Arts & Humanities

Leadership

From ancient times to the present day, people around the globe have raised fundamental questions about life through the arts, literature and philosophy. In the Arts & Humanities Division, faculty and students explore the human experience across an exceptionally broad range of subjects.

By studying the world’s languages and cultures, students expand their horizons and prepare themselves for an increasingly multicultural world. Through rigorous exploration of complex philosophical arguments, students move beyond their own assumptions toward a deeper understanding of human life and its complexities. And discovery in the arts helps students open their imaginations to fresh perspectives on the world.

Dean Anthony Cascardi

The faculty in Arts & Humanities are leaders in their fields — both as researchers, honored worldwide for their contributions to scholarship, and as teachers who challenge students to explore the deepest questions that shape their lives and our times.

COVID-19 Resource:

Interacting with Berkeley lumniaries has never been easier. Arts and Ideas Live Online brings the best of the Division of Arts & Humanities home to you. As a participant in these curated events, you can watch, listen, and engage with leaders from accross the Division as they share their work.

Arts and Ideas is an initiative of the Dean’s Office in partnership with Berkeley Arts + Design, the Arts Research Center (ARC), the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts (MFA), the Townsend Center for the Humanities, the Berkeley Center for New Media (BCNM), Consortium for Interdisciplinary Research (CIR) and many others. A full calendar of events is available at ideas.berkely.edu

For Undergraduates:

Visit the Arts & Humanities undergraduate website to learn more about the majors, minors and other academic offerings for undergraduates, including undergraduate research and career preparation for Arts & Humanities majors.

Academic Departments

Groups & Programs in the Arts & Humanities

Fellowship Information for Faculty Members

The Humanities Research Fellowship and Mellon Project Grant Programs

The Humanities Research Fellowship Program provides funds to supplement the sabbatical salary for faculty members engaged in research in the humanistic disciplines or working in the creative arts. The Mellon Project Grant program is intended to support research costs for associate professors who are engaged in research in humanistic disciplines or who work in the creative arts.  Application forms are available in the fall. The application deadline is in October.

The Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities

Since its establishment in 1987, the Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities has encouraged an interdisciplinary approach to scholarship, fostered innovation in research, and promoted intellectual conversation among individuals from the humanities and related academic disciplines.

The center offers numerous fellowships and grants that support all levels of the university community. Fellowship opportunities for UC Berkeley faculty include the Townsend Fellowship for Assistant Professors, Associate Professor Fellowships, and the Course Threads program for undergraduates. Please visit the Townsend Center website for more information on the various grant and fellowship programs.

President's Research Fellowships in the Humanities

President's Research Fellowships in the Humanities are intended to increase the support for research available to individual faculty members in the humanities by providing a new source of funds and, where appropriate, augmenting funds from extramural agencies and campus grants.

Click here for information on how to give to Arts & Humanities.