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Undergraduate Catalog

2012 - 2013

College of Humanities

4002 JFSB
(801) 422-2775

Dean: John R. Rosenberg, Professor, Spanish
Associate Dean: Gregory Clark, Professor, English
Associate Dean: Ray T. Clifford, Professor, Linguistics
Associate Dean: Scott Sprenger, Professor, French

What Are the Humanities?

The humanities focus on the quest for fluency in the languages of the human conversation, for it is fluency in those languages that makes us full participants in human life. Specifically, the humanities involve inquiry into the structure and uses of language itself, as well as into the ideas and aesthetics of the languages of art, literature, and philosophy.

Study in the humanities fosters historical consciousness; recognition of the connections between ideas, texts, and the people who create them; awareness of the complexity and subtlety of the multiple voices that make up the human conversation; and facility in languages and cultures other than one's own. Building on these essential components of what it means to be "an educated person," students of the humanities develop the higher-order cognitive abilities needed for critical reading, interpretation, analytical thinking, and writing.

This understanding of and ability in the "languages of the human conversation" provide a foundation for successful careers in many different professions and for productive and rewarding lives as educated citizens.

Academic Departments

International and Area Studies

The College of Humanities supports the following International and Area Studies (IAS) programs:

College of Humanities faculty members also teach courses in the following area studies minor programs: African Studies, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Arab-Islamic Studies, Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Italian Studies, Japanese Studies, Jewish Studies, Korean Studies, Latin American Studies, Modern Near Eastern Studies, Russian Studies, and Spanish Studies.

Students in these programs receive advisement from the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies Advisement Center, 273 HRCB, (801) 422-3548.

Students in Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, and Middle East Studies/Arabic receive advisement from the IAS Advisement Center, located in the David M. Kennedy Center, 273 HCRB, (801) 422-3548.

Programs and Support Areas

Programs in International Studies

College Advisement Center

David Waddell, Assistant Dean
Paula Landon
Catherine Schofield
Ron Spotts
1175 JFSB
(801) 422-4789
Email: humanities-advisement@byu.edu
Web site: http://humanities.byu.edu/advisement/

The advisement center assists students with registration and orientation; information about majors, university core, and graduation requirements; changing or declaring majors and minors; transfer questions; planning for timely graduation; internship and career options and opportunities; graduation application and clearance; policies and procedures; and any advising inquiries. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these advisement center services.

Substitutions, waivers, or evaluation of transfer equivalency within a major will be authorized by the departments with documentation going to the advisement center. Students are also encouraged to consult a faculty advisor within the major for specific questions about major requirements, career options, graduate programs, and mentored learning opportunities.

Language Credit by Examination

Jerry W. Larson, Professor of Spanish; Director, Humanities Technology and Research Support Center
1163E JFSB

Any student enrolled at BYU whose native language is English may receive credit by special examination for certain foreign language courses for which he or she has acquired the equivalent skill or knowledge. However, this is possible only if no university credit has been given through AP, CLEP, or transfer of equivalent credit from another university or other institutions. Students whose native language is not English may not receive credit for their native language, but they may receive credit by special examination for courses in English offered through the TESOL program of the Linguistics and English Language Department. They may also receive credit by special examination for a language other than their native language as described above.

Graded examinations for languages taught on the BYU campus are administered by the department concerned. Pass-fail examinations for other languages are administered by the coordinator of the Foreign Language Testing Program in the Humanities Technology and Research Support Center. An examination once taken for pass/fail credit cannot be retaken or reevaluated for graded credit.

Center for Language Studies

Ray T. Clifford, Director
3086 JFSB
(801) 422-1201

To extend the exceptional foreign language capabilities of BYU to a large audience, the Center for Language Studies offers a variety of intensive language courses during the summer term (mid-June to mid-August) and regular courses in less commonly taught languages during the academic year. See in-depth information in the Center for Language Studies section of this catalog.

Center for the Study of Christian Values in Literature

Jesse S. Crisler, Professor of English, Director
4106 JFSB

The center holds symposia, conducts writing contests, and publishes the journal Literature and Belief.

English Language Center

Neil Anderson, Administrative Coordinator, 4056A JFSB
Norm Evans, Academic Coordinator, 4050 JFSB

The English Language Center is a resident program of intensive English language training.

Foreign Language Student Residence

Hans Kelling, Coordinator
3107 JFSB
(801) 422-6225

Students who desire a more in-depth language study experience and practical application of the language under the direction of faculty and native residents may apply to live in the Foreign Language Student Residence. All activities in the individual apartments in the residence are conducted in the foreign language. Inquiries should be directed to the coordinator or to the appropriate departmental advisor for detailed information concerning opportunities for men and women in French, Russian, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, and Hebrew.

Humanities Technology and Research Support Center

Jerry W. Larson, Professor of Spanish, Director
1163E JFSB

The Humanities Technology and Research Support Center provides technological and consulting resources to support research and teaching in the College of Humanities. Available in the center are audio, video, and microcomputer facilities in addition to optical scanning services.