Bachelor der Geisteswissenschaften

Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

THE VALUE OF A HUMANITIES DEGREE

The goal of the study of humanities is to provide an education that serves as a foundation for the rest of your life. No university, however great, can teach you everything you need to know for your future. But the value of the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities degree is that you learn how to organize ideas, develop the ability to develop new skills and increase your capacity to solve problems and seize opportunities.

We believe the integration of the classical disciplines provided by an SSU BA degree, combined with our Christian community and our study abroad programs provides an excellent atmosphere for students to receive an education. Students whose quest is spiritual and intellectual formation will learn to think through and articulate their ideas and values within a global perspective.

HUMANITIES MAJORS

Ancient History & Religious Studies

Courses in ancient history & religious studies explore the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean in order to understand the Judeo-Christian tradition within its historical context as well as its contemporary relevance. This informed understanding will offer significant insight into other academic disciplines and the basis for meaningful dialog with other major religions.

History

Students of history seek to understand the lives of people in the past: their ideas, motives, values, customs, circumstances, institutions, actions, and artifacts in order to discover meaning, order, and purpose. Large topics in the history of Western Civilization over the past 2500 years are explored, as well as focused regional and national themes. Students are encouraged to confront essential human questions in the context of Christian and alternative paradigms and in light of the most relevant historiography.

English

The study of English introduces students to the classics of world literature as well as to lesser-known works from antiquity to the present. Students develop an appreciation of the verbal icon and learn skills in textual analysis that enable them to become proficient readers of literature. They develop their understanding of the philosophies that shape literary world-views, and of the relationship between these world-views and the Christian faith.

Philosophy

Philosophy probes major influences throughout the history of ideas and seeks understanding of the thought of the present day. Starting with the pre-Socratic thinkers, studies in philosophy trace the line of formative influences to the present in the Western tradition, and examine also the interaction between philosophy and the Christian faith.

Proudly the smallest university in Canada, St. Stephen's University is a premier Liberal Arts university, only accepting up to 30 students each year . Believing that education happens better in a small learning community in which everybody can contribute, professors share daily life with students, actually getting to know them as friends. In this unique setting, each and every student's innate aptitudes can be recognised and explored, preparing them for a career that fits who they are.

Students live together in a former hotel in a small town in New Brunswick, participating in cooking and cleaning together as well as studying and relaxing. And for two whole terms, they travel the world together as a class , visiting more than a dozen countries in Europe and Asia.

At the core of the university, the staff and faculty are Christians, giving the community a caring foundation of acceptance and inclusion. Students from all backgrounds, spiritual perspectives and stages in life’s journey are welcomed, with no religious entry requirements or mandatory practices. SSU values and enjoys this diversity, and wants to be a place where young adults can be who they really are, and grow in maturity in their intellectual, spiritual, practical, and relational lives.

SSU offers degrees in Humanities, Psychology and International Studies. All degrees provide graduates with the flexibility of mind, a multiplicity of perspectives and an increased capacity for innovation. SSU focuses on teaching students how to think, how to present an argument, how to solve problems and how to relate well to diverse people. Employers love this! The SSU experience opens up a world of possibilities for either further education or a rewarding career, preparing students for life and work and helping them figure out what they want to do. SSU graduates have gone on to study or work in a huge variety of areas including the following: art therapy, business, disaster relief, education, film, fine arts, journalism, law, management, ministry, nursing, politics, social work, theology, and urban planning.