What are Major Works Courses?
Major Works Courses are 200-level introductory courses (HUM 2XX) and 300-level more advanced courses (HUM 3XX) investigating the world’s leading works of literature, arts, philosophy, and music to help students develop a taste of their own.
As a vital component of the Foundation Development program, Major Works Courses are designed to equip students not only with fundamental knowledge and understanding of human expression but also with tools of independent and critical thinking.
They also aim to help students explore their personal choices and tastes, providing them with innovative and in-depth perspectives of the world, their country, their society, and themselves.
These courses equip students with critical and analytical skills and also help them develop methodologies of how to analyze literary (broadly defined), artistic, and philosophical works with the coherent use of theoretical principles and analytical frameworks, while also reflecting on the contingency of the latter. With the multidisciplinary approach adopted in the HUM courses, students can make connections between the humanities and other fields of inquiry, including the theoretical and applied sciences, politics, and the like.
Major Works Courses are coordinated by the Foundations Development Directorate.
All students who have completed 23 credits are required to take one course from the pool of 200-level Major Works Courses before graduation.
SPS 101 and SPS 102 are required pre-requisites.
Students who fail SPS 101 and SPS 102 courses will not be admitted to Major Works Courses.
Any Major Works (HUM) courses taken after the completion of mandatory HUM course requirements will be counted as free electives.
All FASS and SBS students who have completed a 200-level Major Works (HUM 2XX) course are required to take one course from the pool of 300-level Major Works Courses (HUM 3XX) before graduation.
Any Major Works (HUM) courses taken after the completion of mandatory HUM course requirements will be counted as free electives.
No. You can complete your HUM requirement any time until graduation.
Any Major Works (HUM) courses taken after the completion of mandatory HUM course requirements are counted as free electives.
Yes. Each HUM course earns you 3 SU credits and 5 ECTS credits.
If your first admit semester is before 2020 and you have already completed any of the 200-coded courses (HUM 203, HUM 204, HUM 206, HUM 211, HUM 212, HUM 214, HUM 221, HUM 224, HUM 231 HUM 232, HUM 241, HUM 261), you can choose among 300-coded HUM courses, provided that you have completed 23 credits and SPS 101-102.
The system will give you a pre-requisite error during registration. Please send a pre-requisite override request through the system. You can register once the instructor approves your request.
If you have already taken and passed HUM 201 or HUM 202, you can take any of the 300-coded HUM courses without pre-requisite approval.
No. Since you have already completed your HUM requirements before the introduction of 300-coded courses, you do not have to take 300-coded courses. Any HUM course you take will be counted as free elective.
Time conflict permission is not possible for HUM courses. Such requests have already been disabled on the system; the instructor cannot manually give time conflict permission. This is not just a rule for its own sake but a very deliberate decision based on years of student and instructor experience. Time conflicts involve several complications including exam participation and other course requirements; so it is not only about access to lectures.
Attendance is mandatory in all Major Works lectures and discussion sections.
Attendance is taken on an hourly basis during the lectures and discussion sessions. Therefore, missing an entire lecture counts as missing 2 hours, whereas missing one discussion counts as missing 1 hour.
Please check the syllabi of individual courses for further information.
Students who miss more than twelve hours (regardless of medical reports) in total will automatically receive a N/A standing for MW courses.
Attendance follow-up starts at the end of the add-drop period.
Time Conflict requests are not accepted for HUM courses.
Grading is based on individual performance. Letter grades are calculated according to the following letter grade scale and are not open to negotiation.
Average | min. 53 | min. 60 | min. 64 | min. 68 | min. 72 | min. 76 | min. 80 | min. 84 | min. 88 | min. 92 | min. 96 |
Letter Grade | F | D | D+ | C- | C | C+ | B- | B | B+ | A- | A |
GPA | 0,00 | 1,00 | 1,30 | 1,70 | 2,00 | 2,30 | 2,70 | 3,00 | 3,30 | 3,70 | 4,00 |
A make-up exam is given to students who cannot take an exam for reasons acceptable to the instructor. It is up to the instructor to offer opportunity for make-up for midterm exams and assignments.
Students who do not attend an exam with an excuse that is accepted by the instructor are entitled to have a make-up exam.
These students must submit their supporting documents for their excuse (health report, etc.) within three week-days after the exam and these supporting documents must be found valid by the instructor.
A student who is suspected to turn in a plagiarized work will receive 0 points for that particular assignment and they will be required to re-write and hand in the assignment in 24 hours. If the student fails to hand in a revised assignment, which is considered to be acceptable by the instructor within 24 hours, the case will be transferred to the disciplinary committee.
Requests for extra work or other compensation will not be accepted. E-mails concerning such requests will not be replied.
200-level Major Works (HUM 2XX) courses conduct one-hour discussion sections as a co-requisite of the course. Discussion sections, led by Teaching Assistants, consist of a group of around 25 students.
Discussion sections are designed to enhance the student’s critically looking, listening, and self-expression skills through presenting and discussing further examples associated with a given lecture’s theme.
The Teaching Assistant is responsible for leading and guiding the discussion. Do not expect the TA:
- To repeat or summarize the lecture,
- To provide any sort of hand out or summary regarding the lecture or the readings,
- To distribute exams in class or discuss exam results and answers in class.
- To distribute previous exams as study guides or for other purposes.
If you have questions about your exam or the course in general, you should get an appointment from your TA and visit them in their office where they shall answer your questions.
It is the policy of Sabancı University to accommodate students with special needs and disabilities. To determine the best suitable accommodations and/or academic adjustments, please contact the Student with Special Needs Support Unit (specialneeds@sabanciuniv.edu).