Overview

Our interpretations and values shape the world around us, and we are shaped by the interpretations and values of others. Humanities disciplines traditionally explore such interactions; they do so through textual study: literary, critical, philosophical, and religious.

Yet as the contemporary university understands the limits of the traditional specialties and questions their foundations, the need for interdisciplinary inquiry increases. Such inquiry reflects and contributes to the concerns of the plural community at large, particularly as the circumstances we're living in – rapid environmental change, growing digitization of knowledge and of ways of knowing, increasing globalization of economies and cultures -- create a world in which ethical issues are at the same time interpretive issues.

Laurentian's Humanities M.A. in Interpretation and Values stresses the commonalities among various humanities disciplines. The M.A. program responds to the need for interdisciplinary inquiry from a number of disciplines: English, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies. While the program retains the textual focus of traditional disciplinary humanities study, it also extends the definition of text to include the disciplinary structures themselves as well as the structures of social organizations in the community.

The program places graduates of specialized Humanities programs within an environment of textual study, dialogue, debate, and action, all of which makes clear how interpretation and values operate within:

• the varied disciplines out of which they have come; 
• the seminal texts of those disciplines; 
• the public and private sector organizations within our communities.

The degree can serve as a bridge to further graduate work at the doctoral level in either disciplinary or interdisciplinary programs. It is definitely attractive to interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs (such as the Concordia Ph.D. in humanities) that are looking for breadth and flexibility in their applicants.

For more information about the program, please contact the director, Norman Cheadle ncheadle@laurentian.ca

For further information regarding the Interdisciplinary Humanities program view our FAQ

Thesis

Humanities M.A. students have the option of pursuing a thesis stream.

The subject of the thesis will be selected by the student, and must be approved by the program council. Under the supervision of a three-person thesis committee, the student will prepare and submit a written thesis proposal which includes:

• the objectives
• a tentative outline
• a preliminary bibliography

After the approval of the proposal by the Program Council, the student will be permitted to proceed to the writing of the thesis.

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