Bethlehem University - Faculty of Art

The Department of Humanities offers courses in eight academic disciplines: Cultural Studies, European Languages (French, Spanish), Fine Arts (Art, Music, Theater, Cinema), Philosophy, History, Political Science, and Geography. By means of its diversified program, the Department seeks to encourage an understanding and appreciation of major areas of learning. One of its main goals is to help Palestinian university students to develop their ability to think freely and critically.

The Department currently offers no major programs. A minor in French, which requires a minimum of 18 credits hours, is offered.

The Cultural Studies program offers a core of common studies of major issues and values in the history of human heritage

The Department of Humanities is responsible for providing a number of courses which are required for graduation by all Faculties of the University. They are:

HIST 120	Modern Palestine (3)	PHIL 302	Philosophy and Ethics (3)
POLS 300	Themes in Political Science (3)	RELS 300	Cultural Religious Studies (3)
and one of the following:
ARTS 101	Art Appreciation (2)	MUSI 103	Music Appreciation (2)
CINE 101	Film Appreciation (2)	THEA 101	Theater Appreciation (2)

The Cultural Studies series of courses aims at broadening and deepening the students� interests during the years when they are increasingly committed to their fields of specialization. The courses bring the students into contact with many of the great works of our common human heritage in the areas of the arts and sciences, philosophy, religion and technology.

The first course begins with an introduction to general notions of culture, civilization, myth and ritual, technology and history. This is followed by careful reading and analysis of major works from the oldest civilizations known to us in Mesopotamia, Europe, Africa and the Far East to the rise of Roman civilization.

In the second semester the period from the all of Roman civilization to the 16th century Age of Discovery is covered. Texts are chosen to illustrate the achievements of Christianity, Islam, the intellectual and artistic achievements of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance in Europe, the Protestant Reformation, and the period of geographical discoveries and colonialism that accompanied the rise of nation states.
Prerequisite: CULS 201

The first summer course introduces the notions of culture, civilization, myth and ritual, technology and history. Selected texts illustrate the achievements of the oldest known civilizations, particularly in Mesopotamia and Europe. texts are also chosen to represent Roman civilization, Christianity, Islam, the achievements of the Middle Ages and the movements that led toward the geographical discoveries and colonies that accompanied the rise of nation states in the 16th century.

The third semester covers the period from the European Enlightenment of the 18th century to the post-Second World War era. Texts illustrate the development of modern science, the struggle with traditional beliefs, the French Revolution, Romanticism, the social and political effects of the Industrial Revolution, and the expansion of colonies and empires.
Prerequisite: CULS 202

The fourth semester covers the period of Arab Cultural Revival in the 19th and 20th centuries. It provides students with an analytical overview of the various intellectual and cultural forces which have shaped the Arab World from the French invasion of Egypt (1810-1879) to the present. Basic readings and texts are chosen to present an illustrate these aspects.
Prerequisite: CULS 301

The last summer course covers the period from the European Enlightenment to the contemporary problems of the 20th century. Texts illustrate the development of modern science, the struggle with traditional beliefs, the French Revolution and Romanticism, the effects of the Industrial Revolution, colonialism, and the beginnings of modern biology, psychology and sociology. Aspects of the Russian Revolution, the Second World War, and decolonization follow. Particular emphasis is given to problems of the Third World, especially the Arab world, against the background of increasing industrialization, technical progress, and international cooperation and division.
Prerequisite: CULS 203

The minor in French requires a minimum of 18 credit hours. Students applying for a French minor will be given a French placement test. Beginning students start with FREN 131. Those who qualify will begin with FREN 132. These students will take advanced courses to complete the required 18 credit hours.

This is a concentrated semester course stressing the development of the four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of fundamental structures and basic vocabulary. A language laboratory component is an obligatory part of this course.
Prerequisite: FREN 131 for FREN 132

This is a concentrated semester course further developing the four basic skills and the fundamental principles of grammar necessary for a more advanced level of spoken and written French.
Prerequisite: FREN 132 for FREN 231, FREN 231 for FREN 232

This course emphasizes the correct use of French on a more advanced level than in the intermediate course through controlled compositions, experiences and original themes, as well as conversation and oral presentations.
Prerequisite: FREN 232 or placement examination

This is an advanced course in contemporary written French. Grammatical concepts and the linguistic means available for their expression will be developed through frequent compositions and critiques with emphasis on stylistic devices.
Prerequisite: FREN 331

