The departments and programs of the Humanities Division are committed to the study of human meaning as it is expressed in diverse languages, explained in diverse literatures, and reflected upon from diverse philosophical and religious perspectives. Students seek to understand the values and purposes that make practices and systems worthwhile. In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to critically consider how individuals and communities make sense of their world is an essential skill. Explore majors, minors, concentrations, and academic programs in the humanities.
Arabic Studies
Chinese
Cinema Studies
Classical Civilization
Classics
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Comics and Cartoon Studies
Digital Humanities
Disability Studies
English
Environmental Humanities
Ethics
News from Humanities
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Gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences can help our students make the most of their college careers. To do this, CAS needs your support. Your contributions help us ensure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring, and support services are fully available to every student. Thank you!
World-Class Faculty in the Humanities
Stephen Shoemaker
Professor of Religious Studies
Stephen Shoemaker teaches courses about Christian traditions and is a prolific contributor to research related to ancient and early medieval Christian traditions in early Byzantine and Near Eastern Christianity.
Shoemaker has received research fellowships over the years and received two in 2024 to complete the translation of the earliest surviving Christian hymnal from sixth-century Jerusalem, which is in Old Georgian. The fellowships include one from the National Endowment for the Humanities for 2024–2025 and a Senior Fellowship funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).
He recently published The Quest of the Historical Muhammad and Other Studies on Formative Islam (2024) and is the co-author of The Capture of Jerusalem by the Persians in 614 CE (2024).
Stacy Alaimo
Professor of English
Stacey Alaimo’s research explores the intersections between literary, artistic, political, and philosophical approaches to environmentalism. She has published three books and more than 60 scholarly articles, on such topics as toxins, gender and climate change, environmental justice, queer animals, Anthropocene feminisms, marine science studies, the blue humanities, and new materialist theory.
Her concept of trans-corporeality has been widely taken up in the arts, humanities and sciences. She has been interviewed many times in print and podcasts. Her work has been translated into at least 12 languages and has inspired several art exhibitions.
Her fourth book, The Abyss Stares Back: Encounters with Deep Sea Life (2025), explores the science and aesthetics of deep-sea creatures since the 1930s. Alaimo currently serves as the English department’s director of graduate studies and is a core faculty member in the Environmental Studies Program.
Lowell Bowditch
Professor of Classics
Lowell Bowditch is the head of the Department of Classics. Her research explores the interface between the literature and socio-political relations of Augustan Rome.
Her newest project addresses issues of free speech and censorship in the early imperial age. She explores this through the work of Ovid in the context of the growing authoritarianism of the Augustan regime, with the planned book to draw comparisons with the contemporary political landscape.
Her previous work focused on love elegy and Roman imperialism from postcolonial perspectives. Along with multiple articles and research papers, she is the author of two books and a commentary, including the most recent, Roman Love Elegy and the Eros of Empire (London and New York 2023).
Bowditch came to the UO in 1993 and particularly enjoys mentoring classics undergraduates and master’s students.
Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages
At the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages (SGSL), UO students engage with diverse cultures, languages, histories, and lifeways across the world. Students of the humanities, from Cinema Studies to Religious Studies, will broaden and deepen their education in their field by viewing it—and experiencing it—through a global lens. GSL prepares our graduates for life after college with an interdisciplinary curriculum, innovative language teaching, abundant learning opportunities outside the classroom, and paths of study that lead to many options for real-world careers.
Research in the Humanities
Inquiry in humanities fields centers around our collective human experience. Our stories are told in many forms, be it a script, a screenplay, a religious text, in literature or in folktales. Researchers in the humanities employ tools of analysis to explore the long history and rapidly changing landscape of ideas, values and beliefs that coalesce in a different sort of knowledge about reality and human life.
2024-2025 Sponsored Research in Humanities
Between July 2024 and June 2025, researchers in CAS received $83 million to fund 199 research projects, including $1.5 million for Humanities. The research projects, which span divisions and fields of study, represent CAS's commitment to curiosity, discovery, and innovation.
Explore Other Majors and Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences
Meet our Dean
Welcome to the humanities!
