College of Humanities


College Administrative Offices Office Telephone
Dean of the College Paul Sherwin HUM 484 338-1541
Associate Dean Elise Earthman HUM 484 338-1109
College Graduate Coordinator Susan Shimanoff HUM 484 338-1109
College Directory
Department/Program Chair/Director Office Telephone
American Studies Rodger Birt HUM 529 338-1220
Classics Pamela Vaughn HUM 377 338-2068
Comparative and World Literature Pamela Vaughn HUM 377 338-2068
Creative Writing Maxine Chernoff HUM 380 338-1891
English Language and Literature Stephen E. Arkin HUM 289 338-2264
Ethical Issues in Science and Technology   HUM 415 338-1302
Foreign Languages and Literatures Midori McKeon HUM 475 338-1421
Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies JoAnn Aviel
Anatole Anton
HSS 384
HUM 388
338-1448
338-1596
Humanities Art Chandler HUM 410 338-1830
Jewish Studies Laurie Zoloth HUM 416 338-6075
Journalism John P. Burks HUM 305 338-1689
Museum Studies Linda Ellis HUM 528 338-1612
NEXA Geoffrey Green HUM 415 338-1301
Philosophy Anatole Anton HUM 388 338-1596
Religious Studies Jacob Needleman HUM 444 338-2216
Speech and Communication Studies Rudolph Busby HUM 282 338-1597
Technical and Professional Writing Louise Rehling HUM 414 338-7025
Women Studies Minoo Moallem HUM 315 338-1388
Center/Institute Coordinator Office Telephone
American Language Institute H. Douglas Brown HUM 101 338-1438
Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism Eva Martinez HUM 307 338-2083
Center for Modern Greek Studies Martha Klironomos HUM 542 338-1074
Community Involvement Center Steven Cochrane T-A 338-1486
English Tutoring Center Elizabeth Sommers HUM 291 338-1821
Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives Steve Dickison HUM 511 338-3401

College of Humanities

The College of Humanities offers undergraduate degrees1 in the following disciplines:

Bachelor of Arts

Chinese 11071

Classics 15041

Comparative Literature 15031

English 15011

Concentrations in:
Creative Writing 15071
Literature 15021
Language Studies 15012
Individual Major 15011

French 11021

German 11031

Humanities 15991

Italian 11041

Japanese 11081

Journalism 06021

Philosophy 15091

Philosophy and Religion 15992

Russian 11061

Spanish 11051

Speech Communication 15061

Concentrations in:
Individual Major in Communication Studies
Intercultural Communication
Organizational Communication

Technical and Professional Writing 15997

Women Studies 49991

Undergraduate Certificates

Conflict Resolution
Technical and Professional Writing

The College of Humanities offers the following graduate degrees:1

Master of Arts

Chinese 11071

Classics 15041

Comparative Literature 15031

English

Concentrations in:
Composition 15013
Creative Writing 15071
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages 15081
Linguistics 15012
Literature 15021

French 11021

German 11031

Humanities 15991

Italian 11041

Japanese 11081

Museum Studies 49036

Philosophy 15091

Russian 11061

Spanish 11051

Speech Communication 15061

Women Studies 49991

Master of Fine Arts

Creative Writing 15071

Graduate Certificates

Jewish Community Studies (Jewish Studies Program)
Teaching of Composition (English Department)
Teaching Critical Thinking (Philosophy Department)
Teaching Post-secondary Reading (English Department)

Mission/Goals

The humanities explore the identities, ethics, aspirations, arguments, and imaginations of individuals and societies through myth, literature, language, philosophy, religion, public and private discourse, cultural artifacts, and the symbolic systems by which ideas and feelings are communicated. Disciplines in the humanities ask and address fundamental questions of existence, value, aesthetics, and expression. What is an ethical human being? How can we balance individual freedom and civic responsibility? How do different cultures define beauty, morality, truth, and other concepts? How do human beings use language and other symbolic forms to communicate and celebrate thoughts, emotions, endeavors? The humanities are dedicated to exploring multiple answers to these questions, to engaging the imagination and creativity, to increasing civic and global responsibility, to cultivating moral action, and to equipping people with the communication skills needed to express the best of what it means to be human. Today's life is complex, constantly challenging. The times need women and men who can think, reason, and communicate clearly; who understand moral and ethical distinctions; and who have a sense of both the continuity and the changing values of the human community.

The College of Humanities consists of the departments of Classics, Comparative and World Literature, Creative Writing, English, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Humanities, Journalism, Philosophy, Speech and Communication Studies, and Women Studies; and individual programs in Ethical Issues in Science and Technology, Global Peace Studies, Jewish Studies, Museum Studies, Religious Studies, and Technical and Professional Writing. It jointly offers the American Studies program and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution with the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the NEXA program with the College of Science and Engineering. The college also houses a number of special centers, institutes, and facilities.

As the student examines this Bulletin, he/she will discover that a number of courses not only relate to one another but also cut across departmental lines. He/she can choose a major within one department; or by inquiring in the Advising Center, he/she can devise an individual cross-disciplinary program of study based on individual special interests.

Pre-law Program

No specific major is required for admission to a school of law. A usual requirement for admission is that the student must have been granted a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Some law schools, however, have alternative plans. The student should consult the catalogs of the schools of law to which he/she expects to apply for admission. Since law schools generally expect their students to have a broad foundation in the humanities and social sciences, selection of a major in these areas is recommended. The College of Humanities provides an advising service for pre-legal students majoring in one of the humanities. Pre-law students may upon advisement construct an individual interdisciplinary pre-law major in the humanities. The Department of Political Science provides a similar advising service for students majoring in one of the behavioral and social sciences. Pre-legal students not majoring in either of these colleges may consult either advising service.

Pre-teaching Programs

Many students decide at some point during their undergraduate major that they would like to consider teaching in the public schools. In most cases, the requirements for the major must be adjusted to accommodate an Approved Single Subject Matter Preparation Program, those courses in a single subject which are required for entrance into teaching credential programs at this and other universities. A list of the courses required for teacher preparation in various subjects is available in department offices, as well as in the Credential Bulletin published by the College of Education. Students who are considering teaching as a career are urged to contact the department's credential adviser early in their planning, in order to identify the specific courses that satisfy requirements for both the major and the Subject Matter Preparation Program, and to arrange for assessment of subject matter competency. The credential adviser also informs them about other pre-teaching requirements that they may wish to fulfill before graduation.


1The numbers following the degrees are used by this university to identify the programs indicated. These numbers must be used on the application for admission, registration forms, application for graduation, etc.