Primary Texts Minor
College of Arts & Sciences
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Intellectual Flexibility
Make connections across time periods and locations.
The primary texts minor gives students an opportunity to encounter significant writers and thinkers by emphasizing original works rather than textbooks. Interdisciplinary in nature, the minor encourages students to read primary texts from a range of disciplines and perspectives.
This minor also focuses on helping students become careful, analytical readers who can arrive at sophisticated interpretations of texts in addition to formulating their own thoughtful and well-reasoned views in response to what they have read.
Program Information
Campus
College of Arts & Sciences
Undergraduate
Minor
Program Objectives
- Accurately read primary texts from a variety of genres, time periods, locations, and disciplines
- Offer careful, analytical textual interpretations that recognize the significance of factors such as word choice and syntax, genre and form, symbol and theme, and a work’s historical and social context
- Recognize the similarities and differences between primary texts and make connections between individual texts and their broader cultural contexts
- Respond to primary texts with mature, independent judgments that demonstrate strong critical thinking in written and oral forms
- Develop curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning through intensive exposure to challenging original texts
Coursework & Requirements
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Core Course
One 300-level primary texts course is required of all primary texts minors. (Students can take a maximum of two 300-level primary texts courses for the minor.)
Elective Coursework
Students must complete three or four of the following courses (no more than 6 credit hours in any one prefix):
- CO 332 The Legal Meanings of Marriage
- CO 420 Communicating the Feminine in Ancient World Religions
- CO 467 Nonviolence and Social Movements
- EC 450 Industrial Organization
- ED 262 Children’s Literature
- ED 362 Exploring Young Adult Literature
- EN: Any English course, with the following exclusions: EN 100, 152, 234, 341, 409, and 460
- GS 201 Introduction to Gender Studies
- HI 226 Laboratory Course in Historical Method
- HI 333 American Social and Intellectual History
- IN 212 Global Problems
- IN 401 Senior Seminar in International Studies
- MM 376 Media Theory and Methods
- PH 228 History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
- PH/RE 239 Philosophy of Religion
- PH 270 World Philosophies
- PH 301 History of Western Political Thought I
- PH 302 History of Western Political Thought II
- PH 320 History and Philosophy of Science
- PH 322 History of Modern Philosophy
- PH 490 Seminar in Philosophy
- PS 260 National and International Political Economy
- PS 314 The Politics of Development
- PS 315 U.S. Foreign and Security Policy in Global Affairs
- PY 411 Contemporary Issues in Psychology
- RE 110 Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
- RE 120 Introduction to the New Testament
- RE 240 Theories of Religion: Gender, Power, and Race
- RE 415 Women of the Book of Genesis
- SP 360 Introduction to Hispanic Literature
- SP: Any 400-level Spanish seminar on literature (SP 408, 414, 416, or 418)
- TH 212 Examination of Historical Styles
- TH 321 History and Literature of Theatre
Meet the Faculty
Contact Us
Amy Sneegas
Assistant, Department of Humanities & University Ministry