The College of Humanities is committed to the intellectual development of the region in particular and the world in general through teaching and learning, research, development and community engagement, both as a measure of social responsibility and in the furtherance of the professional and academic concerns of many of its disciplines. It is the home of critical thinking, social commentary and ro
bust intellectual debate. It envisages leading UKZN in its curricula transformation and is aptly referred to as the “Soul of the University.”
Humanities is the largest of UKZN’s four Colleges and offers programmes on the Howard College, Edgewood and Pietermaritzburg campuses. It comprises approximately 16 000 students – 40% of UKZN’s entire student population – and is served by over 500 academic staff, 90 support staff and a number of contract staff. The College possesses 27 vibrant research, teaching and learning units. Among these is the Centre for African and Literary Studies (CALS), which boasts a unique collection of internationally renowned African literature. The College is also home to the Dube Chair and the Mazisi Kunene Chair. It awards an annual 12-month certificate in HIV-AIDS Educational Prevention and Psycho-Social Support in conjunction with the African Centre for Childhood and the Regional Psycho-Social Support Initiative. The College is unique in that it offers degree programmes in both the traditional liberal arts and in professionally-oriented disciplines, particularly Psychology, Social Work and Community Development, and Architecture, Housing and Planning. Six diverse, yet complimentary Schools constitute the College:
• Applied Human Sciences
• Arts
• Built Environment and Development Studies
• Education
• Religion, Philosophy and Classics
• Social Sciences
Humanities is the second most productive College at UKZN. This is indicated by the fact that we graduate the most number of PhDs in the University and approximately ten of our staff are regularly amongst the top 30 published researchers in the University. The College has been consistently ranked second within the University in terms of SAPSE productivity ratings and seeks to strengthen its undergraduate programmes and postgraduate offerings in the future. In its quest to be the “soul” of UKZN and mindful of the society in which the University is located, the College has a range of community engagement initiatives operating through its Schools, Centres and Units. The community service modules offered in the College ensure that our graduates are internationally competitive and fully grounded in the South African and African contexts.
