Santa Clara University

4. Western Culture

PURPOSE: This chronological sequence introduces students to the intellectual traditions of the West through significant cultural monuments, texts, and events studied
within their historical contexts. The sequence helps to prepare students for responsible citizenship and leadership.

STUDENT OUTCOMES: Students should achieve three interrelated objectives. First, they should attain a level of cultural literacy with respect to Western intellectual and cultural institutions that enables them to function responsibly as knowledgeable and reflective members of contemporary society. Second, they should be able to think and to write critically about Western intellectual and cultural traditions. Third, they should be able to engage both disciplinary and interdisciplinary methodologies in the study of Western culture.

COURSES: All students must take at least two courses in a single historical sequence devoted to understanding Western culture and the methods of inquiry characteristic of the humanities.

All courses taken to satisfy the requirement must be within a single discipline. Course 11 begins with the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome; course 13 ends with the 20th-century world. The period covered by course 12 varies by department.

BUSINESS and ENGINEERING students must take two courses in one of these sequences.

ARTS AND SCIENCES students pursuing a bachelor of science degree also take two courses in one of these sequences. The two courses should normally be taken in chronological order. Bachelor of arts students supplement this common requirement by taking the third course to complete the sequence.

Sequences of courses that satisfy the Western culture requirement are the following:

Art History 11, 12, 13
Western Culture: Art History I, II, III

Classics 61
Survey of Classical Literature (can substitute for English 11 in the English sequence)

Classics 62
Survey of Ancient History (can substitute for History 11 in the History sequence)

English 11, 12, 13
Western Culture: Literature I, II, III

History 11, 12, 13
Western Civilization: Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern, Modern

Honors 11, 12, 13
Western Culture: Classical, Medieval and Early Modern, Late Modern

Music 11, 12, 13
Performance and Culture I, II, III

Philosophy 11, 12, 13
Western Culture: Classical and Medieval Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy, Modern and
Contemporary Philosophy

Theatre 11, 12, 13
Performance and Culture I, II, III

Note: Music 11, 12, and 13 are interchangeable with Theater 11, 12, and 13, respectively.

Note: The Religious Studies SCTR 11, TESP 12, RSOC 13 sequence does NOT fulfill this requirement.

The quarterly Schedule of Classes provides a comprehensive list of those courses offered in a particular quarter that meet this requirement.