Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Humanities
The intellectual vigor of the humanities pivots on a rigorous inquiry into the enduring traditions and the uncharted frontiers of what we call the human condition. At NYU Shanghai, our students learn to describe, analyze, critique, and theorize this condition in a mode that builds on both the curriculum’s interdisciplinary, cross cultural foundation and the intellectual strength of our global faculty in fields ranging from history, philosophy, literary and cultural studies, to area studies, cinema, digital humanities, arts, among others. The integrated nature of our Humanities Major provides broad exposure to those sounds, texts, experiences, ideas, and images that mark the changing dynamics between Chinese, Asian, European, and other civilizations across lands and oceans. Poised to challenge common assumptions about the “what” and “how” of knowledge, our students also learn to pursue in-depth, comparative inquiries into the making and transformation of human thoughts. Through our two innovative core courses, Critical Concepts and Digital Approaches, students of our Humanities Major simultaneously enter the centuries-long traditions of humanistic inquiry and forge new ground in the areas of digital and information technologies. As they progress, students have the opportunity to design their own Focus, consisting of three courses on one topic or discipline of their interest within the Humanities, such as history, cinema studies, and so on. This exploration, in our students’ senior-year Capstone course, will culminate into a thesis that reflects the student’s chosen Focus.
Student Testimonials
Faculty Mentors
Recommended Courses in Spring 2018 for Freshmen and Sophomores
Degree Requirements
Student Testimonials
“I chose Humanities as my major primarily because I am interested in a lot of things ranging from literature to history and I would like to expose myself to a wide range of knowledge rather than locking myself into a very specific area at this stage of college. College means exploring and getting to know more as much as possible. Humanities also helps me to force myself to read during college, which is a good way to achieve my goal.As a Humanities major, I can choose the topic that I am interested in to write a research paper about, which will usually bring me to another new thing that I didn’t know before. After graduation, I can easily go to almost any kind of graduate school with a Humanities major.” – Lingyi Liu, Class of 2018
“When I came in NYU Shanghai, I knew that I wanted to be a Humanities Major. I loved everything about the humanities before coming to NYU Shanghai. And, I believed that by majoring in humanities, I could deepen my knowledge and explore different areas of studies. I specifically like how I can specialize in different aspects of history, literature and philosophy. For example, I focused my literature classes in dramatic literature and theatre studies. I also enjoy how I can tie in my studies with my study away sites.” – Meizhi Ng, Class of 2017
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Faculty Mentors
Professor Brad Weslake, Room 961
Email: brad.weslake@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/bradley-weslake
Professor Heather Ruth Lee, Room 1220
Email: hrl3@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/heather-ruth-lee
Professor Duane Corpis, Room 1219
Email: duane.corpis@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/duane-corpis
Professor Armin Selbitschka, Room 1202
Email: armin@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/armin-selbitschka
Professor Tzu-hui Celina Hung, Room 1221
Email: celinahung@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/tzu-hui-celina-hung
Professor Alexander C.T. Geppert, Room 1213
Associate Professor of European History
Email: alexander.geppert@nyu.edu
https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/alexander-ct-geppert
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Recommended Courses in Spring 2018 for Freshmen:
- Writing as Inquiry
- Digital Approaches/Critical Concepts
- Core Curriculum Course
- English, Chinese, or General Elective
Recommended Courses in Spring 2018 for Sophomores:
- Humanities Survey
- Humanities Topic
- Core Curriculum Course
- Core Curriculum, Chinese or General Elective
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Degree Requirements – 2017-18 Bulletin
Not every course listed is taught every semester, and in any given semester other courses may be offered that fulfill this requirement. Requirements may be met through equivalent courses in the Global Network with prior approval.
* = offered in Spring ’18 in Shanghai
| 2 CORE COURSES |
Critical Concepts
- GCHN-SHU 110 The Concept of China *
- HIST-SHU 303 Histories and Politics of Noise *
- PHIL-SHU 130 Philosophy of Technology *
- PHIL-SHU 150 Central Problems in Philosophy *
- PHIL-SHU 40 Ethics
- HIST-SHU 232 Moments of Europe
- CCST-SHU 131 Introduction to the Use of Scientific Data in Historical Research
- HUMN-SHU 240 Gender, Sexuality, and Culture
- PHIL-SHU 90 Philosophy of Science
|
Digital Approaches
- PHIL-SHU 130 Philosophy of Technology *
- INTM-SHU 295-001 Topics Seminar: Digital Media and Culture *
- INTM-SHU 295-002 Topics Seminar: From Cyborgs to Siri: Gender, Tech & Media *
- HIST-SHU 239 New York: History of the City
- INTM-SHU 249 Street Life & Street Food in the 21st Century City
- INTM-SHU 184 Communities in Net Literature
- INTM-SHU 193 Chinese Cyberculture
- INTM-SHU 225 Media and Participation
- INTM-SHU 250 Special Topics in Digital Humanities: Street Food and Urban farming
- INTM-SHU 295 Seminar Topics – Contemporary Media Theory
- SCA-SHU 9634 Global Connections: Shanghai
|
| 2 SURVEY COURSES |
- CRWR-SHU 159 Introduction to Creative Writing *
- CRWR-SHU 221 Intermediate Poetry Workshop *
- GCHN-SHU 110 The Concept of China *
- HIST-SHU 110 U.S. History Through Literature and Film *
- HIST-SHU 156 Europe Since 1945 *
- HIST-SHU 200 Topics in History: Global Commodities,Commerceand Culture: 1400-1800 *
- LIT-SHU 226 History of Chinese Cinemas *
- LIT-SHU 246 Introduction to Gender and Feminism in African Literature *
- PHIL-SHU 150 Central Problems in Philosophy *
- CCCF-SHU 128 Contemporary Art & New Media
- CRWR-SHU 220 Craft Course. Out of the Whirlwind: A Study of Narrative Perspective
- CCSF-SHU 122 Traditional Chinese Wisdom
- GCHN-SHU 164 The Stuff of Legends: The Many Meanings of the Early Silk Road(s)
- HIST-SHU 126 World History Part I
- HIST-SHU 153 History of Modern China since 1840
- PHIL-SHU 70 Logic
- CCCF-SHU 121 History of Chinese Cinema
- HIST-SHU 120 The Mongol Conquest
- HIST-SHU 127 World History – Part II
- HUMN-SHU 229 (CCCF-SHU 129) Masters of Asian Cinema
- SOCS-SHU 129 Taboo and Pollution
- PHIL-SHU 150 Central Problems in Philosophy
|
| 6 TOPIC COURSES |
NOTE: 3 or more of the 6 Topic courses should demonstrate a degree of focus and coherence, and will serve as the basis of senior-year thesis.
