| George Mason University > University Catalog > College of Arts and Sciences | |
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Interdisciplinary Minors
African American StudiesFaculty and StaffCarton, Clark, Dennis, Fuchs, Horton, Levine, McFerson, Miller, Mobley McKenzie, Paden, Richards Jordan, Slade Martin, Smith, Smith-Bermiss, Stewart (director), Trafton, Travis, Warner, Wilkins, Williams Course WorkThe African American Studies program offers all course work designated AFAM in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog. RequirementsAfrican American studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the cultural, historical, economic, and political dimensions and experiences of people of African descent in America, the Caribbean, Africa, and around the world. It introduces students to methodologies for examining the complex dynamics of race, class, gender, and ethnicity in America, and enables them to develop critical and analytical approaches to address contemporary issues in African American life and culture. The interdisciplinary minor in African American studies requires a minimum of 21 credits of related course work, which includes 12 required credits and 9 elective credits from various disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences. Required Courses
Other courses as approved by the coordinator of the interdisciplinary minor in African American studies. Ancient Mediterranean Art and ArchaeologyFacultyButler (coordinator), Cherubin, Lytton, Mattusch, Winkler Course WorkThe interdisciplinary minor in ancient Mediterranean art and archaeology is designed for students with diverse interests in the material culture of the ancient world. Course work combines the study of archaeology, literature, art, history, philosophy, myth, and religion. The minor's scope is not limited to Greece and Rome but touches on all the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, as well as the heirs of late antiquity such as Byzantium and early Islam. The program represents foundation work crucial to graduate study in traditional departments of classical, Near Eastern, or Mediterranean art and archaeology. Through this minor, students are given credit for acquiring practical linguistic skills and archaeological field experience as well as scholarly background. Students should consult with the coordinator in designing a program. RequirementsStudents in this minor complete 18 credits distributed as follows:
Asia-Pacific StudiesFacultyButler, Chang, Cheng, Cuong, DeCaroli, H. Nguyen (coordinator), Lin, Liu, Paden, Platt, Ro, Wan, Zhang The interdisciplinary minor in Asia-Pacific Studies is designed for students whose interests focus on the humanities and social sciences and Asia's role in global systems and the cultural mosaic of human experience. In particular, a new type of transregionalism is explored (i.e., the links between Asia and North America). RequirementsTo receive the minor in Asia-Pacific Studies students must complete a minimum of 21 credits distributed as follows.
Approved study abroad and/or internships or other courses as approved by the coordinator of the interdisciplinary minor in Asia-Pacific Studies Language courses in Chinese or Japanese are strongly recommended. Film and Media StudiesFacultyBrunette (coordinator), Burton, Christensen, Fuchs, Gibson, Lont, Ricouart, Roan, Teminaga, Winkler We are inundated on a daily basis with mass culture, especially as it is purveyed through the mass media. The effects are enormous and often unconscious. The film and media studies (FAMS) interdisciplinary minor aims to develop in students a more informed awareness of the nature of this culture, its ideological tendencies, and its effects on daily life in our society. The program offers diverse perspectives on mass media in the belief that such juxtapositions are more productive than any single approach. Committed to interdisciplinary studies, the program addresses the increasing complexity and multiplicity of visual cultures. The program's basic components are offered through the departments of Communication, English, and Music, with other courses available through the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. This 18-credit interdisciplinary minor is designed to introduce and explore mass culture in its visual manifestations. The program offers students the tools with which to read a variety of texts, including film, television, video, news media, and architecture. RequirementsStudents in this minor complete 18 credits distributed as follows.
For further information, contact Peter Brunette, Department of English, Robinson Hall, Room A465, (703) 993-1190. Folklore and MythologyFacultyBurns, Decaroli, ffolliott, Fuchs, Johnsen-Neshati, Mattusch (co-coordinator), Owens, Rutledge, Shiner, Shuti Ka, Todd, Winkler, Yocom (co-coordinator) Stories told in both sacred and secular contexts, along with festivals, foods, music, material objects, and other traditional art forms, continue to influence our lives. This interdisciplinary minor offers students the tools with which to explore the compelling meanings within these seemingly simple, everyday cultural texts and become more aware of the ways these texts are used by individuals and institutions for various goals. Committed to interdisciplinary study, this program asks students to study folklore and mythology by juxtaposing the multiple viewpoints available from anthropology, art history, classical studies, literary studies, and religious studies. RequirementsA minimum of 18 credits of related course work is required, taken from three groupings of courses. If any of these courses is taken for credit toward the B.A. literature requirement, it may not be taken for credit in the minor. Group 1 (3 credits)
Group 2 (1215 credits)
Group 3 (03 credits) Independent Study and Internships: ANTH 299, ANTH 495, ARTH 393, ARTH 490, ARTH 491, ENGL 498, ENGL 499, summer field work schools offered by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and other institutions approved by the faculty To avoid duplication of courses, English majors who choose the folklore and mythology interdisciplinary minor should not elect the English Department's folklore, mythology, and literature concentration. For further information, contact Margaret Yocom, Department of English, Robinson Hall A, Room 439, (703) 993-1172, or Carol Mattusch, Department of History and Art History, Robinson Hall B, Room 373A, (703) 993-1017. Global SystemsFacultyHarbour (coordinator) RequirementsThe interdisciplinary minor in global systems consists of 18 credits of non region-specific courses that deal with global connections or transactions. The minor is ideal for majors in business disciplines, economics, languages, geography, government and international politics, history, and other disciplines that take a global view. At least 9 credits must be at the 300 level or above.
