Programs, Minors, and Elective Courses

Course requirements: 15 credit hours.

The American Studies minor provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study American culture with faculty from a variety of disciplines. The goal is for students to gain an enhanced understanding of the complexity and richness of the social, political, aesthetic and economic structures that inform American life. Simultaneously, the minor exposes students to interdisciplinary approaches to the study of American society.

The minor consists of a minimum of 15 hours: 3 hours (1 class) in an introductory course in American Studies; 6 hours (2 classes) in breadth courses from the University Core Curriculum; and 6 hours (2 classes) in one of the four primary American Studies focus areas. Through coursework in American Studies, students prepare themselves for careers in a variety of fields requiring critical thinking and writing, from teaching to law, health, business and government. The requirements for the American Studies minor are listed below.

I. Core course for the minor:

All students taking the American Studies minor must complete "Introduction to American Studies," which is cross listed in History and English:

• HIST 212, or
• ENGL 212

II. Breadth Courses:

Students must take two of the following courses (6 hours):

• AFR 209
• AFR 215
• ANTH 202
• ENGL 205
• HIST 210
• PHIL 211
• PHIL 210

III. Specialization Courses:

Students must take two courses (6 hours) from one of the below "focus areas":

1. American Cultural Studies:

• AFR 311A
• AFR 311B
• AFR 449
• ANTH 204
• ANTH 302
• ANTH 416
• ANTH 424
• CCJ 203
• HIST 335
• HIST 354
• HIST 355
• HIST 357
• HIST 362A
• HIST 362B
• HIST 364
• HIST 365
• LING 416
• MCMA 449
• POLS 215
• POLS 314I
• POLS 332I
• POLS 370

2. Political Philosophy:

• CCJ 474
• HIST 355
• HIST 455
• PHIL 486
• PHIL 487
• POLS 332

3. Art and Literature in the U.S.:

• AD 227
• AD 267
• AD 307I
• AD 317I
• AD 428
• AFR 350
• AFR 355A
• AFR 355B
• AFR 357
• AFR 375
• ENGL 205
• ENGL 206A
• ENGL 225
• ENGL 307I
• ENGL 325
• ENGL 355A
• ENGL 355B
• MC 204
• MUS 303I
• THEA 454
• THEA 460

4. Local History/Public History:

• ANTH 201
• ANTH 310K
• ANTH 450A
• ANTH 450B
• GEOG 303I
• HIST 367
• HIST 496
• HIST 498
• POLS 213
• POLS 214

Course requirements: 18 credit hours.

The multidisciplinary minor in Cultural Competency enhances the perspectives of students working within culturally diverse communities on a national, international, and global scale. Students completing this minor will be better prepared to thrive and be successful in a diverse workplace. The minor is beneficial to students whose career path requires them to be effective professionals, such as teachers, nurses, social workers, journalists as well as technicians, engineers, and scientists. Area focus, such as East Asia, the Middle East, South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as LGBTQ+ and disabilities, is an integral part of the minor. 

The minor requires 18 credit hours of course work and independent study. Within these 18 credit hours, credit hours must be taken outside the student’s primary discipline. The student must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at SIUC. 

Students who wish to enroll in this minor must consult with the Director of the School of Africana and Multicultural Studies: jbrownsj@siu.edu.

 

Core Requirements: AFR 499, AFR 499B, ANTH 470A

Elective Courses: AFR 495, AFR 360 or HIST 361, AFR 449, AFR 472, AFR 487, ANTH 202, ANTH 204, ANTH 240D, CMST 201, CMST 241, CMST 301I, CMST 441, CMST 448, CCJ 203, CCJ 340, PSYC 223, PSYC 233, PSYC 334, SOC 215, SOC 435, SOC 437, SOC 438, SOC 455, WGSS 426, WGSS 456, WGSS 489

The Forensic Science minor is interdisciplinary, designed to provide undergraduates with a basic understanding of the ways forensic scientists evaluate physical evidence in criminal investigations, and the legal and ethical ramifications of this work. Students pursuing focused majors in preparation for employment or graduate studies in Forensics-related fields can use the minor to inform and broaden their studies on related issues. The program also is intended to develop critical knowledge and skills for evaluating forensic evidence in law, literature, and public media portrayals of forensic scientists.

Course Requirements

It is strongly recommended that the SIU Core Curriculum requirements be satisfied as follows: Social Sciences: ANTH 104; Human Health: PHSL 201 or 310; Science Group I: CHEM 106; Science Group II: ZOOL 115 or 118; Integrative Studies Multicultural: CCJ 203 or ANTH 202.

