Department of Humanities
In its broadest sense, the term “humanities” encompasses all branches of the study of humanity. In its more traditional academic meaning, it refers to a narrower range of topics including, but not necessarily limited to, language, rhetoric, literature, history, and philosophy (the studia humanitatis of the Renaissance). Training in this area is thus an interdisciplinary project, and the humanities comprise an essential component of a true liberal arts education.
The Department of Humanities performs several functions in pursuance of the goals outlined in the University’s mission statement:
1. It oversees the Western Cultural Heritage sequence, a vital part of the core curriculum.
2. It coordinates instruction in modern foreign languages and Latin.
3. It offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. While the scope of the liberal arts properly extends beyond the humanities, the Department of Humanities, as the most interdisciplinary of the departments within the
A minor in Humanities consists of eighteen hours selected by the student in conjunction with his advisor. The minor must include at least six hours of upper-level courses.