About Humanities
Humanities is an interdisciplinary major that allows students to create their degree with support from faculty and their advisor. Students will develop various skills that support their future career goals.
- Effective reading and writing skills are vital to any job for which a college degree is required. Humanities majors pay careful attention to language and have the capacity to form precise arguments.
- Critical analysis skills are vital to the decision-making process for any job. Critical analysis can be described as the ability to analyze a situation and come up with creative and practical solutions.
- Research skills are vital to any job. The ability to understand past practices and policies and to trace the roots of any issue, and to find new information which bears on that issue, and to incorporate that information into one's analysis of an issue.
- Interdisciplinary thinking and training is vital to any position. Interdisciplinary thinking and training is the ability to think about a problem in a multitude of ways, to analyze it using multiple tools, and to provide solutions that draw from different traditions of thought. Humanities majors possess a wide range of historical knowledge. Students are trained to think creatively and to understand ideas and values with sensitivity to cultural differences.
- Curiosity and inquisitiveness is vital to any position. The desire to continue learning, examine reasons beneath issues, and to understand them is part of all professional development.
Meet our Humanities Students:
Elaine is a Humanities student minoring in French, Film Studies, and Marketing.
She plans to work for a company in Marketing and Communications while starting her own business that features the creation of recycled products after graduation. 
Q: Can you tell us about a highlight from your K-State undergraduate career?
A great highlight has been my Intro to Water Media class. I felt like I got a great sense of my own abilities in art, and I tested my limits with the projects. It was really helpful since I gained a lot of basic/advanced artistic capabilities.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation? How do you feel your major/time at KSU has prepared you for that path?
A: My plans after graduation include being a creator. I want to work for a company in Marketing and Communications while starting my own business that features the creation of recycled products. I feel like the artistic classes at K-State have helped me expand my creativity. Classes such as Exploring Creativity allowed me to develop a sense of ‘good design’.
Q: What advice would you impart upon an incoming (or prospective) student at K-State?
A: I'd advise any student to research the many majors/minors/certificates offered. I remember switching my major about three times before I even started my freshman year-- in the middle of that fall semester, I found the Humanities major while contemplating and researching other choices. I also found some of the lesser-known programs (certificates), which allowed me to find the Film Studies program. The interdisciplinary majors are very flexible as they allow many classes to count. Many students would benefit from these majors as they allow for experimenting with different classes.
Q: Talk about what you’ve gained from your major in Humanities and why you chose to major in it. (or in that combination of academic programs)
A: I've gained a lot of insight majoring in Humanities. It has allowed me to venture out into other departments, such as Anthropology, Art, English, Mass Communications & Journalism, Modern Languages, Music, etc. I've gotten to add many minors in some of these subjects, such as French and Film Studies, as I can fit those in with my major. It's very flexible; it's great for allowing me to interact with many subjects while tying it to an overall theme.
Henry is a Humanities and International Studies Student who will graduate in 2026.
Q: What are you studying (major, minors, certificates, etc.)?
A: I am a Humanities Major with emphasis on art and modern language. I am also completing a Japanese Minor, International Studies Secondary Major, and (hopefully) a TEFL certification.
Q: Can you tell us about a highlight from your K-State undergraduate career?
A: Joining the Clay club has definitely been a highlight. While I have some experience with art, I had never been introduced to ceramics as a medium until this semester. I have really enjoyed learning about clay as both an art and a science, and the people I have met in the process.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation? How do you feel your major/time at KSU has prepared you for that path?
A: After graduating, I hope to teach English and Art abroad. I chose Humanities as a major because it is incredibly versatile. I feel that the flexibility it has granted me in controlling my curriculum, has allowed me to focus more on learning the skills important to my specific career plans, more so than other majors.
Q: What advice would you impart upon an incoming (or prospective) student at K-State?
A: Your major is not set in stone, and your major is not your career! I feel that many people, myself included, will see the name of their program as a label for what they will do after graduation. In some cases, it may be, but for many there is no one right way to leverage your education after college. I encourage others to think deeply about what they want out of a career before choosing (or switching to) a set of academic programs that will best prepare them for it.
Q: Talk about what you’ve gained from your major in Humanities and why you chose to major in it. (or in that combination of academic programs)
A: I chose humanities for its flexibility, as I mentioned before. Not only does it provide a lot of freedom and control over the courses you take in meeting the requirements of the major, but it also allows you to easily explore and integrate other programs into your major, like a minor, secondary major, or certification. This combination of programs has provided me with the opportunity to take control of my education, while also introducing me to things I never knew would enjoy.
Meet Alyvia, senior double major in Humanities and Spanish, with a secondary major in International Studies, and a minor in Conflict Resolution with the intent to attend Law School following her time at Kansas State University
Here is what she has to say about interdisciplinary studies and her time as a Wildcat:
Due to the flexible degree that I chose, my undergraduate career has included classes spanning numerous topics, subjects, and colleges. The malleability of the Humanities degree path allowed for me to integrate other specified areas of study into my years at K-State without adding time or money onto my graduation plan, hence the various degrees/minors. My unique conglomeration of majors and minors have given me a plethora of experiences and opportunities that I would likely not have been exposed to had I chosen a degree other than Humanities. For example, during the summer of 2022, I participated in a faculty-led study-abroad trip to Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, México, where I spent 6-weeks at a language immersion school with a few fellow K-State students as well as people from all over the world. These 6 short weeks improved my Spanish immensely, gave me access to and knowledge about a new culture outside of my own, helped me cultivate a meaningful relationship with a beloved professor, and led me to some of my closest friends to date. It has been the highlight of my time at K-State thus far. Following graduation, I plan on attending law school to become an attorney. Although I am not sure what area of law I would like to practice in yet I am most interested in immigration, international law, child advocacy and women’s rights. My time at K-State has taught me many valuable lessons, but I think the most important one to be passed along to future students is that rest is absolutely vital for success in an academic environment. I had to learn the hard way a few times that sacrificing sleep, self-care, and my own well being was detrimental to my performance in school, work, and personal life. Bottom line: remember to take care of yourself, always!!