In particular, the program seeks to develop a critical awareness of how the classical past has been utilized as a symbol or an ideal by modern cultures, including American, and how Western culture has developed its own particular views about itself as being distinctly different from non-Western cultures.
The major is especially recommended for students who have a broad interest in the liberal arts either for their own sake or as preparation for business and the professions. The General Humanities program, coordinated by the Department of Classics and General Humanities, is unique both in respect to the breadth of disciplines (history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, art history, music history) in which students are required to take courses and in respect to the senior seminar, in which students write a senior thesis addressing the contemporary role of the humanities from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Students who wish to pursue K-6 teacher certification in Elementary Education must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Please visit the Teacher Education Program Web site for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.