Objectives
The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Humanities for Teaching shares with the other degrees of Matteo Ricci College the emphases on forming humane persons and promoting justice. It prepares students for a Masters in Teaching program. In addition, this major applies Humanistic and Jesuit thought to the specific topic of education. Taking learning as a uniquely human activity, this degree questions the links between conceptions of the human and prescriptions for pedagogy. It debates the highest purposes of education and considers, in particular, Jesuit responses to that inquiry. It balances these theoretical pursuits with practical, guided experience in the classroom.
Structure and Admissions Requirements
The program leading to the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Humanities for Teaching (BA) is a “cohort program;” that is, students are only admitted to the program as freshmen through the normal process administered by the Seattle University Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Thereafter, students follow a prescribed sequence of required courses (see below). Students can undertake study in one or more “areas for endorsement,” if they desire, so as to fulfill the requirements to be allowed to teach specific subjects or grade levels in an elementary, middle, or secondary school. Students may also choose to double major or add a minor, which may fulfill endorsement coursework. This degree does not itself confer a teaching credential of any kind. Rather, it is an optimal academic preparation for someone who intends to obtain a credential through a master’s degree in teaching or other graduate-level program, or even through the alternative certification programs offered in some states. Apart from the sequences of required courses, students’ individual programs of study may vary widely depending on the grade level and the specific subject areas in which they intend to teach.
Program Requirements
Students are expected to make normal progress toward completing the required courses in sequence. They must always maintain a cumulative academic grade point average of 2.50 or higher. Only courses grades C- (1.7) or higher will fulfill the HUMT requirements scheduled for HUMT 1500 and HUMT 1800 series. For all other humanities core courses, a grade of C (2.0) or higher will be accepted. Students failing to meet these expectations will be placed on probation for two quarters and thereafter are subject to dismissal from the College.
Each student is closely advised by a Matteo Ricci College Humanities for Teaching peer advisor under the supervision of the Director of Advising. To the fullest extent possible, students are guided in their understanding of the endorsement and credential requirements in the various states, as well as with the preferences of graduate schools and school districts as they evaluate candidates. No student may register for any Seattle University course without consulting, and receiving written permission from an advisor or the Director of Advising. Students are encouraged to seek additional informal advice from faculty in their second major or areas of prospective endorsement.