Humanities
Director of undergraduate studies: Paul Grimstad, HQ, 320 York St.
The undergraduate program in Humanities offers both interdisciplinary breadth and intellectual depth, providing students the opportunity to integrate courses from across the humanistic disciplines into personally meaningful courses of study. Works of literature, music, history, philosophy, and the visual arts are brought into conversation with one another and with the history of ideas.
The major in Humanities asks students to begin with broad surveys of foundational works in at least two different cultural traditions, including at least one course on classical Western European texts. All majors take two specially commissioned core seminars, one on the question of what “modernity" is, another spending a whole term interpreting a single work (or small corpus of works) in great depth. Students then devise an area of focus according to their interests and with the help of appropriate faculty members.
Courses for Nonmajors
Students in all classes can find options in the varied course offerings, from special seminars for first-year students to the Franke and Shulman Seminars for seniors. Many courses are open to nonmajors.
Requirements of the Major
Students are held to the requirements that were in place when they declared their major. However, with approval from the DUS, the following requirements, updated for the academic year 2025-2026, may be fulfilled by students who declared the major in a prior term.
See Links to the attributes indicating courses approved for the Humanities major requirements.
Fourteen term courses are required for the major, six core courses; one course in each of four areas of study in the humanities (which may include the Franke Seminar); three additional electives selected to complement the student's area of focus and approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), and a one- or two-term senior essay. Majors are also required to keep an intellectual journal and are strongly encouraged to enroll in at least one term course in literature in a foreign language.
Core courses The major requires six core courses, two seminars in “Interpretations,” two seminars in “Modernities” and two lectures or seminars in "Traditions." Interpretations and Modernities seminars are typically taught by a pair of faculty members from complementary disciplines. The two broad themes of the seminars remain consistent from year to year, but the material studied and the faculty members teaching change, allowing each class of students to explore the themes in different ways. The Traditions core courses focus on foundational works. No more than four of the six core courses may concern one world-historical tradition, broadly conceived.
Areas of study in the humanities One course is required in each of four areas: literature; visual, musical, or dramatic arts; science in the humanities; and intellectual history and historical analysis. Courses may be drawn from any department or program in Yale College, with the approval of the DUS.
Intellectual journal Students are encouraged to log entries outlining particularly striking moments in their intellectual lives, whether in courses or outside of them, and to keep track of questions they would like to pursue in their studies, including possible senior essay topics. Students submit a minimum of one journal entry each semester to the DUS.
Credit/D/Fail No more than two courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be applied toward the requirements of the major.
Outside credit Courses taken at another institution or during an approved summer or term-time study abroad program may count toward the major requirements with DUS approval.
Senior Requirement
A one- or two-term senior essay is required (HUMS 4910).
Advising
Students are expected to declare their intent to major in Humanities in a meeting with the DUS before their junior year.
Unique to the Major
The Franke Seminar Sponsored by the Whitney Humanities Center and designed to speak across disciplinary lines to broad public and intellectual issues, the Franke Seminar includes a series of coordinated public lectures. The seminars are for enrolled students; the lecture series is open to the Yale and local communities. Humanities majors may enroll in a Franke Seminar with permission of the DUS and the instructor.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites None
Number of courses 14 term courses (incl senior essay)
Distribution of courses 6 core courses, as specified; 1 course in each of 4 areas of student as specified; 3 electives in area of focus
Senior requirement Senior essay (HUMS 4910)
Intellectual journal A minimum of one journal entry every term
Requirements
14 courses (14 credits), including the senior requirement
- 2 core Modernities seminars
- 2 core Interpretations seminars
- 2 core Traditions lectures or seminar
- 1 course in each of 4 disciplinary areas
- literature
- visual, musical, or dramatic arts
- science in the humanities
- intellectual history and historical analysis
- 3 electives in area of focus
- minimum of 1 journal entry every semester
- HUMS 4910
The undergraduate program in Humanities offers both interdisciplinary breadth and intellectual depth, providing students the opportunity to integrate courses from across the humanistic disciplines into personally meaningful courses of study. Works of literature, music, history, philosophy, and the visual arts are brought into conversation with one another and with the history of ideas.
