By renovating space that will house four humanities departments, the Humanities Center, and other programs, Miami University is making a major investment in the institution’s renowned tradition of a liberal arts education through the creation of a central humanities hub.

Bachelor Hall will have state-of-the-art film and digital storytelling facilities, dedicated research spaces, modernized classrooms, and a skylit gathering place in the heart of the building, replacing the previously existing courtyard.

A prestigious infrastructure grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities is helping support the improvements.

English, History, Philosophy, and Media, Journalism, and Film will be in the building that is scheduled to open in 2026.

“To solve the problems of the future, we must understand who we are as humans, where we come from, and how we can communicate across differences,” said Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science. “Technical and practical skills are great, but technologies change quickly. The humanities endure: they are what it means to be human, and they will be at the center of all Miami students' experience for generations to come.

“The building will foster community and bring people together, with shared spaces for interaction. Students and faculty will really benefit from this new environment.

“The Bachelor Hall renovation embodies Miami’s commitment to the humanities and to our capacity to understand, communicate, and dream. That commitment continues with the Humanities Futures initiative, a project to build and market a robust humanities curriculum in a time when these fields are facing national challenges.”

Miami’s unique updated Global Miami Plan, the center of its renowned broad, transdisciplinary liberal education, is built on foundational courses (classroom experiences focused on critical thinking), signature inquiries (sustainability, resilience, creative storytelling, and design), and knowledge in action (capstone projects, experiential learning, and scholarship).

Bachelor Hall will feature a modern TV studio, the Bachelor Great Room — a flexible space for events and teaching — and a four-story atrium that enhances visual and physical connectivity.

A dedicated event space for the Humanities Center will encourage community engagement through signature events. The advanced tools and collaborative spaces enable the College of Arts and Science to develop innovative interdisciplinary courses and programs.

Initiatives like the Humanities Futures committee strengthen enrollment and advance the humanities at Miami University.

“Students will have state-of-the-art technology and spaces to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries,” said Elizabeth Mullenix, Miami’s provost.