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Future Students

studying historical maps

Humanities I

Overview

As a Humanities student, you’ll bring artistic, historical, critical and philosophical reflection to bear while you explore and examine our past and present, our thought, our cultures, and societies, as well as our existence. You’ll learn about the world and learn about yourself.

  • Gain knowledge and learn to question.
  • Grapple with how to make sense of experiences, how to achieve understanding, and how to live well.
  • Learn how to think, inquire, weigh evidence, read critically, make arguments, write and speak thoughtfully.
  • Practice the skills you learn in the classroom, lab, theatre and studio through community engagement, international experience, field study and internships.

Expandable List

In Humanities, you’ll encounter productive, award-winning professors who bring their real-life experience as researchers and teachers to the classroom, and who believe that the best university education is student-centered and research-focused.

You will also join a community of scholars who are not afraid to cross the boundaries between subject areas, who have dynamic and diverse individual interests, experiences and talents, but who share an enthusiasm and curiosity about the past, present and future.

We look forward to having you in our classrooms, our workshops, our performance spaces and our laboratories.

Applied Humanities, independent study and internship courses allow students to gain real-world experience through the practical application of classroom learning.

A few examples include:

  • Communication Studies – Practical Aspects of Media Production
  • Cognitive Science – Speech Language Pathology Practicum
  • Greek and Roman Studies – Field Practicum in Greek and Roman Archaeology
  • History – History Practicum
  • Linguistics – TESL Practicum
  • Global Peace & Social Justice – Practical Peace Building

The Humanities Internship Program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to develop employability skills, explore career options and integrate their academic learning in a professional setting through a meaningful work experience. This experience includes paid full-time and part-time work opportunities related to their career area of study.

Student Testimonials

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It’s such a unique experience, it’s not what you’d expect it to be. The social and academic experience are really wholesome.

Ramneek Sodhi
History

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I love my program, the diversity, and the ability to take your degree anywhere you want to go.

Kristi Kwan
Cognitive Science of Language Kristi Kwan, Cognitive Science of Language

Your Classes

Students entering the Faculty of Humanities take a general first-year program – Humanities I. The Humanities I program offers students an enormous amount of flexibility and a real chance to explore many course options in their first year of university.

Students in Humanities I can pursue subjects in which they have already developed an interest, as well as exploring new areas of interest. This provides an excellent base from which to specialize in upper levels.

  • Typical first year classes include:
    • 9 units of the following mandatory Humanities courses: Voice and Vision: Words to Change the World (HUMAN 1VV3), HUMAN 1HL3: Humanities for Life: The Value of a Humanities Degree, HUMAN 1DL3: Digital Literacy for the Humanities
    • 12 units from Course List 1. These courses act as gateways to programs in the faculty (students should check the specific admission requirements for their programs of interest).
    • 15 units from Course List 1, Course List 2 or from another faculty.

Learn more about your Humanities I requirements

We have the following degree types you can obtain:

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Honours Bachelor of Arts
  • Combined Honours Bachelor of Arts

These can be specialized in a variety of major subject areas, including:

Specialized Minor in Commerce

A special partnership with McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business allows single honours students in Greek and Roman Studies, Communication Studies, English & Cultural Studies, French, History, Linguistics & Languages, Media Arts or Philosophy to complement their studies with a Specialized minor in Commerce (13 courses of study or 39 units).

Concurrent Certificates

McMaster Humanities offers 12 concurrent certificates available to enhance degree and increase job prospects upon graduation:

  • Applied Ethics and Policy (CAEP)
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Cinema Studies
  • Creative Writing and Narrative Arts (CWNA)
  • Critical Curatorial Studies (CCCS)
  • Critical Heritage Studies
  • Essential French
  • Professional French
  • Health Humanities & Social Sciences
  • International Engagement
  • Language of Medicine & Health
  • Leadership, Equity & Social Change

Studying Abroad

One of the goals of a Humanities education is to increase global awareness. For many students, participating in an exchange program is one of the most exciting ways to do this. The exchange program allows students to spend all or part of their third year studying at universities in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Jamaica.

For a full list of courses that can be available in this program, please consult the academic calendar.

Admissions