The Catholic University of America

 

Undergraduate Minors and Certificate Programs for Arts & Sciences Students

Departmental minors:
click links for specific requirements

Anthropology
Art: Studio Art, Art History
Biology
Business & Economics: Economics, Accounting, Financial Management, International Business, Management, Marketing Management, Sports Management
Chemistry: Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry
Drama
Education: Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, Education Studies
English
Greek & Latin: Greek, Latin, Classical Civilization
History
Mathematics
Media Studies
Modern Languages & Literatures: French, German, Italian Studies, Spanish
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Politics: Politics, Politics/Pre-Law
Psychology
Sociology
Theology & Religious Studies
 
Certificate programs:
click links for specific requirements

European Studies certificate
Pastoral Ministry certificate
Spanish for Health Care certificate


 
Requirements for Minors and Certificates:
ANTHROPOLOGY          Six ANTH courses chosen in consultation with a departmental adviser. See the adviser for recommended courses in these minor fields: archaeology; great civilizations; development & ecological anthropology; myth, mind, & symbol; culture & communication; migrants & refugees.
                             
 
ARCHITECTURE             ARPL 121, 211, 212; plus three electives from ARPL 102, 231, 311, 314, or others approved by the adviser. Students must complete ARPL 121 and either 211 or 212 prior to enrolling in any ARPL elective. Contact the adviser, Associate Dean Luis Boza, School of Architecture  & Planning, boza@cua.edu, 202 319-6861.
                                    

ART                               Studio Art: ART 101 or 102; 201 or 202; 212; 332; plus any two courses in one track
                                     (painting,sculpture, digital arts, or ceramics).
 
                                     Art History: ART 211, 212; one course in each of the following three categories: Ancient/Medieval (ART 317, 318); Renaissance/Baroque (ART 319, 320); Modern/Contemporary (ART 323, 324, 326, 331, 332); one additional art history elective.
 
BIOLOGY                       BIOL 103 and 104 or 105 and 106; 207; three other BIOL courses from 232, 233, 341, 518, 538, 549, 554 (with lab 556), 559, 563, 565, 566 or 569, 574, 584, 586, or substitutions approved by the Biology department.
 
BUSINESS &                  Note: a student may do only one minor in the Department of Business &          
ECONOMICS                  Economics.
                                                 
                                      Economics: ECON 101, 102, 223, 241, 242, and one additional ECON course.
 
                                      Accounting: ECON 100, 223; ACCT 305, 409, 410, 411. [If a student has previously
                                      taken ECON 101 or 102, he/she should take the other of this pair for the minor,
                                      rather than ECON 100.]
 
                                     Financial Management: ECON 100, 223; ACCT 305; MGT 226, 332, 334. [If a    student has previously taken ECON 101 or 102, he/she should take the other of this  pair for the minor, rather than ECON 100.]
 
                                     Management: ECON 100; ACCT 305; MGT 310, 323, 345, and 372 or 390. [If a student has previously taken ECON 101 or 102, he/she should take the other of this pair for the minor, rather than ECON 100.]
 
                                     Marketing Management: ECON 100; ACCT 305; MGT 323, 345, 348, 457. [If a student has previously taken ECON 101 or 102, he/she should take the other of this pair for the minor, rather than ECON 100.]
 
Sports Management: MGT 323, 324, 325; ECON 327; plus any two from
                                     MGT 302, PSY 243, SOC 345.
 
CHEMISTRY                  Chemistry: CHEM 103/113, 104/114, 203/213,204/214; two advanced courses
                                     selected from CHEM 311, 351, 352, 501, 508, 518, 540 (or a combination of
                                     CHEM 395 with ENGR 395), 542,571, 572, 596. A student may petition the
                                     department to substitute one advanced CHEM course (3 or more credits) with
 undergraduate research CHEM 491 or 492.
 
                                     Environmental Chemistry: CHEM 103/113, 104 (or 108)/114; 311 or 542; 317/ 318;
 two courses from CHEM 203/213, 203/214, 351, 352, 508, 518. In addition, CE 102 and CE 555 are highly recommended.
 
