Interdisciplinary Studies Majors
Departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in addition to their own disciplinary majors, have developed and sponsor an interdisciplinary program of study, which encompasses several distinct programs designed to acquaint students in a coherent manner with topics that cross disciplinary boundaries. Administered by the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office, the interdisciplinary studies major includes program concentrations in American Civilization, medieval civilization, Gender and Women's Studies, Medieval Civilization, and Renaissance Studies. Although it is not possible to offer concentrations in all specialties or topics of humanistic study, students whose interests do not coincide with one of the specific concentrations are encouraged to consider developing their own programs through the Individual Plans of Study (IPS) major. Enrollment in the major in interdisciplinary studies requires election of one of the concentrations. The LAS Student Academic Affairs Office also sponsors an Interdisciplinary Minor in Science and Technology in Society.
Each concentration of the major in interdisciplinary studies is supervised by faculty members whose own scholarship and educational interests have involved them in interdisciplinary teaching and research. An advisor for students is available in each concentration and is responsible for approving students' plans of study.
Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum
E-mail: ips@uiuc.edu
Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minimum required major and supporting course work equates to 45-51 hours.
General education: The LAS General Education requirements are set up so students automatically complete the Campus General Education requirements.
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Departmental distinction. For program concentrations in American civilization, medieval civilization, and Renaissance studies, to be eligible for graduation with distinction, a student must have a college grade point average of 3.5, a major concentration grade point average of 3.5, completion of HUM 498 with a grade of A, and completion of a semester paper in 498 that is judged to be deserving of "distinction" by a committee of at least two faculty members.
High distinction. For program concentrations in American civilization, medieval civilization, medieval civilization, and Renaissance studies, to be eligible for graduation with high distinction, a student must have a college grade point average of 3.5, a major concentration grade point average of 3.7, and must have completed HUM 492 (instead of HUM 498) with a grade of A and a thesis in 492 that is judged to be deserving of "high distinction" by a committee of at least two faculty members.
Requirements for the Major
1. Elect one of the concentrations offered within the major and file a concentration declaration with the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office no later than the end of the first semester of the junior year. Students who do not begin work on concentration requirements by the junior year will be at a disadvantage.
2. Select specific courses counted toward completion of an concentration with the advice and approval of the concentration advisor, subject to specific concentration requirements. Students in program concentrations in American civilization, medieval civilization, medieval civilization, and Renaissance studies are strongly encouraged also to enroll in 6-7 hours of Western civilization (HIST 140 or 141 and 142 or 143, or CWL 241 and 242).
3. For the elected concentration, complete the stated minimum number of hours in courses applicable toward the major and in accord with the distribution requirements listed below; at least 25 hours must be at the 200,300 or 400 level.
4. All campus General Education and foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
American Civilization Concentration
This concentration offers a comprehensive introduction to the study of American civilization primarily through the study of art, history, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 6 | Two introductory courses chosen with the approval of the concentration advisor; the introductory courses should provide a broad overview of the development of American culture; for example, HUM 141 and 142. |
| 9 | Selected from following: |
ENGL 250—The American Novel to 1914 |
|
ENGL 251—The American Novel Since 1914 |
|
ENGL 255—Survey of American Lit I |
|
ENGL 259—Afro-American Literature I |
|
ENGL 260—Afro-American Literature II |
|
ENGL 449—American Lit 1820 - 1865 |
|
ENGL 450—American Lit 1865 - 1914 |
|
ENGL 451—American Lit 1914 - 1945 |
|
ENGL 462—Topics in Modern Fiction (when the topic is within American literature) |
|
| 9 | Select from the following: |
HIST 270—United States History to 1815 |
|
HIST 271—Nineteenth Century America |
|
HIST 272—Twentieth Century America |
|
HIST 370—US Colonial History |
|
HIST 371—The American Revolution |
|
HIST 373—Federalists & Jeffersonians |
|
HIST 374—Civil War and Reconstruction |
|
HIST 472—Immigrant America |
|
HIST 377—United States Since 1932 |
|
HIST 376—Soc History Indus Am From 1918 |
|
HIST 479—US Intel & Cultr Hist to 1865 |
|
HIST 481— US Intel & Cultr Hist From 1859 |
|
| 6 | Selected from the following: |
ARCH 415— Neoclass & Nineteen Cent Arch |
|
ARCH 416— Modern American Architecture |
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ARTH 446— Art Since 1940 |
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ARTH 350— American Art 1750-1900 |
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ARTH 351— Early American Modernism |
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PHIL 413—American Philosophy |
|
PHIL 416—Recent Anglo-American Phil |
|
PHIL 423—Philosophy of Art |
|
| 12 | Select in consultation with the concentration advisor from courses offered in the departments of anthropology, economics, geography, political science, and sociology. |
| 3 | HUM 397—Special Topics Junior. An advanced-level course with an American focus may be substituted with the approval of the advisor. |
| 3 | HUM 498—Special Topics Senior |
Substitutions for any of the above specific courses may be permitted with the approval of the concentration advisor only in exceptional cases.
