10 Innovative College Programs and Majors for Humanities Lovers

Whether you’re going off to college soon, you’re already well on your way in your college journey, or you already have a major and you’re looking to see what else is out there, the humanities are a wide world of educational disciplines and opportunities. Even though there are plenty of well known humanities majors to choose from, they might not completely fit your career or academic goals — and this leaves room for exploration into other, more innovative college programs and majors that might fit your interests and ideas a bit better.

If you have a niche interest or want to dive into a different field of study, there are so many majors that you can look into if you want to specify your field and explore something innovative. While new majors seem like they’re being developed regularly in STEM, the humanities are no stranger to interesting programs. If you want to think outside the box, here are ten innovative college programs that could be for you.

1. Tech Theatre

Theatre and performing arts majors are great for those who truly love the performance aspect of drama, music, and theatre. However, if you happen to love the aspects of theatre beyond performance, a tech theatre program may be more suited to you. Tech theatre is more about set design, lighting, and stage management. It’s about the elements around creating theater, not just the participation of it.

2. Ethics

Interested in philosophy, religion, morals, and ideas surrounding those subjects, ethics could be a great major for you. Ethics is all about asking important questions, studying texts that explore them, and engaging in discussions with your peers.

3. Religious Studies

Religious studies aren’t just about becoming a religious leader or studying your own specific religious beliefs. Studying religion is about learning about the cultures of the world and various spiritual practices. You can use this to become a teacher or even a media consultant depending upon your own goals and interests.

4. Gender Studies

If you’re interested in gender, sexuality, and modern culture’s relationship to those things, gender studies major could be for you. You’ll read different texts, look at cultural applications within context, and discuss those ideas with your peers.

5. Linguistics

Linguistics is the study of language and the way language is formed and used over time. Whether you speak foreign languages or you simply love the study of language and want to learn more and expand, linguistics might be the perfect field for you to dive into. 

6. Comparative Literature

Comparative literature is a major that many people have heard of, but many simply don’t understand. Essentially, it’s the study of the similarities and differences between texts of two or more cultures and languages. Usually, this requires an advanced study of at least two languages and an understanding of the literature explored within them.

7. Philosophy

Philosophy is one of the most common college electives, but most don’t choose to major in the subject. It involves reading and analyzing historical texts, pondering some of life’s great questions, and expressing a nuanced understanding of those subjects. It certainly isn’t easy, but for those interested, it can be the den of knowledge you’ve been craving.

8. Creative Writing

If you like the idea of majoring in English because you love to write and dream up your own stories and ideas, you may want to step back a bit. While English majors study works that are already in the cannon, creative writing is where the original ideas and generative work begins. You’ll take workshops, come up with your own original works, and critique alongside your peers. If you want to be a writer, this is a major to think about.

9. Media Criticism

However, if you’d rather go further beyond the English and communications departments into full critique and analysis mode, a media criticism program could be the place you thrive. Learning how to critique media of all kinds precisely and articulately can lead you to many career paths including film criticism and arts journalism. 

10. Interdisciplinary Arts

If you want to major in the arts but simply don’t know which way to go with it all, interdisciplinary arts could be the way forward for you. Interdisciplinary art is a major that involves all kinds of art disciplines, from performance to visual. If you want a broader artistic education, this could be it.

Innovative College Programs

No matter what branch of the humanities you love, finding a major that feels like the perfect fit can sometimes be quite challenging. But there are so many unique majors you can choose from, and when you explore your academic interests with vigor and determination, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. Did any of these programs catch your eye?