Exposure to the humanities—engagement with texts, languages, history, culture, and civilization—is essential preparation for students to become informed citizens and productive members of society. It not only provides them the skills and knowledge to obtain gainful employment, but also the ability to adapt, grow, and learn throughout their lives. Through the humanities, students learn to navigate cultural similarities and differences; to read, digest, and interpret many different kinds of information; and to respond to the challenges of an increasingly interconnected world.
Interested in Studying the Humanities?
Brian Reed, Divisional Dean of Humanities
Departments
- Department of Asian Languages and Literature | Fact Sheet
- Department of Cinema and Media Studies | Fact Sheet
- Department of Classics | Fact Sheet
- Department of Comparative History of Ideas | Fact Sheet
- Department of English | Fact Sheet
- Department of French and Italian Studies | Fact Sheet
- Department of German Studies | Fact Sheet
- Department of Linguistics | Fact Sheet
- Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures | Fact Sheet
- Department of Scandinavian Studies | Fact Sheet
- Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures | Fact Sheet
- Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies | Fact Sheet
Humanities News
Finding Family in Korea Through Language & Plants
Through her love of languages and plants — and some serendipity — UW junior Katie Ruesink connected with a Korean family while studying in Seoul.
Celebrating Contemporary Indigenous Music
Markus Teuton, a musician and citizen of Cherokee Nation, explores contemporary Indigenous music through his academic work and as host of “Indigenous Jazz,” a radio show.
Getting Personal About Wilderness
UW senior Tisbe Rinehart, a wilderness guide for UW adventures, attended a wilderness therapy program as a teen — a difficult experience she explores in her CHID senior thesis.