Humanities

To study the humanities is to study how people in different cultures and historical moments have made sense of the world.

At Stetson University, the humanities program is not a conventional department but an interdisciplinary program. Rather than specializing in one single discipline, humanities majors pursue a multidisciplinary approach to knowledge. They learn to make connections among such fields as art history, communications, cultural anthropology, English, modern languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religious studies and theatre arts.

A great benefit of the major is its flexibility: each student works closely with the program director to develop a program of study that reflects the ideas, themes, creative forms and/or historical eras of interest to the student. Humanities majors learn to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively and to draw upon diverse fields of knowledge.

While the program offers courses under the HUM designation, majors and minors complete most of their work through the College of Arts and Sciences, and in some cases through the School of Music and through cultural studies offerings of other divisions and programs.

A Distinctive Program

The humanities program is an integral part of the Stetson University Department of Creative Arts, which brings together faculty and students engaged in the study and practice of creative pursuits. See relevant sections of the Stetson University Catalog and this website to learn more about the department's other programs in art, art history, digital arts and theatre arts.

Academics and Research

Independent Research

All students complete a senior research project in a major concentration of their choice.

Preparation for graduate study

The humanities major prepares students to move forward to advanced study in a self-selected field of interest.

Awards and Recognition

Distinguished faculty

Because of the program's interdisciplinary nature, faculty from throughout the university teach classes that are part of the humanities major. The program director is:

• Joseph Witek, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; comics and popular culture, narrative fiction, literary theory

Grant-funded research

One of the ways Stetson University fosters excellence in undergraduate programs is through the Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience program. Each year undergraduate scholars are selected in a university-wide competition for grants to work with a faculty mentor on a summer research project.