The Humanities Department is the largest department at ASMSA. Our courses include two levels of English Composition and multiple levels of three foreign languages, interdisciplinary history and literature courses, and many specialized courses including speech and literature/history electives.
We offer three interdisciplinary courses with the Science Department: American Folk Music and Acoustics, Digital Photography, and Art and Science of Photography.
The philosophy of the Humanities Department has developed from three key beliefs: First, team organization and teaching is superior to the isolated, solitary classroom. Secondly, Socratic seminars - in which questions are more important than answers - are preferable to the teacher dispensing knowledge through lecture. Third, the most effective way for students to demonstrate mastery of concepts and skills is by the varied means of assessment which range from research papers to debates, from student-produced films to game simulations, from in-class essays to re-enactments of historical events, while including traditional text-based content tests.
Department chair: Donna Hutchison
A list of the Humanities Department instructors and their bios can be found in the Faculty & Staff Directory.
Click here to view the humanities instructors' office and tutoring hours for the 2012-2013 school year.
COURSE OFFERINGS
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Junior English Composition (JEC)
- Senior English Composition (SEC)
- Speech
- Ancient Greek Literature
- Journalism
- The Study and Creation of Contemporary Writing
- Comic Books in America
- Heroes and Villains
- World Literature
- African American Literature
- Modern American Novels
- Southern Literature
Social Sciences
- American Studies
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Anthropology
- AP U.S. History
- World Studies
- World War II
- U.S. Government and Politics
- AP U.S. Government and Politics
- Comparative Government and Politics
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- Economics (Soc.)
- Economics (Bus.)
- Sociology
- Psychology
- American Civil War
- Twentieth Century America
- Comparative World Religions
- Studies in Genocide and Human Rights
- Introduction to Philosophy Through Film and Literature
Fine Arts 
- Painting I, II
- Drawing I, II
- 2D Art
- 3D Art
- Art History
- Graphic Design
- American Folk Music and Acoustics
- Documentary Filmmaking
- Digital Photography
- Art and Science of Photography
- Band
- Choir
Languages
- French I, French II, French III, French IV, French V
- German I, German II, German III, German IV, German V
- Spanish II, Spanish III, Spanish IV, Spanish V
Additional Courses
Health, Physical Education