Humanities

Comprehensive background as well as concentration on individual cultures and their architects from ancient to medieval times. Discussion of architectures from around the world. Specific details and expressions of more generalized theories and strategies will be explored.

Comprehensive background as well as concentration on individual cultures and their architects from the Renaissance to modern times. Discussion of architectures from around the world. Specific details and expressions of more generalized theories and strategies will be explored.

This course is designed to introduce the skills needed to describe, analyze, and make arguments about art. We will begin by learning the skills of description and formal analysis and exploring different media: painting, sculpture, printmaking and architecture. In the middle portion of the class, we will build on the skills we have learned for formally analyzing artworks as we examine different methods used in the writing of the history of art and making arguments about art. We will pay particular attention to the historical and social contexts of art and the roles that race and identity have played in the interpretation of works of art. The final section of this class considers how art is exhibited in museums, galleries, and in public space. Throughout the class we will make use of Chicago area institutions and exhibitions.

An investigation into a topic of current or enduring interest in Art and/or Architectural History which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

For advanced students. Instructor permission required.

A study of the use of writing, reading, and discussion as a means of discovering, questioning, and analyzing ideas, with an emphasis on audience, context and the use of revision. This course satisfies the Basic Writing Proficiency Requirement. It does not satisfy a general education requirement in the Humanities and Social or Behavioral Sciences.

This course is designed to help international students develop skills in writing, reading and discussion as a means of discovering, questioning and analyzing ideas. Students will engage in reading a variety of texts on a theme, extrapolating key ideas, and developing their own claims through discussion, research writing, and presentation. Additionally, this course will provide support to address common writing issues for multilingual speakers of English as well as build intercultural competence in communication. Placement in this course is based on English proficiency and/or placement exam results. Equivalent to COM 101. This course satisfies IIT's Basic Writing Proficiency Requirement. It does not satisfy a general education requirement in the humanities and social or behavioral sciences.

This English communication course will give international students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of Chicago’s history and culture while developing their voice through advanced conversation, presentation, and discussion skills. Through a storytelling and experiential lens, students will focus on articulating and responding to in-depth questions, applying advanced presentation skills, and using cultural and communicative skills to collaborate in dynamic city-focused discussions. Placement in this course is based on English proficiency and/or placement exam results.

This course focuses on the most important topic of all: YOU! You have a unique story to tell – whether in an interview, a discussion, or a professional presentation – and this course will give students the opportunity to develop advanced language skills around each student’s field of study and interests. Through engaging with audio and video materials, active reading, and intensive speaking practice, students will work to develop personalized responses to a variety of behavioral interview questions, research and contribute information from their individual fields into a group discussion, as well as write and present on a technical topic to a general audience of students. Placement in this course is based on English proficiency and/or placement exam results.

An introduction to the systematic study of language. Focus on the core areas of linguistics, such as sound patterns of language (phonology), form (syntax, morphology), and meaning (semantics, pragmatics), as well as applied areas, such as language, variation, language acquisition, psychology of language, and the origin of language.

The first of a two-semester sequence, this course and its sequel will introduce students to a particular language and culture, which will change annually. May be repeated for different languages. This course does not satisfy the HUM 102, 104, or 106 general education requirement.

The second of a two-semester sequence, this course and its predecessor will introduce students to a particular language and culture, which will change annually. May be repeated for different languages. This course does not satisfy the HUM 102, 104, or 106 general education requirement.

This course examines the rhetorical and ethical challenges as well as the cultural consequences of AI technology in the field of communication. Students will critically assess the problems and potential of usage of LLMs in writing.

The rhetorical theory and applied practice of digital writing. Topics include word processor alternatives, social media for professional development, multimedia writing, and collaboration and project management.

This course examines the structure of the English language from several different approaches: (1) word-formation; (2) sentence organization; (3) meaning and situational meaning; and (4) conversation and discourse analysis.

