Programs

Africana Studies

Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary minor designed to give students critical and integrated perspectives on the historical, social, and cultural experiences and contributions of people of African descent. Using comparative approaches developed from methodologies in the social sciences, humanities, and fine arts, the minor will enhance the academic skills of students by engaging them in analyzing arguments and positions, defining terms and issues, responding to theories and concepts, synthesizing perspectives, and problem-solving on issues relevant to the Africana experience. Students will also be encouraged to critically engage with theoretical and scholarly silences and omissions of the Africana experience in “traditional” academic disciplines.

American Studies

This exciting Bachelor of Arts degree program engages students in the interdisciplinary study of American cultures, past and present. It seeks to provide an expansive understanding of the specifics of life in America: its peoples, arts, ideas, values, and institutions, knowledge of the interrelations between United States cultures and those of other nations, and in-depth knowledge of a particular aspect of American culture examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students take courses in a number of departments, such as English, History, Philosophy, Sociology, and Anthropology, and work with an advisor to construct the major curriculum most appropriate to individual interests.

Asian Studies

The Asian Studies Program at Texas A&M University is an interdisciplinary program offering an undergraduate minor in Asian Studies. The requirements for the minor include six hours of Asian Studies humanities courses, six hours of Asian Studies social sciences courses, a three-hour Asian studies capstone course, and three hours of Asian Studies electives. Also, up to six hours of upper division Asian language courses (300 level or higher) may count toward the minor.

Comparative Literature and Culture

The Master’s program in Comparative Literature is not accepting applications for the 2008-09 academic year. Questions about the program should be directed to the program’s director, Dr. Melanie Hawthorne (m-hawthorne@tamu.edu).

The two-year masters degree in Comparative Literature and Culture emphasizes linguistic and cultural proficiency and the criticism and teaching of literature. The program is administered jointly by the Departments of English, European and Classical Languages and Cultures, and Hispanic Studies, with the oversight of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. The program prepares students for careers in professional areas related to language and literature studies, including work as translators, interpreters, writers, teachers, and academics. Finally, the MA in Comparative Literature and Culture trains students to teach modern and classical languages and offers additional education to foreign language teachers. Though the program is highly specialized, it provides theoretical and practical preparation for foreign literature teachers, helping them to bring comparative perspectives into classrooms from secondary school through university levels. Graduates of the Comparative Literature and Culture MA program are well-prepared to teach across a secondary school curriculum in various areas of the humanities, including modern languages, history, and English language and literature.

Digital Humanities

The Digital Humanities Certificate provides a basic introduction to the development and application of information technology in the context of research and practice in the humanities. The certificate program is open to students from any graduate degree program at Texas A&M University and the plan of study comprises 12 hours of coursework including 3 hours of independent study. At least one course must be outside the student’s home department.

Film Studies

The interdisciplinary minor in Film Studies offers courses in the history, criticism, and theory of film. In contrast to technical and vocational programs, the interdisciplinary minor is an opportunity to pursue interpretations of the artistic, cultural, and intellectual importance of film. The curriculum begins with Introduction to Film Analysis, offers courses in a variety of genres and national cinemas, and culminates in a Senior Seminar involving research on a special topic in the study of film.

International Studies

The International Studies (INTS) degree provides an interdisciplinary curriculum that captures the broad range of social, political, cultural, and economic forces at play in an increasingly interdependent world. Students take courses in different departments linked by language, topic, and region. Students must spend at least 14 continuous weeks abroad studying in an academic program or working for internship credit in a business, government agency, or non-profit organization. Upon graduation, INTS majors will have the language proficiency, analytical skills, substantive knowledge, and cultural sensitivity necessary for work in government, academia, or international business. Each INTS graduate will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies.

Journalism Studies

The Journalism Studies Program offers the Interdisciplinary Minor in Journalism. The 18-hour minor includes 15 hours of Journalism coursework (media writing intensive) and three hours to be taken from a list of courses, available on the Journalism Studies website, from other departments. Admission to the minor is by application following successful completion of JOUR 102, American Mass Media, with at least a B; passing the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation (GSP) test with at least an 80 within two tries; and a GPR of at least 2.5. Applications and more information are available on the website. The program accepts 25 students each year to participate in the minor. Students should be aware that the coursework may take up to four or five semesters, in order to complete the correct sequence. Included in the courses are a professional internship and a capstone course involving interaction with professional journalists. For more information please visit the website or email: jourminor@tamu.edu.

Office of Arabic and Asian Languages

The Office of Arabic and Asian Languages (AALO) currently offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. As the program continues to expand, AALO hopes to provide more language courses and services. Website coming soon. For more information, contact Dr. Salah Ayari, director of AALO.

Religious Studies

The Religious Studies program is interdepartmental and interdisciplinary. Students are introduced to a multidisciplinary experience of religions–both traditional Judaeo-Christian and non-Western–that employs ancient and modern languages, anthropology, art, architecture, history, literature, philosophy, psychology, social sciences, and theology. Students learn about the history and traditions of their religion and those of others, the role of organized religion and religious groups in society, and the contribution of the religious sensibility to the psychological well-being of individuals. Students also know that the world today extends far beyond the borders of Texas: there are cultures, nations, and peoples they need to understand better as they participate in a genuinely international community. What better path to global understanding than knowing and appreciating the religions, beliefs, and hopes of persons living throughout Europe, the Mediterranean basin, Africa, the Near and Far East, and Latin America?

Women's Studies

The Women's Studies Program at Texas A&M University is a program of the College of Liberal Arts. Women's Studies uses an interdisciplinary approach to the study of gender in culture and society and the achievements of women in the arts, literature, sciences, and other human endeavors. Attention is given to the historical, cross-cultural, and multicultural aspects of gender in the experience of women and men