College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Elsa Fan, interim dean

College of Humanities and Social Sciences website (external to catalog)

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Mission Statement

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences will embrace the shared values of our disciplines: free inquiry and debate; equity and justice, academic and intellectual rigor and integrity; intense curiosity and the pursuit of truth. We will collaborate actively; among colleges, among departments, and with the students and the communities we serve. We will teach and learn in a spirit and practice that is broad-minded, radically inclusive, utterly respectful and grounded in critical and humane thought. We will honor knowledge for its own sake and for its ability to make change in the world. We will assert our values, our methods, our standards, and our ideas. We believe that the Humanities and Social Sciences are the foundation of good citizenship and good stewardship, locally, nationally, and globally.

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Degree Distinctions

International Distinction

The student must have a significant, practical, international field experience in a country other than his or her native country. This experience may be an internship, community service, volunteer work with a nongovernmental organization or other organization, paid employment in the second country, or other field experience that is proposed and approved

The approval process involves submission of the proposed plan, identifying what the student will accomplish, and who will be involved, i.e. supervisor of the actual field experience, contact person at the University, etc. The student will work with his or her advisor and the Director of the Center for International Education in developing the plan for the international field experience. Prior to the field experience, the student must receive approval of the plan from the department in which the student expects to receive her or his undergraduate degree.

Approval must also be given by the Academic Director (or appointee) of the country in which the field experience will take place. Approval forms will be available electronically. During the field experience, a journal will be kept and will be handed in at the end of the experience along with a written synopsis of the field experience. The department will determine if the experience was acceptable or unacceptable.

Students should register for ISTL 2500 for 3-5 credit hours. Grade will be pass or fail. A minimum of 10 hours and a maximum of 20 hours per week will be spent doing the field experience.

Study Abroad Distinction

Students must have completed at least one term of study (eight weeks) as a full-time student at a Webster University international campus or a Webster University affiliated campus abroad. This campus must be a campus other than the student's home campus.

English and Creative Writing Distinction

Students who do exceptional work on their thesis will be enrolled in ENGL 4910: Thesis with Distinction. The theses of students who receive Thesis with Distinction will be published in the English Department's publication titled The Mercury.

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Department of Language, Literature and Philosophy

Bruce Umbaugh, chair
Anne McIlhaney, associate chair

Majors and Degrees

• Creative Writing (BA)
• English (BA)
• English as a Second Language (non-degree seeking)
• Interdisciplinary Studies (BA)
• Public Engagement and Philosophy

Minors

• Creative Writing
• English
• French
• Japanese
• Philosophy
• Spanish

Certificates

• Technical Writing

Advising

Some students are seeking careers in teaching, social service, media, technology, museums, nonprofit organizational settings, or business organizations, while others are preparing for admission to graduate study in their major or programs in law and health professions, and others have in mind several possible paths they might take after graduation. To help them navigate college successfully, students majoring in one of the programs administered by Language, Literature, and Philosophy are assigned a faculty advisor early in their studies. The departmental faculty advisor will help plan the student's program of study, focusing on the student's specific academic and career goals.

Special Study Opportunities

Internships 
Students can draw upon internship relationships the Department has established and other opportunities that we identify through collaboration with the Impact Center. Recently, students have interned at places such as River Styx magazine, the St. Louis Art Museum, the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, and Spectrum Healthcare.

Undergraduate Research and other Practical Opportunities
Students can have the opportunity to work in partnership with a faculty member funded by a Provost’s Undergraduate Collaborative Research Grant. Students majoring in English or Creative Writing have the opportunity to write a thesis. Students majoring in Public Engagement and Philosophy and in Interdisciplinary Studies complete a research project and write a substantial paper in INDS 4701 Senior Capstone. Students have opportunities to present their work at the annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference each spring, and in December and May at the Research Across Disciplines conference. The Department is also home to student publications: The Green Fuse (for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translation, and playwriting), The Mercury (for literary analysis), and Sophia (for philosophical work).

Language Exchange and Study-Abroad Programs
Advanced students of Spanish and French have opportunities to apply for teaching assistantships in exchange programs between Webster University and the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina, and between Webster University and the French Ministry of Education. In addition to study opportunities at its own global campuses, Webster University offers an exchange program with Kansai University in Japan, as well as study abroad programs in France, Belgium, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Austria, and Germany.

Faculty-led Study Abroad Experiences
Language, Literature, and Philosophy is committed to helping students have transformative experiences studying internationally. To make it easier for many students, faculty have developed short-term, faculty-led experiences built around courses such as ENGL 2250 Literary London and ETHC 2050 Inequality and the Environment. In these special opportunities, students travel with a professor and a group of classmates as part of a course. Often, these are arranged to take place over fall break, spring break, or summer, giving study abroad options for students whose other commitments prevent longer-term programs from being feasible.

Scholarships
Scholarships are available to help students participate in these international experiences. Contact the department faculty and the Office of Study Abroad to learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Career Preparation
Has anyone asked you, “What are you going to do with that major?” After taking a course such as ENGL 2000 (What’s Next? The English Major After Graduation) or PHIL 3000 (Public Engagement and Philosophy Proseminar), you’ll be able to answer, “Anything I want.” These courses help to prepare our majors for their career search and for showing how these majors are great fits in almost any field or profession. Language, Literature, and Philosophy also partners with the Career Planning and Development Center to educate students about career management tools, resume writing, interviewing, networking, and other related topics.

Language offerings
The Department of Language, Literature, and Philosophy offers instruction in American Sign Language, French, Spanish, Japanese, and English as a Second Language.