CLASSICAL                   See under Greek and Latin.
CIVILIZATION
 
COMPUTER SCIENCE    Six courses total: four or more courses selected from the suggested CSC 123, 124, 210, 280, 311, 363; two courses at the 300 level or above from the suggested CSC 290, 306, 323, 442, 507, 509. The student may choose CSC courses outside of the suggested list with prior written permission from the computer science advisor. For more information, contact Dr. Phillip A. Regalia, chair of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, regalia@cua.edu       

 
DRAMA                          DR 101, 104, 206; two courses from 201, 202, 305; one course from 207, 312, 565. (Note: Because of significant overlap, students in the Musical Theater program of the School of Music may not do the minor in Drama.)
 
EDUCATION                   Early Childhood Education: EDUC 251, 261, 361, 583, plus two EDUC electives.
 
Education Studies: EDUC 251, 261, 361, plus a three-course sequence in an approved single focus area: see the Education Studies coordinator.
 
                                     Elementary Education: EDUC 251, 261, 361, 555, 561, 570, one EDUC elective.
 
                                     Secondary Education: EDUC 251, 361, 581 or 261, 582, 586, one EDUC elective.
 
ENGLISH                       ENG 231, 232; four literature courses at the 300 level or above (Exceptions: ENG 235, 236 are acceptable, as is one writing course at the 300 level or above.)
 
EUROPEAN STUDIES    EURO 201 & 202; completion of a 204-level course in a European language
CERTIFICATE                 other than English; approved study abroad or internship program; four approved electives in at least two different departments. For information, see euro.cua.edu or contact the certificate programdirector, Dr. Claudia Bornholdt, bornholdt@cua.edu.

FRENCH                        See under Modern Languages.
 
GERMAN                       See under Modern Languages.
 
GREEK & LATIN/            Greek: GR 103, 104, plus four courses in Greek beyond the 104 level
CLASSICS                             
                                     Latin: LAT 103, 104, plus four courses in Latin beyond the 104 level
 
                                     Classical Civilization: Any six approved CLAS courses. (Language courses are not  required, but one or two GR and/or LAT courses beyond the 102 level may be applied  to the minor.)
 
HISTORY                       Six HIST courses, including no more than 2 courses at the 200 level and at least 4 courses at the 300 level or above. No more than 3 courses may be taken in one area of history; at least 2 of 6 courses must be in the period before 1800.

INTERDISCIPLINARY      A student may propose a coherent interdisciplinary minor consisting of six courses
MINOR                           in two or three  departments. Acceptance requires review of a formal written
                                     proposal, including a title, rationale, and listof courses. Interested students should
                                     contact the Associate Dean, johnsong@cua.edu, 319-5114.
                                    
ISLAMIC WORLD           HIST 309 & ANTH 310; plus either SEM 241-242 (12 credits) or four relevant         
STUDIES                       area courses designated by the minor adviser. For more information, contact the
                                     program adviser, Dr. Therese-Ann Druart, druart@cua.edu or go to islamicstudies.cua.edu
                                    
 
ITALIAN STUDIES           See under Modern Languages.
 
LATIN                            See under Greek & Latin.
 
LATIN AMERICAN          Six courses, for a minimum of 18 credit hours, selected in consultation with the
& LATINO STUDIES        program adviser from the program's list of LALS approved courses and including choices from at least three different departments. See las.cua.edu. No more than two courses may overlap between the student's major and the LALS minor. Consult the program director, Dr. Mario Ortiz, ortizm@cua.edu.                                     
 
 
MATHEMATICS              Two courses in calculus; MATH 305; three additional MATH courses, at least two of which must be at the 500-level or above. (With departmental approval, some CSC courses may be acceptable.) The following courses do not count toward the MATH minor: MATH 101, 108, 114, 120, 168, 187.
 
MEDIA STUDIES            MDIA 201, 202; four additional MDIA courses (or courses specifically cross-listed with Media Studies). HSCT 101 & 102 may substitute for MDIA 201 & 202.

MEDIEVAL &                 MDST 201 (or HSHU 102 with approval); one course in each of these three 
BYZANTINE STUDIES    categories: history & social structures; thought & worship; cultural & artistic
                                     expressions; two electives from the approved list of specialized courses. With
                                     approval, relevant language courses (above the school's distribution requirement) 
 may be included. Contact the program director, Dr. Lourdes Alvarez,
                                     alvarezl@cua.edu
 
MODERN                       French: Six courses, with a maximum of three at the 200-level and a
LANGUAGES                 maximum of two taught in English. Students should consult the French academic
AND LITERATURES        adviser for combinations of courses that best suit their needs and interests. Native
                                     speakers of French (Francophones) may not enroll in any 200-level course or in
                                     FREN 330. Upper-level literature courses are open to qualified native speakers with
                                     permission of the instructor.
 
