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Undergraduate Minor Program EST. 2016

It is with regret that we inform you of the suspension of the History of Consciousness minor. The number of faculty who both teach History of Consciousness courses and provide essential stewardship of the program has been greatly reduced due to recent retirements in affiliated departments. At its current level of staffing, the History of Consciousness minor cannot responsibly be continued at this time.

Please be assured that current students will be able to complete their remaining History of Consciousness minor requirements in a timely fashion. History of Consciousness courses will continue to be offered through the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Department is optimistic that the minor will be reinstated in a near future year, so please check back for more information.

Sincerely,
The History of Consciousness Faculty

Program Description

History of Consciousness is an interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate minor program centered in the humanities, with links to the social sciences and the arts. It is concerned with forms of expression and social action as they are manifested in specific historical, cultural, and political contexts. The program stresses flexibility and originality. Interest is focused on problems rather than disciplines

The History of Consciousness Minor is available for students who wish to gain an understanding of major ideas, trends, and figures in the history of knowledge using an interdisciplinary approach. Topics include: modernity; the history of philosophy; capitalism; the foundations of critical theory; the emotions; categories and concepts of difference; critical race theory; queer theory; gender and sexuality studies; visual culture; and the foundations of modern intellectual thought. Courses provide students with critical theoretical tools for understanding philosophy, history, race, sexuality, affect, politics, economics and other fields of inquiry. They offer foundational knowledge that serves undergraduates in many other majors in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.

 

Minor Requirements (currently suspended)

  • ONE lower-division History of Consciousness course, preferably HISC 1,
    “Introduction to the History of Consciousness” (topics will vary depending on the instructor)

  • FIVE five-credit upper-division courses.

    *Students may, with permission of the instructor, petition the department to substitute a five-credit graduate seminar for one of the required upper-division courses. In addition, students may petition to substitute an upper-division course offered by affiliated faculty in other departments.

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