Cinema Studies Concentration
This Medieval Civilization Concentration of the Interdisciplinary Major offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of film (and other forms of screen media) from various cultural and social perspectives. The Concentration emphasizes development of methods and skills of critical analysis and places the cinema in its wider context as the dominant art form of the twentieth century.
E-mail: cinema@uiuc.edu
Web address for department: www2.uiuc.edu/unit/cinema
Minimum required concentration and supporting course work normally equates to 54 hours including a minimum of 36 hours in Cinema Studies courses.
General Education: The LAS General Education requirements are set up so students automatically complete the Campus General Education requirements.
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
Departmental Distinction: To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a students must achieve: a college grade-point average of 3.5, a Cinema Studies Concentration grade-point average of 3.5, and completion of CINE 498 with a grade of A and completion of a semester paper that is judged to be deserving of "distinction" by a committee of at least two Cinema Studies faculty members. To be eligible for graduation with high distinction, a student must achieve: a college grade-point average of 3.5, a Cinema Studies Concentration grade-point average of 3.7, and completion of CINE 491 with a grad of A and completion of a thesis that is judged to be deserving of "high distinction" by a committee of at least two Cinema Studies faculty members.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | ENGL 104–Intro to Film |
| 3 | CINE 261–Survey of World Cinema I |
| 3 | CINE 262–-Survey of World Cinema II |
| 3 | CINE 461–Film Theory and Criticism |
| 21 | At least 21 additional hours in film courses approved by the Unit for Cinema Studies. At least 9 of these hours must be in courses focusing on foreign language cinema, and at least two languages must be represented in the total. Consult the Unit for Cinema Studies for the list of approved courses. |
| 3 | CINE 498—Special Topics Senior. |
| 6 | Western Civilization requirement: |
| HIST 141- Western Civ to 1660 (or HIST 140) and HIST 142-Western Civ Since 1660 (or HIST 143) | |
| or | |
| CWL 241-Masterpieces West Culture I and CWL 242- Masterpieces West Culture II | |
| 12 | At least 12 hours of supporting coursework. Supporting coursework is defined as courses (1) which study non-cinema texts in ways that are similar to or complement the ways in which medieval civilization courses approach film (for example, literature, speech communications, media studies, cultural studies, or art history courses) or (2) which provide a background or context for a student's study of the cinema (for example, history, anthropology, sociology, or advanced foreign language courses) or (3) which provide other sorts of analytical tools for approaching the study of film (for example, psychology, philosophy, economics, or linguistics courses). Students may also include various sorts of production courses in this category. (The examples cited here are not intended to exclude other areas of study which may validly be considered cinema-related.) Specific courses and sequences in theses cinema-related fields are to be approved at the discretion of the medieval civilization advisor, except that the medieval civilization courses may not be approved as supporting coursework. |
| 54 | Total |
Substitutions for specific courses listed above will be approved by the medieval civilization advisor only in exceptional cases. Students may use courses taken as part of a formal Minor to fulfill the supporting coursework and Western Civilization requirements where appropriate.
Gender and Women's Studies Concentration
This concentration explores women and men, gender and sexuality, across disciplines and cultures. The program provides both a broad and deep approach to theory, research, and multidisciplinary study. Students majoring in women's studies receive excellent preparation for graduate study or to enter jobs in social services, public policy, advocacy, creative arts, counseling, marketing and advertising, and other fields that address women's and family issues. The Gender and Women's Studies Program provides advising for students. Students will also be assigned a faculty advisor to help plan a coherent program in their selected area of study.
E-mail: wsp@uiuc.edu
Web address for department: www.gws.uiuc.edu
Departmental distinction. To be eligible for graduation with distinction, a student must have a college grade-point average of 3.5, a Gender and Women's Studies Concentration grade point average of 3.5, complete the Senior Seminar, GWS 498, with a grade of A, and complete a semester paper in GWS 498 that is deemed worthy of "distinction" by the instructor.