Arguments are a tool we use to build our social realities and the worlds we want to see. In this course, we move beyond “winning debates” to instead ask: How does culture and context convince us what is true, and how do we critically assess those assumptions? Using an interdisciplinary blend of theories and methods from the humanities and social sciences, we will analyze argumentation as a contest over power. We will explore how “common sense” is constructed through discursive repetition and ritual, as well as how media technologies have historically (and in the present) facilitated those constructions. Students will learn to navigate the politics of representation, scrutinize the “mythologies” of Big Tech, and construct arguments that are not only logical, but socially and ethically responsive to the conditions of the world.

Third-semester generic language and culture course designed to be applicable to various languages. Students should have already taken COM 126 in same language.

Fourth-semester generic language and culture course designed to be applicable to various languages. Students should have already taken COM 225 in the same language.

This course will examine how communication technologies have evolved from the printing press to the digital age. Students will explore the impact of these technologies on society, culture, and political movements critically, with special emphasis placed on the importance of social media and digital culture to contemporary society.

Information Literacy and Sense-Making instills students with the skills essential to be information-savvy professionals. Key concepts include the location and vetting of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources; fact checking and provenance; and the integration of disparate information sources into cohesive, fact-based forms and tools such as reports, memos, and research papers.

In this course, we will investigate philosophical questions about the nature of technology and communication, as well as ethical questions related to a broad range of specific communication-related technologies. Topics include algorithmic bias and fairness, privacy and surveillance, consent and manipulation, and the environmental impacts of digital technologies. Students will engage with case studies that require applying ethical principles to complex situations.

An introduction to the art of public speaking with assignments designed to promote competency in the delivery of speeches, organization of ideas, methods of argumentation, application of evidence and use of visual aids.

An investigation into a topic of current interest in the field of Communication, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

Analysis of human and synthetic speech intended for technology mediated environments and devices. Focus on talker characteristics that affect speech intelligibility and social factors that affect talker characteristics. Attention to design characteristics of technology-mediated speech and how humans react to it.

The analysis of language "flow" beyond sentence boundaries. Working with both spoken and written discourse, students will consider culture and gender-related patterns, and will apply findings from discourse analysis to communication problems in politics, education, healthcare, and the law.

AI-Assisted Workflows prepares students to work effectively with AI tools across communication tasks including content generation, research, editing, and analysis. Topics include prompt engineering, critical evaluation of AI outputs, workflow integration, and maintaining appropriate human oversight. Explicitly addresses limitations, risks, and ethical dimensions of AI tools. Emphasis on AI as a tool to be directed rather than a replacement for human judgment.

Principles and practice in the communication of technical materials. Students work on the design, writing, and revising of reports, articles, manuals, procedures, proposals, including the use of graphics. Works by modern writers are analyzed.

Principles and strategies for effective document and information design, focusing on print media. Students design, produce, and evaluate documents for a variety of applications, such as instructional materials, brochures, newsletters, graphics, and tables.

Introduces students to the issues, strategies, and ethics of technical and professional presentations, and provides students with opportunities to engage in public address, video presentations and conferencing, and group presentations. Analysis of audience types and presentation situations, group dynamics, persuasive theories, language, and mass media.

An introduction to the problems of communication across cultures, with emphasis on the interplay of American civilization with those of other cultural areas.

Planning and managing digital-video projects to document concepts and procedures in technology, science, business, and education. Attention to scripting, shooting, editing, and distribution media. Students will work on individual activities and collaborate on a community-service or other client-centered project.

Planning and managing informative and instructional exhibits in professional and creative contexts. Attention to characteristics and constraints of space, multimedia, and other resources, along with principles and goals of viewer access and flow. Students will work on individual activities and collaborate on a community-service or other client-centered project. Instruction will incorporate Chicago-area resources such as the Museum of Science and Industry.

This course covers the social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of globalization and explores the role that communication and media technologies (newspapers, magazines, film, television, and digital media) play in shaping an interconnected, interdependent globalized world and in constituting our identities as global audiences, citizens, workers, consumers, and activists.

