University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) – College of Arts and Humanities
University & College Info April 1, 2013There is probably no field of study that cultivates an appreciation for all the diverse cultures and their means of expression as the Arts and Humanities. The arts have a way of striking a common response in all ages, nationality, race or gender. It is the medium for defining a civilization’s progress, for making in-depth social statements and for revealing the timeless human condition. The humanities are the response to this condition and the natural drive to perfect understanding through mutual communications.
The Mission of University of Maryland (UMD) College of Arts and Humanities
True communications are a shared experience. They involve more than just getting your own point across. They also involve receiving diverse or opposing opinions and evaluating them. This process nurtures the transforming powers of evolved awareness. At UMCP College of Arts and Humanities, students are taught the disciplines of their specialized field, to develop clear and effective writing skills, and establish sensitivity to ethical and ethnic issues.
The Cosmopolitan Outlook
The UMD College of Arts and Humanities visualizes a cross-disciplinary exchange on an International, multi-cultural level that expands through the historical significance of the past to present and futuristic concepts. The courses range from topics such as early slavery, to the modern potential in electronic literature. The studies encourage independent thought, creative expression and the presentation of artistic merit in rapidly changing, information driven world.
UMCP’s Model for Diversity
International and cultural diversity is at the core of all UMCP College of Arts and Humanities studies. There are five main centers within its facilities. These are: The Consortium on Race, Gender and Ethnicity, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora, Latin American Studies Center and the National Foreign Language Center.
UMD makes study abroad easy for students who choose arts and humanities (ARHU) as their University choice for acquiring a degree in advanced academics. Most students only need to complete a minimum of 12 credits when they return to campus, although there is an option for some students to finish their final semester abroad if they choose to do so. Students who are eligible for financial aid can apply their aid to any study abroad program. There are also a number of scholarships available to UMD students who wish to study abroad for both long and short term programs.
Studying abroad helps make students more employable as it increases their global awareness. It exposes them to foreign language skills, cross-cultural understanding and an appreciation of global diversity. All students must complete a “Permission to Study Abroad” form prior to their departure or their enrollment may be canceled.
UMCP College of Arts and Humanities Accomplishments
The UMCP College of Arts and Humanities program is a brave, outspoken statement of the issues facing today’s world. In an upcoming video, “World Wise”, Professor Sahar Mohamed Khamis presents the impact of the Arab Spring on woman’s political activism through the Internet. Art History teacher, Jane Hargrove, received distinguishable honors; the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Letres” was awarded for her contribution to knowledge concerning the cultural heritage of France, and the “Distinguished Teaching of Art History Award” of the College Art Association for her life-long commitment to humanistic disciplines and inspiring a broad cross-section of students.
The ARHU facilities are large and diversified. There are twelve academic buildings, fourteen academic departments and 25-28 possible majors and minors. The staff and faculty welcome the creative thinker, the culturally distinctive and the highly imaginative student as the basis for artistic expression and the development of the humanities. Its motto is to study the past and look to the future to build the global bridges of communications and understanding.