College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Danielle MacCartney, interim dean

College of Humanities and Social Sciences website (external to catalog)

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Mission Statement

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences will embrace the shared values of our disciplines: free inquiry and debate; equity and justice, academic and intellectual rigor and integrity; intense curiosity and the pursuit of truth. We will collaborate actively; among colleges, among departments, and with the students and the communities we serve. We will teach and learn in a spirit and practice that is broad-minded, radically inclusive, utterly respectful and grounded in critical and humane thought. We will honor knowledge for its own sake and for its ability to make change in the world. We will assert our values, our methods, our standards, and our ideas. We believe that the Humanities and Social Sciences are the foundation of good citizenship and good stewardship, locally, nationally, and globally.

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Degree Distinctions

International Distinction

The student must have a significant, practical, international field experience in a country other than his or her native country. This experience may be an internship, community service, volunteer work with a nongovernmental organization or other organization, paid employment in the second country, or other field experience that is proposed and approved

The approval process involves submission of the proposed plan, identifying what the student will accomplish, and who will be involved, i.e. supervisor of the actual field experience, contact person at the University, etc. The student will work with his or her advisor and the Director of the Center for International Education in developing the plan for the international field experience. Prior to the field experience, the student must receive approval of the plan from the department in which the student expects to receive her or his undergraduate degree.

Approval must also be given by the Academic Director (or appointee) of the country in which the field experience will take place. Approval forms will be available electronically. During the field experience, a journal will be kept and will be handed in at the end of the experience along with a written synopsis of the field experience. The department will determine if the experience was acceptable or unacceptable.

Students should register for ISTL 2500 for 3-5 credit hours. Grade will be pass or fail. A minimum of 10 hours and a maximum of 20 hours per week will be spent doing the field experience.

Study Abroad Distinction

Students must have completed at least one term of study (eight weeks) as a full-time student at a Webster University international campus or a Webster University affiliated campus abroad. This campus must be a campus other than the student's home campus.

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English Department

Karla Armbruster, chair

Majors and Degrees

• Creative Writing (BA)
• English (BA)
• English (BA) with an Emphasis in Drama and Playwriting

Minors

• Creative Writing
• English
• Professional Writing

Department Mission

The English Department’s curriculum is designed to demonstrate the interaction of literature with every area of human values and human concern. Literature courses focus on the traditions of English and American literature but also include literature in translation. In addition to courses that focus on the literatures of specific regions and eras, many of our courses cut across those lines to examine specific themes or genres as manifested in literary works from a range of places and time periods. Creative writing workshops include not only analysis of exemplary works of literature but serious attention to students’ own writing.

Special Study Opportunities

Internships: Creative Writing and English majors have recently interned at places like St. Louis Magazine, River Styx Magazine, the St. Louis Art Museum, Less Annoying CRM, and Spectrum Healthcare. Our students earn course credit for internships.

Practicum: Practicum courses provide our students with hands-on experiences in real-world work. Like Instagram or X (formerly Twitter)? Apply to be our Department's Social Media Manager. Are you a minor in Marketing, PR, or Advertising? Apply to be the English Department Marketing Assistant. Want to build your research skills? Work as a research assistant to a faculty member. Into editing? Work on The Green Fuse or the Mercury!

Departmental Honors: Outstanding English and Creative Writing majors can meet the qualifications to write Honors Thesis in their final semester. See the main English Department page for more detail.

Career Preparation: Has anyone ever asked you, "What are you going to do with that major?" After taking ENGL 2000: What's Next? The English Major After Graduation, you'll be able to tell them, "Anything I want." This 1-hour course prepares our majors for their career search: Write resumes, build networks, attend mock interviews, hear from alumni with rewarding careers, and research how English and Creative Writing majors are great fits in almost any field or profession.

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Global Languages, Cultures and Societies Department

Elsa Fan, chair

Majors and Degrees

• Anthropology and Sociology (BA)
• Global Studies (BA)
• Languages and Transcultural Studies (BA) with an Emphasis in French
• Languages and Transcultural Studies (BA) with an Emphasis in Spanish

Minors

• Anthropology: Archaeology Focus
• Cultural Anthropology
• French
• German
• Japanese
• Sociology
• Spanish

Certificates

• French Translation
• Spanish Translation

Department Mission

The Department of Global Languages, Cultures and Societies at Webster University brings together interdisciplinary faculty expertise spanning anthropology, sociology, literature, language and global studies to help students live and thrive in an increasingly interconnected global environment. Students in the department develop the skills to understand and critically engage with the consequences of complex flows of people, goods, ideas, conflicts and social problems across borders. Students hone critical thinking, language fluency, intercultural competence and holistic knowledge of important global social problems to prepare them for careers in business, economic development, non-profit sector, government and international organizations, and culture industries.

