Undergraduate

History does not write itself.  Political institutions do no just spring to life, nor do our traditions of literature, art, and religion.  The ideas, constructs, processes, and institutions that shape our lives are the product of the labor of thinkers.  Scholars and teachers in the disciplines we call the humanities address fundamental questions about societies and civilizations.

Politics, philosophy, the recording and analysis of history of thought and action, the acquisition and use of language, and the study of literature, human performance, cultures, and religions-the humanities are both timeless and timely.

We use what the humanities teach us in thousands of ways every day.  After all, what is not part of history? And in how many ways do we use language?  We also turn to the humanities for help with the ethical and philosophical questions raised by science and engineering. 

Alike in their complexity and universality, each discipline in the humanities nevertheless has its own core set of ideas that gives it direction and determines its unique contribution to scholarship and society.

I invite you to take a closer look at the offerings of our departments, publications, and centers.

Gary Wihl

Dean of Humanities