Analysis and Interpretation of Texts

The notion of "text" includes all forms of writing, aural and visual media, and performance, from historical documents to modern art. The Analysis and Interpretation of Texts requirement develops students' abilities to extract meaning, intent, and context from a text. Courses that satisfy this requirement will encourage students to recognize the relationship between a text and its reflection of the human experience and culture.

Upon completion of this requirement students will be able to:

  • analyze how cultural and historical contexts shape the composition, dissemination, and reception of texts, forms, and styles.
  • understand how to apply strategies — such as interpretation, synthesis, critique, and design — to integrate ideas from appropriate sources.

Students complete 4 credits from the courses listed below.

Courses that Fulfill the Analysis and Interpretation of Texts Core Requirement Credits
ANTH 203 Contemporary Pacific Studies 4
ARTHI 270 Western Art I: Paleolithic through Gothic 4
ARTHI 271 Western Art II: Renaissance to Present 4
ARTHI 282/382 Special Topics in Art History 2-4
ARTHI 352 19th Century Art 4
ARTHI 372 Contemporary Art 4
CHIN 401 Selected Chinese Short Stories 4
DANC 280 World Dances and Culture 4
EDUC 428 Teaching Reading Through Child and Adolescent Literature 2
ENGL 220 Literature and Human Concerns 2-4
ENGL 221 Disability and Literature 4
ENGL 229 Introduction to U.S. Literature 4
ENGL 236 Postmodernism in Film and Literature 2
ENGL 320 Advanced Literature and Human Concerns 2-4
ENGL 323 Shakespeare, Texts, Performance 4
ENGL 324 Postcolonial Literature: Tales of Conquest Retold 2
ENGL 336 Postmodernism in Film and Literature II 2
ENGL 340 Studies in Drama 4
ENGL 341 Studies in Poetry 4
ENGL 342 Studies in Fiction 4
ENGL 343 Studies in Criticism and Theory 4
ENGL 344 Studies in Creative Nonfiction 4
FREN 304 French and Francophone Theatre 4
FREN 404 French and Francophone Theatre 4
FREN 320/420 Women's Writing in the Francophone World 4
GER 302 Contemporary Short Stories and Narrations 4
GER 303 German Literature and Culture: 1750 - Present 4
GER 304 German Drama 4
HIST 203 History in the Pacific World 4
HIST 234 The Trial of Galileo 2
HIST 363 Cold War America 4
HIST 391 Research Methods 4
HIST 400 Medieval Women 4
HIST 401 The World of Charlemagne 4
HIST 413 History of Modern Drugs and Medicines 4
HIST 415 Pan-Pacific Histories 4
HIST 435 1968: Youth and Social Change in World 4
HIST 439 World War II 4
HIST/ENV 441 Environmental History 4
HUM/IS 222 Introduction to East Asian Studies 4
JAPN 401 Topics in Contemporary Literature 4
MEDA 110 Introduction to Communication 4
MEDA 112 Media and Society 4
MEDA 120 Film History and Analysis 4
MEDA 201 Interpersonal Communication 4
MEDA 220 Film and Society 2
PHIL 100 Introduction to Philosophy 4
PHIL 202 Ethics and Society 4
PHIL 221 Sports Ethics 2
PHIL 240 Human Rights 2
PHIL 304 Philosophy of Art 4
PHIL 305 Asian Philosophy 4
PHIL/DS 307 Ethics, Medicine, and Health Care 4
PHIL 309 Philosophy of Religion 4
PHIL 310 Philosophy of Science 4
PHIL 314 Philosophy of Mind 4
PHIL 315 Philosophy of Law 4
PHIL/ENV 321 Environmental Ethics 4
PHIL/ENV 322 Animal Ethics 4
POLS 209 Ideas in Action: Politics, Philosophy, and Modern Society 4
POLS 212 Conservatism and its Critics 4
POLS 213 Socialism and its Critics 4
POLS 286 Democratic Theory 4
POLS 325 Constitutional Law 4
POLS 326 Civil Liberties 4
SOC 120 Images, Society, and Identity 4
SOC/ANTH 317 Pop Culture: Cultural Studies 4
SPAN 303 Introduction to Hispanic Literature 4
SPAN 310 Contemporary Spanish Music and Culture 4
SPAN 403 Contemporary Spanish Cinema 4
SPAN 405 Survey of Spanish American Literature and Culture 4
THEA 180 Script Analysis 4
THEA 350 Theatre History/Literature I 4
THEA 360 Theatre History/Literature II 4
THEA/GSS 363 Gender, Sexuality, and Performance 4