- GCHN-SHU 200-001 Topics in GCS: Changing Status of Women in China *
- GCHN-SHU 200-002 Topics: Politics of History and Memory in China *
- GCHN-SHU 252 20th-Century East Asia-U.S. Relations *
- GCHN-SHU 263 Voices from the Margin: Modern Chinese and Sinophone Writers *
- GCHN-SHU 283 Reading and Viewing Modern China *
- HIST-SHU 250 China at the Center? An Exploration of Chinese Foreign Relations *
- HIST-SHU 303 Histories and Politics of Noise *
- HUMN-SHU 231 Contemporary Art and Theory in North America and Europe *
- INTM-SHU295-001 Topics Seminar: Digital Media and Culture *
- INTM-SHU295-002 Topics Seminar: From Cyborgs to Siri: Gender,Tech & Media *
- RELS-SHU 9270 Religion and Society in China: Ghosts, Gods, Buddhas and Ancestors *
- PHIL-SHU 130 Philosophy of Technology *
- PHIL-SHU 165 Indian Buddhist Philosophy *
- PHIL-SHU 200 Topics in Epistemology: Memory *
- HUMN-SHU 997 Humanities Independent Study *
- SOCS-SHU 318 Ethnographic Methods *
- CCCF-SHU 130 Screening Childhood
- CCSF-SHU 124 Growing Shanghai, Shrinking Detroit
- GCHN-SHU 224 Chinese Maritime History
- GCHN-SHU 232 From Qing to the Republic: Social Debates in China
- GCHN-SHU 264 Chinese Migrant and Diasporic Networks
- HIST-SHU 209 Witches, Magic and the Witch Hunts in the Atlantic World, 1400-1700
- HIST-SHU 208 War and Peace: Europe Since 1900
- HIST-SHU 210 History of Death, Dying, and Grief: The Impact of Modern War
- HIST-SHU 225 Global Space Age
- HIST-SHU 226 5000 Years of Chinese History: Fact or Fiction?
- HIST-SHU 231 WWII
- HIST-SHU 240 The Soviet Empire
- HIST-SHU 302 History of Water
- HIST-SHU 312 China Encounters the World
- HIST-SHU 313 China Goes Global: How China and the World Changed Each Other
- HIST-SHU 325 The New Cold War History
- HIST-SHU 329 Futures of the Twentieth Century
- HIST-SHU 351 From Human Sacrifices to Illicit Sex at a Funeral: A History of Violence and Crime in Ancient China
- HIST-SHU 379 The Social Life of Things: Functions of Material Culture in Ancient Chinese Society and Beyond
- HUMN-SHU 202 Literary Interpretation
- HUMN-SHU 210 Modern South Asia
- HUMN-SHU 211 The Making of the Muslim Middle East
- HUMN-SHU 212 Africa since 1940
- HUMN-SHU 213 The Age of Euro-American Empires
- HUMN-SHU 225 Topics in Asia-Pacific History Asia-Pacific History in the 20th Century
- HUMN-SHU 230 Topics in the Humanities: Global Modernisms
- HUMN-SHU 230-001 Aesthetics and Literature
- HUMN-SHU 366 (266) Shanghai Stories
- LIT-SHU 220 Shakespeare I: tragical comedies (must complete 220 & 221)
- LIT-SHU 221 Shakespeare II: Comical Tragedies (must complete 220 & 221)
- LIT-SHU 224 Hispanic Cities in Translation
- LIT-SHU 225 Global Shakespeare
- LIT-SHU 245 Literature and Science in the Renaissance
- PHIL-SHU 40 Ethics
- PHIL-SHU 76 Epistemology
- PHIL-SHU 80 Philosophy of Mind
- PHIL-SHU 90 Philosophy of Science
- PHIL-SHU 91 Philosophy of Biology
- PHIL-SHU 252 Philosophy of Law
- SOCS-SHU 272 The U.S. Constitution: Is It Relevant to China?
- SOCS-SHU 275 US-China Relations
- SOCS-SHU 339 Comparative Revolutions
- WRIT-SHU 209 Forms of the Personal Narrative: Writing the “I” in the World
- WRIT-SHU 219 Intermediate Fiction Workshop
|
1 CAPSTONE COURSE
- HUMN-SHU 410 Honors Capstone Seminar
|
Minor Requirements
Any four 4-credit classes from the required and elective list of Humanities major courses.
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