Humanities and Communication
About HCOM BA
Our mission is to prepare you to be an ethical, creative, and critical thinker and doer in a multicultural and increasingly interconnected global society. Toward that end, we offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary humanities and liberal arts education for the 21st century.
Majoring in HCOM will prepare you to meet the realities of life and work. Most graduates in the next decade are expected to change professions at least five times. Preparing yourself for professional schools, graduate programs, and the workplace will require broad knowledge, multicultural communication skills, creative talents, and outstanding writing and critical thinking abilities.
The HCOM curriculum integrates the traditional disciplines of literature, history, philosophy, rhetoric, communication, journalism, and creative writing with the contemporary fields of ethnic studies (Chicanx - Latinx, African American, Asian American, Euro American, Native American), American studies, women's studies, cultural studies, and media studies. Unlike other universities where these fields are offered as separate majors, our interdisciplinary program explores how these fields interrelate. Students develop a foundation through a set of core courses in the humanities and communication studies, then choose to focus in one of 9 concentrations.
Our program is built on the assumptions that:
- The will and ability to think and communicate ethically, creatively, critically, and effectively are key to meaningful human existence
- Multicultural and historical knowledge are key to building peace and social equality
- Study across various disciplines leads to an integrated understanding of world issues and problems
- Knowledge is most meaningful when it is applied ethically, critically, and creatively toward concrete social goals and needs.
As "new humanists" you will study literature and develop your own creative expression. You will hear untold stories and help create the memory of the future. You will be encouraged to learn history and to make history in the field, in the archives, and through multimedia. You will approach communication study through ethical inquiry and inclusive, invitational dialogue, prioritizing values of care, compassion, equality, respect, and mutual understanding. Moreover, you will apply your knowledge to concrete, socially engaged projects.
Is this program for me?
This program is for you if you’re a thinker and a doer, and want the knowledge, teamwork, critical thinking, cross-cultural, and communication skills necessary to be successful in the workplace. Through coursework that will cross cultural and disciplinary boundaries, you’ll become prepared for professional schools, graduate programs, community participation, and the interdependent global workplace of the future.