The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the heart of liberal arts education at William Paterson. Our programs offer many required and elective General Education courses and numerous interdisciplinary and international studies classes in the goal of providing William Paterson University students a well-rounded education. Our departments include: African, African-American and Caribbean Studies , Anthropology , English , History , Geography and Urban Studies , Languages and Cultures , Philosophy , Political Science , Psychology , Sociology , and Women's Studies and three interdisciplinary programs: Asian Studies, Liberal Studies and Latin American Studies .

On a graduate level, the College offers excellent graduate programs in Bilingual/English as a Second Language , English , History , Psychology , M.A. in Applied Sociology , and Public Policy and International Affairs MA in Political Science.   

The Department of Languages and Cultures and the Asian Studies Program have launched an Accelerated Teacher Preparation Program for K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers of Chinese Language featuring flexible scheduling and intensive courses. A new program in Japanese Language begins this year as a track within the Asian Studies major.  This work has been complemented by the federally-funded creation last year of a Center for the Study of Critical Languages , a regional resource in support of the study of Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish.

The College prides itself on the scholarly endeavors of our teacher-scholars and their service to the campus, their disciplines, and the region. Our faculty members come from prestigious institutions and have gained national and international reputations in their fields.  Numerous professors have been awarded highly competitive grants and fellowships, including 21 Fulbright fellows. Their expertise and ability to provide the most current training in the disciplines gives our graduates a competitive advantage in the work force and in applying to graduate schools.

The College incorporates technology in instruction and research, and provides students with hands-on experience in discipline-based state-of-the-arts computer facilities. The College boasts computer laboratories in Anthropology, English (the Writing Center), Geography and Urban Studies, History, Languages, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, with specific technologies in support of these disciplines, including GIS and SPSS software.

We cultivate a supportive, student-oriented learning community. Opportunities to excel include our honors programs in Biopsychology, Cognitive Science, Humanities, and Performing and Literary Arts, our Pre-Law program, honors societies in English, French, History, Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish, and a variety of internships and opportunities for student research.

We invite you to visit our web pages. If you have any questions about specific programs, please contact the departments or programs directly. 
You may contact me by telephone at 973-720-2731, by e-mail at rabbittk@wpunj.edu or at: the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Atrium 260, William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey 07470.

Interim Dean Kara M. Rabbitt

Kara Rabbitt
Interim Dean

Andrew W. Barnes
Interim Associate Dean

OFFICE STAFF

Pat Jacobs
Student Issues &
Atrium room reservations

Joan Moebius
Travel & Budget