History Minors

History

The Minor in History is open to all students at Carnegie Mellon. Minoring in History allows students to gain an appreciation for important historical contexts that can complement their other academic interests. The History Department offers a wide array of survey courses covering seven major regions of the world: Asia, Europe, United States, African Diaspora, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Russia and the Former Soviet States. In addition, the Department offers numerous electives that focus on topics of specialized faculty expertise, such as environment, technology, gender, culture, labor, race, science, criminal justice, education, war, public health, politics, and diplomacy. Many of these topical courses closely link analysis of past and present, with a special interest in applying historical insight to the formulation of public policy.

The History minor is 54 units and it requires that students complete a minimum of two 9-unit “Survey Courses” and 36 units of History electives. Students may use any combination of 6 unit mini courses and 9 unit full semester courses to complete the 36 units of electives. Students may double-count up to 9 units between the History minor and any other major or minor.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ricky Law

African & African American Studies

The African and African American Studies minor introduces students to several large regions of the world: sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean. Broad geographic coverage and a comparative framework encourage students to make connections between Africa and the African Diaspora, as well as among different Diasporan communities. The minor offers undergraduates the opportunity to undertake an empirical and theoretical examination of the cultural, political, social, and historical experiences of Africans and people of African descent.

This unique transnational minor brings together several departments and colleges within the university and allows students to develop analytical skills particular to the arts, humanities, social sciences, public policy, and management. The African and African American Studies minor allow students a considerable degree of freedom in their choice of electives and independent research projects, including opportunities to study and conduct research in a relevant foreign language.

The minor is composed of 54 units, broken down between two “Core Courses” and four elective courses. Students may take up to two additional “Core Courses” that can count toward the elective requirement. At least one of their elective courses must contain a research paper or project and in the course of the six courses, students must take courses in two of the following four geographic regions: Africa, African American, Latin American, and the Caribbean).

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Edda Fields-Black

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of all forms of human diversity across time and space. The Minor in Anthropology at Carnegie Mellon exposes students to the methods and theories that anthropologists use to study cultural variation and change. Courses in the minor explore the history and practice of ethnography, apply anthropological approaches to global problems, and examine how cultural differences interact with a range of other social, political, and environmental forces. Students also gain a deeper understanding of how cultural differences shape (and are shaped by) the arts, technology, economics, politics, and ecology. The Minor in Anthropology, which may be combined with any major, equips students with a sophisticated understanding of human diversity in a rapidly changing world.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Noah Theriault

Gender Studies

Gender studies is an interdisciplinary field that investigates how gender is embedded in social, cultural, and political relationships. It understands gender as a category of power that intersects with other power relations, including race, class, and sexuality. Together, courses allow students to develop a deeper understanding of how gender operates, and to transfer these analytical skills to other disciplines, as well as to their personal and professional lives. 

The Gender Studies Minor consists of 6 courses for a minimum of 54 units and consists of courses across different disciplines. Most eligible classes are taught in English, History, and Languages, Cultures, and Applied Linguistics.  They can sometimes be found in other departments, as well as other colleges.  Course offerings rely on individual faculty choice and are therefore subject to change. New offerings may arise. Additionally, course titles may not flag gender, yet still fit the minor. 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lisa Tetrault

Religious Studies

The minor in Religious Studies introduces students to several academic and intellectual approaches to understanding religion as a social, cultural, and historical phenomenon. Students may study the philosophy of religion, sociological and behavioral approaches to religion, historical analyses of religious subjects and actors, literary and critical analysis of religious texts, and anthropological treatments of religious practice. The minor enables students to apply intellectual tools from across disciplinary boundaries to diverse religious traditions.

The curriculum consists of 54 units. All students are required to take 79-281 Introduction to Religion. In addition to the required Core Course, students must complete Distribution Courses totaling 18 units (usually two 9-unit courses). A Distribution Course is one that applies a particular discipline to more than one religion. The remainder of the minor is 27 units of electives. Students are encouraged to consider courses offered at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, Chatham, and other institutions through the Pittsburgh Consortium on Higher Education. The option to cross-register for relevant courses at other local institutions allows students some flexibility in meeting the minor’s requirements and gives them the opportunity to explore interests in religious subjects that might not otherwise be covered at CMU.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Allyson Creasman

Science, Technology & Society

The Minor in Science, Technology, & Society (STS) provides students with an interdisciplinary, historically-grounded perspective on the development and meaning of science and technology in modern society. The minor enables students to explore the philosophical underpinnings, cultural and historical contexts, and economic and literary assessments of the interplay among science, technology, and society. A wide range of elective courses facilitates a deeper dive into subjects and approaches that build on the skills and knowledge gained in students’ primary and additional majors. This minor is appropriate for students pursuing both B.A. and B.S. degrees who seek a greater understanding of how science and technology have helped to shape and reshape the modern world.

The STS minor curriculum is 54 units (typically six 9-unit courses) split between a minimum of 27 units of “Core Courses” and 27 units of Electives. Students must take two “Core Courses” on the history and philosophy of science and technology and one “Core Course” on the language and rhetoric of science and technology. Students may choose from a wide variety of approved electives, including additional “Core Courses” to complete the minor. Students may request that courses not currently listed in the catalog count for the elective requirement by asking the Faculty Advisor for approval.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Phillips