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Points of Distinction: College of Arts and Letters

Seven of MSU’s 16 Rhodes Scholars since 1918 have graduated with degrees in the arts and humanities.
The College of Arts and Letters is a leader in study abroad, providing more programs in more places with more student participants than any other college at MSU. More than 38 percent of College of Arts and Letters students complete a study abroad program by the time they graduate.
The College of Arts and Letters offers courses in nearly 50 languages, from Arabic to Zulu
The Arabic Language Instruction Flagship at MSU serves as a national model for language instruction resulting in high levels of proficiency. It is a unique language learning opportunity for students interested in developing superior-level proficiency in Arabic.

Department of English

Among the nationally acclaimed, award-winning writers who have graduated from the Department of English are:

In 2007, the Educational Policy Improvement Center in Eugene, Oregon, named the MSU course JPN 401: Fourth-Year Japanese as one of the top 10 courses in their national study of university programs in Japanese.
The Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) Program provides instruction in more than 17 languages and is dedicated to promoting language learning and internationalized curricula. It also provides national leadership in the area of developing and delivering LCTL courses and materials.
German in Elementary Education, a national model of experiential learning, is an outreach program that provides opportunities for children to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in German and expands their knowledge of German language and culture. The interactive and engaging learning environment and the small size of the groups ensure active learning and individualized attention.

The Department of Philosophy was named by the Society for Women in Philosophy (UK) as one of two “women-friendly” philosophy departments in the United States.
Four faculty members have been named fellows of the Hastings Center, the top bioethics institute in the country.
With concentrations in health care and philosophy and social and political thought, the department stands out nationally as a model of engaged philosophy.

For two years in a row, plays produced by the Department of Theatre as part of its annual season have been chosen for performance at the prestigious Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

College of Arts and Letters faculty spearheaded the study of popular culture and now are among the international leaders in this field.
In 1967, MSU was among the first universities in the nation to establish an American Studies program. In 1971, the first national meeting of the Popular Culture Association took place at MSU. Faculty members in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures have served as officers in the Popular Culture Association and as editors of the Journal of Popular Culture.