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM OF HUMANITIES
Professors Jeffrey Alexander (Sociology), R. Howard Bloch (French), Edyta Bojanowska (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Leslie Brisman (English), David Bromwich (English), Ardis Butterfield (English), Rüdiger Campe (German), Francesco Casetti (Humanities), Deborah Coen (History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, History), Stephen Davis (Religious Studies, History), Carolyn Dean (History, French), Carlos Eire (History, Religious Studies), Paul Freedman (History), Kirk Freudenburg (Classics), Bryan Garsten (Political Science), Marie-Hélène Girard (French), Emily Greenwood (Classics), Frank Griffel (Religious Studies), Martin Hägglund (Comparative Literature, Humanities), Christine Hayes (Religious Studies, Judaic Studies), Alice Kaplan (French), Jonathan Kramnick (English), Anthony Kronman (School of Law), Tina Lu (East Asian Languages and Literatures), Ivan Marcus (History, Religious Studies), Stefanie Markovits (English), Giuseppe Mazzotta (Italian), Samuel Moyn (History, School of Law), Robert Nelson (History of Art), Paul North (German), John Durham Peters (English, Film & Media Studies), Brigitte Peucker (German), Pierre Saint-Amand (French), Maurice Samuels (French), Steven Smith (Political Science, Philosophy), Nicola Suthor (History of Art), Gary Tomlinson (Music, Humanities), Shawkat Toorawa (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Katie Trumpener (Comparative Literature), Jing Tsu (East Asian Languages and Literatures), Miroslav Volf (Divinity School), Kirk Wetters (German), Christian Wiman (Institute of Sacred Music), Ruth Yeazell (English)
Associate Professors Marisa Bass (History of Art), Paola Bertucci (History, History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health), Molly Brunson (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Robyn Creswell (Comparative Literature), Toni Dorfman (Adjunct) (Theater Studies), Emily Erikson (Sociology), Marta Figlerowicz (Comparative Literature, English), Moira Fradinger (Comparative Literature), Milette Gaifman (History of Art, Classics), Mick Hunter (East Asian Languages and Literatures), Jacqueline Jung (History of Art), Brian Kane (Music), Noreen Khawaja (Religious Studies), Pauline LeVen (Classics), Isaac Nakhimovsky (History), Joseph North (English), Joanna Radin (History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, History), Ayesha Ramachandran (Comparative Literature), Marci Shore (History)
Assistant Professors Lucas Bender (East Asian Languages and Literatures, Humanities), Marijeta Bozovic (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Thomas C. Connolly (French), Jessica Lamont (Classics), Giulia Oskian (Political Science), Jessica Peritz (Music), Christiana Purdy Moudarres (Italian), Maryam Sanjabi (French), Katrin Truestedt (German)
Senior Lecturers Peter Cole (Judaic Studies), William Klein (Humanities), Pauline Lin (East Asian Languages and Literatures), Stuart Semmel (History, Humanities), Kathryn Slanski (Humanities, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Norma Thompson (Humanities)
Lecturers Benjamin Barasch (Humanities), Brianne Bilsky (Humanities), Dane Collins, Matthew Croasmun (Divinity School), Joseph Gordon (English), Paul Grimstad (Humanities), Alfred Guy (English), Katja Lindskog (English), Ryan McAnnally-Linz (Divinity School), Terence Renaud (Humanities), Karin Roffman (Humanities, English), Daniel Schillinger (Humanities), George Syrimis (Hellenic Studies), Adam Van Doren (School of Art)
Senior Lector Constantine Muravnik (Slavic Languages and Literatures)
Lector Simona Lorenzini (Italian)
See the Roadmap Library for a visual representation of the major.