Arts and Letters Degree Programs
Degrees in Arts and Letters encourage students to think logically and creatively, communicate effectively and write clearly. These are skills essential to any modern career. Many of our graduates move on to success in preprofessional programs, law, higher education, teaching, government positions, business or military service.
The Arts and Letters degrees currently available on the Gulf Coast are as follows:
- English
- Entertainment Industry (Film)
- History
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Paralegal Studies
- Political Science
Teacher licensure at the secondary level is offered in English (English Licensure Emphasis) and History (Social Studies Licensure Emphasis). The History (Social Studies Licensure) program qualifies students to teach social studies at the K-12 or secondary level.
Undergraduate minors in Arts and Letters currently available on the Gulf Coast are as follows:
English: An undergraduate minor in English requires a total of 18 hours at the 300 or 400 level.
History: The student minoring in history must complete 21 hours in History, which must include HIS 101 and HIS 102 .
Entertainment Industry (Film): The film emphasis is designed to prepare students for positions with large and small motion picture production companies, federal or state agency production units or for self-employment as independent producers, directors or production specialists. Students are required to take FLM 351 , FLM 370 , FLM 371 , FLM 470 , FLM 471 , FLM 472 , FLM 478 , FLM 479 and FLM 485 . A minimum grade of C is required in each course, as well as a major GPA of 2.5.
Political Science: Students minoring in political science must complete PS 101 , PS 201 and 12 additional hours with at least one course from two of the four areas of political science.
Religion: A minor in religion requires 18 semester hours, including REL 131 - Comparative Religion , PHI 372 - Philosophy of Religion , three semester hours of course work in an Eastern religious tradition, and three semester hours of course work in a Western religious tradition.
Spanish: An undergraduate minor in Spanish requires a minimum total of 18 hours of study, with at least six hours at the 300/400 level. SPA 361 cannot be applied toward the minor.
Women’s Studies: The minor in women’s studies requires 18 hours, including WS 301 - Introduction to Women’s Studies . The remaining hours must be distributed among at least three disciplines. Please consult the Southern Miss Bulletin for a complete list of acceptable courses.
Please note: The University of Southern Mississippi does not offer a minor in paralegal studies at this time.
Foreign Language Requirements
Most Bachelor of Arts degrees offered by the College of Arts and Letters require proficiency in a foreign language to be chosen from any one of the following: Spanish, French, German, Classical Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin or Russian. Students must complete intermediate foreign language instruction through course level 202. Students with previous experience in foreign language may satisfy this requirement through advanced placement credits or CLEP testing in as few as three hours. Students are encouraged to begin their study of foreign language during the first semester of their freshman year.
Degree Plans and Semester-by-Semester Guides
Department of English
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Department of History
Office of Interdisciplinary Studies
School of Mass Communication and Journalism
Department of Philosophy and Religion
Department of Political Science, International Development, and International Affairs
Office of the Dean of Arts and Letters
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