Division of Humanities and Social Sciences

I studied with people who cared about who I was and what I did. Actually, that made my studying at ACT more enjoyable and successful. The key to my success at college was not only the fact that I liked what I studied but also the fact that I was studying what I liked with lovable people.
Juliana Pici, BA English and Valedictorian, ACT Class of 2006


Welcome to the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, ACT’s premier collegiate hub for liberal arts and public affairs. We provide introductory and advanced instruction in all areas of the human sciences, with undergraduate programs of distinction in English and International Relations. More generally, we offer a solid liberal arts underpinning to ACT’s academic and professional programs. Teaching and research strengths within the division include: communication practice, modern literature, and language teaching methodology; history, politics, and European integration; applied and counselling psychology; cultural studies; globalization; and ethnography and cultural anthropology.

The Division of Humanities and Social Sciences is an integral unit of the School of Arts, Science, and Technology, and is home to the Michael and Kitty Dukakis Center for Public and Humanitarian Service, the Lucy Center for Balkan Studies, and the EU-funded EUCogII project. We also offer unique opportunities for service and experiential learning on and off campus, in the form of internships, volunteerships, and community service projects. Division alumni have been admitted for post-graduate study, often as scholarship recipients, in some of the most prestigious universities in Europe and North America, while some of our American alumni have gone on to law school after studying at ACT. Many have worked or are now working in ministries and other public agencies, at schools and universities, and in private industry.

Our principal mission is to:

• assist students to master and integrate different modes of knowledge and experience in order to solve problems, resolve conflict, and express new ideas creatively and professionally
• challenge students to cultivate personal integrity and respect for values not one’s own.