Language Recognition Credit
Language Recognition Credit is designed for students who already have proficiency in a second language. Students who enroll in their first 3-credit language course (other than 1070/1080 and 1090) at Webster, and complete the course with a grade of "B" or better (not "B-"), will be awarded recognition credit. Up to 12 recognition credit hours can be earned. Students must apply for Recognition Credit and pay a $10 processing fee. Recognition Credits are Webster credit hours and are applicable to requirements for a minor, certificate, or a major in a foreign language. Please contact the department for more information.

Teaching Assistants
The department employs teaching assistants from Argentina, France, and Japan who incorporate contemporary culture from their countries into their courses and organize extracurricular cultural events like language tables.

St. Louis ESL Program Information
The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program at Webster University in St. Louis combines instruction in English with coursework in other academic disciplines. Courses offered in the ESL program are labeled ESLG in this catalog and in University course listings. With the help of an academic advisor, students enroll in appropriate ESLG courses along with an additional undergraduate course offered in cooperation with the St. Louis ESL program. This combination of ESL coursework with study in another discipline is designed to increase the students' academic skills proficiency while providing them with practical experience in using and understanding spoken and written academic English

Based on test scores submitted during the admission process and through diagnostic testing, students may be enrolled in two to four terms of ESLG courses. Students may also be referred to the ESL program for advising, testing or possible ESL placement by faculty or staff. Undergraduate students can use ESLG classes as elective credits, and a record of their achievement in all ESLG courses is posted on their official University transcripts. See the ESLG course listings in the Course Description section of this catalog for descriptions of individual courses. Undergraduate students can take ESLG courses for credit up to 36 credit hours.

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Department of Social Sciences

David Pennington, chair
Kristen Anderson Morton, associate chair

Majors and Degrees

• Anthropology and Sociology (BA)
• Criminology and Criminal Justice (BA)
• History and Political Science (BA)
• International Law (LLB)
• International Relations (BA)
  • Emphasis in Human Rights
  • Emphasis in International Economics (offered only in Geneva)
• Legal Studies (BA)

Minors

• Anthropology and Sociology
• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Gender, Race and Sexuality
• History
• International Human Rights
• International Relations
• Legal Studies
• Political Science

Certificates

• Diplomacy and International Organizations
• Paralegal Studies

Pre-Professional Program

• Pre-Law

Department Mission

The Department of Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary department which trains students to analyze societies, cultures, political institutions, and legal systems. The faculty cultivates the development of students’ critical thinking skills and research and writing abilities, the kind of professional training and career preparation in demand by employers. Our graduates follow a wide variety of career paths, including teaching, public service, public history, law and law school, business, and graduate school in humanities, social sciences, and other fields.

Internships

Beyond the classroom, students in the Department of Social Sciences develop their career skills by interning at a wide range of institutions and businesses.  For instance, students interested in history have completed internships at the Missouri Historical Society and Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. 

Students of politics have interned at the Missouri State Legislature and in various Congressional offices and committees.  International relations students have worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization in Geneva, and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in Lyon, France. 

Students who intend to pursue a legal career have interned for many area law firms.  They have also interned with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the WILLOW Project, the St. Louis County Public Defenders Office, the Jefferson County Prosecutors Office.

Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminology students have interned at several non-profit organizations, including the Freedom Community Center, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation (MAAY).

Students interested in private sector career tracks have interned at Monsanto/Bayer and Anheuser-Busch.

Research Experience

Students in the Department of Social Sciences have numerous opportunities to pursue research programs and collaborate with faculty on research projects.  Our faculty often supervise student researchers who present their work at conferences, including Webster University’s Research Across Disciplines (RAD) Conference.  Faculty regularly partner with students to present research at academic conferences and to co-author peer-reviewed articles and reports. 

Study Abroad

The department encourages students to pursue opportunities available at Webster University’s overseas campuses.  There are rich offerings in political science and international relations at Vienna, Austria; Athens, Greece; Leiden, The Netherlands; and Geneva, Switzerland.  Legal Studies students may participate in a summer hybrid study abroad program dedicated to the study of law in Leiden, The Netherlands, a prominent hub of international law.

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Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies

Lindsey Kingston, director

Institute Mission

The Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies is the interdisciplinary academic home for the international human rights program and combines curricular and co-curricular programming to support human rights education.

Special Study Opportunities

Student researchers tackle some of the world’s most challenging human rights problems while writing their senior theses (“Human Rights Senior Overview,” HRTS 4600), and undergraduate researchers from around the globe contribute to Webster’s Righting Wrongs: A Journal of Human Rights (blogs.webster.edu/humanrights/).

The “Human Rights Field Experience” (HRTS 4500) awards three credits for 100 hours of human rights-related internship or volunteer experience. Students have partnered with organizations centered on refugee resettlement, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice, disability rights, poverty alleviation, racial equality, and more.

Hybrid study abroad opportunities give students the chance to pair online coursework with short-term, intensive study during Summer, Fall, and Spring Breaks. Course options include studying Indigenous rights and the rights of nature in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest; learning about social justice and the coffee industry in Costa Rica; exploring human rights careers and museum representation in Washington, D.C.; and studying migration in Italy.

Fellows

• Kristen Anderson Morton, History, Politics, and International Relations
• Francesco Arese Visconti, Media Communications and Photography (Geneva)
• Dani Belo, Social Sciences
• Elsa Fan, Social Sciences
• Jubin Goodarzi, History, Politics, and International Relations (Geneva)
• Morgan Grotewiel, Psychology
• Kate Parsons, Language, Literature and Philosophy
• Warren Rosenblum, Social Sciences
• Sheetal Shah, Behavior/Social Science (Leiden)
• Jody Spiess, Nursing