Socrates isn’t dead. He’s still around through his writings, and the issues he was talking about are still important today. By studying the great thinkers, you are essentially having a conversation about the human experience with Socrates, with Homer. Through that conversation, you learn about yourself.

Dr. Ted Mashburn
Professor of Philosophy
Chair, Department of Humanities

 

Have you ever heard that saying, “Great minds think alike”? That’s one point of view you WON’T find in the Department of Humanities at the University of Mobile. What you WILL discover is a challenging, dynamic exchange of ideas in classes taught by professors who passionately believe that learning to think critically, creatively, analytically and comprehensively is key to understanding yourself and your world.

If your vision of college includes informal intellectual discussions with professors and students, you’ll find a diversity of thought and opinion – and a good cup of coffee -- at “Caffeine & Conversation.” Among the items you might discuss would be the next reading marathon, an annual non-stop read-a-thon beneath the stars which has featured such works as Don Quixote, Crime and Punishment, and Moby Dick. Or you may make plans to join your professors on a road trip to see Congress in action in Washington, D.C., and come face-to-face with man’s inhumanity to man at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

You will study the classic texts of Western civilization in ways that relate to today’s human experience. Learn about leadership as Odysseus struggles with decisions which cost men their lives. Ponder what “impossible dream” you are committed to follow, as Don Quixote did.

Where better to learn true leadership than in the midst of the Trojan War, at sea with Aeneas or Ishmael, or under the dire circumstances of Frederick Douglass? How better to reflect on true Christian charity than in the contest of The Scarlet Letter or Paradise Lost? How better to study human frailty than in The Great Gatsby or Gilgamesh?

The humanities will prepare you to live your life to the fullest, to know who you are, what you believe, and why you believe it. The liberal arts and sciences education you gain through the study of English, philosophy, and modern foreign language will prepare you for any career field, and lay the groundwork for advanced study in graduate school, law school and seminary.

Majors Offered

Bachelor of Arts in English Secondary Teacher Certification in English Language Arts (in conjunction with School of Education) Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

 

Minors Offered		Advance Study
English Humanities Philosophy		Modern Foreign Language (French, German and Spanish)

 

Courses Offered
English Basic English Skills Effective English Developmental Composition Honors English The Literary Tradition Honors Literature Study in Selected Topics Introduction to British Literature Introduction to American Literature Advanced Composition Critical Theory Introduction to Linguistics Shakespeare Special Topics in British Literature Special Topics in American Literature Special Topics in World Literature Independent Study Creative Writing Interdisciplinary Seminar Study in Selected Topics	Philosophy Introduction to Philosophy Classical Philosophy Medieval Philosophy Modern Philosophy God, Evil, and Suffering Philosophy of World Religions Logic Philosophy, Theology, and Literature Hermeneutics Myth, Philosophy, and Literature Philosophy of Religion Moral Philosophy/Ethics Interdisciplinary Seminar Study in Selected Topics	French Elementary French Intensive Elementary/ Intermediate French Intermediate French Study in Selected Topics French Culture and Civilization Commercial French Introduction to French Literature Survey of French Literature Interdisciplinary Seminar (300 and 400 level language courses are offered on a need basis)	German Elementary German Intensive Elementary/ Intermediate German Intermediate German Study in Selected Topics German Culture and Civilization Commercial German Introduction to German Literature Survey of German Literature Interdisciplinary Seminar (300 and 400 level language courses are offered on a need basis)	Spanish Elementary Spanish Intensive Elementary/ Intermediate Spanish Intermediate Spanish Study in Selected Topics Advanced Spanish Composition and Conversation Latin American Culture and Civilization Spanish Culture and Civilization Commercial Spanish Introduction to Hispanic Literature Survey of Spanish Literature Survey of Latin American Literature Spanish Linguistics Foreign Language Teaching Methods Spanish-American Short Story Golden Age Literature Interdisciplinary Seminar

Career Opportunities

In the Humanities, the assignment is life and how to live it. You learn about the qualities of leadership. You study the pitfalls and discover how to avoid them; you grapple with the decisions that leaders must make and the consequences that follow. These are the types of issues that are part of the human predicament, and are great preparation for a broad range of careers and a perfect platform for advanced study in graduate school, law school and seminary.

While the humanities prepares you for leadership roles in practically any career field, career areas may include grants writer, editor, high school English teacher, college professor, missionary, lawyer or minister.

Humanities opens door to Oxford

Studying humanities opened the door to opportunity for Aaron McLeod of Grand Bay, Alabama. With the support and encouragement of professors at the University of Mobile, Aaron applied for the Honors Fellow program of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Aaron, a double major in humanities and music and a member of the UM chapter of Alpha Chi national collegiate honor society, was selected as one of 50 out of 800 applicants nationwide. That honor earned him an all-expense-paid trip to Oxford University in Oxford, England, for an intensive week of seminars and lectures. As an Honors Fellow, he attends national seminars throughout the year as part of the mentorship program, and has traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. “I’ve met people I’ll never forget,” Aaron said. “This experience has changed my life in a big way.”