Undergraduate Programs

Anthropology is a holistic science dedicated to the study of human cultural and biological diversity. Its five sub-fields are: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, applied anthropology, and archaeology. Anthropology is a unique discipline in that it wholly integrates science and art, while preparing students for a range of careers or advanced degree programs.

History is the study of the past, not merely names and dates, but trends, changing ideas, shifting social, and cultural conventions. In the History department, our students take a wide array of courses in United States, European, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern history, covering war and diplomacy to colonialism and empire. By graduation, our students have acquired all the tools of a skilled historian: critical thinking, high-tech research, project development, and excellent writing and presentation skills.

The Art department provides students with a thorough grounding in the practice, language, theory, and history of the visual arts which prepares them for diverse careers in art, education, and business. We train our students in sound technique and prepare them to bring their personal visions to bear on issues in ethics, history, and culture.

The International Studies program helps students remain rooted in community while becoming global change agents. A unique interdisciplinary program, International Studies has a core curriculum based on the cultural, political and economic aspects of glo­balization. The program requires proficiency in a second language and a concentration in one of five areas (China, Europe, Latin America, Global Culture, and Third World Development), and the equivalent of a semester study abroad.

With a focus on social and environmental responsibility, the bachelor’s degree program explores the historical, geographical, cultural, economic, and political contexts of cannabis legalization. Drawing curriculum across 18 disciplines, the program will prepare students to be stewards of social change in complex policy landscapes, developing skills in critical and analytic thinking, writing, communicating with diverse communities, as well as engaging with science and research. Shedding light on the implications of contemporary social problems on the limits, possibilities and promises of cannabis policy reform to address them is the key to building a sustainable and equitable future.

The Journalism program is designed to prepare students for a career in journalism, broadcasting, and public relations. It provides students with an understanding of the rights, responsibilities, and role of mass media. The art and practice of journalism could not be more important than it is today. Timely and verifiable information delivered with honesty empowers humans to make choices about living in their world.

Courses and activities in this department both teach and make use of skills that are vital for the job-market and everyday life. Students with a degree in Communication are ready to excel in a wide variety of careers including marketing, advertising, broadcasting, public relations, politics, and more.

The Department of Music is committed to providing the highest quality instruction in an environment that nurtures intellectual and creative development. We offer a complete and specialized music education to every student, regardless of prior experience. Students perform in a wide variety of ensembles, including symphonic orchestra, symphonic band, jazz orchestra, steel drum band, opera workshop, choir, madrigal singers, vocal jazz, jazz combos, chamber groups, and more.

Criminology & Justice Studies students find an active and supportive departmental culture that prepares students with coursework in criminological theory, methods, inequalities of crime and justice, law, and policy. Faculty members come from multiple disciplines that are central to addressing current issues facing the U.S. systems of justice and law.

The only program of its kind in the CSU system, Native American Studies (NAS) is more than an academic discipline. NAS prepares students for careers and advanced study in which collaboration with Native communities plays a vital role. Students are provided with quality instruction utilizing interdisciplinary, quality research, and public service curriculum that foregrounds Native American epistemologies and knowledge.

Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies (CRGS) is an undergraduate program focused on the critical examination of race, class, gender, sexuality, dis/ability and nation as intersecting categories of identity, oppression and resistance. Our intersectional and comparative critical approach engenders transformative practices in research, creative work, and community activism.

The study of philosophy develops students’ skill in logic-based critical thinking, written communication, problem solving, oral communication, analytical thinking, and textual interpretation and analysis. The program gives students the opportunity to study classic texts in the history of ideas, East and West contemporary works in ethics and epistemology, feminism and philosophy of science, individual thinkers in depth, and environmental ethics.

The Dance Studies program unifies the physical, intellectual, cultural, and artistic aspects of dance into an invigorating field of study. As performers, choreographers, teachers, collaborators, and citizen artists, our students engage with their local and global communities creatively and responsibly. Courses are designed to expand knowledge and appreciation of dance as a human activity with great social and cultural significance.

Political science investigates the theories and practices of politics. Our curriculum hones students’ critical thinking and communications skills, resulting in a broad understanding of how politics impacts society. Upon graduation, students from our department are prepared to work with and within governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); understand how social justice and culture shape the environmental movement; and explore how politics affects the international community.

Offering students a solid foundation in English literature, linguistics, composition, and instruction, our students gain an understanding of the role of language in the construction of meaning through critical analysis, creative expression, and exposure to diverse philosophical and theoretical sources.

The program teaches students to use the English language evermore proficiently to convey their developing knowledge with the world, preparing them for advanced academic work and a wide variety of career opportunities.

Religious studies students develop the capacity for scholarship and disciplined thought on the subject of religion. The program places emphasis on understanding religion in tradition, both in the major traditions of the world (e.g., Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism), but also in important, but less well understood dimensions (e.g., Goddess worship and shamanism). Students are encouraged to develop their academic and professional skills in the context of their own personal engagement with matters of religious importance.

A degree in Environmental Studies helps students understand the complex relationships between human communities and both “natural” and built environments. The program cultivates critical analysis of environmental problems using tools from a variety of disciplines, helps students discern environmental messages as well as communicate them effectively, and enables them to act as informed citizens and professionals.

Sociology guides students in making connections between their own individual experiences and the social structures that shape those experiences. Students study patterns in interactions, experiences, and life outcomes—particularly as they relate to group membership. Sociology offers something for everyone who is anxious to understand the web and rhythm of human behavior. Students graduate with the sociological imagination to change the world.

The Film department provides students with broad-based academic training and hands-on professional experience for a wide range of careers in independent film, digital media, and entertainment. Through documentation of social and cultural change, Film students are opening digital portals to the past and future, while changing the way audiences consume media. Our curriculum is grounded in a liberal arts education that fosters ethical storytellers who artfully explore the human condition in creative ways.

The Spanish program provides a well-balanced curriculum necessary to acquire and consolidate language skills, at advanced and near-native proficiency levels, and expertise in Spanish literature and cultures. The department offers unique opportunities for full language and cultural immersion through the Oaxaca, Quito, and Madrid/Granada programs, which take place in southern Mexico, Ecuador, and Spain, respectively.

In this program, the use of the French language ties classroom curriculum to the history and complexity of the Francophone world. Through workshops, retreats, and small classroom settings, students study the literature and culture of France and Francophone regions like Quebec, Nova Scotia, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Congo, and the French-speaking Caribbean. An immersive study abroad experience in a Francophone region is a pillar of the program.

The goal of the Theatre Arts major is to provide a solid and broad foundation of knowledge, skills, and hands-on practice in performance, design, and technology in order to prepare students for jobs in the arts, other careers, and further graduate study. Many of our graduates have successful careers in professional theatre and beyond in management, education, consulting, web design, and fashion design.

In this challenging program, Geography students receive a broad foundation in physical and human geography and develop professional skills in writing, research, presentations, and the latest technologies that include geographic information systems, remote sensing, and mapping of all kinds. When you study Geography at Humboldt, you’re part of something bigger: a community of passionate teachers and students with a shared love of geography and adventure.

The Department of World Languages and Cultures (WLC) offers programs in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish. The richness and diversity of offerings permit our students to find multilevel academic opportunities under one single department. WLC provides a comprehensive, unifying theme around the study of international languages and cultures.