http://www.uwplatt.edu/humanities
The Department of Humanities at UW-Platteville offers the student an interdisciplinary field of study. As an academic field, the Humanities focus upon understanding the human condition through the contemplation and practice of the Liberal Arts. Students cannot major in the Humanities as such but only separately in English, Philosophy and Foreign Languages. The purpose of the study of the humanities is to explore the diversity of human thought and experience. Humanities courses teach students to contemplate and confront fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, justice and beauty. Our programs in English, Philosophy and Foreign Languages challenge students to explore a diversity of approaches to learning and life. Complementary minors in these fields are also available for students who seek to add a concentration in the Humanities to any major they may have chosen. The Humanities form a field of study that does not automatically prepare for a career track (except in education) but prepares the student for a variety of job skills. Humanities graduates primarily land jobs in business, government, freelancing environments, communication and publishing, teaching and other employment sectors. Many students choose a major in one of the Humanities programs in order to lay an excellent foundation for graduate school (M.A. and Ph.D.), including advanced degrees in English, Foreign Languages and Philosophy but also for law school, Communication Studies and careers in Student Services, profit organizations, and humanitarian sectors. A majority of the Humanities courses satisfy the university general education requirement. Students are also encouraged to participate in cultural life through a student-led Humanities Club and membership in Alt.Arts, which publishes a literary magazine and schedules poetry readings and other performances. Students in the Humanities also gain valuable experience from participation in exchanges with local and international schools, presentations at academic conferences and professional organizations, as well as study-abroad programs.
Graduates with a degree in any of the Humanities programs will have the following abilities and competencies:
http://www.uwplatt.edu/English.html
The English Program allows students the flexibility to choose from the following three English majors and five minors according to individual preference and career choices. Students may also obtain a Writing Certificate.
This classic English Major prepares the student for careers and graduate work in English, law, publishing, library science, government, business and other professions.
In cooperation with the School of Education, this traditional English major prepares students for Middle/Secondary Education careers (Early Adolescence through Adolescence, Ages 10-21).
This major prepares students for careers in a variety of writing fields, including journalism, publishing, technical communication, editing and communication.
This minor is designed for students who seek expertise in literature and writing for a variety of purposes and career options as a complement to their major in another program.
This minor is designed for students seeking Middle/Secondary Education certification. It complements other teaching majors and qualifies the student to teach another subject.
Designed for Education majors.
This minor is not only for English Education Majors. It also prepares students who are not enrolled in the School of Education programs for teaching non-native speakers in a variety of contexts. Students may gain employment at private and public schools as well as abroad at the secondary and post-secondary level.
This versatile minor focuses on the development of literary writing skills particularly in poetry, short story, non-fiction and other professional genres.
Designed for students who want a general education in English Studies and Writing but do not wish to major or minor in English.
All English majors and minors are designed to prepare students for writing and teaching careers in a variety of professional environments, in which creativity, critical thinking and a broad cultural perspective are required. English courses teach proficiency in literary analysis, professional and creative writing, cultural analysis and creation and the mastery of rhetorical devices.
The basic pre-professional objective of the non-teaching English majors is twofold:
The more general, non-career oriented objective of the English program at UW-Platteville is to educate citizens who understand, think about and argue complex cultural issues. Specifically our literature and advanced composition courses are designed to broaden students' perspectives and to increase their cultural literacy. Students gain personally and professionally from an education in American, British, world and other literatures by becoming intellectually more astute and literate. Technical writing experience and other professional skills, including training in Teaching English as a Second or Other Language, are all highly marketable skills that graduates acquire in our program. Our emphasis on the broad variety of human experiences through internships, community-based (service) learning, as well as participation in forums on and off-campus, helps students to participate in meaningful ways in society. Graduates in English are taught to apply their knowledge in all personal, professional and social situations in which ethical decisions demand a deepened knowledge of the human condition and an understanding of the past.
