School of Arts and Humanities
Explore communication, art, graphic design, theater arts and more.
Our diverse programs empower students to transcend traditional boundaries of thought and action. At the School of Arts and Humanities you’ll become a lifelong learner dedicated to personal growth, intellectual curiosity, and creative passion. Your work in your major will go beyond the classroom, preparing you for success in your career through internships and real world experiences.
Dean's Message
Dear Future Arts and Humanities Students:
Embrace the opportunities and challenges ... Hop on a plane in Texas, and be in Spain in seven hours. Skype your friends in Brazil. Share ideas with students in South Korea and South Africa via video-conferencing classrooms. Champion a global human rights movement on Facebook. With every heartbeat, and tap of a keyboard, our world becomes more interconnected and accessible.
At St. Edward’s University, we prepare you to keep pace with this prolific change and embrace the opportunities and challenges it brings. In the School of Arts and Humanities, it begins by empowering you with knowledge built on proficiencies in writing, literature, language, philosophy, religious studies and the arts. These explorations fuel imaginations and cultivate abilities to think critically, research topics from diverse perspectives and articulate findings and insights through writing, speaking and creative endeavors.
All the while, you'll refine your ideas and voice. Students present and display their work at exhibits and symposia. They publish two award-winning campus journals, Arete and Sorin Oak Review. Students produce and perform classics and original scripts on stage. Students examine arguments and ethics in our Passion and Civility debates and interact with renowned novelists, poets and playwrights in our Visiting Writers Series. Whatever your artistic or scholarly pursuit, you'll hone and share them through your projects and research.
The knowledge and skills acquired in the School of Arts and Humanities extend across academic disciplines and far beyond our Austin, Texas, campus. Our students, for example, immerse themselves in international languages, cultures and business through studies at our partner universities in France, Argentina, Japan and other countries. They explore photography in China and event management in Scotland. They participate in service projects in India, Uganda and Canada.
Amid opportunities like these — grounded in local and global realities — our students see the world and its people in new ways, with understanding and respect. Throughout your educational journey, you'll cultivate qualities such as self-awareness, intentionality, flexibility, empathy and intellectual curiosity.
Above all, you'll discover your passions, strengths and purpose, preparing you to thrive and make a difference in our rapidly changing world.
Sincerely,
Sharon Diane Nell, PhD
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities
Departments
Department of Communication
Students are equipped to thrive in a demanding and innovative field. Read more about this department, the professional and student organizations you can join, available scholarships, and upcoming events.
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Students are challenged to learn about multilingualism and multiculturalism so that they are prepared to live in a global world. Learn about this department and hear what some of our alumni have to say about life after the hilltop.
Department of Literature, Writing and Rhetoric
Students majoring under this department become proficient in the written language and are primed for writing-intensive careers. Discover more about this department, majors and minors available, student organizations you can join, and upcoming events.
Department of Performing Arts
Students train with the best and have the real life experiences needed to excel in the creative field. View more about this department, professional opportunities available such as the Actors’ Equity Association, musical programs you can get involved with and available scholarships.
Department of Philosophy
Gain transferrable life skills such as rational analysis, critical thinking and problem solving. Learn more about this department and how you’ll be prepared for success after graduation — whether through a job or continuing your educational journey.
Department of Religious and Theological Studies
Students explore the meaning and purpose of life through a religious lens. Read about this department, student organizations you can join and available scholarships.
Department of Visual Studies
Students are encouraged to explore their creativity and then cultivate and refine their skills through areas such as graphic design, video, photography, game studies and painting. See more about this department, majors and minors available, student organizations you can join, and our alumni successes.
Meet Our Dean and Our Faculty
Dear Future Arts and Humanities Students:
Embrace the opportunities and challenges ... Hop on a plane in Texas, and be in Spain in seven hours. Skype your friends in Brazil. Share ideas with students in South Korea and South Africa via video-conferencing classrooms. Champion a global human rights movement on Facebook. With every heartbeat, and tap of a keyboard, our world becomes more interconnected and accessible. Hear more from Dean Sharon Nell.
