During her time at UTC, humanities: international studies major Emma Sprayberry has studied abroad in South Korea, Spain and Canada—and spent this summer at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in Pittsburgh. Photo by Angela Foster.
In an increasingly tech-driven world, the humanities remain a powerful force for change in modern society.
Take aspiring changemaker Emma Sprayberry, a humanities major at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a member of the UTC Honors College’s Innovations in Honors program.
“I want to work with immigrants, refugees and international groups of people,” said Sprayberry, who is concentrating in international studies—one of three undergraduate humanities tracks at UTC. The other two tracks are liberal arts and women, gender and sexuality studies.
An accomplished student and undergraduate researcher, Sprayberry spent the summer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh for the Public Policy and International Affairs Program’s Junior Summer Institute, a national fellowship program that prepares students for advanced degrees and for careers and influential roles serving the public good.
“Working at UNICEF is my ultimate goal but grad school is first,” said Sprayberry, who expects to graduate in spring 2024.
She spent the summer and fall of 2022 in Canada for the Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink and Killam Fellowship programs. She spent the summer of 2021 studying in South Korea thanks to the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and a Freeman-ASIA Scholarship.
“These international experiences will help me become more empathetic and compassionate and understanding,” Sprayberry said.
Customize your humanities degree
The humanities are an interdisciplinary field of study that explores the human experience through the lens of history, literature, philosophy, art, languages and other disciplines.
The undergraduate humanities program at UTC is customizable, allowing students to choose almost any classes for their nine hours of electives.
“Every major in the humanities is different from the other,” said Professor of Spanish José-Luis Gastañaga, the program’s coordinator.
“There are certain requirements, but there is no set program of study,” he said. “We work with every student independently and use the flexibility of the program in favor of students and their goals in mind.”
Sprayberry chose to specialize in East Asian studies, taking most of her courses while studying abroad.
“I’ve always been interested in East Asia and China because I’m Chinese and wanted to learn more about my history and culture,” she said.
One of her most notable experiences while studying in Asia was physically blending in with the majority of the population, she said.
“It was almost like I could be anonymous,” said Sprayberry, a Rossville, Georgia, native who graduated from Chattanooga Christian School.
Beyond the facts
UTC humanities students don’t just learn facts; they learn how to think. Graduates leave capable of analyzing situations and coming up with innovative solutions, whether in the board room or the front lines of a natural disaster.
“Because they’re able to see the big picture and understand the intricate web of connections that form our world, our students learn a lot of soft skills that are very important, not only to careers but in their lives in general,” Gastañaga said.
Majoring in humanities, he said, “You become more aware of yourself as a person and your surroundings. You know your place in the world, the history of your country and can reflect on politics, religion, current affairs and many other things.”
Who makes a good humanities student?
“We find students who are interested in the humanities have an interest in culture in general. They study other languages and are interested in current affairs,” he said.
“Humanities students are aware of the world around them and want to learn about it. But there isn’t really a typical humanities student. They’re all different.”
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