STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
School: Arts and Humanities
Course Number: HUMN698
Course Name: Comprehensive Exam: Humanities
Credit Hours: 0 (pass/fail)
Length of Course: 8 weeks
Prerequisite: completion of core courses and electives.
Table of Contents
Instructor Information
Evaluation Procedures
Course Description
Grading Scale
Course Scope
Course Outline
Course Objectives
Policies
Course Delivery Method
Academic Services
Course Materials
Selected Bibliography
Instructor Information
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
Office Hours:
Table of Contents
Course Description (Catalog)
This will be a comprehensive final examination for students in the Master of Arts in
Humanities program. The Comprehensive Examination: Humanities is tailored specifically to
each student and must be taken after students have completed 36 hours of study (i.e.
during the semester following the final course) and successfully completed before the award
of a degree.
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Table of Contents
Course Scope
The student will make a comprehensive review of his/her program and resources prior to
completing the exam. There are seven weekly assignments that must be completed before the
exam can be opened.
Table of Contents
Course Objectives
After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:
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Review each course taken in the program, noting the resources, content, and subject
matter as it relates to the Humanities discipline.
List all texts used in the class, including those acquired for research and other
assignments, following MLA Style.
Write annotations for each text or resource, thus conveying the contents of each one.
Create an annotated list of issues studied and discussed in each class, making note of
the connections and resonances between texts, disciplines, and historical periods.
Write sample essay questions.
Answer a selection of the sample essay questions.
Analyze knowledge acquired, texts used, and issues discussed to identify gaps in the
student’s knowledge and identify resources and processes designed to help close those
gaps.
Synthesize and articulate important Humanities concepts in response to questions
asked.
Table of Contents
Course Delivery Method
This course delivered via distance learning will enable students to complete academic work in a
flexible manner, completely online. Course materials and access to an online learning
management system will be made available to each student. Online assignments are due by
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Sunday evening of the week as noted and include Discussion Board questions (accomplished in
groups through a threaded discussion board), examination, and individual assignments
submitted for review by the Faculty Member). Assigned faculty will support the students
throughout this eight-week course.
Table of Contents
Course Materials
Required Course Textbooks: none.
Required Readings: none.
Additional Resources: none.
Websites: none
In addition to the required course texts the following public domain Websites are useful. Please
abide by the university’s academic honesty policy when using Internet sources as well. Note
web site addresses are subject to change.
Site Name
Website URL/Address
Table of Contents
Evaluation Procedures
Reading Assignments: none.
Supplemental Readings: none.
Discussion Board Assignments: none.
Homework Assignments: students will complete seven weekly review assignments before the
comprehensive exam can be opened.
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Exams/Quizzes: students will answer four questions worth 25 points each, reaching 80 points
total to pass.
Field Experience Assignments: none.
Final Project: none.
Grade Instruments
Points
Annotated review list of courses
Review list of texts and other resources
Annotated bibliography
Connections and resonances between classes,
texts and eras
Sample exam questions
Answers to sample questions
Gaps in Humanities knowledge
Examination (must score 80 to pass)
100
100
100
Total
100
100
100
100
100
800
Table of Contents
8 – Week Course Outline
Please see the Student Handbook to reference the University’s grading scale
Table of Contents
Week
Topic
List of classes completed.
1
Learning
Objectives
Review each
course taken in
the program,
noting the
resources,
content, and
subject matter as
it relates to the
Humanities
discipline.
Readings
Assignment
Text Readings:
Review all classes taken,
including notes and
papers written, to satisfy
requirements for this
program.
Make a list of the
classes you have
taken to fulfill the
requirements of the
MA in Humanities.
Briefly annotate the
issues you studied in
each class and the
subjects of papers
you wrote.
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
List of texts and
resources used in each
class.
List all texts used
in the class,
including those
acquired for
research and
other
assignments,
following MLA
Style.
Text Readings:
Review all texts used in
each class.
Create a
bibliography,
following MLA
Style, of the texts,
other books,
journal articles and
Web sites you used
in the classes you
took in this degree
program.
Annotate each text and
resource used in each
class.
Write
annotations for
each text or
resource, thus
conveying the
contents of each
one.
Text Readings:
Continue text review.
Using the list of
texts/resources
generated in Week
2, write
annotations of each
one, briefly
conveying the
contents of each
text/resource.
Connections and
resonances between
texts, classes, and
historical eras.
Create an
annotated list of
issues studied
and discussed in
each class,
making note of
the connections
and resonances
between texts,
disciplines, and
historical
periods.
