Overview

(Bachelor of Arts)

The Humanities is designed to help students develop a greater understanding of what it means to be human through the study of history, literature, philosophy, religion, languages, world cultures and civilizations. The Humanities program explores some of the central questions in life, such as the meaning of beauty, justice, and the “good life,” as well as the importance of language, culture and artistic expression.

The Humanities comprise those fields that study human creations of all sorts, including literary studies, creative writing, linguistics, history, ancient and modern languages, cultural studies and philosophy.

The Humanities major offers three areas of emphasis:

  • The ancient and medieval studies emphasis. In this track students will study the cultures and civilizations of the ancient and medieval worlds through courses in history, literature and philosophy as well as through interdisciplinary courses.
  • The digital and public humanities emphasis. In this track students will engage in an interdisciplinary study of the humanities with an emphasis on how we think about, and through, digital and public spaces. Students will use their training in the humanities to create digital and public humanities projects that further the public's knowledge of culture, society, and history.
  • The world cultures emphasis. This track leverages the power of the humanities to broaden and deepen students’ insight into the human condition through the study of other cultural perspectives with the aim of creating better informed, more empathetic and culturally proficient graduates, able to engage intelligently in world cultures and issues

The Humanities minor offers six areas of emphasis:

  • One area emphasizes world cultures.
  • Another area emphasizes ancient and medieval studies.
  • Another area emphasizes the environmental humanities.
  • Another area emphasizes film and cinema studies.
  • Another area emphasizes Humanities Online.
  • Another area emphasizes linguistics / teaching English as a second language.
  • Another area emphasizes religious studies.

While the factual content of Humanities courses ranges widely in subject matter, all courses emphasize a distinct set of broadly useful skills. Among these are the ability to express one’s ideas in a clear, organized, well-reasoned, and grammatically correct manner in speech, writing, and new media; to think critically and analyze texts; to make arguments and present them effectively; to understand context (how history and culture shape us); to recognize and appreciate nuance and complexity of meaning; and to understand and appreciate cultural diversity.

Designed to provide a broader understanding of interdisciplinary contexts, a major or minor in the Humanities complements other courses of study. Besides being a natural accompaniment to majors or minors in History, Philosophy, English, French, German or Spanish, as well as First Nations Studies, Arts Management, Theatre, and Women’s and Gender Studies, a degree in Humanities also enhances majors and minors in business, education, social work, the social sciences, the natural sciences, and the fine arts.

In conjunction with other courses of study, a Humanities major or minor is an excellent preparation for many graduate programs in the humanities and in law, medicine or engineering. The general intellectual skills emphasized in Humanities courses and the flexibility and versatility they impart help graduates succeed in today’s rapidly changing, increasingly global job market, where specific factual knowledge can quickly become outdated. The two of the most common career paths of Humanities majors are in the fields of education and business, but the skills acquired by Humanities students are applicable to nearly any career.

Students may also study abroad at other campuses across the globe and in the United States through UW-Green Bay’s participation in international exchange programs and the National Student Exchange. A wide selection of internships in the humanities and travel courses led by Humanities are another option for obtaining academic credits and completing requirements.