Graduates of the English program shall be competent and knowledgeable in:
Although the Writing Center is administered by Student Affairs, it is located in proximity to the English professors' offices, at 360 Gardner Hall. At the Writing Center, student tutors, many of whom are English majors, meet one-to-one with UW-Platteville students to discuss all kinds of writing, from freshmen composition papers to lab reports to résumés. The goal of the Writing Center is to help students to become better writers. Through conversations with peer tutors, students will learn to more effectively read and revise their own writing.
English 1130 and 1230 are pre-requisites for most English courses. English majors must complete the first-year composition sequence, earn transfer credit for equivalent courses taken elsewhere or pass the 1130 test-out exam BEFORE taking any English course at the 2000-level or above.
All English majors must earn a "C" or better in the required foreign language courses.
Beyond UW-Platteville's General Education requirement for a foreign language, Professional Writing and English Literature majors are also required to complete one foreign language through the fourth college semester (French 2140, German 2340 or Spanish 2940). Students must contact Professor Laura Anderson, the contact person of the Foreign Language Program in 228 Warner Hall, to determine at which level they should begin. Professor Anderson and other staff can also determine competency and retroactive credit.
Beyond UW-Platteville's General Education requirement for a foreign language, English Education majors are also required to complete one foreign language through the third college semester (French 2040, German 2240 or Spanish 2840). Students must contact Professor Laura Anderson, the contact person of the Foreign Language Program in 228 Warner Hall, to determine at which level they should begin. Professor Anderson and other staff can also determine competency and retroactive credit.
All English majors must earn a "C" or better in the required Philosophy courses.
Students must take 6 credits from any Philosophy courses listed in the catalog.
Students majoring in English Education must take either PHILOSOPHY 1130 Introduction to Philosophy or PHILOSOPHY 2530 Ethics.
All students intending to become licensed teachers must satisfy the requirements outline in the section "Teacher Licensure," listed under the School of Education catalog description and course outline.
Upon entering the junior year, English majors must submit a portfolio of their writing to the English program for approval before they may graduate. Requirements for a completed portfolio include at least eight items (no more than three from first-year composition courses; three papers that are at least four pages long; one paper that is a literary analysis; and one paper that is a research paper). The portfolio is evaluated by English faculty on a pass/fail basis. For guidelines, see "Requirements for the English Major Portfolio," available in the English Office. English Education students who are of Junior standing prior to Fall 2006 are exempt from submitting this portfolio.
All literature courses, except ENGLISH 3930 Literature for Young Adults and ENGLISH 3990 Topics in Language, Literature or Writing, count as Humanities credit towards the general education requirements. All courses numbered 2000 or above have ENGLISH 1230 as a prerequisite.
At least one of the above courses other than Shakespeare must focus on literature before 1800.
Students must earn a "C" or better in these courses.
At least three of the above literature courses must be at the 3000 level or above.
Students must earn a "B" average or better for these courses.
Students must earn a grade of "C" or better in these courses.
Students must earn a "B" average or better in these courses.
At least 2 of the above literature courses must be at the 3000 level or above.
* May be repeated for credit
Students who take fewer than 24 credits from the above list may complete the minor by selecting up to 6 credits from:
* May be repeated for credit.
Required literature courses (5-6 credits, excluding ENGLISH 3930):
Required speech and/or theater courses (6 credits):
Required writing course (3 credits):
Required courses (18 credits, 12 from English):
http://www.uwplatt.edu/humanities/forlang.htm
The foreign language program offers majors in German and Spanish, along with minors in French, German and Spanish. Students who major in foreign languages find career opportunities in many areas such as international business, marketing, civil-service work, diplomacy and law enforcement. Students who wish to teach French, German or Spanish must be admitted to the School of Education, meet all of the requirements for teacher certification and also take TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages: Theory and Practice (credits do not count toward major or minor).
Minor studies in French, German and Spanish are designed for students interested in combining a minor in a foreign language with other areas of study for the purpose of enhancing communication skills and career opportunities. Likewise, apart from the intellectual development that results from the study of the French, German or Spanish language, its literature and its civilization, students may also find professional employment in international business, marketing, civil service and teaching.
All students intending to become licensed teachers must satisfy the requirements outlined in the section, "Teacher Licensure," listed under School of Education in this catalog.