Departmental Academic Advising

Students majoring in one of the programs administered by the Global Languages, Cultures and Societies department are encouraged to seek the direction of a Global Languages, Cultures and Societies faculty advisor as early in their studies as possible. A departmental faculty advisor will help assess and plan the student's program of study, focusing on the student's specific academic and career goals. The diversity of activities for which students are preparing themselves urges this approach: some students are seeking careers in teaching, social service, museums, historical societies, nonprofit organizational settings, or corporations, while others are preparing for admission to graduate and professional training programs.

Special Study Opportunities

Language Offerings: Chinese (Mandarin), English as a Second Language, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. When there is sufficient interest, other languages are also offered, such as American Sign Language, Italian, Latin and Russian.

Teaching Assistants: The department employs teaching assistants from Argentina, France, Germany or Austria, and Japan who incorporate contemporary culture from their countries into their courses and organize extracurricular cultural events like language tables.

Study Abroad/Exchange Programs: There is an exchange of students as assistant instructors between Webster University and the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina, and between Webster University and the French Ministry of Education. Advanced students of Spanish and French have the opportunity to apply for these teaching assistantships. Webster University offers an exchange program with Kansai University in Japan. Study abroad programs in France, Belgium, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Austria and Germany are also available through the university. The minor in Anthropology: Archeology Focus offer the unique opportunity to study abroad at the Athens campus where students may experience firsthand many of the social-cultural issues introduced in the classroom.

Research Experience: Numerous opportunities for collaborative research with the faculties ongoing projects.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available to help students participate in these international experiences. Contact the department faculty and the Office of Study Abroad to learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Language Recognition Credit

Language Recognition Credit is designed for students who already have proficiency in a second language. Students who enroll in their first 3-credit language course (other than 1070/1080 and 1090) at Webster, and complete the course with a grade of "B" or better (not "B-"), will be awarded recognition credit. Up to 12 recognition credit hours can be earned. Students must apply for Recognition Credit and pay a $10 processing fee. RC are Webster credits and are applicable to requirements for a minor, certificate, or a major in a foreign language. Please contact the department for more information.

English as a Second Language

Based on test scores submitted during the admission process and through diagnostic testing, students may be enrolled in two to three terms of ESLG courses. Students may also be referred to the ESL program for advising, testing or possible ESL placement by faculty or staff. Undergraduate students can use ESLG classes as elective credits, and a record of their achievement in all ESLG courses is posted on their official University transcripts. See the ESLG course listings in the Course Description section of this catalog for descriptions of individual courses. Undergraduate students can take ESLG courses for credit up to 36 credit hours.

St. Louis ESL Program Information: The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at Webster University in St. Louis combines instruction in English with coursework in other academic disciplines. Courses offered in the ESL program are labeled ESLG in this catalog and in University course listings. With the help of an academic advisor, students enroll in appropriate ESLG courses along with an additional undergraduate course offered in cooperation with the St. Louis ESL program. This combination of ESL coursework with study in another discipline is designed to increase the students' academic skills proficiency while providing them with practical experience in using and understanding spoken and written academic English.

Special Requirements

Courses completed with a grade lower than "C" do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major. Courses at the 3000-level may only be taken as pass/fail with permission of the chair of the department.

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History, Politics and International Relations Department

Kristen Anderson Morton, chair

Majors and Degrees

• History (BA)
• Interdisciplinary Studies (BA)
• International Relations (BA)
  Optional emphasis areas:
  • International Economics
  • Migration and Refugee Studies
• Political Science (BA)
• Political Science (BA) with an Emphasis in Public Law
• Self-Designed Interdisciplinary Major (BA)

Minors

• History
• International Relations
• Political Science
• Religious Studies

Certificates

• Diplomacy and International Organizations

Pre-Professional Program

• Pre-Law

Department Mission

The Department of History, Politics and International Relations educates students for the insight, perspectives and skills necessary for global citizenship. Study in the department equips students with the knowledge to understand, analyze and interact with a complex world. Bridging the humanities and social sciences, the department offers complementary areas of specialization in the majors of history, political science, international relations and the individualized major in religious studies. The faculty value diversity, inclusion, individualized attention and personal growth. Study in the department develops the critical thinking, writing, speaking and analytical skills necessary for the changing career possibilities in our fast-paced world.

Special Study Opportunities

Internships: Students intern with a variety of companies, non-profit organizations and government institutions both in the United States and overseas. Local internship placements have included the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, KETC-TV, Legal Services of Missouri, the American Civil Liberties Union, Monsanto/Bayer, Anheuser-Busch, the Missouri State Legislature and various Congressional offices. Farther afield, students have held internships with United States Congressional Committees in Washington, the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, the International Red Cross and the World Health Organization in Geneva, and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in Lyon, France, among other organizations. Through a special arrangement with the French Embassy in the U.S. and the Centre Francophone at Webster, we are also able to offer students the opportunity to intern with French government institutions in the Innovation Policy Internship Program.

