The Humanities area of emphasis encourages students not only develop an awareness of the ways in which people throughout the ages and in different cultures have responded to themselves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation but also help the student develop an aesthetic understanding and an ability to make value judgments. Such courses could include introductory or integrative courses in the arts, foreign languages, literature, philosophy, and religion.

To obtain an AA in General Studies with an area of emphasis in Humanities, students must:

1. Area of Emphasis - Complete the coursework from the Humanities area of emphasis listed below. At least 6 units of the 18 units required for the area of emphasis must be completed within a single discipline.

2. General Education - Complete Moorpark College’s General Education requirements (Areas 1 through 7).

3. Units - Satisfactorily complete at least 60 semester units of degree-applicable college coursework (including general education, area of emphasis, and, if needed, free electives).

4. GPA - Achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better in courses used for the degree. 

• Courses for the area of emphasis must be completed with a grade of "C" or better or “P” if the course is taken on a “pass-no pass” basis. Even though a “P” is allowed, it is recommended that students complete all coursework in the area of emphasis for a letter grade ("A," "B," or "C"). 

5. Residency - Complete a minimum of 12 semester units within the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD).

NOTE: Students planning to transfer to a four-year university are advised that this curriculum may not adequately prepare them for transfer.  General Studies Patterns 2 and 3 are designed for transfer students.         

Humanities Area of Emphasis

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• describe the historical and cultural context of a Western or non-Western movement in the visual arts, design, music, dance, theatre, television, or film.
• describe the theoretical concepts and aesthetics of human expression in the Arts.
• identify values of culture and community as expressed through art.
• analyze and describe how one’s own artistic work blends personal vision, sociocultural background, ethical values, and aesthetic judgment.
• read, comprehend and communicate at the beginning or intermediate level of a target language.
• apply a methodological approach to scholarly analysis and critical assessment of the artistic and intellectual creations of Western and non-western cultures, for academic disciplines in the humanities.
• demonstrate factual knowledge of the emergence and development of a set of ideas, an artistic form or medium, or a religious, philosophical, or artistic tradition.
• explain how artistic works, both historic and contemporary, are individual expressions of the culture and history of their creation.