The history and structure of mass media, from print through film and broadcasting to the Internet, and their influences on American society.

A seminar course on a topic of current interest in the field of Communication, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

This course will discuss the development and trends of social media as well as their impacts on individuals and society. It will draw from a broad range of studies related to social media to learn how social media have impacts on interpersonal relationships, psychological well-being, privacy, politics, entertainment, and so on.

This course will discuss a variety of measures and properties of networks, identify various types of social networks, describe how position within and the structure of networks matter, use software tools to analyze social network data, and apply social network analysis to areas such as information retrieval, social media and organizational behavior.

Principles and practical applications of editing at all levels, working with both hard and soft copy and including copymarking, copyediting, proofreading, grammar and style, and comprehensive editing. Attention primarily to documents from science, technology, and business.

Consent of department. For advanced students. Based on the selected topic, this course may or may not be applied to the humanities general education requirement. Consult the course instructor.

This course serves advanced students in the Communication and Emerging Media Major. Capstone projects require that students integrate and utilize the skills and key concepts learned throughout their coursework. Projects are supervised by faculty advisers and serve as a culminating experience for their degree. Students complete the capstone across two semesters. COM 498 should be completed directly prior to COM 499.

This course serves advanced students in the Communication and Emerging Media Major. Capstone projects require that students integrate and utilize the skills and key concepts learned throughout their coursework. Projects are supervised by faculty advisers and serve as a culminating experience for their degree. Students complete the capstone across two semesters. COM 499 should be completed directly after COM 498.

This class introduces to game design and experiential media development as professional practice. Students work collaboratively in a studio environment to produce work through iterative design. Additionally, students explore multiple professional specializations within the broader field and develop individual plans for professional development to help guide them towards their academic and professional goals throughout the program.

This course introduces students to how films, video games, and literary texts depict medicine, illness, the human body, and practices of care. Through narrative and documentary media, the course explores how cultural representations shape public understandings of health, suffering, disability, death, and medical authority. Designed for students with no prior background in film studies or medical humanities, the course emphasizes critical viewing, discussion, and reflective analysis.

Game Design II focuses on professional development cycles and practices as applied to digital game development using a professional development engine. Students work together to form studios and collaborate to complete the development cycle for a single digital game.

This course will take students through the many different aspects of creating an immersive world for storytelling in multiple media, especially fiction writing and game design. Topics covered include, but are not limited to maps, geographic and geopolitical history of a fictional world, environment, ethics and morality, constructed languages, character creation, and backstory.

Digital Art introduces students to the fundamentals of using modern digital tools creatively. Understanding the tools available is the first step to creative freedom, whether that freedom means being able to make business cards, edit out blemishes from portraits, create digital paintings or making complex memes. The power of software like Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects becomes available to anyone who has the time it takes to get to know them.

Character Art is a course about the art of crafting, understanding, developing and then embellishing created characters. The course is not solely focused on any one aspect of character related art and design, the course is a robust full-bodied splash-course into all of the related elements of "character" as it applies to fine and commercial art. In this course students will be investigating what makes a successful character for production as well as developing their own characters with the opportunity to work on commercial designs for small indie studios. This course involves writing, acting and image making along with opportunities for collective collaboration between students, faculty & professionals at various levels of industry. Successful, strong, well-developed characters often transcend the stories & mediums they start in, whether traditional or digital, text-based or visual; our aim with this course is an attempt to build successful believable characters that bring the characters, the worlds they inhabit & their stories to life.

In this course, students will apply philosophical concepts to various dimensions of gaming. Topics will include examining what games are, the ethics of games and gamification, how games can serve as tools for addressing philosophical questions such as identity and agency, and the broader impact of values on individuals and society. Students will challenge their views on games and fundamental philosophical questions through readings, discussions, and activities.

This course introduces fundamental principles and practices in game design, including game mechanics. During this project-based course, students complete individual and group design projects focused on analog games.

