Link to Core Humanities

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.

• CH 201: Ancient and Medieval Cultures
• CH 202: The Modern World
• CH 203: American Experiences and Constitutional Change
• CH 212: Science, Technology and Society in the Modern Era

Collectively, these courses examine the history, philosophy, cultural values, political systems, literature, and artistic works that have shaped societies in every continent from ancient times to the present. After completing the Core Humanities sequence of courses, students have a solid grounding in the knowledge and skills they need 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.

Cross Training for Your Mind

"The ability to adapt and thrive in a world certain to keep changing is based not on instruction in the specific jobs of today but in the developing of long-term qualities of mind: inquisitiveness, perceptiveness, the ability to put received ideas to a new purpose, and the ability to share and build ideas with a diverse world of others." - (Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences, The Heart of the Matter (2013))