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Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (AHSS)

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Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Cultivating the Life of the Mind

 Anthropology Students
AHSS students work in an anthropology lab.

When you take classes in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS), you join DU's largest and most diverse academic unit, and gain the education and skills necessary to succeed at nearly any career in today's global, communication-based society.

AHSS is where all DU undergraduate students build the foundation of their higher education. All undergraduate students take liberal arts courses with us, and one-third of these students declare an AHSS major. Plus, the majority of our departments and schools offer graduate or PhD programs.

AHSS is home to:


Why study within AHSS?

 classroom
An AHSS classroom, inside Sturm Hall

AHSS students share a common passion for understanding human expression, understanding, identity, and activity as people evolve collectively and individually, across time and space. Our award-winning faculty members incorporate their national and international research and creative endeavors into the classroom to enhance your learning experience.

As an AHSS student, you will learn the theories and techniques of your field as well as the skills to:

Think critically

Alumna Annemarie Vaccaro (MA, sociology, and Ph.D., higher education, '05), assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Rhode Island, strives to practice what she teaches. She and two colleagues published Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth, a nonfiction work that chronicles the lives of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth, weaving together her research, recent news stories, and public policy trends.

Communicate effectively

The Civil War was the largest, bloodiest conflict fought on American soil, but today its geography is often obscure. Susan Schulten, professor and chair in the history department, was chosen to curate the map section of a long-term project for the New York Times commemorating the 150th anniversary of the secession crisis. Schulten used maps to illuminate the crisis and the war it produced.

Gain knowledge to forge new ideas

Kristin Mallinger, graduate student in Electronic Media Arts and Design (eMAD), designs and constructs garments and then integrates electronics into the garment creating a wearable computing experience. Her designs are less a fashion statement than an artful social experiment.

Adapt to different cultures and increase intercultural skills

Jon Parker (BA '08) is a master's degree student in musicology and a graduate teaching assistant at DU. He also is the host and producer of Traveling the World With Music, a TV travel show that explores the connection between music and native foods in different cultures.

Contribute meaningfully

DU alumnus and communication studies Professor Roy Wood served as a founding member of Colorado's Independent Ethics Commission for an unpaid four-year appointment following a nomination from former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. The commission was created with the passage of Amendment 41 — now Article 29 of the Colorado constitution — in November 2007. The article deals with standards of conduct in government, and the amendment was a citizen initiative to clean up influence in state politics.


Liberal Arts Advantage

The Liberal Arts Advantage (LAA) is a program supporting Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences students by enriching their intellectual life beyond the classroom. Its primary goal is to welcome and engage AHSS students into the liberal arts intellectual community by articulating the value of a liberal arts education. It does this in three main ways:

  • It hosts programs and invites students to attend.
  • It assists students in transitioning their liberal arts degrees into careers.
  • It serves as a transitional advising area for students who are between advisers or have unique academic circumstances