Development of Western Civilization

A Providence College education prepares a student to be someone, more than to do something. It prepares students to hear more when they listen, reach deeper when they think, and say more when they speak. The Development of Western Civilization (DWC) program is at the heart of this preparation.

You’ll explore human history through many perspectives — from literature to philosophy to theology to art, and more — from professors who nurture interdisciplinary thinking and relish collaborative teaching. DWC will change the way you see the world by teaching you to find connections between seemingly unconnected ideas. Just as important, DWC will prepare you for a career and life because it teaches you to think. And that will prepare you to make history.

‘Civ’ Perspectives

Kathryn ‘Katcy’ Stephan ’16
Theatre & English Double Major
Live News Video Production Fellow at BuzzFeed

A liberal arts education is so valuable. Skills like writing and speaking articulately are vitally important no matter what you choose to do.

When you’re in your DWC seminar, you learn how to read deeply, how to analyze text, how to speak coherently with your classmates. You build confidence in your thoughts and ideas in a small classroom setting.

Faculty Perspective

Dr. Sylvia Maxfield
Dean, Providence College School of Business

I co-taught a DWC colloquium on business ethics with my colleague Tim Mahoney, who teaches philosophy. Early one morning, we engaged the class in an impromptu discussion about a recent incident in the community. There we were — Tim, an associate professor of philosophy, and me, the dean of the School of Business, taking the lessons we had taught in class all semester and applying them to a real-world issue that hit very close to home.

There were many different perspectives and no easy answers. But what struck me most were the respectful dialogue, insightful questions, and spirited debate that our students brought to the conversation. All at once it hit me: These students. This conversation. This class. This is what makes Providence College so special.

Upcoming Events

Intercollegiate Tour of Uprooting Medea 
February 10th, 4:30 p.m.

Khameleon Productions, co-sponsored by the Brown Arts Institute, presents the Uprooting Medea tour.  The company, founded in 2020, will share their all-global majority project at Providence College on February 10, 2022. There will be a discussion of the film at 4:30 p.m. at the Ryan Concert Hall in the Smith Center, followed by a reception, and a 6 p.m. hands on workshop with the producer and Brown Arts Institute Visiting Artist Shivaike Shah. 

Co-sponsored by DWC, English, History and Classics, TDF, PC Galleries and the Center @Moore Hall. Email Jen Illuzzi to RSVP for the workshop, jilluzz1@providence.edu.

Image: Selina Jones Captured by Adam Pietraszewski

“Because Survival is Insufficient:” Art in Times of Crisis A Conversation with Emily St. John Mandel 
May 4th, 4:30 p.m. 

Emily St. John Mandel is the author of five novels, most recently The Glass Hotel. Her novel Station Eleven, which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Toronto Book Award, and the Morning News Tournament of Books, and has been translated into 27 languages. A previous novel, The Singer’s Gun, was the 2014 winner of the Prix Mystere de la Critique in France. Her short fiction and essays have been anthologized in numerous collections, including Best American Mystery Stories 2013. She is a staff writer for The Millions. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. 

Watch the Discussion

A recording of this event is accessible at the following link for all current members of the Providence College community: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/716c8639-505f-4065-a70e-c1f305e897f1?list=studio.