Residential College in the Arts and Humanities

The Residential College in the Arts and Humanities is an interdisciplinary college for undergraduate students interested in and enthusiastic about the growing global connections between literature, history, ethics, culture, world languages, the visual and performing arts, and their own civic engagement in these fields of work and study. The faculty, staff, and visiting artists and writers are committed to teaching and to scholarship that enhance the collaborative teaching and learning that define the life of the college.

The college offers students a unique opportunity to work closely with faculty and visiting artists and writers in a state-of-the art learning environment in the Snyder-Phillips residence complex. Students, faculty, visitors, and staff explore modes of expression in carefully organized workshops, tutorials, and seminars. They learn to communicate and navigate within the evolving cultural milieus that define our contemporary world through study abroad and study away programs.

The mission of the college is to weave together the passion, imagination, humor, and candor of the arts and humanities to promote individual well being and the common good. Students, faculty, and community partners in the arts and humanities have the power to focus critical attention on the public issues we face and the opportunities we have to resolve them. The arts and humanities not only give us the pleasure of living in the moment, but also the wisdom to make sound judgments and good choices. The mission, then, is to see things as they are, to hear things as others may, to tell these stories as they should be told, and to contribute to the making of a better world.

Seeing today’s rapidly changing world clearly, hearing its many voices, and then interpreting these sights and sounds persuasively takes time, care, and empathy. By living, studying, and learning together, students in the college, step by step, acquire the communication skills, the visual literacy, the composure to perform well, and the poise to work collaboratively. They learn how to bring the arts and humanities into the conversation that we have only just begun to have as citizens.

The college is an excellent choice for students interested in global community service, the creative arts, and academic careers in the arts and humanities.   All students in the college will graduate with the vital writing, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and research abilities that are desirable and transferable across different workplace settings.  In addition, through the Elective Pathways requirement, students will deepen their knowledge of particular fields in the humanities so that they can effectively compete in the marketplace in their chosen area of study.  This often may lead to a dual major in a traditional humanities discipline or to a specialization in one of the many programs available at the university, such as Museum Studies, Film Studies, American Studies, Peace and Justice Studies, Muslim Studies, Jewish Studies, and Dance.  Opportunities for student-initiated curricular and co-curricular programming will be a regular feature of the college, as will individual and small group Honors options.

The Language Proficiency Requirement, including a distinctive course on world languages and cultures, provides students with a working knowledge – speaking, listening, reading and writing – of a language other than their native language.   It fosters understanding and respect for the cultural values and norms of different peoples, which are at the core of the college’s mission, and development of valuable skills for communication, research, and employment so necessary in today’s world. Students will be tested upon entrance into the RCAH for language proficiency to give faculty and staff a baseline. Students will become proficient in another language with the help of extracurricular activities made available through the RCAH. Students will also be tested prior to graduation as part of the RCAH graduation requirement. Students may be tested in any world language offered at Michigan State University or in American Sign Language. Ancient Greek and Latin are not eligible for proficiency testing. Students are tested on a nationally-recognized scale, which provides an advantage when applying for many jobs or to graduate schools.

The first level of the college major is a set of four introductory core courses typically taken during the first year. These courses (RCAH 111, 112, 201, and 202) combine small group discussion and larger classes so that students become acquainted with as many members of their entering cohort as possible. This common experience creates a community of teachers and learners with a shared understanding of the cultural legacies that have been entrusted to the arts and humanities.

The second level of required courses beginning with the first-year seminar (RCAH 192) and concentrated in the second year (RCAH 290, 291, 292A, 292B or 292C) provides more intimate tutorials, civic engagement experiences, and creative projects.  It is here that students can explore their own passionate interests in the arts and humanities with an informed understanding of the achievements and controversies on which our work today rests.

The third level – the Elective Pathways (RCAH 310, 320, 330, and 340) – allows students to specialize and extend their field of study beyond the boundaries of the college, including a language immersion experience (RCAH 390).    The college’s major is not an insular and specialized field of study.   It begins with the world we have inherited – its cultures, ethical perspectives, and rich literatures – and then divides along paths that faculty and students make by walking. These elective journeys will often be taken with faculty and students in other departments and programs throughout the University and the wider community.

Finally, the fourth level – the Capstone Experience (RCAH 491 or 492) – provides students with an opportunity to do more advanced work, whether in a seminar setting or through more independent study.  It is at this level that students press their career goals into clearer focus and prepare themselves for the demanding work that lies ahead, whether it be as a professional in the arts, global civil society, or academia.

The college faculty is drawn from a wide range of disciplines, including literature, art and art history, theater, philosophy, history, music, and the study of languages and culture.   They have a wide range of research interests, and they view engaged learning in the broadest sense – from workshop immersion experiences to service learning projects in local communities to encounters with cultures in developing countries – as an essential component of good education for teachers as well as students.

The total enrollment for the college is currently projected to be 500-600 students.Typically, students will live in the Snyder-Phillips residence complex for their first two years.   Students admitted to Michigan State University are also admitted to the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.  Because enrollments in the College are limited, prospective first-year and transfer students should notify the Michigan State University Office of Admissions as early as possible of their desire to enroll in the college.   A limited number of students also may be eligible to transfer into the college prior to their junior year.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities

1. The University requirements for bachelor’s degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.
   The completion of  RCAH 111 and 112 referenced in item 2. a. below satisfies the University’s Tier I writing requirement.
   The University’s Tier II writing requirement for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities is met by completing RCAH 491 or 492. That course is referenced in item 2. e. below.
   
   The completion of RCAH 201 and 202 referenced in item 2. a. below satisfies the University’s Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities requirement.
   
   The completion of at least 30 credits in courses at the 300-level or above, which may include courses from items 2.b., 2.c., 2.d., and 2.e. below.
   
   
2. The following requirements of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities: