What humanities major options are available for undergraduates at the University of Chicago?

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of undergraduate humanities majors, so it is a strong option if you want depth across traditional and interdisciplinary fields. In the Humanities Division, undergrads can major in programs such as Classical Studies, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, English Language and Literature, Fundamentals: Issues and Texts, Germanic Studies, History, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Philosophy, Romance Languages and Literatures, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and South Asian Languages and Civilizations. UChicago is especially known for letting students study texts, languages, history, and philosophy at a high level rather than limiting humanities to just English or history.

There are also related options outside the narrow Humanities Division that many humanities-oriented students consider, including Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, Creative Writing, Music, Theater and Performance Studies, Religious Studies, and various area studies programs. Some of these are housed in other divisions or are interdisciplinary, but they can still fit a humanities-focused academic path very well.

One distinctive feature at UChicago is that some majors are very theory- and reading-intensive, and the Core Curriculum already gives all students a strong humanities foundation through required courses in humanities, civilization studies, and often language study. That means even before declaring a major, students get broad exposure to classic and modern texts, interpretation, and critical analysis.

If you are comparing schools, UChicago stands out less for having one or two flashy humanities majors and more for the sheer seriousness and breadth of its offerings. If your interests span literature, philosophy, languages, intellectual history, or interdisciplinary text-based study, it has one of the strongest undergraduate humanities menus in the country.