Required courses for the Forensic Science Minor amount to 15 hours, including 9 hours of required courses and 6 hours of electives (with no more than 4 of the minimum 6 hours of electives from a single discipline/department).

Required Core Courses:

Required Core Courses Include: 9 hours:

• CCJ 201
• ANTH 231
• CHEM 173

Electives:

Electives may be chosen from the following (note, some have prerequisites) 6 hours:

• AH 313
• CCJ 290
• CCJ 310
• CCJ 330
• CCJ 408
• ANTH 240A/E
• ANTH 440B
• ANTH 441D
• ANTH 455A
• ANTH 455H
• ANTH 465 (internship in Forensics –must be arranged individually)
• BIOL 305
• CHEM 439
• PHIL 104
• PHIL 340
• PHSL 301
• PLB 300
• POLS 334
• PSYCH 305
• PSYCH 431
• PSYCH 440
• SOC 372
• ZOOL 394

The Latina/o/x and Latin American Studies minor is interdisciplinary, designed to provide undergraduates with an enhanced understanding of the culture, history, language, literature, and arts of both Latina/o/x in the United States and the people of Latin America. The minor consists of a minimum of 15 credit hours that are to be selected from the University’s offerings on these topics and organized to reflect each individual student’s interests. Through coursework in Latino and Latin American Studies, students may prepare themselves for careers in teaching, government, the media, health care, business, law, and the arts, among others. The requirements for the Latina/o/x and Latin American Studies minor are listed below.

There are no language requirements or other prerequisites for the minor. Latina/o/x and Latin American Studies courses do not require a knowledge of Spanish or other foreign languages. However, a familiarity with Spanish (or any second language) is always an asset. CoLA majors are strongly encouraged to use introductory Spanish language courses in order to fulfill the college-wide foreign language requirement. Students who have proficiency in other languages such as Portuguese or an indigenous Latin American language may consult with the Program Coordinator about having them count for the LALAS minor.  

For additional information, please contact:
José D. Najar
History Department
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Faculty Coordinator, Latina/o/x & Latin American Studies Minor
Faner Hall 3271
jnajar@siu.edu
(618) 453-7872

COURSES THAT FULFILL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LATINA/O/X AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES MINOR

AFRICANA STUDIES (AFR)

• AFR 360 Race & History in the United States

ANTHROPOLOGY (ANTH)

• ANTH 204 Latino Cultures in America
• ANTH 205 Latin American Civilization
• ANTH 416 Spanish in the U.S.A.

CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE (CCJ)

• CCJ 203 Crime, Justice, & Social Diversity

ENGLISH (ENGL)

• ENGL 205 Cultural Diversity in American Literature
• ENGL 446 Caribbean Literature

HISTORY (HIST)

• HIST 361 Race & History in the U.S. (same as AFR 360)
• HIST 365 American Immigration
• HIST 370A History of Latin America: Colonial
• HIST 370B History of Latin America: Independent
• HIST 407 History of Latinos in the United States
• HIST 470 Continuity & Change in Latin America

LINGUISTICS (LING)

• LING 416 Spanish in the U.S.A.

PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)

• PHIL 211 Philosophy & Diversity: Gender, Race & Class

POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLS)

• POLS 215 Politics of Diversity in the United States

PSYCHOLOGY (PSYC)

• PSYC 223 Diversity in the Workplace

SPANISH (SPAN)

• SPAN 304 Hispanic Film and Conversation
• SPAN 310 Introduction to Hispanic Literature
• SPAN 370B Hispanic Culture
• SPAN 434 Colonial Literature
• SPAN 451 Studies in Latin American Literature of the Nineteenth Century
• SPAN 461 Studies in Latin American Literature of the Twentieth Century

SOCIOLOGY (SOC)

• SOC 215 Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States
• SOC 438 Sociology of Ethnic Relations in World Perspective

The Native American Studies minor is interdisciplinary, designed to provide undergraduates with an enhanced understanding of the culture, history, language, literature, and arts of Native Peoples of the Americas. The minor consists of a minimum of 18 hours that are to be selected from the university’s offerings on these topics and organized to reflect each individual student’s interests. Through coursework in Native American Studies, students may prepare themselves for careers in teaching, government, the media, health care, business, law, and the arts, among others. The requirements for Native American Studies minor are listed below.

Successful completion of the Native American Studies minor consists of satisfying all course requirements.

