Berkeley City College’s AA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Arts and Humanities provides students with a broad perspective on culture and artistic expression of human beings and societies. It is designed to stimulate appreciation for and understanding of values, ideas, and artifacts of culture and society, specifically as these relate to how different cultures through the ages have responded to themselves and the world around them through the production of creative forms of expression. Critical thinking skills and self-understanding through these courses provide a framework for lifelong study in the liberal arts. Successful completion of the curriculum in Arts and Humanities offers students a breadth of knowledge that could be focused into single discipline degrees as well as applied to an interdisciplinary degree. The degree is intended for those who are considering transfer but have not decided on a major; those who are required to complete a degree for job promotion; or individuals who may wish to further their education and are considering a major that is interdisciplinary in focus. In all cases, students consult with a Counselor to develop a program of study.
Students who complete the program will be able to:
- Show the connections between specific factors (i.e., politics, religion, science, etc.) of historical periods and the artistic styles and general cultural milieus that emerged from those historical periods.
- Discuss major ideas and theories on human creativity and historical development, and how these affect individual and social interaction.
- Critically analyze artistic styles and ideologies in well organized and effective essays.
