Department of Liberal Arts

Department Overview

Drawing on the Mount’s nearly one hundred years of excellence in teaching, the liberal arts faculty invite students to engage in an experience that challenges them to explore intellectual interests and talents with the support of community on campus and beyond.

Our community of faculty scholars from a variety of disciplines guides students as they mature into broadly educated writers, speakers, and learners prepared to embrace the diverse opportunities of twenty-first century life, work, and service. Our graduates are rooted in the past, engaged with the present, and empowered to thrive in the future.

Our Programs

Liberal Arts

Our Liberal Arts students are molded into broadly educated writers, speakers, and learners prepared to embrace the diverse opportunities of twenty-first century life, work, and service.

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts Major page.

Liberal Arts - English

Words have power: Studying English is an act of discovery, creativity, empathy, and tradition.

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts - English Major page or our Liberal Arts - English Minor page and Liberal Arts - Creative Writing Minor.

Liberal Arts - History

Want to be a time traveler? Meet new people? Explore new places? Study History!

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts - History Major page or our Liberal Arts - History Minor page and Liberal Arts - American Studies Minor.

Liberal Arts - Philosophy

Are you pursuing your best life? Philosophy can help you find it by tackling big questions: What’s the meaning of life? How can I achieve lasting happiness?

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts - Philosophy Major page or our Liberal Arts - Philosophy Minor page and Liberal Arts - Ethics Minor.

Liberal Arts - Religious Studies

Do you find your passion in seeking the common good? Would you like to know how religious traditions can help you in that search?

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts - Religious Studies Major page or our Liberal Arts - Religious Studies Minor page.

Liberal Arts - Theatre

Theatre emboldens creativity, awareness, and technical skills to implement artistic choices.

Learn more by visiting our Liberal Arts - Theatre Major page.

Liberal Arts FAQs

What career options will this degree open up for me? What if I want to teach high school English or History?

Find answers to these questions and more in our Liberal Arts major FAQs.

Featured News

MSJ’s Voyage to Maine! July 12, 2023

Featured News

Liberal Arts Seminar Students Create Local Documentary June 16, 2023

Featured News

Will Sack Named Outstanding Liberal Arts Graduate Award April 28, 2023

Philosopher Dr. Michael Sontag is a member of the Department of Liberal Arts, and is also Dean of the Mount’s School of Arts and Humanities. At times, he slips into a role few on campus know about: a dean with a drum. Here he is pictured of the University’s fall choral concert playing the snare drums to accompany the Chamber Choir in their rendition of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

Local writer, Trace Conger visited the Mount’s Writer’s Block class recently. Conger is a Shamus-Award winning crime novelist who lives with his family in Lebanon, Ohio. He’s written many novels and his work includes two separate crime novel series featuring Finn Harding and his brother, Connor Harding, respectively. Students read and discussed Trace’s novella Catch and Release prior to his visit. Writer’s Block is a seminar for students of any major interested in pursuing writing with others. Students collaborate with Professor Jeff Hillard in workshopping, project planning, and logistics. Conger is picture to the right of Hillard in the back of the room.

Featured News

Meet Dr. Elizabeth Mason: A Centerpiece in the Mount’s Identity August 2, 2022

High Climber

Maddie Axtell '21, Liberal Arts Major
MSJ senior Madison Axtell '21 played chess master Sergey Berchenko her sophomore year in a “Quick Chess” game in Professor Jeffrey Hillard’s Survey of Women Writers course in November, 2018. Axtell was previously a member of her high school chess team. Mr. Berchenko, originally a high school physics teacher in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, also taught her several key chess moves. Thus, Axtell is also minoring in English and pursuing a teaching licensure in Integrated Language Arts.

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