Message from the dean
Dear Student,
The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is the heart of the University, offering a wide array of liberal-arts programs that will expand your horizons and prepare you for your profession and for life. In an age of information, your experience here will prepare you to be critical, thoughtful, and analytical, to assume a place in society where these skills are needed most. Our programs will help you become a better artist, thinker, writer, and speaker. The College offers you more than an education—we will help shape you into the best leader you can be.
When you join the College’s community of thousands of students worldwide, we will help you understand cultures, politics, and social systems, and provide you with the tools to find yourself and your place therein. Most of you will change careers several times in your working life. Here we prepare you to be imaginative, empathetic, and innovative, with a breadth of skills to enable success in the multiple careers you are likely to pursue.
Your career path may not be a straight line, but in the years to come you will be able to explore beyond the boundaries of your discipline, with the preparation developed in the College. These experiences will guide you through a lifetime of fulfillment, purpose, and joy.
I invite you to explore the possibilities in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Plan an academic path with our Professional Advisor, and get to know our outstanding faculty.
Please share your experiences with me as well. I want to hear your stories, and I want to know that we are delivering on our commitments outlined above. I want you to know that we, the faculty, staff, and I are here to help you succeed.
Best wishes for success!

Daniel J. Blankenship, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
Develop Creative Skills for Success
A liberal arts education is aimed at helping you deepen your understanding of human persons and human purposes. You will explore the creativity, communication, rational reflection, and shared experience of others throughout the world while developing your own creative, communicative, and reasoning skills at the same time. All of this lays the groundwork for living life to the fullest and helping others through a meaningful and rewarding career.
Join an Interactive Learning College
Fort Hays State’s interactive learning approach is, at its crux, about bridging the gap between education and real-world preparation. With our emphasis on transformative learning for an innovative class of students and professionals alike, we will prepare you for the work ahead – inside the classroom and out.
Build the bridge to campus communities and the world beyond through:
- An emphasis on interdisciplinary majors and new added-value programs
- Public and community service
- Technology-enhanced distance learning opportunities
- A Master of Liberal Studies
- Partnerships with business, government and other levels of public and private education