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Liberal Arts & Sciences: Humanities

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AA Degree – Code #0201

Travis Matteson, Department Chair and Program Manager
Email address: mattestw@alfredstate.edu

If you’re planning on continuing your education at another four-year college or university, the liberal arts and sciences: humanities program might be for you. By careful selection of elective credits, you will be qualified to enter a baccalaureate program as a third-year student in a wide variety of fields. The program also serves an exploratory function if you have not decided on a field of study or a specific career.

Advantages

  • The liberal arts and sciences: humanities program prepares students for life by stressing the importance of reading, writing, and thinking while developing in them an appreciation of the arts and the wisdom of great minds.
  • Colleges, universities, and large corporations are increasingly emphasizing the importance of a liberal arts education upon which to build a career.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

  • Create written communication appropriate for audience and purpose and which meets standards of style, clarity and grammatical correctness as described in the Writing Rubric. (W)
  • Create oral communication appropriate for audience and purpose and which meets standards of presentation as described in the Effective Speaking Rubric. (O)
  • Develop and recognize well-reasoned arguments in both written and oral formats as described in the Critical Thinking Rubric. (CT)
  • Locate and evaluate scholarly articles and other research materials and synthesize these materials in research-based prose. (IL, TC)
  • Analyze individual and collective values and ethical positions in contemporary and historical contexts.
  • Evaluate issues of justice and power in context of changing societies.

Direct Entry Into Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Alfred State liberal arts and sciences: humanities graduates may enter directly into technical communication and emergent media BS, the interdisciplinary studies BTech or the technology management BBA degree program.

Employment Statistics

Employment and continuing education stats not reported.

Related Programs

Entrance Requirements/recommendations

Required: Algebra

Recommended: Geometry, Biology

Liberal Arts & Sciences: Humanities - AA Degree

TYPICAL FOUR-SEMESTER PROGRAM

First

COMP 1503 Writing Studies 3
FNAT xxx3 Fine Arts Elective (GE) 3
MATH xxx3 Mathematics Elective (GE) 3
GLST 2113 Global & Diverse Perspectives 3
PHIL xxx3 Philosophy Elective 3
HPED xxx1 Physical Education Elective 1
      16

Second

LITR 2603 Introduction to Literature 3
COMP 2703 Intro to Tech Comm & Emer. Med 3
MATH xxx3 Mathematics Elective 3
HIST xxx3 American History I or II 3
XXXX xxx3 General Psych. or Sociology (GE) 3
      15

Third

LITR xxx3 Gen Ed - Literature Elective 3
HIST 1113 Hist of West Civil Since 1648 3
SPCH 1083 Public Speaking 3
XXXX xxx3 Natural Science Elective 3
COMP 3603 Writing for Emergent Media 3
      15

Fourth

SPCH 4003 Intercultural Communication 3
XXXX xxx3 Natural Science Elective 3
XXXX xxx3 Open Elective 3
COMP 2903 English in a Global Context 3
XXXX xxx3 Humanities Elective 3
      15

Humanities electives can be chosen from among the following course prefixes: COMP, FNAT, ITAL, JAPN, LITR, PHIL, RELG, SPAN, or SPCH.

Accessibility Services

Students who believe they need a reasonable accommodation to properly participate in this program may contact Melanie Ryan in the Office of Accessibility Services. This office may be contacted by email at oas@alfredstate.edu  or by phone at 607-587-4506. Please keep in mind that some accommodations may take time to implement, so students seeking accommodations are encouraged to contact OAS as early as possible.

Graduation Requirements

Each student must successfully complete 61 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

All student must pass COMP 1503 with a "C" or better.

Liberal arts and sciences: humanities (430) students must satisfy the writing portfolio requirement.

Portfolio requirement for all liberal arts: humanities students:

Liberal arts and sciences: humanities (430) students must satisfy the writing portfolio requirement (submitted during last semester of study). Requirements:

  1. Must contain a minimum of four papers.
  2. One of the four must use outside sources and correct documentation format.
  3. Not more than three of the four papers should be from an English or humanities class.
  4. One of the papers should be from the student’s first semester of study.
  5. One paper should represent the student’s best work.
  6. May contain up to two other pieces of writing that demonstrates ability (maximum of six pieces).
  7. If available, a record of the composing process, including prewriting steps and drafts with evidence of editing, should accompany one paper.
  8. A cover letter and a self-appraisal.

The papers that are used in the portfolio  must: be copies (not originals), they must be clear of any grades or comments. they must include professor certification forms, and the student should indicate  the semester in which they were produced.

The portfolio must contain a cover letter to the Department of English and Humanities faculty containing:

  • Brief explanation of the assignment for each of the enclosed papers.
  • Self-evaluation of the work with reference to the writing rubric.
  • Any additional information the student would like the faculty to consider.
  • Commentary on any increased thinking and writing ability demonstrated.

The portfolio must include a self-appraisal with separate long paragraphs responding to each of these questions:

  1. Using examples of texts you encountered at Alfred State about cultures or perceptions different from your own, describe what you have learned about the value of diversity.
  2. Describe your understanding of the goals of the humanities, and explain how these goals relate to you and to society. 

The deadline for submission to the department secretary, 330 Student Development Center, is near the end of the graduating semester.

See the Alfred State writing rubric for evaluation criteria. Papers should demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Establish a central idea (thesis) and a controlling viewpoint.
  2. Create an appropriate organization plan - with a clear beginning, middle, and end - suitable for the audience and purpose of the paper.
  3. Develop paragraphs with specific, concrete information.
  4. Write sentences avoiding errors that decrease the writer’s credibility.
  5. Use external sources appropriately by paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing, and documenting all sources properly.

Writing faculty will evaluate the portfolio as “high pass,” “pass,” or “fail.” This evaluation will appear on the student’s permanent Alfred State transcript.

Questions about this graduation requirement should be directed to the student’s academic adviser.