Interactive Storytelling examines methods and forms of interactive storytelling in multiple forms. This project-based course provides instruction in narrative techniques while engaging students in the production of original interactive works.

Elements of art is a course intended to provide the basic vocabulary of art for both creation and critique AND to develop foundational skills in art for yourself. Art and visual expression has been around as long as we find evidence of human habitation as humans attempt to both capture and record the world and express themselves in it. Students will be drawing a lot. And I mean a lot. Some of these will be quick thumbnail studies that take about a minute each. Some of these will be full compositions that will take multiple hours. We will be engaging in learning communication skills for artists. You will be quizzed on the basic vocabulary, you will write short essays using the terminology of the field, and you will give presentations of your work within the framework of the class. Because it is a humanities class (and because of the nature of art), you will need to talk about art in terms of humanistic expression—what does art have to tell us about who we are as humans? What is included and what is excluded, and why were those decisions made? What, if we dare to ask, is the purpose of individual art pieces or art in general?.

Topics in Game Design and Experiential Media investigates a current topic of interest within the field of Game Design and Experiential Media. Specific topics are listed in the course schedule each semester the class is offered. This course fulfills GEM elective credit for majors and minors and may be repeated for credit when the topic varies.

The Game Design and Experiential Media Capstone is a two-semester capstone experience for majors in Game Design. In this two-course sequence, students form studios, conceptualize and develop an original capstone project for an external client.

The Game Design and Experiential Media Capstone is a two-semester capstone experience for majors in Game Design. In this two-course sequence, students form studios, conceptualize and develop an original capstone project for an external client.

This course provides an overview of world civilizations from prehistory to 1500, and covers the development of major civilizations in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Topics include: the rise of river civilizations, trade and cultural exchange, the rise of states and empires, and major religious systems to 1500 C.E.

This course examines the making of the modern world, focusing on the major geopolitical, social, and economic interactions of civilizations around the globe. Topics include: The Age of Colonization and the “Columbian Exchange,” the global impact of the rise of Capitalism and Liberalism, the emergence of Nationalism and Totalitarianism, two world wars, the post-war world and decolonization, and the new geopolitical balance of the new millennium.

A survey of Western Civilization up to 1500. The course covers the rise of cultures and states in Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, the emergence of important religious systems, medieval Europe, the Crusades, the Black Death, the Renaissance, and the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453.

A survey of Western Civilization from 1500. The course covers the Protestant Reformation and the religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, the rise of nation states, Nationalism and Imperialism, both world wars, the Cold War, and decolonization.

This course covers U.S. history up to 1877. Topics covered include the exploration and colonization of North America, colonial society, the American Revolution, the formation of the Constitution, the early years fo the Republic, slavery and the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

This class explores how the United States attained economic and military power, and what it did with that power at home and abroad. It covers the Gilded Age, Progressivism, the U.S.’s role in two world wars, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, the societal transformation of the 1960s and 1970s, the Reagan and Clinton eras, and the United States in the early years of the new millennium.

Basic institutions of the contemporary city studied in their historical context, using Chicago as a case study. Political machines, social and political reform traditions, planning agencies, ethnic neighborhoods, organized crime and many other urban institutions.

A study of the people, places, demographics, institutions, politics, culture, and national context of the federal Prohibition (of alcohol) era in Chicago. Students will learn not only about historical events and personages but also consider the interplay of various social, political and economic factors which made the Prohibition era within Chicago unique.

Development of LGBTQ narratives, cultures and organizations within Chicago with reference to their historical context. Students will learn not only about leaders and significant developments within Chicago LGBTQ history but also learn about local, national, and international developments which aided in formation and development of sexual orientations and gender identities.

This course covers the history of artificial intelligence from the mid-20th century up to the present. It explores not only technological developments in the field, but also the philosophy behind the creation and implementation of A.I., as well as its impact on culture, socioeconomics, and the environment today.

This course introduces students to the history of video gaming while providing instruction in scholarly practice with an emphasis on research and writing. Topics include the technical and cultural history of the video games, academic writing, and humanities research methods.

