constantly changing socio-cultural landscape. This training and understanding equips the humanities graduate to innovate and develop new ideas that meet the demands of modern-day career opportunities.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
No other requirements for admission apart from the regular requirements.
ACADEMIC LOAD
| First Year | First Sem | 23 | units |
| Second Sem | 26 | units | |
| Second Year | First Sem | 23 | units |
| Second Sem | 23 | units | |
| Third Year | First Sem | 21 | units |
| Second Sem | 18 | units | |
| Fourth Year | First Sem | 15 | units |
| Second Sem | 3 | units |
STUDENT EVALUATION
Grading System for all MAJOR ABHUM COURSES
| Grade | Point | Description |
| 100-99 | 1.00 | Excellent |
| 98-96 | 1.25 | Superior |
| 95-93 | 1.50 | Very Good |
| 92-90 | 1.75 | Good |
| 89-87 | 2.00 | Satisfactory |
| 86-84 | 2.25 | Sufficient |
| 83-81 | 2.50 | Fair |
| 80-below | 2.75 | Competent |
| 77-75 | 3.00 | Pass |
| 74-below | 3.50 | Fail |
Courses Offered
- FIRST YEAR – FIRST SEMESTER
- HMA121 FILM
- SECOND YEAR – FIRST SEMESTER
- HMA232 MUSIC
- HMA233 THEATRE
- SECOND YEAR – SECOND SEMESTER
- HML313 POETRY
- HMH221 HISTORICAL RESEARCH
- THIRD YEAR – FIRST SEMESTER
- HML312 NOVEL
- HMA314 ART IN HUMANISTIC TRADITION 1
- HMH312 GENERAL HISTORIOGRAPHY
- HML314 LITERARY THEORY & CRITICISM 1
- HMP311 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 1
- HMF311 LATIN 1
- HML317 ESSAY
- THIRD YEAR – SECOND SEMESTER
- HMP323 METAPHYSICS
- HMA325 ART IN HUMANISTIC TRADITION 2
- HMH323 PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY
- HML325 LITERARY THEORY & CRITICISM 2
- HMP322 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 2
- HMF322 LATIN 2
- FOURTH YEAR – FIRST SEMESTER
- HMP414 WORK AND SOCIETY
- HMA414 ART THEORY
- HMH416 SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
- HML416 THEORY OF THEORIES AND THE HUMANISTIC ENTERPRISE
- HMP415 PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE
- FOURTH YEAR – SECOND SEMESTER
- HMI421 HUM PRACTICUM
Course Descriptions
FILM HMA121
Moving pictures are now permanent and ubiquitous parts of life. Much of the information and values that students receive are transmitted through the cinematic art, whether in the big screen of the movie theater or the small screen of mobile devices. This present situation urgently demands that students learn how to properly respond to the things that they watch on screen by developing the skill of critical watching. The course on cinema aims to produce students who have the ability to explain how their response to a narrative moving picture is influenced by its content and form, and to make appraisals of cinematic works that are based on the qualities of the work in question. To this end, students are trained in analyzing, interpreting and evaluating moving pictures in various recording and delivery formats. This is founded on a thorough knowledge of the elements of cinematic art and the skill of establishing the complex interrelations of the elements, with the story content and the viewing subject.
MUSIC HMA232
This course is a humanistic reflection on the music – the artwork, its artist and performer, and its audience. Focus is on the aesthetic interest that is generated when we articulate ourselves (and to other listeners) features of the music we hear in sounds. In the process of analyzing the structure of concrete music pieces, we are led to an understanding of music as the work of a tradition.
THEATRE HMA233
The course introduces the student to the fundamental elements of a theatrical performance as found in Western and Philippine theatre traditions. The aim of the course is for the student to recognize theatre as a form of aesthetic expression as well as to distinguish the different arts that collaborate in a production. Analyses of dramatic literature, exposure to and analyses of local productions, as well as devising and staging theatrical pieces, provide the necessary practical framework for describing, interpreting and evaluating theatre as an art form.
POETRY HML313
This subject teaches students to read and interpret poetry. It assumes that a knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, which are fundamental to reading prose, are necessary but not sufficient for reading poetry. Reading poetry well requires a deliberate attention to language and a nimble imagination, skills which are only seldom required by prose. By developing in the student the reading required for a sophisticated enjoyment of poetry, this course plays a part in preparing the Humanities graduate for mastery of all texts no matter the genre.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH HMH221
This course is a general introduction to the discipline of History. The course serves as an introductory path for students seeking an in-depth immersion in the research methodologies, philosophies, perspectives, approaches, and issues encountered in the academic study of history. Given the availability of research materials and current familiarity, the course utilizes Philippine history as an area of discourse and enquiry for exercising the principles and discussions in the current scholarship. At the same time, the course serves as an immersion in professional scholarship in history.
