The College of Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA) is the artistic, cultural, and intellectual center of California State University, Chico. Home to seven departments, the college offers majors and minors in the visual and performing arts, languages and literature, history, philosophy, and religious studies. Students across the University also take HFA courses to fulfill General Education requirements or to complement majors in other fields, and many choose to double major or pursue minors—especially in languages or the arts.

HFA provides an active environment for creative and scholarly engagement. Students participate in film screenings, lecture and reading series, exhibitions, and music and theatre productions. The School of the Arts presents more than 200 annual performances and shows, offering opportunities to perform, design, produce, or assist behind the scenes. Students also contribute to publications such as Watershed Review andThe Historian. Internships, study abroad, community partnerships, and faculty-mentored projects further enhance academic and professional growth.

An HFA education cultivates essential human skills—critical thinking, communication, creativity, empathy, and collaboration—paired with technical competencies in research, artistic creation, design, composition, digital production, language proficiency, critique, and performance. These skills prepare graduates for careers in education, publishing, the arts, public history, media, design, law, business, and technology, supported by a broad and active alumni network.

HFA’s facilities enrich the student experience, including the Janet Turner Print Museum, the Jacki Headley University Art Gallery, the Humanities Center, campus galleries and studios, concert halls, digital labs, and multiple theatres and performance venues.

The College of Humanities and Fine Arts exemplifies the core of the university experience: rigorous study, exploration of ideas, creative expression, engaged learning, and the development of skills that remain valuable throughout one’s life and career.

Departments