Our program offers optional Academic Concentrations in five different areas. Students are NOT required to take an Academic Concentration. The requirements for concentrations are in addition to the other distributional requirements for the MALS degree. The area of concentration is noted on a student’s transcript at graduation.
An Academic Concentration requires four courses (12 credits) plus a Capstone project (3 credits) within one of five areas:
- Philosophy and Religion (PR)
- World History and Politics (WH)
- American Studies (AS)
- Creative Arts and Literature (CA)
- Health, Wellness, and the Good Life (HW)
Courses that fulfill each of these Concentrations are noted in Course Descriptions. Other appropriate courses may be substituted with prior written permission of the program Director. The Capstone must substantially involve work related to the student’s Concentration.
Examples of Courses that Satisfy the Academic Concentration
Philosophy and Religion (PR):
56:606:622 Gender, Sexuality, and Religion
56:606:641 Psychology of Religious Beliefs, Values, and Symbols
56:606:642 Gods and Monsters: Understanding Power
56:606:642 Philosophy of Social Identities
56:606:643 Evil
56:606:644 Contemporary Moral Issues
56:606:645 Environmental Ethics
56:606:646 Philosophy and Film
56:606:647 Biomedical Ethics
56:606:649 Philosophical Perspectives on the Good Life
World History and Politics (WH)
56:606:622 Politics of Terrorism
56:606:623 Middle East History and Politics
56:606:624 Empire and Decolonization
56:606:626 World Politics
56:606:671 History of Global Health
American Studies (AS)
56:606:534 History, Culture, and Politics of the 1960s
56:606:561 Culture Wars in the United States
56:606:612 From Bop to Pop: History of Jazz
56:606:631 Myth and Meaning in America
56:606:632 Sickness and Health in American History
56:606:661 Women, Men and Work
Creative Arts and Literature (CA)
56:606:608 Love Story in Contemporary Literature
56:606:608 Disney Films: Analyzing Adaptations
56:606:609 New Media Art
56:606:609 Conceptual Art: Strategies and Movements
56:606:610 Fiction Workshop: Methods of Fiction
56:606:611 An Immersion into Experience: Writing from Life
56:606:612 From Bop to Pop: History of Jazz
56:606:614 Multi-Genre Writing Workshop
56:606:681 World Music
Health, Wellness, and the Good Life (HW)
56:606:632 Sickness and Health in American Culture
56:606:641 Psychology of Religious Beliefs, Values, and Symbols
56:606:645 Environmental Ethics
56:606:651 Positive Psychology: On Happiness and the Good Life
56:606:647 Biomedical Ethics
56:606:649 Philosophical Perspectives on the Good Life
56:606:671 History of Global Health