Study Abroad: The Department of History, Politics and International Relations encourages all students to pursue the opportunities available at Webster campuses in Europe, Asia and Africa. There are rich offerings in history, political science and international relations at our programs in Vienna, Austria; Athens, Greece; Leiden, The Netherlands; and Geneva, Switzerland. Students can also take courses in religious studies at many of the Webster campuses and at our partner institutions in Japan and China.

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Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies

Lindsey Kingston, director

Majors and Degrees

• International Human Rights (BA)

Minors

• International Human Rights

Certificates

• International Human Rights

Institute Mission

The Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies is the interdisciplinary academic home for the international human rights program and combines curricular and co-curricular programming to support human rights education.

Special Study Opportunities

Student researchers tackle some of the world’s most challenging human rights problems while writing their senior theses (“Human Rights Senior Overview,” HRTS 4600), and undergraduate researchers from around the globe contribute to Webster’s Righting Wrongs: A Journal of Human Rights (blogs.webster.edu/humanrights/).

The “Human Rights Field Experience” (HRTS 4500) awards three credits for 100 hours of human rights-related internship or volunteer experience. Students have partnered with organizations centered on refugee resettlement, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, disability rights, poverty alleviation, racial equality, and more.

Hybrid study abroad opportunities give students the chance to pair online coursework with short-term, intensive study during Summer, Fall, and Spring Breaks. Course options include studying Indigenous rights and the rights of nature in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest; learning about social justice and the coffee industry in Costa Rica; exploring human rights careers and museum representation in Washington, D.C.; and studying migration in Italy.

Fellows

• Kristen Anderson Morton, History, Politics, and International Relations
• Francesco Arese Visconti, Media Communications and Photography (Geneva)
• Elsa Fan, Global Languages, Cultures and Societies
• Jubin Goodarzi, History, Politics, and International Relations (Geneva)
• Morgon Grotewiel, Psychology
• Dana Hill, International Human Rights
• Michael Hulsizer, Psychology
• Danielle MacCartney, Law, Crime and Social Justice
• Andrea Miller, Global Languages, Cultures and Societies
• Paul Moriarty, Philosophy
• Kate Parsons, Philosophy
• Kelly-Kate Pease, History, Politics, and International Relations
• Warren Rosenblum, History, Politics, and International Relations
• Nives Rumenjak, International Relations (Leiden)
• Sheetal Shah, Behavior/Social Science (Leiden)
• Jody Spiess, Nursing
• Dongling Zhang, Global Languages, Cultures and Societies

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Law, Crime and Social Justice Department

Robin Jefferson Higgins, chair

Majors and Degrees

• Criminology and Criminal Justice (BA)
• International Law (LLB)
• Legal Studies (BA)
• Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (BA)

Minors

• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Legal Studies
• LGBTQ Studies
• Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Certificates

• Paralegal Studies

Pre-Professional Program

• Pre-Law

Department Mission

The Law, Crime and Social Justice Department is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary department committed to developing intellectual skills of critical thinking and analysis. Through a student-centered approach, faculty inspire students to engage with local, national and international communities to create a more just world. Courses in the department examine the structures of law, crime and society and investigate how assumptions about race, sex/gender, class and sexuality both reproduce and resist hierarchies of power. The department focus is on preparing students for further study in law, crime and justice, while cultivating real world practical skills that can be applied in a wide array of growing careers in law, crime and social justice.

Special Study Opportunities

Internships: Students have the opportunity to participate in an internship course which allows students to connect classroom learning with practical experience.

Study Abroad: Students may participate in a summer hybrid study abroad program dedicated to the study of law in Leiden, the Netherlands, the most prominent hub of international law in the world. During this study abroad program, students visit such locations as the International Court of Justice in the Peace Palace, the International Criminal Court, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and other law-related governmental agencies, e.g. Eurojust, the judicial arm of the U.N. agencies.

Departmental Academic Advising

Early in a departmental advisee's residence, a departmental faculty advisor is assigned to help assess and plan the student's program of study, focusing on the student's specific academic and career goals.

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Philosophy Department

Bruce Umbaugh, chair

Majors and Degrees

• Philosophy (BA)
  Emphasis areas:
  • Art and Creativity
  • Ethics and Social Justice
  • Individualized Emphasis

Minors

• Philosophy

Department Mission

The Philosophy Department cultivates habits of thinking critically and communicating effectively about significant matters to help people live more meaningful, creative and productive lives.

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