Text Readings:
Continue text review.
Create a list of
issues you studied
and discussed in
the classes you
took, making
particular note of
the connections
between texts,
disciplines, and
historical periods.
These should be
briefly annotated,
as in the
bibliography, with a
paragraph denoting
2
3
4
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
some detail of
those issues,
connections, and
resonances.
Create sample exam
questions.
Write sample
essay questions.
Text Readings:
Continue text and notes
review.
Create a dozen
open-ended
questions you
expect to be asked
on a
comprehensive
examination, based
on the texts you
studied, the issues
you discussed, and
the papers you
wrote.
Answer selected sample
exam questions.
Answer a
selection of the
sample essay
questions.
Text Readings:
Continue text and notes
review.
Choose four of the
questions you
created for Week 5
and write complete
essay answers as if
they were the
questions of your
comprehensive
exam.
Gaps in Humanities
knowledge.
Analyze
knowledge
acquired, texts
used, and issues
discussed to
identify gaps in
the student’s
knowledge and
identify
resources and
Text Readings:
Continue text and notes
review.
Identify five or six
gaps in your
Humanities
knowledge,
specifying how you
would go about
filling those gaps.
What sources
would you seek out
and what processes
5
6
7
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
Comprehensive exam.
8
processes
designed to help
close those gaps.
would you follow in
order to complete
your Humanities
expertise? Include
those things you
would like to have
studied, but—for
whatever reason—
could not.
Synthesize and
articulate one’s
knowledge in an
examination.
Complete the
comprehensive
exam.
Table of Contents
Policies
Please see the Student Handbook to reference all University policies. Quick links to frequently
asked question about policies are listed below.
Drop/Withdrawal Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Extension Process and Policy
Disability Accommodations
Writing Expectations
Ways to Improve Your Writing
1. Format your paper properly, using MLA Style. Put the page number in the header, on the
right side of the page (click on “Insert,” “Page number,” and “Header” to make that happen
automatically). The title should be centered. Double space everything and do not allow
extra white space.
2. Maintain the same type font and size throughout your paper. The preferred style is Times
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
New Roman 12 point. It is not necessary to use boldface, italics, and underlines for your title
or any other elements, and in no instance should you use two or all three at the same time.
3. Consider your topic before you start writing and focus on one major aspect that contains
three to five sub-ideas.
4. Organize those ideas before you start writing: put them in a complete sentence outline
(you will be glad you did this when you start writing the draft of the essay).
5. Make sure your essay has at least five paragraphs for a short essay: an introductory one,
in which the main idea is clearly articulated, three paragraphs (or more) for each one of the
sub-ideas to be fully addressed, and a final concluding paragraph.
6. Write out your main idea in a single complete sentence, called a “thesis sentence.” If your
whole paper could be reduced to a single sentence, the thesis sentence would be that one
sentence.
7. Write out each of the sub-ideas in a single complete sentence. These sub-idea sentences
become the “controlling idea” of each of the next three to five paragraphs; they are the
“thesis sentences” for each paragraph that follows the introduction, and must clearly relate
to the major thesis sentence in the introduction.
8. Write the body of your paper first, followed by the conclusion; write the introduction last
(how will you know what you are introducing until you have completed it?). The
introduction should account for no more than 15% of the total length of your essay; the
conclusion should account for no more than 10% of the total length of your essay, and new
information should never be introduced there.
9. Write crisp clear sentences using active verbs. Cut out unnecessary verbiage. You can
combine short sentences later to form more complex ones, which will provide variety for
the reader.
10. Always support your general ideas with specific examples; these should come from your
own experience whenever possible.
11. If you quote anything directly from another source (including the Internet), or even if
you paraphrase closely, you must cite the source of the original material, preferably in the
text, although you may use footnotes or end notes. Give a complete citation of the source
material on the “Works Cited” page, which should be the last page of your paper.
12. Learn to separate the parts of a complex sentence with a comma, a semi-colon, or a
colon. Look in Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style (in the Online Library) for more
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
information about using these correctly.
13. Don’t switch from past tense to present to future within a sentence or even within the
same paragraph.
14. Don’t switch from singular to plural within the same sentence.
15. Don’t split the infinitive (“to”) form the verb proper; the goal is not “to actually
improve” but “actually to improve” or “to improve actually.”
16. Avoid second person (“you”) in most formal writing.
17. Write out numbers under 10.
18. Avoid beginning a sentence with “Well” in any formal writing; that’s a reflection of how
we speak, but it has no place in good writing.