With the human condition as our starting point, and an orientation spanning the past, present, and far into the future, the humanities at the University of Oregon address society’s core human questions of meaning, making, communication, and understanding.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, humanities span disciplinary fields, such as literature and languages, folklore, theatre and cinema, philosophy, classics, and religious studies. Our faculty teach students key humanistic skills such as writing, critical analysis, logical reasoning, translation, and expression. Our programs emphasize the liberal arts through engaged student learning, and our students are trained by the UO’s world-class research faculty to be resilient thinkers, capable of bringing their humanistic insights to bear on a transforming world.
Like any other time of rapid change, whether the Industrial Revolution or the technological revolution, thinkers of the human condition reflect and analyze human experiences and make it possible to share them. Through its many disciplines, the humanities inspire communication, uniting diverse communities in a common path, helping us address some of our most pressing human concerns.
We hope you will explore the humanities at the UO.
Erica Bornstein
Divisional Associate Dean, Humanities
Happening at CAS
Find daily ways to engage your career curiosity with workshops, local industry tours, alumni panels & networking events, the Spring Career & Internship Expo (4/16), and Practice Interview Day (4/17) that will help you develop skills and connections on the road to career readiness. For a full list of workshops, career tours, networking events, resume reviews, alumni panels, and more, visit career.uoregon.edu/events or register for events in Handshake. Why wait?! Stop by the University Career Center in Tykeson Hall-Garden Level ASAP to get drop-in resume reviews and other career guidance to make the most of your Career Readiness Week!
The University Career Center offers a special thanks to our Spring 2026 Career Readiness Week sponsor: Enterprise Mobility!
FULL LIST OF EVENTS!
Resume Extravaganza (Drop-In Resume Reviews) Wednesday, April 8th, 11am-4pm, Tykeson Hall Commons (1st Floor) Did you know you can have someone review your resume before the Career & Internship Expo? Drop in any time to get feedback on your resume. Don’t have a resume? Come learn how to make one!
Spring Career Closet Pop-Up Thursday, April 9th, 12pm-3pm, EMU Redwood Auditorium (214) Make a first impression that reflects your awesomeness! Browse through new and gently used business casual and professional clothes, and curate a FREE interview-ready outfit!
Career Tour: Healthcare Friday, April 11th, 8:45am-1pm, meet at Ford Alumni Center (RSVP on Handshake Required! Space Limited!) Thinking about a career in healthcare? Have we got a Friday morning for you! Hop on the bus and let’s go explore McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield for a behind-the-scenes tour and Q&A with healthcare leaders just for UO students!
Building your Network: LinkedIn & Beyond (Workshop) Friday, April 10th, 2pm-2:45pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Learn how to build meaningful professional connections, both online and in person. We’ll cover how to create or update your LinkedIn profile, reach out for informational interviews, and make the most of networking opportunities at the UO and beyond.
Curious about the Career & Internship Expo (Virtual Info Session) Monday, April 13th, 12pm-1pm via Zoom (Register in Handshake) Learn the ins and outs of navigating the in-person Career & Internship Expo, updating your Handshake profile, researching employers, and how to present yourself authentically during the expo.
So, You want to learn about Grad School (Workshop) Tuesday, April 14th, 2:30pm-3:15pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Whether you are just exploring or already researching programs, this workshop will help you make sense of your options. We will break down different types of degrees, how to find and compare programs, and what to expect in the application process so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Your Future in Tech + Connect (Networking) Tuesday, April 14, 4pm-6pm, EMU Crater Lake Rooms Join us for a special industry-connection night dedicated to helping you get career ready for your future in Tech. Participate in small group networking with tech professionals and alumni to get advice on career-building opportunities and connections.
Interviewing Strategies for Success (Workshop) Wednesday, April 15th, 12pm-12:45pm, Tykeson Hall Garden Level 50P (University Career Center-Conference Room) Learn how to prepare with confidence, answer common (and tricky) interview questions, and communicate your strengths clearly. We will also share helpful tools and resources you can use before your next interview.
Opportunity Hub (Panel + Networking) Wednesday, April 15th , 3:30pm-5pm, EMU Crater Lake Rooms (146) Following panel from 3:30pm-4pm, Grab a snack and rotate through casual small group chats with alumni, professionals, and employers to learn more about their companies (like Nike, Pinterest, Teach for America and more!), career paths, and get advice about how to find career-building opportunities and connections for your future.
Job Shadow Day Interest Meeting
Wednesday, April 15th, 4pm-5pm, Tykeson Commons Come learn about Job Shadow Day happening on May 15th and how getting outside your comfort zone for one Friday with mystery mentors can jumpstart your career exploration!
