The School of Humanities and Arts About

The School of Humanities and Arts holds a distinctive place at Rice University as a school with a genuinely global expertise, an innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum, and rich resources that support research, creative expression and immersive experiential learning experiences.

ENDURING HUMANITIES ADVANTAGE

Students from across the university, regardless of their career interests, are drawn to the opportunity to work with our inspiring, award-winning faculty in small, dynamic courses that move in and outside of the Rice campus, allowing them to engage with the city and communities of Houston and the world beyond. We equip students with the principles of our humanities and arts foundations — skills in critical analysis, global fluency, the capacity to think creatively and innovatively, and the ability to communicate effectively across mediums — that prepare them for a lifetime of meaningful, adaptable and impactful work.

STRATEGIC VISION: CONNECTIVE HUMANITIES

At Rice, our vision is for a more fully integrated and connective humanities through innovative and interdisciplinary work. This connective ambition includes:

Meaningful engagement of the humanities and arts with the sciences, through our programs in Medical Humanities; Environmental Studies; and Science and Technology Studies; and areas of study including Ethics of Technology and AI; English and Creative Writing; and Media Studies.

Connecting the local to the global through the study of world histories, cultures and languages in our departments of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Transnational Asian Studies; and in our centers for African and African American Studies; Latin American and Latinx Studies; and Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication.

Significant new investments in the visual arts and creative writing, embodied in Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall, our stunning new home for the student arts; the recruitment and retention of faculty artists and writers; and the launch of our Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts, which instantly became Rice’s most competitive graduate program.

Connecting our Humanities and Arts classrooms with the City of Houston and the Gulf Coast, with opportunities for experiential learning in the world’s largest medical center, in Houston’s museums and performing arts institutions, with NGOs and industry experts in climate vulnerability and sustainable futures, and in a global city recognized for its diversity and cultural vibrance.