Arts and Humanities Pathway
Arts & Humanities Pathway
If you are interested in art, languages, philosophy, or any of the other disciplines that strive to make sense of humanity’s place in the universe, you can choose this pathway.
Graduates in Arts & Humanities disciplines often go on to careers involving highly developed critical thinking and communication skills. Students interested in teaching language arts, art, or music in high school should also consider this pathway.
These skills apply to many careers making them “transferable,” giving the student the flexibility to use them in an ever changing global economy.
If you choose this pathway you are likely working toward a Direct Transfer Degree (DTA) to continue on to a university or other four year college. Degree: Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) 90 units
Arts & Humanities Student Stories
Areas of Interest
The goal of American Sign Language (ASL) courses is to enable the students to interact successfully with native signers and to relate language behavior to real-world situations. The regular academic courses meet on a daily basis.
It is advisable to begin the ASL 101 sequences in the fall quarter and thereby complete a one-year program in ASL in fulfillment of the requirement at many four-year colleges or universities.
The major in art is intended to educate and assist students in a fundamental understanding of concepts, techniques and methods of form and content within works of art. The art major leads to an Associate of Arts degree and is designed for transfer to a four-year institution and/or for acceptance into art institutes devoted to the advancement of specific art skills.
Non-art majors may wish to study in this area for personal reasons or for application to other program such as web page design, multimedia, and computer graphics.
Communication studies integrates aspects of both social sciences and the humanities. Much of the work being done in the field is academic in nature. As a social science, the discipline often overlaps with sociology, psychology, anthropology, biology, political science, economics, and public policy, among others. From a humanities perspective, communication is concerned with rhetoric and persuasion The field applies to outside disciplines as well, including engineering, architecture, mathematics, and information science.
Drama is a two-year program designed for theater majors and non-majors alike. Emphasis is divided between the literature of the theater and production. Three full-length productions are prepared and performed each year.
The program meets the proposed accreditation standards of the American Theater Association. Drama Transfer Program students should follow requirements of the Associate of Arts Degree under faculty advisement.
Offering classic theater performances as well as classes for personal enrichment or a career path is the mission of the Yakima Valley College Drama/Theater Department. Theater reflects life, and whatever the YVC Theater department can do to reflect life is our goal.
The major in English enables students to develop and enrich reading, writing, and critical thinking skills by completing a variety of liberal arts courses. The major leads to an Associate of Arts degree and prepares students for various bachelor degree programs including administration, communication, English, journalism, pre-law, and pre-medicine.
Students who want to become English majors or are interested in careers in writing or teaching are strongly encouraged to enroll in English 185, Writing Center Consultant, for elective credits. Student writers get hands on training and experience tutoring peers in a workshop setting.
The Department of Music offers a full two year program of study for music majors in theory, ear training and performance. In addition, courses for the interested general student are an important part of the Department’s curriculum. Music Appreciation, History of Jazz, Music of World Cultures and 20th Century music are all courses designed for the student who has an interest in music as a non-major.
Non-majors are also encouraged to participate in various performing ensembles such as the YVC Jazz Ensemble, The YVC Concert Choir, Jazz Combos and the Chamber Singers.
Philosophy is a person's view of the world and his or her methods and policies for operating in the world. But if a person's views and methods regarding the world are inflexible and withheld from criticism, then they are not part of a process traditionally associated with academic philosophy.
At Yakima Valley College, our courses focus on helping students develop a number of abilities that promote an understanding of Philosophy; the ability to analyze; the ability to organize, assess and compare claims; the ability to read and listen with care and discernment; and the ability to articulate in both written and oral forms what one thinks and why.
This program is intended for students interested in studying Spanish with the intent of earning an Associate of Arts degree or transferring to a four-year university for a Bachelor of Arts degree. A Spanish degree empowers students to understand, speak, read, and write Spanish and gain a broad understanding of the Hispanic civilization and culture in the world and within the United States.
The goal of Spanish courses is to enable students to interact successfully with native speakers and to relate language behavior to real-world situations. The regular academic courses meet on a daily basis. The conversation courses differ from the academic courses primarily in breadth. They are usually taught in the Spanish 101 or 201 sequences in the fall quarter and thereby complete a one-year program in Spanish in fulfillment of the requirement at many four-year college universities.
Direct Transfer Agreement
Program Learning Outcomes
- Humanities: students will create, examine, interpret, and/or qualitatively evaluate products of human expression through the arts, language, literature, philosophy, culture, and/or religion.
- Natural Sciences: Students will demonstrate knowledge, comprehension and application of scientific concepts and insights as well as employ scientific or mathematical inquiry.
- Quantitative Reasoning: Students will use mathematical skills or symbolic reasoning to analyze and interpret quantitative information and draw conclusions.
- Social Sciences: Students will analyze human behaviors and the products and impacts of those behaviors using social science methodologies and theoretical approaches.
- Written Communication: Students will use a process to make conscious rhetorical choices to compose texts in varying situations, modalities, and genres.
The information above reflects the 2024-2025 course catalog and is subject to change. Please check with your advisor for the most up to date information.