Humanities (BA)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Interdisciplinary and Public Humanities
Academic Plan Code(s): See Track Requirements tab.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.

Program Information

The Department of Comparative Humanities explores the question, what does it mean to be human? Using many humanities disciplines such as literature, religion, Jewish Studies, film, philosophy, theatre, music, visual arts, and linguistics, our courses and our major invite students to explore the answers to this question from global, historical, and contemporary viewpoints.

Students are challenged to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills, but they are also challenged to apply what they have learned in creative and complex ways through project-based assignments that inspire them.

As a result, the degree provides flexible, transferable skills that prepare our graduates for the dynamic contemporary job market.

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.

Degree Summary

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Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. 

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Accelerated BA/MA in Humanities

Exceptional humanities majors have the opportunity to accelerate their education and complete both the BA and MA in five years. This 4+1 program is suitable for those students capable of undertaking graduate level work in their senior year.

Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor and be accepted into the program.

A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester, they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

Applicants are expected to have a strong academic record: normally a cumulative GPA of 3.35 or better is required. 

Application and admissions processes are through the Soaring Scholar Program: https://graduate.louisville.edu/academics/programs/soaring

Admission to a Soaring Scholar program does not guarantee admission into the Humanities master’s program.  Soaring Scholar students must apply to the associated graduate program in the last semester of their fourth year, before graduating with the bachelor’s degree, to be considered for the Accelerated Master’s graduate program. They must meet all the requirements for admission to the graduate program at the time of application to be admitted. Learn more about the graduate admissions process and admission requirements for the Humanities Master’s program (https://louisville.edu/humanities/graduate/ma/application-instructions)

Departmental Admission Requirements

Admission to the BA in Humanities requires completion of 15 semester hours and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. 

The Change Major Request form can be found under the Academic Progress tile on ULink.

Accelerated BA/MA in Humanities

• Exceptional humanities majors have the opportunity to accelerate their education and complete both the BA and MA in five years. This 4+1 program is suitable for those students capable of undertaking graduate level work in their senior year. It offers the benefit of an MA degree, which can be particularly valuable for students planning a career in public service and the non-profit sector, as well as those who want to strengthen their skills and knowledge in preparation for PhD program applications. 

• Undergraduate students interested in participating in an accelerated dual bachelor’s/master’s degree offered through the university’s Soaring Scholar Program must first meet with their Academic Advisor and be accepted into the program.

• Applicants are expected to have a strong academic record: normally a cumulative GPA of 3.35 or better is required. 

• A Soaring Scholar student is considered an undergraduate student until their bachelor’s degree is conferred. In their final undergraduate semester (fourth year), they are expected to apply for admission to their respective master's program.

• Application and admissions processes are through the Soaring Scholar Program. Admission to a Soaring Scholar program does not guarantee admission into the Humanities master’s program.  Soaring Scholar students must apply to the associated graduate program in the last semester of their fourth year, before graduating with the bachelor’s degree, to be considered for the Accelerated Master’s graduate program. They must meet all the requirements for admission to the graduate program at the time of application to be admitted. Learn more about the graduate admissions process and admission requirements for the Humanities Master’s program (https://louisville.edu/humanities/graduate/ma/application-instructions).

General Education Requirements

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above).  Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above. 

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Completion of the intermediate level of a single foreign language

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In addition to courses counted toward General Education

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3 hours must be at the 300 level or above

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Additional 3 hours of college programmatic requirement is met in supporting courses.

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May be incorporated into other degree requirements

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Chosen in consultation with the Humanities Advisor

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The same course cannot count for both the core program major requirement and the track requirement. 

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At least 15 elective hours must be earned at the 300 level or above. 

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Students who satisfy General Education Requirements by courses defined by the program will require additional electives to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

Track Requirements

Track in Comparative Cultural Studies 

Academic Plan Code(s): HUM_BA_CLT

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Topic to be chosen in line with student interests. 

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To be chosen in consultation with an academic advisor. 

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To be chosen in consultation with an academic advisor. HUM 590 may be taken twice under different topics. 

Track in Film Studies 

Academic Plan Code(s): HUM_BA_FST

Track in Linguistics

Academic Plan Code(s): HUM_BA_LIN

Track in Religious Studies

Academic Plan Code(s): HUM_BA_REL

Accelerated BA-MA in Humanities 

During the senior year, students accepted into the accelerated option take three 500-level graduate courses (including HUM 590) which will count towards their MA. The graduate credits earned in the courses are doubly counted as undergraduate elective credits and MA credits. For each course the student will provide a form signed by the instructor certifying that the coursework done is at the graduate level. After the final year of the undergraduate program, when all undergraduate requirements are met, the student will be awarded a BA degree.  Students in this option must complete each semester satisfactorily, with none of the undergraduate major courses below a grade of 3.0 and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for graduate coursework.

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Students who take HUM 510 to satisfy their CUE requirement will need to take an additional Religious Studies elective to complete the track's requirements. 

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Electives in Religious Studies may be taken from the following courses: HUM 306, HUM 308, HUM 309, HUM 310, HUM 311, HUM 312, HUM 313, HUM 314, HUM 315, HUM 316, HUM 317, HUM 319, HUM 335, HUM 336, HUM 340, HUM 341, HUM 342, HUM 343, HUM 344, HUM 349, HUM 510, HUM 511, HUM 512, HUM 514, and HUM 516.

Flight Plan

Track in Comparative Cultural Studies

Track in Film Studies

Track in Linguistics 

Track in Religious Studies 

Accelerated BA-MA in Humanities

Students accepted into the accelerated BA-MA in Humanities should meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to modify the year 4 flight plan to incorporate approved graduate courses (including HUM 590) that will count toward both the BA and MA degrees. 

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.