The Interdisciplinary Humanities program is designed to provide students with the flexibility to be self-directed in their studies. Its interdisciplinary approach allows students to experience the breadth and depth of the humanities disciplines while learning the core competencies and content that employers are currently demanding.
Consistent with findings from five earlier surveys commissioned by AAC&U as part of its ongoing Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Initiative, employers overwhelmingly endorse broad learning and cross-cutting skills as the best preparation for long-term career success.Association of American Colleges and Universities
Areas of Study
Through this innovative program, students can tailor their major in the following areas:
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Creative and Performing Arts
Students are offered courses in art, music, museum studies, theatre, writing, and performance that give students a broad knowledge of the application, theory, and history of the creative arts.
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History and Culture
Students explore historical and contemporary cultures from a historical and anthropological viewpoint, using written documents, oral literature, material and popular culture, and ethnographic data.
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Liberal Arts
Designed to provide a broad-based liberal arts education, students are encouraged to take a range of courses from the humanities as well as the social and natural sciences.
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Literature and Writing
Students follow a flexible course of study that highlights literature and advanced creative and professional writing courses within the context of cultural history and global concerns.
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Media, Memory, and Cultural Studies
Students study film, television, and other mass media in a historical context and as a vehicle for cultural commentary and analysis. They will pay particular attention to how such texts tend to enact and shape nostalgia and examine their political, social, and artistic implications.
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Medical Humanities
The medical humanities program offers students the opportunity to study health and wellness, the body, and the human condition. By taking classes in the natural sciences as well as the humanities, students will gain an interdisciplinary perspective that is informed by the cultural, historical, religious, and linguistic contexts of those they serve. This field of study is a great fit for students interested in pre-medical and pre-dental programs, those considering a career as a medical writer or journalist, or any student interested in merging interest in health sciences with a humanities education.
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Politics and Global Studies
Students are introduced to the principles of political thinking and political action; the theoretical, methodological, historical, contemporary, and policy dimensions of political science and international relations.
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Religious and Philosophical Studies
Students have the opportunity to consider the ultimate questions about life through the study of the sacred. In keeping with the liberal arts tradition, the courses of the program examine the religious dimension of humanity and the influence of the sacred in the formation of culture.
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Teaching the Humanities
Secondary Education in History and English, or English and Spanish
This option prepares students for secondary education licensure in history and English or English and Spanish. This program provides an interdisciplinary curriculum designed around the content areas required for licensure in both subject areas.
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Teaching in the 21st Century
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
Students prepare for licensure in elementary or early childhood education through a balanced curriculum of courses in education, humanities, and the social and natural sciences.
Why Choose a Humanities Degree?
The interdisciplinary studies in the humanities program gives you the flexibility to design your own major. Career opportunities include:
- Education
- Public policy
- Foreign service
- Media: journalism, writing, editing, broadcasting
- Marketing, advertising, public relations
- Arts administration
Global Experiences
The interdisciplinary studies in the humanities program maintains a commitment to experiential learning on campus and abroad. Students have traveled to Argentina, Chile, Italy, and England, where they have had the opportunity to put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom.
Traveling to Chile taught me how brave and independent I can be. I learned how far I can go when I really want something in life, and knowing this now makes me confident in my future. I know I will make it.Emma Chong '17
Curriculum and Course Requirements
Students will choose a major field of study and will work with the advisor in that field to construct the curriculum. Students must complete the following (36 credits):
- EN 223 Rhetoric: The Art of Written Communication
- ID 110 Exploring the Humanities
- ID 234 Digital Scholarship
- 24 credits (excluding courses applied to the core curriculum) in the interdisciplinary humanities as follows:
- Students choose a primary field of study and develop a plan of study in consultation with their academic advisor based on career goals and interests.
- At least two courses should be designated as “global.”
- At least one course should be designated as “experiential/integrative learning.”
- At least 18 credits must come from upper-division (300-400 level) courses.
- The remaining 12 credits must come from at least two supporting fields.
- At least 12 credits must be in a single field (primary field of study).
- A capstone project/thesis
Program Contact Information
