Thematic Approaches to Humanities and Societies gave me the freedom to critically examine a field that I found personally fascinating without pigeonholing me into a specific department. On the contrary, it encouraged me to explore many departments in Dornsife to learn more through diverse, exciting lenses of inquiry.

–Terek Rutherford, Class of 2019

Choose Your Own Adventure

Have you been looking for a minor in the humanities and social sciences, but your interests are too wide-ranging to fit within one specific field? Do you want to study themes that cross the boundaries of different departments? The Thematic Approaches to Humanities and Society minor empowers you to explore ideas across disciplines. With our flexible course list, you can identify a theme—or themes—and follow that thread through a range of USC Dornsife humanities and social sciences departments. In the past, students have investigated social justice, revolutionary literature, human and animal rights, eco-philosophy, diversity of the human experience, and more. The path you uncover as you move through the minor will be your own.

At the heart of the minor are two CORE classes: CORE 301: Modes of Inquiry and CORE 200: Liberal Arts Reading Salon. These courses take an interdisciplinary, discussion-based approach to sharing ideas and examining cultural themes. The list of electives that round out the minor is broad and customizable, but if you find humanities or social science courses that interest you and do not appear on the list, our flexible curriculum often allows for substitutions. This means the Thematic Approaches minor pairs well with overseas study, as students are often able to count courses taken abroad toward the minor.

The minor requires 26 units, 10 of which may overlap with General Education or major requirements.

  • Take one 4-unit course from the following list. Substitutions possible.

    • CLAS 150: The Greeks and Their Legacies (GE-B + H)
    • CLAS 151: The Legacy of Rome (GE-B + H)
    • CORE 102: Culture and Values
    • HIST 101: State and Society in the Ancient World (GE-C + H)
    • HIST 102: The Worlds of Medieval Europe (GE-B)
    • REL 132: Origins of Western Religion (GE-B)

  • Take both of the following courses.

    • CORE 200: Liberal Arts Reading Salon (2 units)
    • CORE 301: Modes of Inquiry (4 units)

  • Take four 4-unit courses from the following lists. You must take at least one course from List A, at least one course from List B, and no more than one course from List C. No more than two courses may come from any one department.

    It may be possible to substitute courses from these lists with other upper division courses from Dornsife humanities and social sciences departments, or with courses taken during overseas study. Contact a minor advisor for more information.

    List A – At Least One Course

    Early:

    • CLAS 310: Pagans and Christians
    • CLAS 320: Diversity and the Classical Western Tradition (GE-B + H)
    • CLAS 333: Cult and City in Ancient Greece
    • CLAS 470: Democracies Ancient and Modern
    • EALC 340: Japanese Civilization (GE-B + H)
    • EALC 345: Korean Civilization
    • EALC 350: Chinese Civilization (GE-B + H)
    • EALC 355: Studies in Chinese Thought
    • EALC 365: Studies in Japanese Thought
    • REL 311: The Bible in Western Literature (GE-B)
    • REL 315: Thought and Life of Islam
    • REL 317: The Bible in Its Ancient Context (GE-B)
    Modern:

    • COLT 426: Utopias
    • COLT 455: Europe and the Writing of Others
    • EALC 332: Modern Korean Literature in Translation
    • EALC 335: Korean American Literature
    • EALC 342: Japanese Literature and Culture (GE-B + H)
    • EALC 352: Chinese Literature and Culture (GE-B)
    • EALC 354: Modern Chinese Literature in Translation (GE-B)
    • FREN 446: Contemporary French Thought
    • GERM 370: Literature and Culture in Vienna at the Turn of the Century
    • GERM 372: Literature and Culture in Berlin in the 1920s (GE-B)
    • PHIL 337: Political Philosophy
    • PHIL 437: Social and Political Philosophy
    • REL 340: Introduction to Indian Philosophy
    • SLL 330: Russian Thought and Civilization (GE-B + H)
    • SLL 344: Tolstoy: Writer and Moralist (GE-B)

     

     

    List B – At Least One Course

    Humanities and Society:

    • COLT 488: Multilingual Encounters
    • COLT 475: Politics and the Novel
    • ENGL 373: Literature and Society (GE-B)
    • ENGL 374: Literature, Nationality, and Otherness
    • FREN 370: Equality and Difference around the Enlightenment (GE-B)
    • REL 366: Religion and Social Change
    • REL 462: Religion and Violence
    • SLL 345: Literature and Philosophy: Dostoevsky (GE-B)
    • SLL 348: The Novels of Vladimir Nabokov (GE-B)
    Critical Approaches:

    • CLAS 380: Approaches to Myth
    • COLT 391: Literary Criticism from Plato to Postmodernism
    • COLT 454: Aesthetic Philosophy and Theory
    • ENGL 372: Literature and Related Arts
    • ENGL 379: History of Literary Criticism
    • ENGL 380: Modern Literary Criticism: Theory and Practice
    • LING 466: Word and Phrase Origins
    • PHIL 361: Philosophy of Religion
    • PHIL 445: Philosophy of the Arts

     

     

    List C – No More Than One Course

    Social Science Approaches:

    • ANTH 372: Interpretation of Myth and Narrative
    • HIST 201: Approaches to History
    • HIST 329: Madness and Society in the Modern Age
    • IR 325: North-South Relations in the Global Economy
    • POSC 381: Sex, Power, and Politics
    • POSC 476: Contemporary Political Thought
    • SOCI 350: Social Exclusion, Social Power, and Deviance
    • SOCI 360: Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power