High distinction. To be eligible for graduation with high distinction, a student must have a college grade point average of 3.5, a Gender and Women's Studies Concentration grade-point average of 3.7, complete the Senior Seminar, GWS 498, with a grade of A, and complete a semester paper in GWS 498 that is deemed worthy of "high distinction" by the instructor.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | GWS 250—Gender Studies Humanities |
| or | |
| GWS 260—Gender Studies Soc Sci | |
| 3 | GWS 350—Intro to Feminist Theory |
| 3 | One course in Historical Perspectives. Select from: |
| GWS 380--Black Women Hist & Cultures | |
| HIST 287—African-American Women | |
| HIST 285 – US Gender History to 1877 | |
| HIST 286-- US Gender History Since 1877 | |
| GWS 490 -- Seminar in Women’s Studies (with approval from advisor) | |
| 3 | One course in Global and Comparative Perspectives. Select from: |
| RLST 403 –Women in Muslim Societies | |
| EALC 361 –Women in East Asia | |
| SOC 261 – Gender Transnatl Perspective | |
| GWS 480 –Gender Roles & Intl Dev | |
| GWS 490 -- Seminar in Women’s Studies (with approval of advisor) | |
| 3 | GWS 498 –Cont Studies in GWS (preferred for senior year) |
| 18 | Electives selected from an approved course list maintained by the Gender and Women’s Studies Program and approved by a faculty advisor. The six approved areas of focus are: Women’s Studies and Feminist Theories; Queer Studies; Women, Narrative and Representation; Social and Human Sciences; Gender, Race and Nation; and Gender in Science, Technology, Information and Medicine. Individually designed programs worked out in consultation with the WS advisor may be approved the by Director of the Program. Courses taken to satisfy the core courses requirements may not normally be used to satisfy the requirements of an area of interest. |
| 33 | Total |
Medieval Civilization Concentration
This concentration is intended to introduce students to medieval culture, provide them with a sense of periods and movements, names, ideas, and values, and thus give them a synoptic view of the field. A student whose interests are primarily literary should consult with an advisor in comparative literature or in one of the language and literature departments. The required courses are designed to encourage students to read medieval texts, insofar as practical, in the manner in which medieval university students would have read them. In addition, a certain amount of training in the reading of medieval documents, the interpretation of art, and the study of Latin and the medieval vernacular languages will bring students closer to the thought of the period.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| variable | NOTE: Students must acquire a reading knowledge of a foreign language relevant to their interests in medieval civilization. In most instances, this requirement will coincide with the college foreign language requirement. The language should be selected in consultation with the concentration advisor. These hours will not count towards the minimum of 45 hours required for this concentration. |
| 6 | Minimum of 6 hours to include two introductory courses selected in consultation with the concentration advisor. |
| 6 | Minimum of 6 hours to include two advanced-level topically oriented courses selected in consultation with the concentration advisor. Selected courses should focus on a topic central to medieval civilization and should emphasize the international cultural and social unity of medieval civilization; sample topics include medieval vernacular literatures, mythology, the Bible and medieval exegesis, iconography, paleography and the medieval book, cosmography, geography in the Middle Ages, and the influence of Islam. Departmental courses, such as HIST 359 or 444 and CLCV 415/SPCM 415, or special topics courses, such as HUM 395, may be used to complete this requirement; but courses must be selected with the advisor’s approval. |
| 27 | Medieval-related course work selected in consultation with the concentration advisor from the departments of art history, history, literature, music, philosophy, and religious studies. |
| 3 | HUM 397—Special Topics Junior. An advanced-level course with a medieval focus may be substituted with the approval of the advisor. The medieval civilization topic of HUM 397 or the substitute course should require an ability to read primary and secondary sources in a foreign language. |
| 3 | HUM 492—Senior Thesis. The thesis should ordinarily be in one of the following areas: art, medieval Latin literature, vernacular literature, liturgy and worship, philosophy and theology, history, science. |
Substitution for specific courses listed above will be approved by the concentration advisor only in exceptional cases.
Renaissance Studies Concentration
This concentration incorporates course work in the Renaissance and related periods and places an emphasis on independent study and the completion of research papers in the junior and senior years.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| variable | NOTE: Students must acquire a reading knowledge of a foreign language relevant to their interests in Renaissance study, selected in consultation with the concentration advisor. These hours will not count towards the minimum of 45 hours required for this concentration. |
| 15 | Renaissance-related course work in a single discipline at the 200 to 400 level from among the following: art, history, literature, or music. |
| 24 | Renaissance-related course work in the following areas with at least one course in each: art, history, music, philosophy, and literature. At least one of these courses must be in classical literature or culture. |
| 3 | HUM 397—Special Topics Junior. An advanced-level course with a Renaissance focus may be substituted with the approval of the advisor. |
| 3 | HUM 498—Special Topics Senior, which will lead to the completion of a significant research paper. |
For All Concentrations
Substitution for specific courses listed above will be approved by the concentration advisor only in exceptional cases.
Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.
All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
A Major Plan of Study Form must be completed and submitted to the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office before the end of the fifth semester (60-75 hours). Please see your advisor.