Core Humanities

Core Humanities is an award-winning interdisciplinary program that forms the heart of the core curriculum at the University of Nevada, Reno. Faculty and graduate assistants from five different disciplines (English, history, philosophy, political science and world languages and literatures) participate in teaching the humanities courses required of all students at the university. In addition, Core Humanities partners with the Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities to promote collaboration among the field of humanities and to continually broaden our perspectives.

Core Humanities courses are unique and interdisciplinary in nature. They examine the history, philosophy, cultural values, political systems, literature and artistic works that have shaped societies throughout the world from ancient times to the present. After completing a Core Humanities sequence of courses, students gain valuable knowledge, a solid foundation and the skills necessary to navigate a complex and fast-changing world, including:

• An understanding of the historical forces that created modern, diverse human cultures and the ways these cultures are interconnected both within the United States and across nations.
• The ability to read, understand, summarize, analyze and synthesize information drawn from a variety of written and cultural sources.
• The ability to formulate interpretations and arguments, support them with evidence and present them clearly and persuasively in both written and oral expression.
• Informed perspectives on the major political and ideological debates of our times and the ability to participate in those debates as American and global citizens.