College of Humanities and Fine Arts

214 South College

Contact: Sandra Pirrello
Office: Arts & Sciences Advising Center
E-24 Machmer Hall
Phone: (413) 545-2192
Email: artsci@cas.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/hfa

Dean: Joel Martin. Associate Dean for Academic Infrastructure: Ronald Michaud. Associate Dean for Undergraduate Advising: Nikki Stoia.

All departments in the college offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts. There are also programs leading to the Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.), and to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Studio Art, Design, and Dance.

Students have great freedom in choosing a program of study and a major. However, a student may be admitted to the Art and Design majors through portfolio acceptance only, and to the Dance and Music majors only by audition. The B.F.A. and B.Mus. programs require sequences of courses which can extend over seven or eight semesters. Likewise, the language majors require pre-major preparation which may take several semesters before commencing the major. Students who do not consider this in their course selection during their first year may have to use summer sessions or extra semesters to accommodate these sequences.

The Field

For good reason, arts and humanities majors have become the second most popular majors among entering female students and third most popular among male students nationally. By focusing on human creativity, past and present, the humanities and arts challenge students to realize their own creative potential to the fullest extent possile. Students in the college broaden their perspectives on individual and cultural expression, past and present, within their own and other societies, develop critical thinking skills, and put into practice what they learn to develop successful careers and change the world in constructive ways.

Academic Advising Services

All students in the college are encouraged to meet regularly with an academic adviser. Faculty and staff advisers are available to assist students with questions or concerns they have as they progress through their academic careers. This includes advice on course selection; departmental, college and university requirements; career guidance; assistance with academic problems; and referral information about other services.

Each department in the college has a chief undergraduate adviser who facilitates advising to students concerning the major. Advising regarding college requirements, general academic advising, and information concerning other academic matters (e.g., repeat options, repeat course substitutions, late course adds, late course drops, academic discipline) and programs within the college are handled through the Arts and Sciences Advising Center, in E-24 Machmer Hall. This office also houses the College Records Office.

Career Opportunities

Humanities and Fine Arts majors acquire a broad liberal arts background, develop intellectual resilience, and master communication skills. This foundation prepares graduates for career success in the dynamic and sometimes disruptive economic landscape of the twenty-first century. Graduates of the college excel in careers in research, teaching, journalism, social and community work, medicine, law, technology, government, management, international relations, television and radio broadcasting, corporate and technical communications, and public relations. Alumni have also become successful visual and performing artists as well as famous actors and attorneys.

Students are encouraged to explore the world beyond the university as early as possible in their education. A number of the majors are flexible enough to accommodate international study, which is encouraged, and internships and other learning opportunities outside the classroom.

College Requirements for the B.A.

All students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts are subject to college requirements in addition to the university’s requirements and the requirements of the major. These requirements do not apply to the Bachelor of Music, or to the Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Arts and Sciences courses outside the College: Students must complete two courses in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and/or the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. These two courses may carry a General Education designation, but must be completed in addition to all courses applied to General Education requirements. The courses may not be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Students may not apply to this requirement any practicum, independent study, thesis, or internship course, or any course below the 100 level. Students may petition the undergraduate dean to apply certain experimental, seminar and special topics courses (courses with numbers ending in 90, 91-95, or 97).

Foreign Language: All students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate level, by one of the following methods:
a. Completion of a foreign language course at the fourth semester level (Intermediate II or Intermediate Intensive courses numbered 240-249). Intermediate II courses may be graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
b. Degree credit equivalent to such a course earned through an appropriate score on a College Board Foreign Language Test or a College Board Advanced Placement Test.
c. Proficiency demonstrated in a test designed by a University of Massachusetts language department, or a test administered and validated by a local faculty member if the language is not one offered by a department at the University.
d. Satisfactory completion in high school of either a fourth-level foreign language course, or of a third-level course in one language and a second-level course in another language.
e. Successful completion of one year in a high school in which English is not the language of instruction.
f. Successful completion of a semester or year’s study abroad program that leads to foreign language proficiency at the fourth semester (Intermediate II) level as approved by the appropriate language department.

Students who have not satisfied the Foreign Language requirement on admission to the college must select a foreign language course each term in residence until the requirement has been satisfied. The university offers sequences that satisfy this requirement in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian (available through the Five Colleges), and Spanish. Students who have not yet completed the Foreign Language requirement may not apply their Pass/Fail option to foreign language courses numbered below 240.

Students who are certified by the Disability Services Office as having a significant hearing impairment that is seriously limiting to the auditory reception of language may fulfill the Foreign Language requirement either by demonstrating proficiency in American Sign Language at the intermediate level, or by completing four courses (12 cr.) taught in English on the history, culture, or literature of non-English speaking countries or regions. These courses must be in addition to courses used to fulfill the General Education requirements, and may not be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. A list of courses that may be used in this manner is available from the Arts and Sciences Advising Office.

Students with a documented learning disability may petition a consumer manager at Disability Services. To initiate such a petition, contact Disability Services, 231 Whitmore Administration Building, tel. (413) 545-0892.