Education is about more than job skills (though we teach those too).
In the College of Arts & Letters we believe in the humanities. We believe that the college experience is about educating the whole person, not just the future employee. We believe that life is about art and music and dance and reading and critical thinking and the rich histories that inform life. By engaging with the humanities students learn the importance of practice, that difficulties often lead to the greatest rewards, and to expect uncertainty. Here, students learn to live responsibly and imaginatively, embracing differences and collaboration as they strive to elucidate the larger human condition and shape intentional, ethical, socially just lives.
Even if you are not majoring in one of the many College of Arts & Letter programs you can still benefit from the tangible and intangible skills our classes teach. From international relations to advertising and marketing, biology to information technology, industry partners agree that the arts and humanities are necessary components to a thriving, successful society.
Our college teaches skills in critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and communication, the cornerstones to success across all disciplines.
In the College of Arts and Letters, we foster creators and doers, who create and study significant works.
Why choose a humanities degree at Austin Peay?
We believe that to be human is to engage with and understand culture. As majors in
the College of Arts & Letters students are able to customize their education, develop
mentoring relationships with faculty, and learn cornerstone skills that extend beyond
the classroom.
The First Step is the Hardest
The study of the humanities can seem intangible, like there’s no clear path to employment. Rest assured that the skills you learn in your classes are more than applicable to the “real world.” By providing students with hands-on learning opportunities including internships, study abroad classes, study-away courses, and service learning classes, we empower students to develop these seemingly intangible skills into real-life applications.
APSU's Department of Art + Design offers programs of study in drawing, digital media, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, art history, and art education.
APSU's Department of Communication offers unique and exciting options for students
who select our program. Students may engage in real-world experience, as well as hands-on
opportunities, from the moment they enter our program as freshmen.
APSU's Department of History and Philosophy courses and programs are designed to help
students learn about past events and ideas but also to help students develop skills
in analytical thinking and expression. Together these help prepare students for success
along a variety of academic and professional career paths. These may include education,
public service, or postgraduate study in the humanities or social studies, or in such
applied fields as law, religion, and business.
APSU's Department of Languages and Literature offers students small classes and a diverse, experienced faculty. Fields of study include Creative Writing, Professional Writing, English Education, French, German, Spanish, Classic Languages, and Classic Cultures.
APSU's Department of Music is an active and highly-visible component of the Clarksville Community. Composed of approximately 180 music majors and 32 full-time and adjunct faculty, the Department of Music is the largest producer of cultural events in the Clarksville area.
APSU's Department of Theatre and Dance offers a world-renowned department, in a state-of-the-art facility, fostering artists, scholars and professionals who positively impact our world.
News Feed
View all CoAL news
The Department of Music, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will present the Flute Choir Day Concert at 2 p.m. on Oct. 31 in the George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall, featuring Dr. Beomjae Kim, the APSU Flute Choir, and participants from around the state.
Read More
Austin Peay State University's Department of Art + Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will host composer, filmmaker, and visual artist David Stout for a free public lecture, "At Home in the Uncanny Valley: The Play and Promise of a Latent Space," at 6 p.m. on Oct. 28 in the Sara & Mike Gotcher Theatre.
Read More
Dr. John W. Steinberg, an Austin Peay State University professor of history and one of the world's leading authorities on Russian military history, is spending the 2026-27 academic year teaching cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point as the Charles Boal Ewing Chair in Military History.
Read MoreBegin the application process now by visiting the link below.