BizCareers: Internships Spring into Fall Ready (Panel + Networking) Wednesday, April 15th, 5:30-8pm, Lillis 182 & Atrium INTERNSHIPS! How to find them, prepare for, apply, and land them!
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Internship Stories Panel, 5:30-60, Lillis 182 Hear practical, applicable insights from a panel of alumni, industry partners who hire, and students who successfully navigated the process during an internship prep panel focused on networking, referrals, timing, applications, and more.
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Internship Power Prep Round Tables (with FOOD!), 6:30-8pm, Lillis Atrium Stay for a structured roundtable Q&A, exploring four essential topics—researching companies and people, getting started with networking, building resilience during the search process, and developing mentorship and ongoing relationships. You will practice asking great questions, get personalized advice, and walk away with actionable next steps you can use immediately.
Spring Career & Internship Expo
Thursday, April 16th, 12pm-4pm, EMU Ballrooms
Get curious about your future and make connections with cool employers! Find your career fit with over 60+ employers comprised of a variety of industries and organizational types--all on-campus and excited to share more with you about early career talent opportunities.
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First Career & Internship Expo? Or just a little nervous? Come early and get a low-stress, behind-the-scenes Expo Preview & Tour (11:15am-noon, EMU Ballrooms) and learn how to navigate the expo and make a good first impression with employers.
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Take part in the Expo Scavenger Hunt to win prizes and have fun conversation starters with employers.
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Want to make a great first impression? Bring copies of your resume and wear an outfit that reflects your confidence, personality, and professionalism.
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While you are all dressed up, get a FREE Professional Headshot taken to add to your LinkedIn!
Friday, April 17th, 12pm-4pm (30-45 minutes each), Tykeson Hall 1st Floor Commons Come practice commonly asked interview questions and get active feedback from experienced professionals and career coaches on your communication style, professionalism, and more. Drop-ins are welcome!
2:00–5:00 p.m.
Doing group programming projects for the first time? Want to participate in the open-source software community? Learn the basics of Git and common software development workflows through the GitHub Desktop app in this interactive workshop. This workshop is intended for students with prior programming experience, but no prior experience with Git/GitHub is required. This workshop will be hosted in 220 Deschutes.
Skills covered include:
- Why version control?
- The GitHub platform
- Git workflows: pull, commit, push, repeat
- Software development principles
- Branching, forking
Please bring a laptop with GitHub Desktop installed. This workshop is in-person only; coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.
Have any questions? Contact us.
7:00 p.m.
Please join the Department of History for the April pub lecture. Ocean Howell will discuss "Founders, Foreigners, and Swindlers: Land Claims in Mexican and American San Francisco, 1822 - 1865."
Free and open to everyone!
The UO Department of History presents a series of talks with scholars about history, from the local to the global. Join us for stories, food, and conversation in a casual setting!
7:00 p.m.
Please join the Global Justice Program for a lecture on "Israel: What Went Wrong?" by Omer Bartov, an Israeli-American scholar and Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University.
This lecture will provide a gist of Bartov's forthcoming book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, to be published in April 2026. The book explores the tragic transformation of Zionism, a movement that sought to emancipate European Jewry from oppression, into a state ideology of ethno-nationalism. How is it possible that a state founded in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, an event that gave legitimacy to a national home for the Jews, stands credibly accused of perpetrating large-scale war crimes? How do we come to terms with the fact that Israel’s war of destruction is being conducted with the support, laced with denial and indifference, of so many of its Jewish citizens? Tracing the roots of the violent events currently unfolding in Israel and the occupied territories, the book tracks Israel’s moral tribulations and considers the origins of Zionism; the intertwining of its independence with Palestinian displacement; the politics of the Holocaust; controversies over the term "genocide"; and the uncertain future.
Bartov is an Israeli-American scholar and Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University. He has written widely on war crimes, interethnic relations, and genocide. Recent books, published in multiple languages, include Anatomy of a Genocide: The Life and Death of a Town Called Buczacz (2018), which won the National Jewish Book Award, and Genocide, the Holocaust and Israel-Palestine: First-Person History in Times of Crisis (2023), named Choice 2024 Outstanding Academic Title. Bartov’s essays and commentaries have been widely featured in national and international magazines and media outlets. His new book, Israel: What Went Wrong? will be published in April 2026 by FSG in the US and Penguin/Random Books in the UK.