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interdisciplinary minors

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University Scholars - Honors

The University Scholars program is a honors program designed for serious and talented students who thrive in classes that are small and challenging and who can stimulate others with their curiosity, intellectual independence and ability to adapt to varied learning situations. Honors courses are generally available for scholars program, PPP or Honors Bachelor of Arts students. Other students wishing to register for these courses must secure the permission of the chairperson of the offering department or the Director of the Scholars Program, Steve Yandell (513-745-3598) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Africana Studies Minor

The Africana Studies minor serves as an introduction to the historical, political, cultural and social traditions of the African continent and the African Diaspora within disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts. Elective courses which satisfy the intellectual requirements of the minor trace the customs, mores and histories of African nations or countries with significant African Diaspora populations, perform comparative analysis between African or African Diaspora populations, or focus on individual spheres - cultural, economic, political, social, etc. - within specific African/African Diaspora populations. For more information contact Tyrone Williams (513-745-2014) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Catholicism and Culture Minor

In the late second and early third centuries Christian theologians debated the relationship of religious belief and contemporary culture. Many Christians sided with Origen who believed that Christians could use contemporary culture both to understand and defend their belief. Since then Christianity in its Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches has had a symbiotic relationship with the cultures in which they exist. Changes in culture have resulted in changes in church organization and development of Christian dogma. Developments in dogma and church organization have affected the development of culture. The result of these interactions is that the various manifestations of Catholicism as they appear in different places, times, and cultures are shaped by those very intersections.  The subject of the minor is, therefore, Catholicism and its various cultural embodiments across time and across the entire world. Students in this minor will examine the intersection of theological ideas and human culture.

For more information contact James E. Helmer (513-745-3829) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Environmental Studies Minor

The Environmental Studies minor is a 16-hour interdisciplinary program compatible with any major. It offers students and integrated overview of environmental and natural resource fields. Students take Ecology (BIOL 250/251), Microeconomic Principles (ECON 200), Natural Resource Economics (ECON 320), one approved elective, and Environmental Studies Seminar (BIOL 398). As a prerequisite for Ecology, non-science majors are encouraged to take at least one of the following: BIOL 120/125 or 120/127, CHEM 102/103, or PHYS 116/117. For more information contact Mollie McIntosh (513-745-3363) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Gender and Diversity Studies Minor

The Gender and Diversity Studies (GDST) Minor is an 18-hour interdisciplinary minor open to all undergraduates and compatible with any major. The minor acquaints students with scholarship on gender and diversity in their broadest, most inclusive sense. Courses in the minor facilitate the development of the students' critical thinking skills, knowledge base, and intellectual frameworks for analyzing and exploring the nature of diversity including socioeconomic, political, psychological, and cultural experiences and positions between and among individuals and groups defined by gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, age, religious beliefs, and physical/mental abilities. Students in the minor examine the individual and collective experiences of traditionally disenfranchised as well as privileged social groups, investigating the conceptual roots of identity as well as similarities and differences among them. At least one upper level course from an approved list is required as well as five additional electives, many of which are also University core courses. For more information, contact or Brent Blair (513-745-4898) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Jewish Studies Minor

The Jewish Studies minor is a 15-hour interdisciplinary program supported by Xavier faculty in the departments of Classics, English, History, Theology, and Philosophy. In addition, a unique partnership with Hebrew Union College enables students to take courses at Xavier taught by the faculty of Hebrew Union College, the leading institute for the study of Reform Judaism in the world. The minor can enhance majors and professional preparation in multiple fields, including English, health care, history, law, philosophy, political science, and theology. Students who complete the minor will gain: 1) a multi-faceted understanding of Jewish civilization, history, culture, and religion; 2) the experience of deep engagement with secular and religious Jewish texts; 3) an understanding of historical and contemporary relations between Jews and Christians and the effects of this history on Jewish and Christian memory and identity; 4) an experience of the Jewish world from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Opportunities in the minor for community-engaged and experiential learning include a seminar in Israel in early January. For more information, contact Christine Thomas (513-745-2884) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Latin American Studies Minor

The Latin American Studies minor is an 18-hour interdisciplinary program housed in the Department of Modern Languages and available to all Xavier undergraduates and compatible with any major. It is designed to help students achieve an advanced level of ability in the Spanish language and cultural competency in Latin America. Retroactive and/or substitute credit is available for students who meet certain criteria. In addition to the entry course offered only in the fall semester, the minor requires one course each in Spanish language development, Latin American literature, Theology (as approved), Latin American History or Political Science (as approved) and one elective. Many of the courses can be completed within the University core or related major. For more information, contact Natalia Jacovkis, Program Director (513-745-3136) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Musical Theatre Minor

The Musical Theatre minor is an interdisciplinary minor that brings together courses involving singing, dancing, and stage performance to provide a unique opportunity for students interested in music and theatre to concentrate on both areas while earning one minor. These are students who, due to constraints of time and credit hours, must currently choose between either Music or Theatre minor. For more information, contact Stephen Skiles (513-745-3578) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Peace and Justice Studies Minor

The Peace Studies minor is a 15-hour interdisciplinary program available to all Xavier undergraduates and compatible with any major. It is designed to examine the many aspects of achieving peace, social justice, and ecological sustainability in our contemporary world. The minor requires a seminar (THEO 345/POLI 344, The Challenge of Peace) and four additional courses chosen from a variety of options. For further information on program requirements, contact John Sniegocki, Peace Studies Director (513-745-3287) or visit the Online University Catalog.

Theatre Minor

The Theatre minor combines academic training with hands-on experience in a well-rounded program that encourages experience in all areas of theatre. Acting skills and directing techniques are at the heart of the minor, along with coursework that includes practice in theatrical writing, personal histories, secular and sacred literature, history and the compilation of literature into performance art.

The theatre minor operates in association with the Xavier Players Theatre of Conscience philosophy, which complements the core investigations of ethics, religion and society espoused by Xavier.

For more information, contact Stephen Skiles (513-745-3578) or visit the Online University Catalog.