LANGUAGES, CULTURES & HUMANITIES PROGRAMS

The study of languages, cultures, and humanities at UT will help you understand the world and the things that bind us together. These programs will sharpen your critical-thinking skills as you will be challenged to engage in complex analysis of the world, past and present. Our students have the opportunity to study abroad in dozens of countries and learn from internationally recognized professors who welcome their collaboration on research. Career opportunities in this field range from government intelligence to health care and could take you anywhere in the world.

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What you can do with a degree from a language, culture, or humanities program:

Language, culture & humanities careers

Archaeology

Art authentication

Artificial intelligence

Collections management

Domestic and international advocacy

Forensic linguistics

Government intelligence

Humanitarian services

International business

International law

Literacy development

Medicine

Ministry / mission work

Multicultural programming

Preservation and conservation

Psychotherapy

Public relations and marketing

Speech recognition

Teaching

Translation / interpretation

Potential employers

Banks and financial institutions

Colleges and universities

Community education programs

Courts

Federal agencies

Film industry

Hospitals / healthcare

K–12 schools

Libraries

Local churches, synagogues, and mosques

Migrant service providers

Military branches

Museums

News industry

Nongovernmental organizations

Nonprofit organizations

Publishing firms

Research institutions

Residential treatment facilities

Tour and excursion companies

Studying at UT

Research opportunities

As an R1 institution, research is a key element in a UT education. Student research on world language and cultures is regularly published in journals and many present their findings at major conferences. They have access to research libraries and UT’s very own special collections. Our classics students, for example, have the chance to participate in archaeological fieldwork. These opportunities include fieldwork on a tidal islet bay in Greece where excavations from the Early Iron Age have been discovered and a river valley of Morocco, a location that classical mythology indicates may be the Gardens of Hesperides. No matter which language, culture, or humanities program you pursue, you’ll have the opportunity to dig deeper into your field through research.

Internships

Internships give students the chance to explore career paths and gain real-world experience that they can use to build their resumes. Some students stay on campus where they might intern in the Center for the Study of Tennesseans and War assisting with the preservation and distribution of war stories dating as far back as 1700. Others have participated in internships within the local community from the East Tennessee Historical Society to Knoxville’s Beck Cultural Exchange Center, which preserves, nurtures, and teaches Black history and culture.

Studying around the world

Students in all programs are encouraged to spend time earning their degree by learning abroad. Those specifically studying languages, cultures, and humanities have traveled to the United Kingdom, Poland, Brazil, Tanzania, China, and France, to name a few. If you elect to study the language of Spanish, you might have the opportunity to participate in service-learning abroad. Students have gone to Costa Rica, where they spend 30 hours each week engaged in volunteer service while earning credits toward their degree. The university also has a cooperative exchange program with the University of Genoa, Italy, where professors spend time teaching abroad.

Where you’ll study

UT’s College of Arts and Sciences is home to language, culture, and humanities programs where you can study a range of subjects from classical languages to American history to digital humanities to world business and philosophy.

College of Arts and Sciences