All students are required to demonstrate competency in a foreign language. The competency consists of the following: one year (two semesters) of one foreign language at the 1000 college level or two years (four semesters) of a foreign language in high school with a grade of "C" or higher in the second year of high-school foreign language study. Foreign languages other than the languages taught at UW-Platteville may satisfy this competency.
Students may receive retroactive college credit for their high school foreign language studies. Proficiency acquired in high school may be counted toward graduation and toward the number of credits in the major or minor. Students ordinarily earn a maximum of eight retroactive credits. However, students with high proficiency may earn more retroactive credit as determined by the department.
In order to earn retroactive credit, a student must enroll in a second-semester course or higher, and must earn a grade of "A" or "B" in that course. In addition to credit for the course completed, a student may then earn between 4 and 16 retroactive credits for the course or courses skipped at the 1000 or 2000 levels.
Non-teaching German and Spanish majors, in addition to the requirements for the major, are also required to take 9 credits of English literature and philosophy with no more than two courses from one of the above areas. Students may select any philosophy or English literature course at the 2000 level or higher.
Students who major in a foreign language are required to take eight or nine credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted.
(available for education majors only)
In addition to the credits required for German and Spanish majors in Education, there is also a requirement for one philosophy course (PHLSPHY 1130 Introduction to Philosophy or PHLSPHY 2530 Ethics).
Students who major in a foreign language are required to take 8 or 9 credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted.
This program is designed to provide students with the language proficiency skills required for oral communication in German, French and Spanish. Conversation is stressed with some emphasis on civilization in order to provide knowledge and awareness of the culture. Students in this limited sequence of language courses are encouraged to couple foreign language skills with other areas of study so as to take advantage of career opportunities in foreign languages. The program consists of 18 credits taken in an orderly sequence, which includes elementary and intermediate language courses along with a 2-credit course in practical conversation. Retroactive credit may be obtained for previous study in high school. See section under Foreign Language Competency/Retroactive Credits.
The Department of Humanities offers a minor in French for students interested in combining a minor in a foreign language with other areas of study for the purpose of enhancing communication skills and career opportunities. Likewise, apart from the intellectual development that results from the study of the French language and francophone culture, students may also find professional employment in many different areas, including international business, marketing, civil service and teaching.
The minor requires a total of 24 credits with a minimum of 8 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. Students who minor in French must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the French courses they take.
The minor requires a total of 28 credits with a minimum of 12 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages is an additional requirement of the School of Education (credits do not count toward minor). Likewise, students interested in teaching must satisfy the language immersion requirement by enrolling in FRENCH 3000 Foreign Language Travel Abroad Seminar for at least 2 credits. See the French instructor for details. French minors must have a GPA of no lower than a 2.50 in French courses.
The major requires a total of 36 credits with a minimum of 20 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. GERMAN 4220 Phonetics and GERMAN 3530 German Civilization are required. Students who major in German must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the German courses they take, and meet the study abroad requirement by completing 8-9 credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted.
In addition, students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree are required to take 9 credits of English literature and philosophy with no more than two courses from each area (2000 level or above).
The major requires a total of 40 credits with a minimum of 24 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. GERMAN 4220 Phonetics and GERMAN 3530 German Civilization are required. TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages is an additional requirement of the School of Education (credits do not count toward major). Students who major in German must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the language courses they take, and meet the study abroad requirement by completing 8-9 credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted. In addition, German Education majors completing a Bachelor of Science degree are required to take either PHLSPHY 1130 Introduction to Philosophy or PHLSPHY 2530 Ethics.
The minor requires a total of 24 credits with a minimum of 8 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. Students who minor in German must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the German courses they take.
The minor requires a total of 28 credits with a minimum of 12 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. GERMAN 4220 Phonetics and GERMAN 3530 German Civilization are required. TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages is an additional requirement of the School of Education (credits do not count toward minor). Likewise, students interested in teaching must satisfy the language immersion requirement by enrolling in the Foreign Language Travel Abroad Seminar for at least 2 credits. See the German instructor for details. German minors must have a GPA of no lower than a 2.50 in German courses.