Associated Faculty

Gray H. Whaley* (History) - Faner Hall Rm 3374

* Native American Studies Advisor & Contact person

Course Requirements

Course Requirements: 18 credit hours, including 6 hours of required core courses and 12 hours of electives, of which 3 hours may be selected from a special interest or related course; for example, Africana Studies.

Required Core Courses:

One of:

• ANTH 310E/470E: Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of South America
• ANTH 310I/470: Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of Mesoamerica
• ANTH 310J/470J: Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of the Andes
• ANTH 310K/470K: Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of the Native Southwest

And:

• HIST 366: American Indian History

Electives:

Electives can be chosen from the following (note that some have prerequisites or restrictions):

Anthropology (ANTH)

• 201 Archaeology of Illinois
• 205 Latin American Civilization
• 206 Latin American Popular Culture
• 302 Indians of the Americas
• 310e/470e Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of South America
• 310i/470i Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of Mesoamerica
• 310j/470j Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of the Andes
• 310k/470k Introduction to Peoples and Cultures of the Native Southwest
• 328a/428a Indigenous Languages of the Americas: North America
• 328b/428b Indigenous Languages of the Americas: Mesoamerica
• 328c/428c Indigenous Languages of the Americas: South America
• 420 Mayan Texts
• 424 Native American Verbal Art
• 430A Archaeology of North America
• 430B Archaeology of Mesoamerica
• 430E Archaeology of the Eastern Woodlands
• 430F Archaeology of South America

Art & Design (AD)

• 317I Contemporary Native American Art
• 428 Native North American Art
• 468 Pre-Columbian Art

English (ENGL)

• 332 Folktales and Mythology

History (HIST)

• 361 Race and History in the United States
• 403 American Indians and U.S. Empire

Sociology (SOC)

• 215 Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States

The Peace Studies minor is interdisciplinary, designed to provide undergraduates with a better understanding of the causes of war and violence, the history of war and peace, and alternatives to violence in thought and practice.  The minor consists of a minimum of 18 hours that are to be selected from the university’s offerings on these topics and organized to reflect each individual student’s interests.  Through coursework in Peace Studies, students may prepare themselves for careers in teaching, government, media, law, non-profit organizations and NGOs, and the arts, among others.  The requirements for the Peace Studies minor are listed below.

Contact

For more information, contact: Satoshi Toyosaki, Coordinator

Peace Studies Minor

Successful completion of the Peace Studies minor consists of satisfying all course requirements.

Course Requirements

18 credit hours, including 6 hours of required core courses and 12 hours of electives.  The 18 hours must be spread over at least three different departments.

Required core courses

History 358i or Cinema and Photography 358i - Introduction to Peace Studies

Philosophy 309i: Philosophy of Peace, Law, and Justice

Electives

Electives are to be chosen from the following list.  Other courses may substitute, but only with the express approval of a member of the Peace Studies faculty advisory committee.

Anthropology (ANTH)

• 330 Biological Foundations of Human Behavior
• 370 Anthropology and Contemporary Human Problems
• 410A Practicing Anthropology
• 410E Anthropology of Law
• 410O Colonialism and Post-colonialism

Africana Studies (AFR) (formerly Black American Studies)

• 209 Critical Issues in the Black American Experience
• 332I Introduction to Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
• 360 Race and History in the U.S. (same as HIST 361)
• 416 Black Feminist Thought as Theory and Praxis (CMST 416)
• 447 Communicating Race and Ethnicity
• 472 Psychology of Race and Racism
• 497 The U.S. Civil Rights Movement

Cinema and Photography (CP)

• 469 Queer Visual Culture

Communication Studies (CMST)

• 301I Intercultural Communication
• 341 Introduction to Intercultural Communication
• 412 Environmental Rhetoric
• 448 Intercultural Training
• 463 Interpersonal Conflict
• 464 Compassionate Communication
• 490C Global Peace Studies in Japan

Criminology & Criminal Justice (CCJ)

• 203 Race, Class & Gender
• 492 Special Topics: Genocide and Mass Atrocity

East Asian Studies (EA)

• 370A Global Peace Studies in Japan

English (ENGL)

• 493 Rebels, Slaves, Monsters, and Human Rights: From Oroonoko to Game of Thrones

Geography (GEOG)

• 304 Geography of Globalization

History (HIST)

• 335 Peace and War in the 20th Century
• 340 International History of the Cold War
• 355 Radical View of American History
• 361 Race and History in the U.S. (same as AFR 360)
• 456 The U.S. in the 1960s
• 457 American Environmental History
• 493 Civil Rights Movement
• 496 Internship

