Honors Humanities Academics
Each Honors Humanities student completes 15 Honors Humanities course credits, a 3-credit experience and a keystone project.
Academics at a Glance
Citation Requirements
Students must maintain a 3.2 GPA average to enroll in Honors courses and receive the Honors citation. To earn the Honors Humanities citation, you must complete 15 Honors Humanities credits with a C- or higher in each course. Each Honors Humanities student takes the courses shown below. While syllabi and course themes change year to year, the overall structure remains the same. HHUM105 introduces the arts and humanities. HHUM106 puts the arts and humanities into practice. HHUM205 explores arts and humanities around the world, and in HHUM206, Honors Humanities students create a Keystone project that brings together what they have learned in their coursework with their passions and goals. Most students take these courses within their first two years, but you are welcome to take them at anytime over the course of your four years at UMD.
If you would like to schedule a visit to Honors Humanities, please email hhum@umd.edu.
Course Requirements
Year 1
Our courses explore the nature and functions of the humanities by celebrating their pleasures, by putting their ideas into action, and by confronting the big questions, both past and present, which they have helped us to ponder. Through our curriculum you will also begin to develop your own ideas about how to contribute to the field through your Keystone project.
Fall Semester Course Requirement:
HHUM105 (3 credits): Introduction to the Humanities
What are the humanities? We begin by exploring their history, their forms and their many functions. The humanities originated as a product of humanism, the fearless idea that humans are creative innovators. From this concept emerged democracy, innovation, philanthropy, individualism, and much more. We explore these concepts across time and through literature, art, philosophy and music. View HHUM105 Example Syllabus
Spring Semester Course Requirement:
HHUM106 (3 credits): Arts and Humanities in Practice
The arts and humanities offer many dynamic approaches to real-world situations. In this course, we examine how the arts and humanities address such social issues as economic inequality, migration and climate change. Ultimately, this course seeks to equip students with the skills and resources necessary to apply arts and humanities approaches to real-world situations, including preparing students to design their keystone projects. View HHUM106 Example Syllabus
Year 2
In the second year, students learn the global application and current relevance of the humanities, and are able to practice the humanities through completion of a keystone project. In addition to a seminar in the fall, students will participate in workshops to gain feedback on their keystone project along with their peers.
Fall Semester Course Requirement:
HHUM205 (3 credits): Global Humanities
Each fall we offer three different seminars which explore the arts and humanities as conceived and practiced in cultures from around the world. Our students choose one of these and learn, for example, about the connections between Chinese poetry and calligraphy, about the role of dance in Latin America or Asia, about cinema as a window onto global cultures, or about Mongol civilization and its representation in later traditions. The roster of these courses changes from year to year but always offers perspective on the humanities that encourages us to understand the diversity of human experience.
Spring Semester Course Requirement:
HHUM206 (3 credits): Keystone Project
This course is designed to support your work as you complete the keystone project on which you have been working for the previous three semesters. View HHUM206 Example Syllabus
In addition to these courses, you need to complete one (1) 3-credit experience selected from any of the options below. You can complete this final citation any time before graduation:
Option 1: Upper-Level Course
Upper-level Course ( 300 or 400 level ) in the College of Arts & Humanities. See the list of academic departments offering undergraduate courses in the College of Arts & Humanities.
Note: Your required professional writing course does not count toward this citation requirement.
Option 2: Arts & Humanities Internship
An internship in which you examine and document the applications and manifestations of the arts & humanities in public and private sectors.
Note: Complete and submit this approval request form before beginning the internship.
Option 3: Study Abroad Experience
A credited study abroad experience in which you explore and document the nature and uses of the arts & humanities in a different culture
Note: Complete and submit this approval request form before studying abroad.
Although we encourage you to complete the HHUM course sequence during your first two years on campus, you may take up to four years to complete any of the requirements. Moreover, if you study abroad as a Sophomore, you can return to complete our sequence of courses during your Junior or Senior years.
About the Keystone Project
Students design and create an individual Keystone Project as the capstone of their Honors Humanities experience. With this project, students actively engage the Arts & Humanities to explore their personal interests and/or to engage with pressing social issues. Students work with mentors and peers to articulate their own goals for the project and to bring those goals to fruition.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KEYSTONE PROJECT