NOVEL HML312
This course tackles the elements of the novel for the students to grasp the literary genre’s form. These novel elements are the following: character, setting, theme, and plot. Being aware of these elements should help the students internalize what a novel is, i.e., its distinguishing and similar characteristics to other kinds storytelling, and therefore facilitate their better appreciation and understanding of its insights. The study of these elements shall be pursued in the three (3) selected novels from different genres, e.g., social realism, fantasy/science fiction, and young adult. The novel genres are chosen based on their relevance in themes (history, theology, social commentary) and popularity in today’s world.
ART IN HUMANISTIC TRADITION 1 HMA314
Art in Humanistic Tradition 1 is a study of art as an expression of insights into the Humanistic Traditions of the West as represented in artforms with a focus on but not limited to painting, sculpture and architecture from Prehistoric to the Renaissance period. At the core of this course is a discussion of masterpieces which articulate the aesthetic canons and the values they signify in their original humanistic contexts, i.e., according to stories and Humanistic traditions of learning of the West as couched in the myths of the Ancient World and Classical civilizations, Christian learning of the Medieval ages, and the Humanism of the Renaissance following the trajectory of Western Art History. The course is comprised of 4 modules as follows: 1) The Humanistic Tradition of the Ancient World: Myths, Art and Architecture of Prehistoric, Ancient Near East and Egyptian Periods 2) The Humanistic Tradition of the Classical World: Myths, Art and Architecture of Greek and Roman Periods 3) The Humanistic Tradition of the Medieval: Christian Learning and Art and Architecture of the Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic Periods 4) The Humanistic Tradition of the Renaissance: Humanism, Art and Architecture of the Renaissance Period.
GENERAL HISTORIOGRAPHY HMH312
This course introduces the students to some of the most important historiographical developments since the professionalization of history in the nineteenth century to the present. The schools or theoretical frameworks were chosen in preparation for later studies on the history of Philippine historiography. The last part of this course surveys briefly the highlights of the western tradition of historical writing from the Classical period until the beginnings of empiricism.
Some readings will be essays on the theory and practice of some specific historiographical period, movement, or school. Other readings will consist of concrete examples of how historians applied those principles and methods. The course will analyze and interpret historical thought from a Christian perspective.
Students will undertake the second phase of a personal research project (the first was already accomplished when taking HMH 221), to be continued during the second semester in Philippine Historiography. During this semester they will choose aspects or approaches of one or a two theories or historiographical schools and apply them to guide the writing of the research project they began in HHM 221.
LITERARY THEORY & CRITICISM 1 HML314
This course looks into different ways of critiquing literatures produced through the ages and compares such according to various approaches that have come to the fore.
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 1 HMP311
The course presents a framework for understanding some of the major philosophical trends in the West from the pre-Socratic era to the Modern Period. Emphasis will be given to the historical significance and genesis of ideas, as well as the continuity and discontinuity in the history of development of philosophical thought. The focus will be on the Western understanding of the human being and the world, which underlies the manner man relates with realities within and beyond its boundaries. Thus, one gains a more critical understanding of the historical events that shaped the Western social and cultural milieu and vice-versa.
LATIN 1 HMF311
This course covers the beginning stages of learning Latin. It provides the basis for the student to develop reading and writing skills in Latin on his own. Of greater importance in the course is understanding the part that Latin played in the tradition of the humanities in Western Civilization. The course aims to contribute in a basic fashion for the student to be articulate in this tradition
ESSAY HML317
This course deals with the features and conventions that make Essay a distinct literary genre. Emphasis is placed on Essay’s unique form which makes it distinct from Drama, Fiction and Poetry, as well as its distinctions from articles and papers. The course will refer to essays that will serve as springboard for discussions and lectures.
METAPHYSICS HMP323
This course, following the understanding of what metaphysics is from the time of Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas up to the present, studies all of reality using the most radical perspective, that of being. It aims to examine and explain the ultimate structure of the universe and its first and fundamental cause. In other words, this course studies being as being or being as such in the light of the very ultimate cause and primary principles. Hence, the course is divided into two parts. First, it investigates the nature of being and the various categories of the dynamics of ‘esse’ or act of being: one, true, good, and beautiful. Second, it studies the cause of the act of being of all things – God, as Creator, the summit, first cause, and last end of being. The course also examines the persistent questions on the existence of God and the critical reasons that are foundational in addressing them. As a whole, the course offers a solid sapiential basis for shaping a coherent view of man, the world, and God.