An investigation into a topic or period of enduring interest in History, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled; for example, The Middle Ages, The Ancient Mediterranean, A History of China, etc.

An investigation into a topic of current or enduring interest in history, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

Consent of department. For advanced students.

HUM 100 introduces students to a variety of source material, scholarly and literary, in the Humanities, and teaches them how to read academic books and articles critically for research into specific, student-chosen topics. The course also aims to give students facility in accessing and effectively employing library resources and developing bibliographic methods. Theme/Topic of the course will vary depending on who is teaching it. Students may be required to visit off-campus sites, such as the Newberry Library or the Art Institute of Chicago.

An interdisciplinary course that examines the development of modern industrial society and the impact of science and technology on our culture. Readings drawn from history, literature, and philosophy.

This course introduces students to thinking critically about how topics like engineering, design, and technology interact with ethics, public media, and writing. Students will learn reading strategies for data-driven texts across genres, fundamentals of data visualization, and learn to communicate science-and data-driven arguments both professionally and to the public.

An introduction to the humanities through an investigation of important changes in our culture associated with Darwin's theory of evolution. Readings drawn from literature, philosophy, and science.

An interdisciplinary study of autobiographies, written chiefly by Americans. The syllabus varies, but may include Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Jacobs, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, Richard Rodriguez, Thomas Merton, Frank Lloyd Wright, Judy Chicago. In addition to considering autobiography as a genre, the course examines the historical events and the philosophical issues that have shaped the lives and attitudes of these writers.

Introduces major topics in digital culture while providing instruction in scholarly practice with emphasis on research and writing. Topics include technical and cultural history of the internet, academic writing, and humanities research methods.

One-time or initial versions of course topics equivalent to HUM 202, 204, 206, and 208. Topics will introduce students to the humanities at IIT and to provide intensive instruction in writing.

An interdisciplinary course that examines the development of modern industrial society and the impact of science and technology on our culture from the late eighteenth century to the present. Readings drawn from history, literature, and philosophy. This course is also writing instruction intensive.

An introduction to the humanities through an investigation of important changes in our culture associated with Darwin's theory of evolution. Readings drawn from literature, philosophy, and science. This course is also writing instruction intensive.

An interdisciplinary study of biographies and autobiographies. In addition to considering such works as a genre, the course examines the historical events and the philosophical issues that have shaped the lives and attitudes of the writers/subjects. This course is also writing instruction intensive.

An investigation into a topic of current or enduring interest in the humanities, which does not fit neatly into standard categories.

This course integrates the Humanities academic curriculum with a supervised work experience in the public or private sector. Students will apply Humanities perspectives to technical, entrepreneurial, creative, and design projects. They may choose to complete their experience at an organization or business, as a departmental teaching experience, or as an undergraduate research assistantship to a Humanities full-time faculty member. The experience should assist students in professionalization and career decision making. This class is required for all Humanities majors. Students double-majoring in Humanities may fulfill this by submitting a five-page report documenting and demonstrating how an equivalent experience in their other major has fulfilled the learning objectives of this course.

Independent reading or research.

HUM 495 introduces advanced Humanities students to research methods and practices in the Humanities. Students read and engage with contemporary research in Humanities fields while pursuing research projects of their own design. Students completing this course should leave with a draft of an article suitable for submission to a Humanities journal.

Comics, once a genre associated primarily with superheroes, have evolved since the 1970's to address weighty philosophical and existential issues in extended formats such as the graphic novel. This course will examine the graphic novels from major authors in the genre (e.g., Spiegelman, Eisner, and Moore) as well as "outside" artists. Also covered are the theoretical foundations of comics theory according to Will Eisner and Scott McCloud (among others). May not be taken for credit by students who have completed LIT 380 Graphic Novel.

An investigation into a topic of current or enduring interest in literature, which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

A workshop demonstrating principles of composition in fiction, poetry, or drama, studied from a writer's vantage point. Works by modern authors are analyzed. Student manuscripts are discussed and evaluated.

