Braniff Humanities
The Master's Program in Humanities offers two Master's degrees and is part of the University of Dallas' attempt to foster general education based on the study of great works in the tradition of Western thought. By making available to students a wide range of graduate courses offered by various departments of the University, the intention of the program is, first, to give students the opportunity to pursue their interests in different fields without committing themselves to earning a degree in any one field alone, and, second, to encourage the careful reading of a limited number of primary texts. To promote these aims--flexibility and careful reading--each student designs his own curriculum, in consultation with the director, around a core of three special courses devoted to the reading of seminal works in the development of western thought. To this core the student adds courses, according to his interests, either in one or two concentrations, or in one or two historical periods. The program requires 36 units of credit and leads to either a Master of Arts in Humanities or a Master of Humanities
The Core Sequence
The core of the program consists of a sequence of six special courses called the "World Courses." These courses are devoted to the study of major works in the formation of the West and each is given by faculty from the several participating departments in the humanities. Students are required to take any three of these courses (nine units): the Ancient World, the Medieval World, the Renaissance World, the Baroque World, the Modern World, and the Recent World.
In support of the core, the remainder of a student's program will be oriented around either one or two concentrations (15-18 units), or one or two periods (15-18 units), and related courses (6-9 units).
Concentrations are:
American Studies, Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Politics, Theology, and Psychology
Periods are:
Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern, and Recent
Related courses may be drawn from such fields as Art History, Drama, Economics, Education, and Foreign Languages (Greek, Latin, French, German, and Spanish).
Degree Requirements
Master of Arts in Humanities
- Thirty units of course work at the 5000 level or above.
- Six units for a Master's thesis.
- A reading knowledge of one foreign language. This requirement may be satisfied by meeting the standards set forth in the Graduate Handbook.
- A comprehensive, written examination on a series of questions that will be prepared in advance and determined for each student on the basis of his curriculum.
Master of Humanities
- Thirty-six units of course work at the 5000 level or above.
- A comprehensive, written examination of the kind described in 4 above.
Time Limit
All requirements for each degree ordinarily must be met within six years of a student's registration in course work, excluding leaves of absence.
Transfer credits
Up to nine units of graduate work at other institutions may be accepted for transfer after a student has completed at least nine units at the University of Dallas.
Applications and Financial Assistance
Entry into the program requires a bachelor's degree, but not necessarily in one of the humanities, and permission of both the Director and the Dean of the Braniff Graduate School. Non-degree students are welcome to participate in any part of the program after consulting with the Director.
Tuition scholarships are available for the Humanities Program. Full-time teachers are eligible for two-thirds tuition scholarships. Other students may receive merit-based scholarships for up to one-half of their tuition.
Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, located on Routh Street near downtown Dallas, is affiliated with the University of Dallas and offers courses that may be used for credit towards the University's graduate degrees in Humanities. For information about the program offered at the Dallas Institute, please write or call them (2719 Routh St., Dallas, TX 75201; 214-871-2440) or visit their website at www.dallasinstitute.org.
World Courses
The Ancient World. The thought and art of Greece and Rome from 800 B.C. to 400 A.D. Texts vary but are chosen from works ranging from those of Homer and the Greek tragedians to Vergil and the Roman historians.
The Medieval World. The thought and art of the Middle Ages from 400 to 1400. Readings of works of the major writers from Augustine, Boethius and Bede to Aquinas, Dante, and Chaucer.
The Renaissance World. The thought and art of Europe from 1400 to 1600. Readings selected from the works of Petrarch, Pico della Mirandola, Machiavelli, Erasmus, More, Luther, Montaigne, Spenser, Cervantes, and others.
The Baroque World. The thought and art of the period from 1600 to 1750. Authors read typically include Shakespeare, Bacon, Donne, Descartes, Moliere, Milton, Hobbes, and Racine.
The Modern World. The thought and art of Europe from 1750 to 1850. Readings of works from Locke, Newton, Pope, Swift, Hume, Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, Goethe, Wordsworth, Hegel, and others.
The Recent World. The thought and art of the century from 1850 to 1950. Authors read regularly include Kierkegaard, Dostoevski, Tolstoi, Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Yeats, Joyce, and Mann.
For information about tuition, financial assistance, application forms and registration, please write, call, or visit our website: Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts, University of Dallas, 1845 East Northgate Drive, Irving, Texas 75062-4736. Phone: (972) 721-5106. Toll Free: (877) 708-3247. E-mail: graduate@udallas.edu. Website: www.udallas.edu/braniff
*Note: The official Braniff Graduate School version of this page can be found here.