HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Subject abbreviation: HMSS

_________________, Chair  

Committee Office, 1609 Humanities and Social Sciences

**

Committee in Charge:

Scott L. Coltrane, Ph.D.
(Sociology)

Michael Kearney, Ph.D.
(Anthropology)

Sally A. Ness, Ph.D.
(Dance)

Vivian-Lee Nyitray, Ph.D.
(Religious Studies and Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages)

Carole-Anne Tyler, Ph.D.
(English)

Sharon Salinger, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, ex officio

Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, ex officio

MAJOR  

The Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences major is an interdisciplinary major designed for students who have specific interests which cannot be accommodated within any one of the departments in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and who wish to construct a coherent program of their own. The Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences major is not intended for students whose interests are undecided; students proposing a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences major are required to propose a specifically focused interdisciplinary topic or a two-field area. Students proposing a major must have a faculty advisor who is a member of the UCR Academic Senate.

The Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences major is fulfilled by a course of studies determined in consultation with an advisor and with the full approval of the chair and three members of the Committee overseeing the major. The student may construct either an interdisciplinary option or a two-field option for the major as described below.

Students who wish to select a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences major are required to fill out a form and to submit a carefully worded statement of purpose showing meaningful course interrelations. The Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Committee considers each proposal in the context of the student's topic and statement of purpose.

If students are changing majors, they should petition for a change in major after their interdisciplinary program has been approved by the Committee. Every subsequent change in the student's initial program must be approved by the advisor; a record of the program and of program changes is kept in the student's files.

Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences courses are supervised by the Committee and are open to major as well as nonmajor students.

HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES INTERDISCIPLINARY OPTION

The interdisciplinary option is built around a central concept in humanities and social sciences. The concept might be a specific culture, country or ethnic group such as French civilization and culture; an age or period such as the Renaissance or the industrial revolution; a great social issue or human problem such as war, revolution, communication; or any other topic which receives significant attention from several disciplines.

HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES TWO-FIELD OPTION

In special circumstances the Committee sponsors a two-field option for the major designed to allow students to combine studies in two disciplines. Such majors are approved only if they cannot be accommodated within a dual major or within the Liberal Studies Program.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS  

UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS

General University requirements are Universitywide requirements which all undergraduates must satisfy. See the Undergraduate Studies section for a complete listing.

COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

Students must fulfill all breadth requirements of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. For a detailed list of requirements and a summary of units, see Degree Requirements under College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the Undergraduate Studies section of this catalog.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The major requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences are as follows. Students may choose either an interdisciplinary or a two field option.

Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Option

1. Upper-division requirements (38-unit minimum)

• a) A minimum of 32 units directly related to the chosen central concept
• b) At least 6 units (but not more than 8 units) HMSS 195 and/or HMSS 196

2. The Committee may require upper-division courses beyond those indicated above if the topic of study requires specific language, quantitative, or methodological proficiency.

Note: The senior thesis or research paper is the culmination of the major and represents an interdisciplinary approach to the central concept of the major. HMSS 195 (Senior Thesis) and HMSS 196 (Senior Research Paper) are supervised by a faculty advisor and designed to bring into focus a substantial portion of the major.

The following are sample interdisciplinary programs:

Revolution: ANTH 127, ECON 115A or ECON 115B, HIST 104, HISE 174, POSC 112, PHIL 176, PHIL 185, HMSS 195 (8 units).

Renaissance: AHS 161, CPLT 150J, ENGL 153, 154, FREN 155, HISE 131, MUS 101A, SPN 140 (E-Z), HMSS 195 (8 units).

Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Two-field Option

1. Upper-division requirements (56 units)
Twenty-eight (28) units in each of two fields, supervised by a faculty advisor

2. The Committee may require upper-division courses beyond those indicated above if the topic of study requires specific language, quantitative, or methodological proficiency.

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES  

HMSS 001.
Step-by-Step to College Success for Freshmen. (2)

Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Weekly readings, writing assignments, and class discussions dealing with factors relating to academic success. Topics include social and psychological adjustment to college life. Students investigate a wide range of academic disciplines and campus student support services. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Credit is awarded for only one of HNPG 010A, HMSS 001, or HMSS 002.

HMSS 002.
Step-by-Step to College Success for Transfer and Reentry Students. (2)

Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Weekly readings, writing assignments, and class discussions dealing with factors relating to academic success. Topics include social and psychological adjustment to college life. Students investigate a wide range of academic disciplines and campus student support services. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Credit is awarded for only one of HNPG 010A, HMSS 001, or HMSS 002.

HMSS 003.
Step-by-Step to College Success: Expanded Horizons. (1)

Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): HMSS 001 or HMSS 002 or consent of instructor. An investigation of strategies for the development of critical thinking processes. Students intensively explore selected topics initially presented in HMSS 001 or HMSS 002. Emphasis is the development of academic and career goals. Includes weekly reading and writing assignments. Graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Credit is awarded for only one of ANTH 181G, HNPG 010B, or HMSS 003.

HMSS 005.
Library Research Strategies. (2)

Lecture, two hours. Prerequisite(s): second-quarter freshman or beyond. An introduction to library research strategies and resources which will give students knowledge necessary for self-sufficient study on the college level and beyond. Emphasis will be placed on development of appropriate research strategies utilizing integrated knowledge of resources available.

HMSS 021.
White Racial Identity in a Multicultural Society. (4)

Lecture, three hours; individual study, three hours. Prerequisite(s): none. An analysis of issues related to white racial identity in the United States. Explores the manifestations of racism, white privilege, white culture, and cross-cultural interactions.

UPPER-DIVISION COURSES

HMSS 190.
Special Studies. (1-5)

Conference. Prerequisite(s): consent of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Committee. Directed interdisciplinary study.

HMSS 195.
Senior Thesis. (1-8)

Prerequisite(s): enrollment by request of student with approval of the advisor and the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Committee. For honors students who may need one or more quarters to complete the research and writing of a senior thesis. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 12 units.

HMSS 196.
Senior Research Paper. (1-4)

Prerequisite(s): consent of advisor.

HMSS 198-I.
Internship. (1-12)

Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing and approval of Committee on Independent Student Projects. A student-defined project, the major portion of which is taken off campus. May be supervised by an off-campus instructor and/or UCR advisor. Repeatable to 16 units. To be graded Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC). Does not fulfill University breadth requirements.