19. There are differences between “there,” “their,” and “they’re,” which all sound alike but
mean different things; the same is true with “to,” “too” and “two.” Other similar words
include “affect” and “effect,” and “than” and “then,” “weather” and “whether,” as well as
many others. Learn the differences and use the words correctly.
20. Proof read your work! Do not turn in anything if you only just completed it. Put it away
for 24 hours. Then pick it up again and read it over and you will be surprised at how the
errors will leap off the page at you. If you don’t trust yourself to do the proof reading, find a
close friend or family member whose opinion you trust to do that for you. And remember . .
. pointing out your writing errors is not a personal attack on you.
21. Read. The best writers are also voracious readers.
Citation and Reference Style
Attention Please: Students will follow the MLA Style as the sole citation and reference style
used in written work submitted as part of coursework to the University. Assignments
completed in a narrative essay or composition format must follow the citation style cited in the
most recent MLA Handbook.
Late Assignments
Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to
complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and
working professionals I understand you must manage competing demands on your time.
Should you need additional time to complete an assignment please contact me before the due
date so we can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution. Routine
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
submission of late assignments is unacceptable and may result in points deducted from your
final course grade.
Netiquette
Online universities promote the advance of knowledge through positive and constructive
debate--both inside and outside the classroom. Discussions on the Internet, however, can
occasionally degenerate into needless insults and “flaming.” Such activity and the loss of good
manners are not acceptable in a university setting--basic academic rules of good behavior and
proper “Netiquette” must persist. Remember that you are in a place for the fun and
excitement of learning that does not include descent to personal attacks, or student attempts
to stifle the discussion of others.
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Technology Limitations: While you should feel free to explore the full-range of creative
composition in your formal papers, keep e-mail layouts simple. The Educator classroom
may not fully support MIME or HTML encoded messages, which means that bold face,
italics, underlining, and a variety of color-coding or other visual effects will not translate
in your e-mail messages.
Humor Note: Despite the best of intentions, jokes and--especially--satire can easily get
lost or taken seriously. If you feel the need for humor, you may wish to add “emoticons”
to help alert your readers: ;-), : ), 
Disclaimer Statement
Course content may vary from the outline to meet the needs of this particular student.
Table of Contents
Online Library
The Online Library is available to enrolled students and faculty from inside the electronic
campus. This is your starting point for access to online books, subscription periodicals, and Web
resources that are designed to support your classes and generally not available through search
engines on the open Web. In addition, the Online Library provides access to special learning
resources, which the University has contracted to assist with your studies. Questions can be
directed to [email protected].
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
Charles Town Library and Inter Library Loan: The University maintains a special library
with a limited number of supporting volumes, collection of our professors’ publication,
and services to search and borrow research books and articles from other libraries.
Electronic Books: You can use the online library to uncover and download over 50,000
titles, which have been scanned and made available in electronic format.
STUDENT WARNING: This course syllabus is from a previous semester archive and serves only as a preparatory
reference. Please use this syllabus as a reference only until the professor opens the classroom and you have access to the
updated course syllabus. Please do NOT purchase any books or start any work based on this syllabus; this syllabus may
NOT be the one that your individual instructor uses for a course that has not yet started. If you need to verify course
textbooks, please refer to the online course description through your student portal. This syllabus is proprietary material
of APUS.
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
Electronic Journals: The University provides access to over 12,000 journals, which are
available in electronic form and only through limited subscription services.
Smarthinking: Students have access to ten free hours of tutoring service per year
through Smarthinking. Tutoring is available in the following subjects: math (basic math
through advanced calculus), science (biology, chemistry, and physics), accounting,
statistics, economics, Spanish, writing, grammar, and more. Additional information is
located in the Online Library. From the Online Library home page, click on either the
“Writing Center” or “Tutoring Center” and then click “Smarthinking.” All login
information is available.
Request a Library Guide for your course (http://apus.libguides.com/index.php)
The AMU/APU Library Guides provide access to collections of trusted sites on the Open
Web and licensed resources on the Deep Web. These are specially tailored for academic
research at APUS:


Program Portals contain topical and methodological resources to help launch
general research in the degree program. To locate, search by department name or
navigate by school.
Course Lib-Guides narrow the focus to relevant resources for the corresponding
course. To locate, search by class code (e.g., SOCI111) or class name.
If a guide you need isn't available yet, let us know by emailing the APUS Library:
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Selected Bibliography
Selected Bibliography can be found in Course Resources Materials
Table of Contents