Humanities & Communication, B.A.

Equipping you with a distinctive academic perspective integrating the humanities and communication that will set you apart in a range of professional fields.

The B.A. in Humanities & Communication offers a unique interdisciplinary academic journey that will deepen your understanding of these two distinctive fields and sharpen your communication, critical thinking, and cultural competency skills while also positioning you to specialize your studies through any of the program’s eight areas of concentration.

Empowering You to Excel in Your Chosen Profession

The program has produced a number of CSUMB valedictorians and seen its graduates ascend to a wide range of impressive career positions of leadership, from award-winning major college coaches to successful entrepreneurs to the Mayor of Monterey.

Program alumni have gone on to successfully advance their education and careers at some of the country’s elite graduate institutions, including: 

  • Harvard University
  • New York University
  • Northwestern University
  • Stanford University
  • UCLA
  • University of California – Berkeley
  • University of Michigan
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Public University Price, Private University Experience

A Lifetime of Value

Humanities & Communication, B.A.

The Humanities & Communication program offers a unique array and integration of courses that link communication with the humanities and ethnic studies, providing you with a distinctive degree that will set you apart from graduates of other programs. 

 

Educational Objectives

Our supportive, nurturing program culture means you’ll have extensive access to faculty mentors and staff who are dedicated to advising and guiding you through the program every step of the way.

Our unique integration of several related areas of study offers a distinctive approach to learning both the fields of communication and the humanities, which delivers an excellent foundation for a wide range of career paths.

Our eight areas of concentration will empower you to blend skills development in communication, critical thinking, and cultural competency with specific areas of study including communication studies, creative writing and social action, English studies, English subject matter preparation, historical studies, journalism and media studies, legal studies, and philosophy and applied ethics.

Complete all of the following courses:

 

Complete one of the following courses:

 

Complete one of the following Ethical and Effective Communication courses:

 

Complete one of the following Social and Cultural Analysis courses:

 

Complete one of the following Engaged Creative Practice courses:

 

Complete one of the following Humanistic Inquiry courses:

 

Complete one of the following Service Learning courses:

 

Complete at least 2 units from the following courses:



COMMUNICATION STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete one of the following Public Communication courses:

 

Complete one of the following Communication Ethics courses:

 

Complete one of the following Peace and Justice courses:

 

CREATIVE WRITING & SOCIAL ACTION CONCENTRATION

Complete 8 units from the following Creative Writing Content courses:

 

Note: One of the three Creative Writing Content courses may be selected from the following list:

 

Complete one of the following Literature/Social Justice courses:

 

ENGLISH STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete one course from three of the following four areas.  Students must complete at least 12 (twelve) units in the concentration.

Global Literary Studies

 

Multicultural Literary Studies

 

Writing and Rhetoric

 

Narrative Analysis and Film

 

ENGLISH SUBJECT MATTER PREPARATION PROGRAM CONCENTRATION

Complete the following course:

 

Complete the following course for the area of Literary Analysis:

 

Complete the following course for the area of Language, Linguistics, and Literacy:

 

Complete the following course for the area of Composition and Rhetoric:

 

Complete the following course for the area of Speech, Media, and Creative Performance:

 

HISTORICAL STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete the following Research Methods course:

 

Complete one of the following Global and Transnational History courses:

 

Complete one of the following Ethnic Histories courses:

 

Complete one of the following History Depth courses, not already taken:

 

JOURNALISM & MEDIA STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete one of the following Media Law/Ethics courses:

 

Complete the following course:

 

Complete both of the following Introductory Storytelling/Theory courses:

 

Complete one of the following Intermediate Storytelling/Theory courses:

 

Complete one of the following Advanced Storytelling/Theory courses:

 

LEGAL STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Complete one of the following Philosophy and Ethics courses:

 

Complete one of the following Constitutional Issues courses:

 

Complete two of the following Legal Studies courses:

 

PHILOSOPHY & APPLIED ETHICS CONCENTRATION

Complete one of the following Philosophical Issues in Fairness and Justice courses:

 

Complete one of the following Rhetorical and Philosophical Theory courses:

 

Complete one of the following Applied Ethics courses:

HCOM 440 - Leadership and Multicultural Communities Units: 4

The program is highly focused on social inequality and injustice, and our students regularly engage in service-learning opportunities to deepen their understanding of social, cultural, and civic aspects related to personal and professional identities.

Some of our service activities include refurbishing computers and making them available for low-income families for almost no cost, teaching community members how to use software to bridge the digital divide for underprivileged communities, creating digital marketing and ecommerce sites for small businesses and local farmers, and helping local schools secure and stabilize their computing networks.

Faculty & Staff

Our faculty are dedicated mentors to their students and offer a wide range of opportunities for personalized guidance, through formal events and activities to informal meetings and advising sessions.

Wendy Rutledge

Wendy Rutledge

Administrative Support Coordinator

David Erwin

David Erwin

Administrative Support Assistant II

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Associate Professor

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Department Chair AY

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Special Consultant

Patrick Belanger

Patrick Belanger

Professor

Hojin Song

Hojin Song

Associate Professor

Mridula Mascarenhas

Mridula Mascarenhas

Associate Professor

Estella Porras

Estella Porras

Associate Professor

Sriya Shrestha

Sriya Shrestha

Assistant Professor

Jeremias Zunguze

Jeremias Zunguze

Associate Professor

Kaiqi Hua

Kaiqi Hua

Assistant Professor

Jennifer Fletcher

Jennifer Fletcher

Professor

Qun Wang

Qun Wang

Professor

Kelly Medina-Lopez

Kelly Medina-Lopez

Associate Professor

Questions? We’re Here to Help!

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about the Humanities & Communication program.

Our experienced and supportive admissions staff is here to provide all the individualized guidance you need.

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