Meet the Faculty
Our exceptional faculty challenge and motivate students to think critically and creatively. As a result, perspectives are broadened and personal transformations begin. We promote the interests, strengths and goals of each student.
We embody a bold spirit of adventure and take students abroad to countries such as France, Thailand, England and Italy. As students engage with diverse cultures and perspectives, they become global citizens.
Arts and Humanities faculty win teaching and advising awards, publish books, have pieces in juried exhibitions, perform in solo shows and contribute to the creative culture of both St. Edward's and Austin. See examples of our faculty’s work, including art exhibitions and photography collections.
Our Events
Centers and Cultural Programs
Our Arts and Humanities programs contribute to a vibrant, creative and intellectual climate at St. Edward’s. We support a number of programs, organizations and institutions, providing opportunities for exploration and self discovery.
Fine Arts Gallery
The Fine Arts Gallery showcases work from students and visiting artists from the Austin community and across the globe.
Hilltop Views
This student-run university newspaper is printed weekly. Readers can also enjoy Hilltop Views online.
Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Mary Moody Northen Theatre (MMNT) stands at the center of the university’s theater training program under the School of Arts and Humanities. The theater operates on a professional model, requiring students to learn all facets of theatrical production and demanding the highest level of commitment and craft in their work.
Visiting Writers Series
The Marcia Kinsey Visiting Writers Series brings working writers, including award-winning novelists, poets and playwrights, to campus to read from their work, talk about their writing and interact with students.
Academic Advising
First-Year Advising
First-year students work with Academic Counseling and Support Programs. Academic counselors help students select and register for classes that are related to your interests and are appropriate for your degree plan.
Upperclassman Advising
Upperclassmen are assigned to an advisor within the School of Arts and Humanities. Find your advisor by accessing Degree Works. See below for how to best address common advising questions.
Questions About Your Major or Degree Plan
Contact your assigned faculty advisor.
Progress on Your Degree and Up-to-Date Degree Audits
Access Degree Works through myHilltop.
Completing a Course Off Campus
Complete the Request To Take Courses Off Campus (RTTCOC) Form and submit electronically for review. To determine courses that are acceptable to take off-campus, see the ACC equivalency guide. Learn more about CLEP Examination.
Contact the Dean's Office at 512-448-8620 for help with:
- Registration
- Course schedules
- Help with registration in myHilltop
- Honors equivalencies
- Registration schedule
Our Alumni Successes
Here are examples of what our Arts and Humanities’ students have accomplished after graduating from St. Edward’s:
- Having work selected for the Austin’s Critics Table awards, which celebrate outstanding achievements in the arts
- Becoming Lady Gaga's fashion director, launching a luxury women's ready-to-wear label and dressing First Lady Michelle Obama
- Interviewing and photographing women ranchers — and touring the collection across Texas
- Earning multiple Fulbright scholarships
- Co-writing and co-directing an award-winning indie film and being a screenwriter for Netflix and Amazon series
- Starting a nonprofit and being nominated for the national CNN Heroes program
Our Mission
Mission Statement
The School of Arts and Humanities cultivates inquiry, critical thinking, and artistic expression through the teaching, learning, scholarship, creative work, initiatives, and organizations of our students and faculty. We foster freedom and responsibility while encouraging the expansion of knowledge, the exploration of values, and the discovery of one's self as an active citizen in the world.
Vision Statement
To fulfill this mission, we work to:
- Prepare students for a rapidly changing world with a wide array of experiences—dynamic courses, research opportunities, internships, service learning, study abroad, and leadership development—so that they may become engaged citizens, creators, and innovators; find rewarding jobs; and appreciate the joys of lifelong learning.
- Create a community of diverse top-tier faculty who excel at teaching, scholarship, service, and mentorship;
- Provide state-of-the-art resources for students, faculty, and staff;
- Engage with the university and local communities through expertise, outreach, and the arts.