Programs

What Is HCOM?

Our mission is to prepare you to be an ethical, creative, and critical thinker and doer in a multicultural and increasingly interconnected global society. Toward that end, we offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary humanities and liberal arts education for the 21st century.

Our major integrates the traditional disciplines of literature, history, philosophy, rhetoric, communication, journalism, media studies, and creative writing with the contemporary fields of ethnic studies (Chicana/o - Latina/o, African American, Asian American, Euro American, Native American), American studies, women's studies, cultural studies, and media studies. Unlike other universities where these fields are offered as separate majors, our interdisciplinary program explores how these fields interrelate. Within this integrated overall curriculum, you also will be able to focus on particular aspects of these fields in one of the following concentrations:

• Africana Studies
• Chicana/o - Latina/o Studies
• Comparative American Studies
• Creative Writing and Social Action
• History, Oral History and New Media
• Journalism and Media Studies
• Literary and Film Studies
• Peace Studies
• Practical and Professional Ethics
• Pre-Law
• English Subject Matter Preparation Program
• Women's Studies
• Writing and Rhetoric

What will I gain by choosing to major in HCOM?
Preparing yourself for professional schools, graduate programs, and the workplace of the new millennium will require broad knowledge, multicultural communication skills, creative talents, and outstanding writing and critical thinking abilities.

Our program is built on the assumptions that:
1. The will and ability to think and communicate ethically, creatively, critically, and effectively are key to meaningful human existence;
2. Multicultural and historical knowledge are key to building peace and social equality;
3. Study across various disciplines leads to an integrated understanding of world issues and problems; and
4. Knowledge is most meaningful when it is applied ethically, critically, and creatively toward concrete social goals and needs.

We encourage multiple ways of learning and knowing.
As "new humanists" you will study literature and develop your own creative expression. You will hear untold stories and help create the memory of the future. You will be encouraged to learn history and to make history in the field, in the archives, and through multimedia. You will approach communication study through ethical inquiry and inclusive, invitational dialogue, prioritizing values of care, compassion, equality, respect, and mutual understanding. Moreover, you will apply your knowledge to concrete, socially engaged projects.
Majoring in HCOM will prepare you to meet the realities of 21st-century life and work. Most graduates in the next decade are expected to change professions at least five times.

What courses should I take to prepare to major in HCOM if I will be entering CSUMB as a freshman?
If you are coming to CSUMB from high school, then you should fulfill all requirements for admission to the CSU system. Check with your high school guidance counselor to get the details and a CSU admissions application. We also recommend that you take courses in composition, U.S. History and English.