Graduate Minor in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society

By pursuing a graduate minor in CSDS in conjunction with your major field, you will gain key philosophical foundations for intellectual work that challenge the current boundaries of conventional fields in the humanities and the social sciences. We strive to re-associate intellectual and cultural history with social and political history, to set discourse of various sorts within a social context, and to consider specific social formations within the ongoing historical process. We encourage work that is interdisciplinary (at times, even anti-disciplinary) as well as cross-cultural.

The curriculum emphasizes seminars and directed research. The core requirement is a two-semester Basic Research Seminar (CSDS 8001-8002) that develops critical and analytic skills and introduces current theoretical perspectives within the study of historical problems. Each entering graduate student also enrolls in courses that focus on developing skills and experience in teaching and other professional domains. Apart from core courses, many courses are nonrecurring and closely relate to current faculty research. In all cases, students should consult their advisors and the Director of Graduate Studies concerning course selections.