CVSP Program

The Civilization Sequence Program (CVSP) at the American University of Beirut is a unique, interdisciplinary space for critical inquiry into ideas that inform civilization.

The mission of the Civilization Sequence Program is to provide undergraduate courses in the humanities that support the American University of Beirut’s goals in general education and the advancement of knowledge.  CVSP is committed to engaging students from all the faculties of the University in the study of primary texts. The three major goals of the program are to develop critical skills and creative, flexible thinking; to promote an awareness of different civilizations; and to uphold dialogue as an essential skill of life.

Requirements

Old Program

Students who joined their major prior to October 2001 must take CVSP 201, 202, 203, and 204, sequentially.  (That is, 201 is a prerequisite for 202, 202 for 203, and 203 for 204.)

New Program

All students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are required to take a total of twelve credits in the humanities.

A minimum of six credits of those twelve must be taken from CVSP courses 201-208. Students must complete one course from each of the following two sequences; that is, one course from Sequence I followed by one course from Sequence II.

Sequence I:

CVSP 201 (each semester): Ancient Near East and Classical Civilizations (3 hrs)

CVSP 202 (each semester): Medieval, Islamic, and Renaissance Civilizations (3 hrs)

CVSP 205 (annually): Ancient, Medieval, Islamic, and Renaissance Civilizations (3 hrs)

CVSP 207 (annually): Ancient, Medieval, Islamic, and Renaissance Civilizations (Thematic) (3 hrs)

Sequence II:

CVSP 203 (each semester): Enlightenment and Modernity (3 hrs)

CVSP 204 (each semester): Contemporary Studies (3 hrs)

CVSP 206 (annually): Modern and Contemporary Studies (3 hrs)

CVSP 208 (annually): Modern and Contemporary Studies (Thematic) (3 hrs)

The remaining six credits may be taken by choosing any two courses from the following list of approved course offerings in FAS departments/programs.

Civilization Sequence Program: CVSP 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 215, 216, 217, 230, 250, 251, 295

American Studies: AMST 215, 220, 230, 275/276, 299

 

Arabic: ARAB 229 through 241; 243 through 247; 249

 

English: All courses other than communication skills courses and ENGL 231, 237, 238, 294

Fine Arts and Art History: FAAH 221 through FAAH 229C, FAAH 235, 238; FAAH/Music 240, 241, 245, 247, 248, 260, 261; FAAH/Theater 265, 270. In addition to these, the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences allow FAAH 218 and 219; and the Faculty of Health Sciences allow all FAAH courses except FAAH 218 and 219. Please see the pages of the FAAH Department.

History: HIST 200 through 279

Archaeology: AROL 201 through 231, 235 and 236

Philosophy: PHIL 201, 205, 206, 209, 210; 213 through 219; 221, 222, 223, 224, 230, 231, 232, 249

Sociology-Anthropology: SOAN 215, 217, 225, 250

Summary

In order to complete their CVSP requirement, students must take two CVSP courses, one from Sequence I and one from Sequence II. The course chosen from Sequence I is pre-requisite to the course chosen from Sequence II. Students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences may complete the other humanities requirement with any two courses from the approved list of courses above, either from CVSP or from other departments/programs; that is, not all courses offered by humanities departments can be taken to satisfy the humanities requirement, only those listed above.

Requirements

•  Since the critical skills built into the Sequence I courses significantly help the student succeed in Sequence II, students are required to take a Sequence I course before taking a Sequence II course. 

•  Students must have sophomore status or above to take a Sequence I course, and late sophomore status or above to take a Sequence II course. Students have late sophomore status if they have at least 26 sophomore credits already on their record.

•  Sequence I and Sequence II courses may not be taken simultaneously.

Restrictions

•  CVSP 205 overlaps with 201 and 202.  Thus, CVSP 205 cannot be taken if the student has taken either 201 or 202, and vice versa.

•  CVSP 206 overlaps with 203 and 204.  Thus, CVSP 206 cannot be taken if the student has taken either 203 or 204, and vice versa.

The above restrictions do not apply to CVSP 207 and 208, as they do not overlap with any other core course (201-206).

Prerequisites

•  ENGL 102 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for all CVSP courses 200 and above.

•  Freshman students who have not completed two semesters may not enroll in CVSP courses numbered 201–208.  They will not receive credit for these courses.  For all other CVSP courses numbered 200 and above, freshman students may enroll only with prior consent of the instructor.