Division of Humanities

Knowledge from antiquity to the present
The faculty of the FAS Humanities division cover an expansive intellectual terrain. They are experts in history, literature, language, philosophy, and the arts. Their work asks who we are and what we might become as they make new discoveries about the past and present that will shape the future of human culture. Through collaboration, research, and teaching, they initiate conversations around the most pressing questions that humankind has addressed from antiquity to the present.
The divisional dean of the Humanities is Marc Robinson.

Humanities departments and programs
The FAS's 20+ humanities units cover the range of human knowledge: from English to Classics; from History of Art to Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies; from the world's languages and literatures to History. In addition, several programs are cross-divisional, bridging Humanities and Social Science.
News

Alice Kaplan awarded Grand Medal from French Academy
Kaplan, Sterling Professor of French, was recognized for her "eminent contribution to the maintenance and illustration of the French language."
Humanitas: FAS faculty named Radcliffe fellows; win awards; establish certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies
In this edition of Humanitas, an exhibition explores the art and community of hair braiding, Yale College offers a certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies, and a new Yale-run art space showcases local artists.
In memoriam: Wen-tao Cheng, celebrated Taiwanese poet and Yale faculty member
The acclaimed Taiwanese poet Wen-tao Cheng, who was also known by his pen name Zheng Chou-yu, taught at Yale for more than three decades.
New courses and programs re-center conversation about Ukraine
Olha Tytarenko, who last year introduced an on-campus Ukrainian language course for Yale students, is now adding more courses and programs that she says will broaden students’ understanding of the country.
Becoming better thinkers through art and culture
How does architecture affect the way we live? Does it influence our health and our healing? Fatima Naqvi, the Elias W. Leavenworth Professor of German and Film Studies in the FAS, explores these questions in her new book. She looks at how writers and directors portray the architecture of hospitals and describe their experience from the 1880s to the present. Naqvi’s scholarship lies at the intersection of architecture, literature, and film. She argues that by experiencing culture and the arts, we become better thinkers in ways that are difficult to quantify but nevertheless profound.