English and Creative Writing
Literature and creative writing - creative communication and critical thinking.
English majors work on the Sierra Nevada Review and on the Eagle's Eye for SNU Tahoe

Psychology
Open the door to the fascinating world of human thought, emotion, behavior, and motivation.
Psychology graduate decorates her SNU Tahoe graduation cap with the symbol for psychology

Humanities Degrees for the 21st Century

What does it mean to be human?
Explore our present, past – and future – through literature, the social sciences, philosophy, and history. Look at the variety of human cultures, experiences, and beliefs from new perspectives. There are so many ways of seeing the world and trying to understand how it works!

Creative disruption isn’t just for the tech world.
Find and challenge hidden assumptions, both your own and others. Our understanding of the world isn’t just facts and dates. It depends on where we stand and how we interpret what we see and know.

Get the ultimate job training program.

Learn to think both analytically and creatively – and to communicate your ideas with clarity and style.

Literacy, analytical thinking, and persuasive communication are skills you’ll depend on wherever your future leads. They’re skills that can’t be automated, and that help you to thrive through change. They’re the “soft skills” that enable you to be effective wherever people can benefit from thinking more creatively and understanding each other better.

Humanities degrees across disciplines.
In addition to the major in English and Creative Writing, Sierra Nevada University offers interdisciplinary humanities majors incorporating journalism, communications and media, and sustainability.

Pines reflected in the lake is the logo for the SNU Tahoe Writers in the Woods literary speaker series.Writers in the Woods Literary Speaker Series

The Sierra Nevada Review

English major Nicole Ross takes a break from studying at Prim Library at SNU TahoeMeet Our Humanities Students

a row of poetry books at the Poetry Center at Sierra Nevada University, an extensive collection of modern American poetryThe Poetry Center

A snowy winter view of Lake Tahoe with the pine tree logo of the Sierra Nevada University MFA in Creative Writing program.MFA in Creative Writing

Inspiration Everywhere

Meet renowned authors at the Writers in the Woods, a monthly campus series of intimate readings and workshops which are open to everyone. Conduct original research in psychology and present your results at a national research conference.

Hear some of the major thinkers and doers of our time speak on campus at the Siebens-Binz Tahoe Forum – the most recent were Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak and author Isabel Allende. Report and write for the college newspaper The Eagle’s Eye, or edit for SNU Tahoe’s nationally distributed literary journal the Sierra Nevada Review.

Get your humanities degree immersed in the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe and the mountains, the support of faculty who know your name and care about your education, and fellow students who are as excited by possibility as you are.

A Student’s Passion for Writing Grows at SNU

Our Students say it Best

English major Nicole Ross reads in Prim Library at SNU Tahoe

Nicole Ross

Major: English, Psychology, Teacher Education
Class of 2018

I loved reading with my mom when I was young, and even now that I'm older, I am just as excited to read and share stories. I decided to turn my passion for reading into a teaching career after my eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Wolff, inspired me. Now that I am at SNC, I have been able to volunteer and teach in classrooms all over Incline. I feel that my experiences here at SNC have allowed me to grow in nearly every aspect of my life. Read More

Bryce Bullins, who received his Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing poses for a picture

Bryce Bullins

Major: English, Music
Class of 2014

My undergraduate professors drove me to be a better student and a better person, but they also gave me the space and the encouragement to find my own way. I gained confidence and validation as an artist and a critical thinker. When I decided to pursue poetry at a more serious level, the stellar faculty and low residency model of SNC's MFA in Creative Writing program made it an easy decision. Read More

English major Ryan Donoghue takes a hike during the fall around Lake Tahoe

Ryan Donoghue

Major: English
Class of 2016

During my time spend away from academia, I developed an insatiable appetite for literature and realized that our orientation to the world depends on the language we use to define it; studying literature fosters that growing and knowing. Read More

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