ART IN HUMANISTIC TRADITION 2 HMA325
A course on Arts in the Humanistic Tradition II introduces humankind’s cultural legacy through the arts, located along the intersections of ideas in literature and philosophy, as well as the social and historical transformations across ages that have shaped the world. Significant works across art forms by key artists in the canon serve as our primary objects of inquiry and were selected for their beauty and enduring value. Students in this course will examine key artworks from the Baroque Age until the contemporary period.
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY HMH323
This course on Philippine historiography will look at the different ways of writing Philippine general history following different assumptions, perspectives, or theories by selected historians. For this course, the historiography of Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Renato Constantino, Zeus Salazar, Onofre D. Corpuz, and Jose Arcilla will be compared. Also, specific sub-disciplines in history will be studied through works written by Filipino and foreign authors: local history, oral history, history of the arts, social history, economic history, and history of Philippine institutions.
LITERARY THEORY& CRITICISM 2 HML325
This course examines through guided reading excerpts from the most influential literary theorists from ancient to modern.
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 2 HMP322
This course studies the different philosophical movements of the 20th century up to the contemporary period, particularly focusing on existentialism, phenomenology, analytic philosophy, language philosophy, hermeneutics and post-modernism. This course takes note of prominent figures of each movement and discusses their main contributions to the development of thought.
LATIN 2 HMF322
There is perhaps no other language from the ancient world that can claim as much influence as Latin in today’s languages and cultures. As the language of the Roman Empire and, later, of the Roman Catholic Church, Latin has helped to spread a culture that even to this day remains to “play an important role in the continuing saga of Western civilization” (Spielvogel 114) and, indeed, with the advent of technology, to influence the rest of the world. Latin continues to influence education, literature, law (Perry 168), philosophy, religion, and science (Freidell 349).
This one-semester continuation of the introductory course to this so-called “lingua mundi” (or “language of the world,” for once it was spoken by the entire civilized Western world), builds up on the previous semester’s “First Experience.” The interested students will continue where they left off in Latin 101 and learn the more advanced elements of the Latin language. They will continue to be exposed to a sampling of Latin’s rich literature, from classical times to the present. True to both the University’s liberal arts focus and its Christian ethos, this course will attempt – despite the very limited time allotted to it – to synthesize the best of what Latin has to offer.
WORK AND SOCIETY HMP414
HMP 414 is a philosophical study of work in the light of its anthropological, sociological and ethical dimensions. This course seeks to highlight the relevance of work as a human activity, contributing thus to the development of the worker, co-workers, culture and society. The ethical dimensions treated here are focused on the individual worker’s personal development as worker regardless of specialization and therefore applicable to any given job a worker may have at any given time.”
ART THEORY HMA414
A course on Art Theory is an introduction to key ideas on art across the different forms. The readings selected for the course introduce theories on the Visual and Performing Arts. The course helps students take an analytical and critical stance as they compare the strengths and limitations of theories on Art. Illustrative rather than exhaustive, the selected readings introduce questions on the nature of art. The course also is designed to equip the students with enough competencies and wisdom to develop a standard of beauty based on intrinsic excellence and a view of art as a form of leisure that enables the human being to understand the self and others.
SOURCES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY HMH416
This course is a general introduction to sources for Philippine history. It familiarizes students with the nature and types of primary and secondary sources as building blocks of history as a discipline. Given the peculiar situation this school year, it focuses on digital sources which students learn how to search for and extract from digital repositories available online. They will analyze, evaluate and synthesize textual and non-textual material as historiographical sources not only to be able to read historical works critically but also to create new knowledge. In this research-driven course, students will have the opportunity to work individually and collaborate with each other on small projects that they will also present in class and communicate to a wider public. Underlying this historiographical activity is the search for historical truth on which students will be encouraged to reflect.
THEORY OF THEORIES AND THE HUMANISTIC ENTERPRISE HML416
The course studies the history of aesthetic criticism from the Enlightenment to contemporary times. By aesthetic criticism is meant criticism in the fine arts (architecture, painting, sculpture, music, dance, poetry, theater, film, and prose fiction). Various critical theories are likewise studied from the idea of the art object as object of contemplation during the eighteenth century to the political readings of art objects in the late twentieth century.
PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE HMP415
This course studies the fundamental elements of philosophical schools of thought and worldviews, with the aim of understanding methods of inquiry that distinguish philosophy from the rest of the sciences.
HUM PRACTICUM HMI421
The Humanities Practicum is a venue for students to apply what they have learned in their classes, by immersing themselves in work environments related to the Humanities. By the term, students should be able to apply the lessons from class to current developments in their chosen place of internship.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
No other requirements for GRADUATION apart from the regular requirements.