Nature and origins of contemporary French civilizations as developed from traditional customs to political, economic, cultural and social issues of the present day.
Prerequisite: Instructor�s approval

This course emphasizes the use of correct spoken French on a more advanced level than that in the intermediate level. Attention is given to correct pronunciation through active participation in oral discussions and reports on articles read in periodicals, newspapers, and reports.
Prerequisite: Instructor�s approval

This course presents the general principles of translation both French to Arabic, and Arabic to French. Emphasis is given to the difference between translation and transliteration. Attention will be paid to the effect of cultural variations and to idiomatic terminology. The student will proceed from simple concepts and structures to more advanced and complex work.
Prerequisite: Instructor�s approval

General survey of French authors and literary forms from the late 11th century through the 18th century with attention to literary trends, and influences, in relation to France�s historical and social background. Techniques of literary study and particularly "explication de texte" will be explained.
Prerequisite: Instructor�s approval

General Survey of French authors and literary forms from the 19th and 20th centuries including the major romantics, realists, symbolists, novelists, and dramatists. Techniques of literary study and particularly "explication de texte" are explained in relation to France�s historical and social background.
Prerequisite: Instructor�s approval

A basic course in Spanish for beginners. This course introduces the fundamental structures of the language and emphasizes vocabulary building through conversational techniques. Comprehension and oral ability are developed through audio-visual aids.

A course which provides the student with a working knowledge of the basic grammatical structures of the Spanish language. Continued emphasis is placed on vocabulary-building and correct use of grammar through written exercises and drills. Aural comprehension and oral ability are developed through audio-visual aids.
Prerequisite: SPAN 101

This course incorporates more advanced studies in the Spanish language. Emphasis will be placed on a continuation of exercises to perfect the grasp of grammatical structures. Readings for this course are texts selected from Spanish literature.
Prerequisite: SPAN 102

This course continues the advanced work begun in SPAN 103. The students are expected to be conversant with all tenses and structures in Spanish. More advanced work is undertaken in the areas of writing, speaking and reading.
Prerequisite: SPAN 103

This course deals with the study of aesthetics and its place in the development of civilizations. It examines aesthetic ideas of various philosophers from Greece and Rome, from China and Japan, and from the Islamic world.

Creative activities to be taught will include collage, mask making, printing techniques, individual and group projects using paint and crayons. Activities will be analyzed for their physical, cognitive and emotional properties. The adaptation and structuring of activities to meet the needs of people with physical, developmental and emotional difficulties will be discussed.

This course provides practical supervised training in pencil and charcoal drawing. To help develop an artistic taste and vision, students are introduced to art appreciation and aesthetics. This is followed by step-by-step theoretical and practical instruction in the fundamentals of drawing and the proper use of pencil and charcoal.

This course provides students with practical supervised training in painting, both in water-color and oils. Students are introduced to art appreciation and aesthetics as they pertain to painting and the use of color. This is followed by step-by-step instruction, both practical and theoretical, in the fundamentals of mixing colors and painting.
Prerequisite: ARTS 111

This introductory course provides students with a basic knowledge of film language as well as an understanding and appreciation of the film as a trained viewer.

MUSIC 103 can be taken to fulfill the University Fine Arts requirement. Other MUSIC courses can be taken as general electives.

Integrated courses in the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and structural elements of music, accenting the aural sense and developing the ability to visualize, sing, and write from dictation.

The course includes a discussion of the materials of music from the listener�s point of view. Emphasis is on the styles and composers of the various periods proceeding from the relatively familiar Romantic music of the 19th century to the less familiar 18th century Classicism, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music.

These courses include a non-technical study of music, forms, and styles for the intelligent appreciation of music from cultures of Europe, the Near East and the Far East. Also included is music of the 20th century: Post-romanticism and impressionism.

These are practical courses of choral music which include Arabic vocal music and songs from other countries. Students may take Chorale during any semester.

THEA 101 can be taken to fulfill the University Fine Arts requirement. Other courses are electives which cater to other faculties at the University.

The focus of this introductory course is the history and evolution of schools of thought in the theater. One of the major aims is to develop student�s ability to a critical and a knowledgeable view of the theater.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles of acting, and to develop, through theater games, skills that are essential to a successful actor.

This introductory course offers rich theatrical experiences to the needs of a specific discipline, such as Occupational Therapy.