Consent of department. For advanced students.

A philosophical and psychological examination of good reasoning, the origins of judgment errors and biases, the impact of reasoning on individuals and societies, and the methods for improving judgment.

A realistic, evidence-based look at the powers and challenges in making science policy, looking at such topics as group polarization, conspiracy theories, deference to experts and “judging from the gut”. Our goal is to identify the reasoning skills and knowledge necessary in order for citizens and political officials to reason reliably about scientific matters.

A richly illustrated examination of the evidence for the nature and origin of language, from both philosophical and psychological perspectives. The course will cover such topics as animal communication, reference, the nature of meaning, and the biological basis of language.

An in-depth study of a single outstanding philosopher, chosen by the instructor. The focus of the course will be announced when the course is scheduled.

This course offers an introduction to philosophical issues concerning the nature of the mind. We’ll explore the assumptions about the mind that shape theories in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and critically examine key questions in these areas. By the end of this course, students will have critically evaluated varying philosophical frameworks and developed their own views on the relationship between minds, bodies, and machines.

This course examines the nature, structure and experience of health, disease and illness, focusing on various philosophical and policy issues in biomedical research, theory, and clinical practice. Topics include evidence in clinical trials, bias in medical care, privatized medicine, artificial intelligence in medicine, disability, mental illness, self-narrative in diagnoses, and more. Students will engage major texts and case studies in the history and philosophy of medicine, with the objective of providing a theoretical and philosophical framework for analyzing, evaluating and generating solutions to contemporary debates and experiences relating to health, disease and illness.

A study of the fundamental issues of moral philosophy.

In this course, we will investigate philosophical questions about the nature of technology and communication, as well as ethical questions related to a broad range of specific communication-related technologies. Topics include algorithmic bias and fairness, privacy and surveillance, consent and manipulation, and the environmental impacts of digital technologies. Students will engage with case studies that require applying ethical principles to complex situations.

In the course, we will discuss philosophical and ethical questions related to artificial intelligence (AI) and reflect about possible future developments. The course gives an introduction to the way ethical arguments, concepts and principles are used in debates relating to AI and robots. Topics to be discussed include: What is artificial intelligence? What is the role of algorithmic bias in hiring processes and facial recognition? What would it mean for AI to have capabilities like sentience, emotions, consciousness, or a mind? What are good rules for decision-making in self-driving cars? How do we perceive and talk about AI and robots? What is the moral and legal status of robots?.

How should researchers and society proceed with gene editing technologies, stem cell research, neurotechnology, human enhancement, and the challenges of climate change? In this course we will investigate ethical aspects and social implications of recent developments in the life sciences, biomedical engineering and biomedicine. The course gives an introduction to ethical theories, concepts and principles and the way ethical arguments are used in current debates relating to science and technology.

The course gives an introduction to ethical aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students learn how concepts, principles, and ethical arguments are used in current debates relating to AI. The focus is on the concept of trustworthy AI and its ethical principles and requirements including respect for human autonomy, prevention of harm, fairness, explicability, safety, privacy and data governance, non-discrimination, transparency, societal and environmental wellbeing, and accountability. The students will learn a use-cased based approach to assess the trustworthiness of AI in practice.

In this course, we will investigate philosophical questions about data science such as "What is data?", "How can data serve as evidence?", as well as ethical questions related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the environmental impacts of computing.

This course covers several social contract theories and applies them to contemporary and hypothetical technologies commonly referred to as “artificial intelligence.” We will use the social contract lens to think through questions related to various applied topics, including libertarian paternalism through algorithmic nudging, algorithmic bias, the role of expertise in a time of widely accessible AI chatbots, the politics of online platforms, and digital surveillance.

An examination of the conception of "mind" as opposed to body implications for psychology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience.

An investigation into a topic of current interest in philosophy; which will be announced by the instructor when the course is scheduled.

Supervised individual research for advanced students. **Instructor permission required.**