Art, music, philosophy and languages have influenced our culture as much as science
and technology. In today's ever-changing job market, students need to understand
relationships between the many layers and elements of their duties, not just particular job skills.
Four-Year Undergraduate Program
Our Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities graduates succeed because they understand the subtleties and richness of their chosen fields. They know their professional success is directly related to their understanding of the influence of art and culture on the worlds of commerce, education, public service or health care. Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities allows students to combine their studies in music, art, philosophy, foreign languages, history, and literature into a unique program that reflects their own academic interests.
Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in one of three tracks. The traditional track includes music, art, philosophy and history. The language track features selections of foreign languages, literature and history. A third track, creative arts, has the choices of music, art, dance and literature/theater.
Minors include art, music, philosophy or Spanish.
Facilities
The Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities Department has its own facilities, including music media classrooms featuring the latest technologies such as CD, DVD Macintosh and PC labs, VHS and cassette players. We also have a number of practice rooms with Boston upright pianos; Yamaha keyboards, classrooms with Steinway grand pianos, a Model B Steinway concert piano in the Kent Recital Hall, and a Model L Steinway concert piano in Weston Auditorium. The department also has art studios for sculpture, drawing, design, water and oil-based painting; 3-D design computer facilities; art history classrooms; and video, CD-ROM and tape capabilities in language classrooms. Our facilities compare favorably with many of those offered elsewhere in the state.
Performing Organizations
Fitchburg State College provides opportunities for you to participate in a variety of dynamic and exciting performing organizations,
including the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and String Ensemble. Each ensemble features a variety of musical styles ranging from classical to contemporary, from Bach to rock. The groups offer not only a musical
experience but a cultural, social, and educational one. You can earn up to six credits toward your Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement for participation in these musical programs. Among the many performances featured throughout the year are the annual winter and spring concerts, intercollegiate festivals, exchange concerts, honors concerts, plus various college and community sponsored performances and events.
Faculty
If there’s one thing the Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities faculty offers for composers, artists, musicians, and philosophers, it’s a rich and diverse faculty. If music is your interest, you’ll find published composers, performers and conductors with specializations in American music, jazz, musical theatre, women’s music and music technology. Interested in art? Our faculty members are painters and sculptors who have been featured in shows throughout the Northeast. And if you wish to study a foreign language, meet with our faculty members who are fluent in languages including Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The talents of the faculty and the insight they share with you provide a critical element to any college education - an appreciation for the texture of the world around us. This quality allows graduates of Fitchburg State College to succeed in such varied
worlds as finance, education, public service, medicine, law or business.
Internships
A degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities prepares students for roles in many of today’s most dynamic organizations.
Internships compliment the academic skills you acquire at Fitchburg State, giving you the competitive advantage
needed to be successful in the job market. Fitchburg State students who participate in internships return to campus
with renewed enthusiasm for their academics, a better understanding of how their academic work applies to the workplace and a host of valuable contacts for the job search after college.
Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities students find internships
in organizations that reflect their own academic and professional interests, including museums, performing arts series, concert organizations, guilds and other types of businesses. Internships reflect who you are, allowing you to explore career possibilities and validate your academic interests.
Results
The true measure of a college education is how well it meets your personal academic goals and prepares you for life after college. Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities majors acquire the skills that make them attractive to employers in every part of our economy: education, the arts, business, finance, public service, manufacturing, high technology and many others. Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities majors do well in the job market because they develop skills that are always in demand by employers: they read, write, speak, listen, analyze, reason and learn exceptionally well. These skills allow them to break into new markets, learn new ways of doing things and acknowledge important connections
between ideas and events. Many Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities students have careers in education. Other graduates go on to careers in the arts, administration
or with non-profit organizations. Still others pursue careers with insurance companies, manufacturers, financial services, sales organizations and countless other professions. Whatever professional path you choose, you will be well-served by an Interdisciplinary Studies/Humanities degree from Fitchburg State College.
Contact
For more information about the Humanities Department at Fitchburg State College, please contact the Admissions Office for open house and visit options.
