Whether you have consciously done so or not, you have been making decisions for many years about what direction your life should take. As a child you probably fantasized about becoming a professional athlete, an internationally acclaimed entertainer or artist, or perhaps the more traditional fireman or nurse. As you grew older many of these fantasies were replaced by career aspirations more closely linked to your particular talents and interests. Now, you are a college student and your career path has taken yet another turn. As an undergraduate, you have entered a critical stage of career planning that goes beyond simply choosing an academic major. An academic major is only one part of your academic program, and your academic program, although very important, does not comprise your entire undergraduate experience.

Your Education

Rather than provide you with a specific body of knowledge or a narrow set of skills, an education in the humanities is designed to provide you with a broad general knowledge that you can channel in many directions. Its primary purpose is to assist you in building and broadening certain fundamental skills. These skills should include, above all, the ability to write intelligently, to analyze and solve problems, to digest and understand a diverse range of data and to communicate effectively. These skills will also arm you with the ability to understand and assume an active role in our complex society. And, finally, the skills of a liberally-educated individual will provide you with the most valuable commodity in our ever-changing job market. You will be able to express yourself clearly and concisely through both writing and speaking, and you will be able logically to identify problems and creatively determine solutions. These skills will give you great flexibility. As a graduate in the humanities, you will be able to convert your skills into many viable jobs. First you must acquire these skills and therein lays the importance of good program planning. An academic schedule is as strong or weak, as challenging or repetitive as you make it. If you wish to possess the skills we have just discussed, consciously look for a broad range of courses.

Read the descriptions of courses found in this website. Explore the course offerings in other colleges on campus as well. Make an informed decision about each course, each semester, and each year of your undergraduate education.