Linguistics (LING)

• 320 Language, Gender and Power

Philosophy (PHIL)

• 210 The American Mind
• 375 Ecology and Ethics
• 405 Democratic Theory
• 433-001 Post-Colonialism
• 441 Philosophy of Toleration

Political Science (POLS)

• 324 Politics and Environmental Policy
• 332 Introduction to Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
• 370 Terrorism and Counter-terrorism
• 375 War and Force in World Politics
• 405 Democratic Theory
• 490 Philosophy of Toleration
• International Human Rights

Sociology (SOC)

• 424 Social Movements and Collective Behavior
• 435 Social Inequality
• 437 Sociology of Globalization and Development
• 438 Sociology and Ethnic Relations in World Perspective
• 455 Racial Inequality

Spanish (SPAN)

• 401/501 Third Cinema and Latin American Documentary

University Honors

• UHON 351 Global Peace Studies in Japan

Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

• 300 Feminist Theory
• 320i Language, Gender and Power (same as LING 320i)
• 401 Contemporary Feminism

Mass Communication and Media Arts:

• RTD 492-002/MCMA 555-002 Special Topics: Militarization and Media
• RTD 489/MCMA 497 Gender, Media and Militarization
• CP 270-470A: Topics in Cinema & Photography: Marxism and the Visual Arts and Performance: History - Theory, Twentieth Century to Present
• CP 470 A Neoliberalism and the Politics of Culture
• CP 463/MCMA 552 History of Experimental Film: topic Race, Class, Gender and Experiments in Media
• CP 470B/MCMA 543 Film Production Topic: Art and Activism: a creative revolution

The Social Justice Minor in Sociology is an interdisciplinary course of study in which students take an array of coursework in different topical areas on issues of social justice. A minor in Social Justice requires the successful completion of at least 15 credit hours of coursework, including Contemporary Social Problems (SOC 302), and at least three or more 300- or 400- level courses, all passed with a grade of C or better. The list of approved elective courses will be routinely updated to include special topics courses.

Courses taken at other institutions may apply toward the minor only if those courses are accepted for transfer credit by the home department that offers the course. No more than 2 transfer courses can count toward the minor. 

CMST 493: Intercultural Dialogue (pdf)
Dr. Nilanjana Bardhan
Summer First Session (6/10-7/7), Online Hybrid (Asynchronous and Synchronous)
This special topics online hybrid (asynchronous and synchronous) course will focus on the theory and practice of intercultural dialogue, which is the process of open and respectful communication between culturally different individuals and groups. The course will take a case studies approach so students can get experience in unpacking complex and specific intercultural situations through a dialogic lens and discover pathways for communicating across difficult differences.

GER 101a and GER 101b (pdf)
Dr. Mary Bricker
Summer, Online (Asynchronous); GER 101a 5/13/24-6/7/24 and GER 101b 6/10/24-8/2/24
Germany is one of the United States’ most important trading partners, which makes German useful for banking and commercial industries, such as athletic attire, automobiles, aviation, beer and wine, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. German is one of the most widely spoken language in the European Union and can be helpful for numerous fields, including chemistry, physics, engineering, environmental studies, history, literature, philosophy, political science, music, theater, and theology.

ANTH 455c Primate Behavior and Ecology (pdf)
Dr. Ulrich H. Reichard
On-campus, T/Th 9:35-10:50
The course explores what primates can teach us about human social behavior from an evolutionary perspective. We will investigate primate behavioral ecology within the contexts of feeding ecology, predation pressure, social organization, and reproductive strategies. Our examples will include the Lemurs of Madagascar, New and Old World monkeys and apes.

CMST 412: Environmental Rhetoric (png)
Dr. Dustin Greenwalt
On-campus, MWF 10:00-10:50
Climate change. Industrial pollution. Nuclear waste. Plastic pollution. Oil spills. Biodiversity loss. Drought. Environmental racism. These and other ecological problems are the subject of much public controversy and debate. In our precarious present, these debates will determine the fate of the earth and its peoples. We will investigate these and other controversies to better understand the forces that shape collective action and inaction on important ecological issues. We will discuss the role of scientific knowledge, corporate public relations, social media, citizen advocacy, and governmental regulation in some of the most important debates of our time.