The major requires a total of 36 credits with a minimum of 20 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher, including courses in SPANISH 4820 Phonetics and SPANISH 3830 Spanish Civilization. Students who major in Spanish must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the Spanish courses they take, and meet the study abroad requirement by completing 8-9 credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted. In addition, students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree are required to take 9 credits of English literature and philosophy with no more than 2 courses from each area (2000 level or above).
The major requires a total of 40 credits with a minimum of 24 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher, including courses in SPANISH 4820 Phonetics and SPANISH 3830 Spanish Civilization. TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages is an additional requirement of the School of Education (credits do not count toward major). Students who major in Spanish must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the Spanish courses they take, and meet the study abroad requirement by completing 8-9 credits in our Study Abroad Program at the 3000-4000 level. Similar or comparable cultural experiences could also be accepted. In addition, Spanish Education majors completing a Bachelor of Science Degree are required to take either PHLSPHY 1130 Introduction to Philosophy or PHLSPHY 2530 Ethics.
The minor requires a total of 24 credits with a minimum of 8 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher. Students who minor in Spanish must have a grade-point average of no lower than a 2.50 in the Spanish courses they take.
The minor requires a total of 28 credits with a minimum of 12 credits selected from courses numbered 3000 or higher, including courses in SPANISH 4820 Phonetics and SPANISH 3830 Spanish Civilization. TEACHING 4060 Teaching World Languages is an additional requirement of the School of Education (credits do not count toward minor). Likewise, students interested in teaching must satisfy the language immersion requirement by enrolling in the Foreign Language Travel Abroad Seminar for at least 2 credits. See the Spanish instructor for details. Spanish minors must have a GPA of no lower than a 2.50 in Spanish courses.
http://www.uwplatt.edu/philosophy.html
Philosophy literally means the "love of wisdom." As a discipline of the mind, it calls us to think critically about the most fundamental questions of life. What does it mean to be human? How are we humans related to the rest of reality? What constitutes reality? Is the universe friendly or indifferent to human purpose? To what extent are we free or not free? What purposes ought we to pursue? What is good and evil? What are the possibilities and limitations of human power and understanding? By what criteria can such questions be addressed? What constitutes knowledge? Are there different ways of knowing? What role do assumptions play in what we think is true? By challenging students to think carefully about questions like these, the philosophy program provides an excellent foundation for graduate school as well as a pathway not only to making a life but also to making a living in careers such as law, teaching, business, the ministry, journalism and art.
Philosophy offers two programs: a major in philosophy and a minor in philosophy. Both programs encourage students to address in a disciplined way the most fundamental questions of life.
With regard to our mission, the Philosophy program has two main goals:
The first goal is to help students in their courses, but especially our philosophy majors and minors, to become what UW-Platteville pledges in the first item of its mission statement, namely, "to become broader in perspective, more literate, intellectually more astute, ethically more sensitive, and to participate wisely in society as a competent professional and knowledgeable citizen."
The second goal is to provide our majors and minors the opportunity to develop in-depth their ability to think critically about the most fundamental (and inescapable) questions that humans can raise about reality, knowledge and values. As a corollary to this second goal, we aim to give our majors and minors a solid preparation for whatever they pursue after graduation, whether it be graduate studies, law school, medicine, education, academic computing, journalism, social work, ministry, a fine art or business.
Students who major or minor in philosophy will:
Philosophy majors, in addition to the requirements for the major, are also required to take one of the following foreign language courses: FRENCH 2140, GERMAN 2340 or SPANISH 2940. Majors in Philosophy are also required to take two English literature courses at the 2000 level or above.
The major requires a minimum of 36 credits, including PHLSPHY 1130 Introduction to Philosophy or PHLSPHY 2230 Contemporary Worldviews, PHLSPHY 2330 Origins of Western Philosophy, PHLSPHY 2430 Philosophy in the Modern World, four 3000-level seminars and two 4000-level seminars. Religious studies courses and PHLSPHY 4330 Philosophy of Education may not be taken for credit toward a major in philosophy.
The minor requires a minimum of 24 credits, including the same courses and restrictions as the major except that only two 3000-level seminars and one 4000-level seminar are required.