What is a humanities minor?

Firmly centered in the liberal arts and sciences, a humanities minor is a course of study that develops creative problem-solvers and independent thinkers who can view issues from diverse interdisciplinary angles. A humanities minor provides an intentional method for complementing a major area of study with courses that tap the classics, modern languages, English, history, communication studies, philosophy, religion, art history, music history, theatre history, political thought and more.

Why minor in humanities at Furman?

As a private liberal arts and sciences university, Furman provides an exceptional environment for multidisciplinary studies, allowing students to find connections between myriad areas of interest. The humanities minor includes course options from more than a dozen academic disciplines. Small class sizes give students greater access to professors who are among the best in their fields. Our focus on engaged learning leverages Furman’s strong undergraduate research, internship and study away opportunities. Visit our campus or request information to learn more.

How will you learn?

The humanities minor offers students an opportunity to formulate a thesis that melds principles from several different disciplines. Erasing the artificial boundaries surrounding academic areas of study, the humanities minor at Furman allows students to train disparate scholarly lenses on an issue, problem, policy or idea resulting in a capstone thesis.

One of our graduates who is studying veterinary medicine in Scotland studied how animals are represented in popular film animation and how that affects zoo fundraising and conservation. Another student combined interests in music, dance, history and politics in a project about the Ballets Russes. One of our students is exploring stereotypes, whiteness and colorism and how those constructs shape the immigration conversation.

The possibilities for study are endless, but the outcome is singular. Students who are adept at bringing a multi-faceted approach to issues and decision-making make better leaders and practitioners in whatever field they choose.

Featured humanities courses

Entry-level courses include:

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  • 13
    academic disciplines that funnel into the humanities minor
  • No. 6
    Furman’s rank among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the Southeast – U.S. News and World Report
  • 94.6%
    Full-time faculty at Furman with the highest degrees in their fields

What our students say

“The humanities minor was a really engaging way for me to pursue my interest in humanities even though I was a science major. It was flexible enough for me to customize courses to fit my interests and build lasting connections with the faculty and staff who supported me every step of the way. I'm still using what I learned from the minor even now in my degree in veterinary medicine to complete a thesis studying how race, nationality and religion affect the vet student experience!”
– Akanksha Kaushik ’19, B.S. biology and interdisciplinary minor in humanities; student at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh

Our faculty

Erik Anderson

Department Chair, Philosophy

Bryan Bibb

Professor of Religion

Timothy Fehler

William E. Leverette, Jr., Professor, History

David Fink

Associate Professor of Religion

Melinda Menzer

Chair & Professor of English

Margaret Oakes

Professor of English; Chair of the Humanities Interdisciplinary Minor

Aaron Simmons

Professor of Philosophy

Roger Sneed

Professor of Religion; Faculty Chair

Mark Stone

Professor of Philosophy; Undergraduate Evening Studies Faculty
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Humanities Minor F.A.Q.

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