Michael Budd , Ph.D., Program Director
Location: 51 Shepard Avenue 201
Office:
(401) 341-3284
Email: michael.budd@salve.edu
Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities
Classes are offered at our Newport campus.
New!
The Independent Research Fellows Cohort (IRFC) is a new and exciting initiative offering the same course of study found in our traditional program in an intensive and innovative format to exceptionally well qualified students who would not otherwise be able to enroll in our on campus program.
Deadline for the application for the summer 2010 IRFC cohort is April 1, 2010. Please feel free to contact our office for more information at graduate_studies@salve.edu.
Message from the Director
The Ph.D. offers the humanities as a foundation for understanding a world of accelerating and complex change. Students pursue doctoral research that makes a difference; exploring questions of human meaning in a dynamic study of the past, present and future. The Humanities Doctor of Philosophy degree was inaugurated in 1989 as an interdisciplinary investigation of the question, "What does it mean to be human in an age of advanced technology?" In one form or another, this question still commands attention in the twenty-first century. Broadly conceived the human-technology relationship remains at the heart of the curriculum allowing students to draw insights and integrate knowledge from a variety of fields: religion, philosophy and ethics; art, literature and new media; history, politics and cultural theory. The challenge for each doctoral candidate is to develop a specific research direction that connects with the broader humanities and the doctoral theme. Students begin by choosing a program area of inquiry that is relevant to their preliminary research problem or issue. Building upon previous studies, professional, and life experience students choose from four areas of inquiry rooted in the scholarly expertise of faculty, the history of the doctoral program and Mercy mission of Salve Regina University:
- Technology, Science and Society
- Culture, Language and Memory
- Global Ethics and Human Security
- Community, Self and Social transformation
Each area presents a different web of possible relationships linking a range of theoretical issues, debates and practical problems with relevant modes of inquiry from the humanities and social sciences. Students use the program area of inquiry to leverage prior knowledge and study, work and life experience in developing their own individualized foundation that leads to problem focused and integrated interdisciplinary research and a distinguished doctoral dissertation.
Technology, Science, and Society
The humanities doctorate emerged from a historical moment at the end of the cold war when studies of the impact of technology and science on the society and culture were coming to the fore. Information was the operative word and the World Wide Web was not yet a pervasive part of social and commercial life. In the interim the mobile and digital have become the new buzz words and awareness of global relationships has increased the currency of using cultural and critical theory to investigate the impact of both technology and science in people's lives and on their ways of thinking. Topics: philosophy and technology, environmental sustainability, bio-ethics, medical humanities, technologies of war and violence, human factors & design, technology and material culture, technical innovation and business enterprise.
Culture, Language and Memory
The malleable term culture encompasses the way we see ourselves and the past, the things we make and the institutions and customs we sustain around us. Language and memory are the primary means of reproducing and understanding culture. Work in this area focuses on debates and problems concerning public and personal memory, the politics of social representation and narrative, historical interpretation, comparative literature and culture, and the history of ideas. Topics: epistemology and difference; local history; the city & human geography; historic preservation; digital humanities; new media; literature and history.
Global Ethics and Human Security
The term global describes not only a networked and connected world but also one that is riddled with technological gaps and social inequalities. Like universal human rights global ethics underscores the challenge of respecting difference while building common human community and history. Looking beyond national borders and tribal perspectives the question of human security offers a frame for addressing a range of issues concerning democracy, health and the environment, corporate responsibility, competition for scarce resources, and peace building. Topics: conflict & climate; privacy & surveillance; civil-military relations; diasporas and immigration; community policing; economic justice; peace studies & conflict resolution; corporate ethics.
Community, Self and Social transformation
The concepts of self and community lie at the heart of humanistic studies and are central constructs in making sense of the bridges and divides characterizing social, political and economic behavior. From the sphere of personal growth and individual healing to critiques of systems and institutions in an increasingly complex world we confront a range of oppositions from change vs. continuity, to the local vs. the global. As we navigate personal relationships and the political and economic systems shaping our lives questions arise about how we can we serve the self and meaningfully connect to the larger world. How can self-fulfillment and individual beliefs be balanced with community in a pluralistic world? Topics: comparative belief; holistic studies; culture and values; leadership; educational reform; social policy; health care; mental health; disability; enterprise and business ethics.
Program Requirements
Upon completion of all degree requirements, an approved program of study including thirteen core/elective courses (39 credits), and continuous enrollment in HUM 681-698 (3 credits each fall and spring until the dissertation is successfully defended) doctoral candidates are awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in humanities. Depending on each student's background additional preparation in the broader humanities or work in specific subject fields may be required.
HUM510, HUM600, HUM618 and HUM635 (Capstone course) are required core courses. Students designate three additional 600-level courses to complete the doctoral core requirement of seven courses (21 credits). The concentration requirement of six elective courses (18 credits) is fulfilled through the required HUM598 or HUM655 (special topics: research colloquium), three courses from the remaining 600-level courses, designated as elective credit, and two interdisciplinary 500-level courses or other special topic/independent study courses.
