The Humanities Program is a broadly interdisciplinary program focusing on the expression of values and ideals in human culture. It concerns itself with literature and the arts, religion and philosophy, and political and social institutions in both Western and non-Western cultures, and in both majority and minority cultural traditions. A student in the Humanities major will be expected to take upper level courses in such fields as History, the Fine Arts, the Social Sciences, and Philosophy.

After the completion of foundational course work, the program allows students to define their own programs with approval from their advisers. Concentrations in Women's Studies, Western or non-Western Culture, Religion, or Industry and Society (emphasizing humanistic approaches to problem-solving in modern society) are all possible, along with others a student may devise.

What skills will I develop?

• Synthesizing themes from diverse sources
• Offering diverse perspectives
• Advocating/defending a position
• Reading for tone and attitude
• Researching and gathering information
• Establishing hypotheses
• Summarizing ideas
• Understanding and interpreting other cultures/beliefs
• Examining problems from a variety of perspectives
• Appreciating similarities/differences among cultures
• Honing sensitivity to others' viewpoints
• Acknowledging value systems
• Collaborating as part of a team

Career Options

What can I do to find out if humanities is for me?