The focus of the course is the location, historical geography, geological history, demography and human settlements in Palestine. The students, in addition, learn how to use and read maps.

HIST 120 fulfills a university requirement. The other history courses are general electives.

This is an introductory survey of modern trends in Palestinian history from the late Ottoman period to the present, utilizing primary textual material.

This course involves a study of social and political developments in the Arab regions of the Ottoman Empire from 1514 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Special emphasis is laid on economic and social transformations in the 19th century, the advent of European imperialism and the beginning of the Arab national awakening.

This is a continuation of History of the Arab World I. It involves a study of the region form 1914 to the present.
Prerequisite: HIST 131

This course comprises a survey of Modern European History from the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution in Czarist Russia. The aspects to be covered include the following: Nationalism in Europe, the Industrial Revolution, Capitalism and Socialism, German and Italian unity, the Revolutions of 1884, the French Commune of 1870, European Imperialism, imperial rivalries and the outbreak of World War One.

This course involves a study of contemporary Europe. The following topics are treated: the consequences of the war and the Russian Revolution on Europe, the establishment of the League of Nations, American relations with Europe, the rise of Nazism, appeasement, the role of Stalin in the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, the origins of World War II, the war and the Potsdam agreement, the establishment of Communist rule in Eastern Europe, the attempted containment of Soviet Communism, the rise of American Hegemony in Europe.
Prerequisite: HIST 203

This course provides an historical survey of the Arab World from ancient times to the rise of Islam in the seventh century. Topics covered include the rise of Arab elements, their societies and civilizations, formation of early Arab states and their international relations, and the Arabian Peninsula on the eve of the rise of Islam.

Students are introduced to the Islamic world from the rise of Islam in the seventh century. Topics covered include the following: the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith, the period of "Al-Rashidum" caliphs, the rise and fall of the Umayyads, the rise of the universal Muslim state, the Abbasids, the flowering of Islamic civilization, the disintegration of the Caliphate, the rise of the Buwayhids, the Fatimids, the Seljuk Turks and the Mamliks of Egypt and Syria.

This is a survey of Palestinian history from the late Ottoman period until the present. The course will include: trends in Palestinian history, the Arab East and World War I (1914-1918), post-war settlements, Palestine under the British (1917/18 � 1948). It will continue with the Palestine War and the Arabization and internationalization of the Palestine Problem (1947 - 1966), the 1967 war and its consequences on the Arabs and the Palestinians, the rise of the "feda'iyyin", the PLO and the Intifada, the Gulf War, the New World Order, and the Madrid / Oslo peace processes.

PHIL 302 fulfills a university requirement. PHIL104 is required by Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. Other courses are general electives.

This course examines the principles of medical ethics pertinent to professional relationships and responsibilities. It teaches how to apply these principles to practical situations.

An introduction to formal Logic. It includes both a survey of the history of logic and exercises in problem solving.

The course focuses on the nature of human values and personal choice, and establishes the general principles underlying proper human conduct.

The course analyzes specific problems involving human values and decisions. In both General and Special Ethics courses, emphasis is given to mutual respect in human relationships with an analysis of the rights and obligations inherent in those relationships. Since the approach is philosophical, the investigation is restricted to what can be deduced by the use of reason alone.

The course aims at introducing the students to various issues in philosophy and ethics, including different philosophical and ethical approaches to these issues. Texts are used to present the thought of various philosophical schools and periods.

POLS 300 fulfills a university requirement. All other courses can be taken as general electives.

This course is an introduction to the study of political science. It involves the study of the following subjects: sovereignty, democracy, civil society, human rights and interrelationships between political science and social sciences.

An investigation of different types of government with a detailed look at the workings of the following countries: the United States, Commonwealth of Independent States, Britain, France and Switzerland.

A detailed study of the problem focusing upon critical incidents, historical documents, people and organizations involved in the overall situation. The aim of the course is to clarify the situation in an attempt to understand the problem in perspective. Excerpts from periodicals and books centering on this topic will form the basic reading material for the course.

This course covers several aspects of contemporary political Arab thought: the European Enlightenment and its impact on Arab thought, contacts with Western civilization, the advent of modern religious reform thought, political and social reform thought, scientific and nationalist thought, and Palestinian Arab thought. Basic readings and texts are chosen to represent and illustrate these aspects.

Political thought from Plato to modern times with the emphasis on thinkers from Hobbes to contemporary times, and the influence their ideas have had on social and political developments.