LCIS 401: Marxism and Its Competitors (pdf)
Dr. Chris Chiasson
On-campus, MW 2:00-3:15
LCIS 401: Advanced study of selected topics related to the culture, history, literature, and cinema of diverse countries, cultures, and groups. This specific offering focuses on the effects of people such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, Niklas Luhmann, and Sigmund Freud on modern society. Readings and discussion in English.

LING 440/540: Speech Technologies: Applied Linguistics Perspectives (undergraduate or graduate credit) (pdf)
Dr. Shannon McCrocklin
On-campus, T/Th 11:00-12:15
This course will explore speech recognition and speech synthesis technologies. After developing a base understanding of how the technologies work, the course will explore applied linguistics research on the technologies including issues of accuracy for native and non-native speech and usefulness within linguistics, education, and speech and hearing science.

CLAS 333: Creeds & Kings, East & West (pdf)
Dr. David Johnson
On-campus, TR 9:35-10:50
Playing is the best way to learn (or at least the most fun). Take this class, and you’ll first play a
Brahmin or Buddhist advising King Ashoka (268-232 BCE). Then, as an early Christian bishop, you’ll shape early Christianity at the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) under Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome. We’ll prepare to play by studying texts from the Brahmin, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, readings from the New Testament, and selections from the first history of Christianity. You’ll then pursue your own historical winning objectives in class debates and written work.

CMST 493: Video Games: Art, Culture & History of a Medium
Justin Young
On-campus, MWF 1-1:50
From the Lincoln White House to nuclear research facilities, from pinball to virtual reality—take a journey through the history of video games and along the way examine how novelty machines grew into the largest media industry in the world. Delve into what makes the medium a unique art form from aesthetic, storytelling, and  production perspectives. From Qbert to Halo, from Super Mario to Elden Ring—let’s a go!
 
GER 230 Germanic and Norse Mythology (pdf)
Dr. Chris Chiasson
On-campus, MW 9:00-9:50 and F 9:00-9:50 or 10:00-10:50
GER 230 is an introductory course in Germanic and Norse mythology. It provides an overview of the beliefs and religious practices of the pre-Christian Germanic tribes and documents the afterlife of many of these myths in the contemporary world. All readings and lectures are in English.
 
LCIS 401: Marxism and Its Competitors (pdf)
Dr. Chris Chiasson
On-campus, MW 2:00-3:15
LCIS 401: Advanced study of selected topics related to the culture, history, literature, and cinema of diverse countries, cultures, and groups. This specific offering focuses on the effects of people such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, Niklas Luhmann, and Sigmund Freud on modern society. Readings and discussion in English.

THEA 311A-950 Script Analysis (jpg)
Dr. Jacob Juntunen
Summer Intersession (4 Weeks), On your own schedule (no Zoom!)
Fulfills Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement
This course examines scripts in a variety of performance media: on stage, on screen, in social media, in everyday life, etc. We will read plays, watch films, post on a class blog, and write a 3-page paper. It is a 4-week intersession course, online, on your own schedule (no Zoom). It fulfills CoLA's Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) requirement.
Any pre-reqs are waived for the summer offering.

WGSS 491 & 596 Sex and HIV/AIDS (undergraduate or graduate credit) (jpg)
Dr. Jacob Juntunen
Summer 8-Week Session, COMPLETELY Online (no Zoom!)
Explore how HIV/AIDS affected sex. Since the appearance of what was reported as a "mysterious new disease among gay men" in the U.S., HIV/AIDS has been closely associated with sexuality. In this course, we draw upon scholarship in the social sciences and humanities to examine the interplay between HIV/AIDS and sexuality. It is an 8-week summer course, online, on your own schedule (no Zoom). It counts towards the graduate WGSS certificate, the undergraduate WGSS minor, and the undergraduate Sexual Diversity Studies minor.

LING 201: Language Diversity in the USA
Dr. Rachel Olsen
Summer 8-week Session, Online (Asynchronous) (pdf)
Fall 16-week Session, Online (Asynchronous) (pdf)
Do you speak "American" and what does that even mean? Why does your roommate from New York sound different from your roommate from Chicago? How have languages other than English shaped the linguistic landscape of the US? What impact do attitudes about language have on education, the legal system, the medical system, and across wider US society? Join us as we explore these questions and more in LING201 - Language Diversity in the USA. 3 credits - online asynchronous - fulfills UCC Multicultural/Diversity: Improving Human Relations requirement. Grades based on discussion board participation, short (20-minute or less) assignments, open-book/notes/lecture quizzes. Contact Dr. Rachel Olsen (rachel.olsen@siu.edu) with questions!