                                     German: GER 203, 204, plus a combination of four courses in language, literature, and culture. Students should consult the adviser in German concerning combinations of courses. Study abroad courses may also be approved by the adviser. No more than two courses taught in English may be applied to the minor.
                                                 
Italian Studies: For students who study abroad in Rome: ITAL 201-202 (taken in Rome, prerequisite ITAL 104); 203-204; two additional courses in Italian studies approved by the Italian adviser. For students who do not study abroad in Rome: ITAL 203-204, plus four additional courses in Italian studies approved by the Italian adviser.
                                                                            
Spanish: One pair of the following: SPAN 203-204, SPAN 210-211 (for bilingual students), or SPAN 207-208 (for nursing students); four additional SPAN courses at the 200 level or above (not including courses in the sequences listed above).

 
MUSIC                           For students accepted by audition: MUS 121, 122, 123, 124, 131; 3 credits in applied
secondary instruction (with jury examination) in the same instrument or in voice; 6 credits in music electives approved by the School of Music; 2 credits in a performing organization. Music minors must pass an audition and complete appropriate
                                     paperwork requesting the minor. In addition, applied lessons must be taken in
                                      conjunction with theory courses. For information, contact Ms. Amy Antonelli,
                                      Music adviser, Antonelli@cua.edu.


PASTORAL MINISTRY    Offered by the School of Theology & Religious Studies; see website.
CERTIFICATE                

PEACE & JUSTICE         Requires application to the adviser. For students accepted into the minor: three
STUDIES                        core courses: POL 226; SOC 102 or 226; TRS 334 or 381; plus three courses from
                                      one of these tracks:  Peacemaking in Theory & Practice; Intergroup Conflict &
                                      Cooperation,  World Conflict and Cooperation. For information and a current list of
                                      acceptable courses in each track, contact the program adviser, Dr. William
                                      Barbieri, TRS, barbieri@cua.edu.
 
PHILOSOPHY                 PHIL 201, 202; two courses from Area I; two courses from Area II.
                                      (See lists in Section II of this Handbook.)
 
PHYSICS                        PHYS 215, 216, 506; three additional PHYS courses. [PHYS 225+226 labs may
  together count as one of these courses.]
 
 
POLITICS                        Politics: POL 111, 112, 211; two courses from subfields in American government,
                                       world politics; or political theory; one additional POL course.
 
                                      Politics/Pre-Law: two of POL 111, 112, 211; POL 220; POL 323 or 324; two additional courses from POL 323, 324, 402, 404, 415, 462, 510, 553, 578, 584, 585
 
PSYCHOLOGY               PSY 201; one course each from three of these four areas: experimental, clinical, developmental, social/personality; two additional PSY courses.
 
RHETORIC &                  MDIA 303 or ENG 430; two advanced writing courses chosen from ENG 301 or 302
WRITING                        (but not both), ENG 325, 326, 327, MDIA 330; three additional courses chosen from
                                      PHIL 301, 313, 315; ENG 324, 520, 635, 636; MDIA 333, 334, 335, 336, 394, 401,
                                      524, 530. Other courses may be accepted with permission of the adviser, Dr.  Stephen McKenna, Media Studies, mckennas@cua.edu.
 
SOCIOLOGY                  SOC 101, 102, 202, 352, and two other SOC courses
 
SPANISH                       See under Modern Languages.
 
SPANISH FOR HEALTH   Basic certificate, for those with little or no background in Spanish: 15 credits,
CARE CERTIFICATE       including SPAN 107-108; 9 additional credits chosen with adviser approval from SPAN 207, 208, 320, 508, approved study-abroad or internship, or approved 2-credit mini-courses.

Advanced certificate: 15 credits, including SPAN 207-208; 9 additional credits chosen with adviser approval from SPAN 320, 508, approved study abroad or internship, or approved 2-credit mini-courses.

For more information, contact the certificate program director, Ms. Jennifer Maxwell, MaxwellJ@cua.edu.
 
THEOLOGY &                Three TRS courses at the 200 level, covering different subdisciplines within 
RELIGIOUS STUDIES     TRS, and three TRS courses at the 300 level or higher. For more information,
                                     see the webpage of the School of Theology & Religious Studies.