Other courses such as UNIV or special topics courses may also fulfill the requirements of this program; the written permission of the coordinator is required prior to registration. For more information, contact the coordinator in the Department of Public and International Affairs, Robinson Hall, Room A201, (703) 993-1400. Islamic StudiesCore FacultyAmireh, Dakake, Hamdani (coordinator), Mandaville Affiliated FacultyBakhash, Beyoghlow, Butler, Chamberlain, Cross, DeCaroli, Fatih, Friedlander, Katz, Lukacs, Paden, Sheers The minor in Islamic Studies designed for students interested in the societies, culture, history, and politics of the Islamic world. The interdisciplinary minor is available to currently enrolled undergraduates and consists of a minimum of 21 credits of related course work, including 9 required credits, 9 elective credits, and 3 language credits or proficiency as determined by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. RequirementsStudents in this minor complete 21 credits distributed as follows:
A student may demonstrate proficiency in a relevant foreign language to fulfill the language requirement of the minor. In this case, the student will have three additional elective credits. Courses in another language of the Islamic world can be applied toward elective credits. Special topics courses, when relevant, may be used to fulfill elective credits for the minor with prior approval of the coordinator. Certificate in Islamic StudiesThe Islamic Studies Program offers a certificate in Islamic Studies for those seeking academic or professional enhancement through basic knowledge about Islam. A bachelor's degree in any field is a prerequisite. The certificate in Islamic Studies requires a minimum of 18 credits: 9 required and 9 elective from categories 1 and 2. Electives for the certificate may include language credits. Credits taken for the minor cannot be applied toward the certificate. For more information contact the coordinator, Robinson Hall B, Room 347, (703) 993-1261. Latin American StudiesFacultyBerroa, Bristol, Burt, Francescato, Karush (Coordinator), Leeman, Lepore, Meyer, Rabin, Seligmann, Shutika, Yocom The interdisciplinary minor in Latin American Studies offers students the opportunity to study one of the most diverse and fascinating regions in the world. Contemporary Latin America is the product of a long and turbulent history of conquest, resistance and cultural mixing. The result is a rich and unique amalgam of African, indigenous, and European cultures. For citizens of the United States, knowledge of Latin America is absolutely crucial. Not only has this country played an enormous role in Latin American history, but the reverse is also true. For an example of this impact, one need look no further than the large and still expanding Latino immigrant communities in Northern Virginia. The minor in Latin American Studies integrates many disciplines across campus, including anthropology, dance, economics, folklore, geography, government, history, and literature. Students in the minor gain broad expertise in the region as they pursue more concentrated programs of study on such topics as popular and ethnic cultures, the literature of the Latin American "boom," the revolutionary political movements of the twentieth century, and the effects of globalization today. RequirementsStudents must complete a minimum of 18 credits distributed as follows.
Students receiving a minor in Latin American studies must also demonstrate reading, speaking, or writing knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, or French by examination or by achieving a minimum grade of 2.00 in a 300-level course in the language selected. Those students taking an upper-level Francophone Caribbean, Latin American literature or culture course in the target language that is relevant to Latin American studies may use it to fulfill 3 credits of the requirements for the minor. InternshipsInternships are possible with the U.S. Congress and with local governments, community organizations, environmental organizations, foundations, nongovernmental agencies, human rights organizations, international business organizations, labor unions, legal organizations, libraries, media organizations, museums, political parties, public interest organizations, publications, and religious organizations. Study AbroadStudents are encouraged to spend a semester abroad, especially if the region of emphasis is French Canada or Latin America. The Center for Global Education provides opportunities for study abroad in a wide range of countries. These affordable programs sharpen language skills and give students a first-hand experience with a different culture. LinguisticsFacultyChamberlain, Collier, Goldin, Golomb, Hamburger, Holisky, Jones, Levine, Rothbart, Sanford, Weinberger (coordinator), Wulf Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Language is studied in a variety of waysdescriptively, theoretically, computationally, and psychologicallyand as a social phenomenon. The field of linguistics thus informs and is informed by many other areas of study including philosophy, psychology, sociology, computer science, the study of individual languages and literatures, literary studies, and education. The interdisciplinary minor in linguistics may be combined with a major in one of the areas listed above or in any other field. This minor introduces the student through the required courses to the fundamental concepts of modern linguistic theory and allows the student to explore in the electives how these concepts relate to various other disciplines. RequirementsStudents must complete 15 credits distributed as follows:
MultimediaFacultyChung, Forche, Higgins, Lont, Martin, Montecino, Smith, Weinberger, White In the multimedia minor, students learn how to create original work and communicate with others through the fusion of images, text, sound, and video. Students analyze and incorporate into their productions contemporary design principles and current software applications. As part of this process, students are encouraged to focus on how multimedia technologies, which offer new tools for investigating and disseminating ideas, can enhance undergraduate research and writing. These skills, now important in most academic disciplines, are also increasingly valuable not only in the specialized information technology industries, but also in business, education, and politics. This minor is not available to students majoring in AVT with a concentration in digital arts. RequirementsStudents in this minor complete 18 to 20 credits distributed as follows:
The New EuropeCoordinator: Desmond Dinan, School of Public Policy Students receiving the university-wide minor in the New Europe complete a minimum of 18 credits: a 3-credit required course and 15 credits of electives (at least 3 credits from each field). Special topics courses, seminars, independent study, internships, and study abroad, where relevant to the minor, may also be taken for elective credits, with approval of the coordinator.
Urban and Suburban StudiesFacultyClapsaddle, Clark, Dumont, Endo, Gifford, Hart-Nibbrig, K. Haynes, Horton, Hysom, Mattusch, Rosenzweig, Schintler, Sockett, Stough, Todd, Travis (coordinator), Verheyen, Wong Course WorkThe Urban and Suburban Studies program offers all course work designated USST in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog. RequirementsThe interdisciplinary minor in urban and suburban studies requires a minimum of 18 credits of course work:
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