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Welcome
What is the Humanities and Western Civilization Program?
The union of the Humanities and Western Civilization Programs in 1997 brought together the College's oldest interdisciplinary degree program, Humanities, and one of the oldest and most widely recognized "great books" programs in the U.S., Western Civilization. Both are centrally committed to the College's and University's goal of educating students to think critically, speak and write articulately, and display intellectual and cultural breadth - knowledge and skills vital to both working and living in the 21st century. The interdisciplinary, individually designed Humanities major is an excellent preparation for 21st-century careers, and the study and discussion of influential writings of students' intellectual and cultural heritage in "Western Civ" are foundational to a liberal education.
The Western Civilization Program began in 1945 as an independent reading program, was mainly a reading-discussion program from 1955-1987, and then became a full lecture-discussion curriculum in 1987. Western Civilization is a two-semester interdisciplinary humanities program centering in selected influential writings of the Western world from ancient times to the present. For some years the program has been committed to including attention to the issues of gender, race, the Jewish experience in the West, the origins and influence of Islam, and the interaction between Western and non-Western cultures. Western Civilization is a general education requirement for all B.A. and B.G.S. students and most B.S. students in the College, and for all Architecture, Journalism, and Social Welfare majors. In 1992 Western Civilization was designated a writing-intensive program, extending students' writing experience in their three required English courses. Among the other activities initiated by the Western Civilization Program have been Independent Study courses, an annual student essay contest, fall and spring semester abroad programs in Florence and Paris, and the annual Seaver Lectureship.
Founded in 1947, the Humanities Program has over the years been a catalyst and a forum for faculty who want to develop innovative courses that transcend disciplinary boundaries, and an individualized interdisciplinary major for students who want to explore and integrate a variety of areas of study. Among its popular courses have been the "Masterpieces of World Literature" series, the "Interrelations of the Humanities and the Arts" course, the "Biography of a City" series, and the "Science, Technology, and Society" course. Graduates of the program have entered the fields of business and banking, law, teaching, writing and editorial work, and many have successfully completed graduate study in a variety of subject areas.
What is the faculty like?
HWC faculty represent a variety of humanities fields, among them Comparative Literature, English Literature, French Literature, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. They include senior, mid-career, and younger scholars and teachers, all holding the Ph.D. degree, with a wide range of teaching experience. Six have won major KU teaching awards including the H. Bernard Fink Award, the W. T. Kemper Fellowship, the Mortar Board Outstanding Educator Award, the Outstanding Woman Educator Award, and the Award for Leadership in International Education.
How do I get into the program?
HWC has no entrance requirements. As an incoming student, you will automatically be enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, so you can begin taking courses that satisfy your major during your first year. You become a major when you fill out a major declaration form in the program office, 308 Bailey Hall. Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Humanities by clicking here.
Where can I get more information?
For further information, write or call the University of Kansas, Humanities and Western Civilization Program, Bailey Hall, Room 308, 1440 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045-7574. Telephone: (785) 864-3011, email: hwc@ku.edu. Or you may request information online.