Departments

The American Studies major examines the sweep of American experience, society, culture, and civilization from a variety of viewpoints.

Arabic study at BYU stresses facility in speaking a colloquial dialect and fluency in reading the press.

The study of Chinese accesses the literature, thought, culture, and society of the world’s largest population with the longest cultural continuum.

This degree allows for study of the humanities within a comparative context not normally found in single-discipline graduate programs.

Along with the ability to use current technology, DigHT minors develop the ability to think soundly about using current technology.

The minor provides useful preparation for careers that require special attention to the English language, such as advertising and technical writing.

English M.A. graduates show mastery in areas of effective presentation and publication, thesis production and defense, discrete area mastery, and pedagogy and teaching.

The English major provides a detailed knowledge of the English language and of literature written in English.

The English language major is in many ways similar to the linguistics major, though its focus is more specifically on English linguistics.

French is a valuable research and communication tool for students in music, art, history, European studies, international relations, library science, and comparative literature.

The departmental MA concentrates on establishing a solid foundation in French studies with a particular emphasis on literature and analytical skills.

Students of German language and literature develop fluency and sensitivity to language, appreciation for cultural heritage, and contributions and diversity of other peoples.

The BYU Hebrew program offers courses and minors in both Biblical and Modern Hebrew.

The term humanities refers to the study of human intellectual and artistic creativity and the record of human experience as seen in the arts.

In the International Cinema Studies minor, students explore the history and criticism of film and moving-image media from diverse cultures while developing skills in analytic thought and writing.

Italian is a valuable research and communication tool for students in music, art, history, European studies, international relations, library science, and comparative literature.

The study of Japanese at the university level will provide students an opportunity to develop high level communication skills to acquire a greater understanding of Japan and its people.

At BYU reading and writing as well as speaking and listening is the emphasis of Korean studies. Basic course work emphasizes linguistic skill and literary value and tradition.

The purpose of the linguistics MA program is closely related to the department’s definition of linguistics: the scientific study of language.

Linguistics is the study of language in all its aspects: speech sounds, sentence formation, meaning, how language is organized and used in a social setting, and how it is organized and processed in the brain.

From its inception in ancient Greece down to the present, philosophy has sought to understand the world and the place of human beings within it.

Portuguese boasts vibrant literature that stands at the forefront of twentieth-century excellence and innovation, a linguist’s paradise of dialects, rapid change, and development.

Students will benefit from the department’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading MA programs in Portuguese and are routinely accepted into premier PhD language programs.

Students will develop fluency as well as sensitivity to their own language and cultural heritage, to the contributions and diversity of other peoples, and to advantages of international perspectives.

The SLaT MA program uniquely prepares students with second language teaching skills that are based on sound teaching theories that build on and go beyond the scientific study of language.

The BYU Scandinavian Studies program is an interdisciplinary academic program teaching the cultures and languages of the Nordic region.

Students will benefit from the department’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading MA programs in Spanish and are routinely accepted into premier PhD language programs.

Spanish boasts vibrant literature that stands at the forefront of twentieth-century excellence and innovation, a linguist’s paradise of dialects, rapid change, and development.

The TESOL M.A. prepares students to conduct professional research and perform language assessments.

TESOL minor students are qualified for many overseas positions teaching English as a foreign language.

The women’s studies minor educates students in the findings, theories, and methodologies fundamental to the women’s studies field, while fostering critical thinking and superior scholarship.