FAQs About Humanities Programs

The humanities discipline is a collection of academic courses of study that focus on the social, cultural and personal contexts of humanity. The most popular humanities programs are philosophy, sociology and law. Most undergraduate degrees offered in the humanities come in the form of Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Q: What is the difference between a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree?

A: A Bachelor of Arts degree usually leans more toward class work in the liberal arts field than a Bachelor of Science degree.

Q: How do humanities programs differ from those that study the natural sciences?

A: Humanities programs shun the empirical approaches used in scientific coursework and focus instead on an approach that involves speculative and analytical research methods.

Q: What is anthropology?

A: Anthropology is essentially the study of humanity. Anthropologists study the definition, history and physical characteristics of human beings.

Q: What is philosophy?

A: Philosophy is an old academic discipline that focuses on answering questions that involve the nature of existence, knowledge, reason, morality and language.

Q: What disciplines are within the performing arts?

A: Dance, drama and music are all considered components of the performing arts.

Q: Why is law considered to be a part of the humanities?

A: Law impacts every aspect of humanity in terms of personal, social and cultural contexts, making it a very important subject for scholars in the humanities.

Q: What are the social sciences?

A: The social sciences are the academic disciplines that focus solely on the study of society. Sociology, the study of society itself, is the most well-known of the social sciences.

Q: What areas of the humanities are considered to be social sciences?

A: Technology, linguistics, anthropology, law, and communications are all considered to be social sciences.