Arts & Humanities

Department of Arts & Humanities
Art | Communication Studies | Drama | Foreign Languages | Humanities | Music

Helping students to think critically and communicate effectively about their
history, culture, and ideas.

UHD faculty and adjuncts click here

The faculty and staff of the Department of Arts and Humanities aim at developing a student's potential for appreciation of life. The department's course offerings support all degree programs at UHD and include classes in art and art history, communication studies, drama and drama history,humanities, foreign languages including French and Spanish, and music and music history. Students who wish to pursue a general liberal course of studies may enroll in the program leading to either the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Humanities or the Bachelor of Sciences with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies (under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences). Students seeking specialized humanities training may pursue the Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Communication Studies or Bachelor of Arts with Major in Spanish, or the new Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts. Minors are also available in Art, Arts Administration, Drama, Spanish and Communication Studies .

The study of humanities is an investigation of human institutions and artistic achievement, the values embodied in those institutions and works, and the range of aesthetic and philosophic responses to the human condition. The Bachelor of Arts in Humanities program gives a student experience with literature, philosophic writings, the history of human culture and the performing and visual arts, as well as a framework for critical consideration of cultural values and their expression in institutions, literature and the fine arts. Students supplement their course of study through participation in creative expression offered through the O'Kane Art Gallery, the O'Kane Theatre, the annual Fine Arts Festival, and periodic trips to venues such as New York City, London, and Greece.

Students pursuing the major in Communication Studies gain a thorough grounding in the theories, skills, and aesthetics of communication. Students learn how to be effective communicators in a variety of contexts, and are equipped to become inquisitive, probing and reflective professionals and citizens. The degree features broad foundation in theory and practice, with technological application in support of its courses. Besides the core curriculum and the major requirements, the degree includes course work in adjacent academic disciplines, such as writing and the social sciences. Students may gain practical experience through participation in the national professional organization Toastmasters.

By completing a major in Spanish, students demonstrate a solid foundation in the study of Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. The Spanish degree is designed especially for professionals and encourages the integration of Spanish studies as an essential component of professional development. In addition to completing coursework on linguistic, literary and cultural topics related to the Spanish-speaking world, students will complete a concentration in a secondary field of academic study that suits their professional goals as well as an internship in which the use of Spanish is required. The Spanish degree may be combined with a large number of minor fields of study, such as Communication Studies, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, General Business, International Business, Professional Writing, Psychology, International Relations and International Politics, to name just a few. By combining the academic study of Spanish with other skills relevant to the professional world, students will be well positioned for employment opportunities in which bilingualism is an asset.

The courses that form the core of the Fine Arts degree will develop students’ skills and cultural knowledge in ways appropriate to success in any number of fine arts institutions, including fine arts non-profit organizations, fine arts administration positions, gallery, museum or fine arts foundation work, fine arts journals or publications, fine arts consulting, or graduate school in art history, music history, drama history or liberal studies. Students with the degree in Fine Arts will complement their fine arts study by fulfilling a concentration in one of the fields of the fine arts -- art, music, or drama -- that suits their professional goals. They will also complete a field experience in that concentration area to provide practical experience and to encourage networking that can lead to employment after graduation. Students will exit the program with a portfolio of their work that may be used when seeking employment

The Department of Arts and Humanities offers scholarships to assist qualified students in the pursuit of their degrees, including the Rockwell Drama Scholarship, the Ann Bradshaw Stokes Drama Scholarship, the Shipness Scholarship in art, and the Trask Art Scholarship.

Department of Arts & Humanities Art | Communication Studies | Drama | Foreign Languages | Humanities | Music

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Department of Arts & Humanities
Art | Communication Studies | Drama | Foreign Languages | Humanities | Music