Critical Theory Minor
College of Arts and Sciences
The Value of Critical Perspectives:
Students embracing critical perspectives are well-positioned to promote positive social change and support mutually-beneficial solutions to pressing local and global concerns by:
- Understanding systematic problems and issues in society
- Interrogating power-relations that enable and constrain opportunities
- Developing and practicing critical thinking abilities
- Questioning everyday practices and modes of reasoning
- Recognizing taken-for-granted assumptions guiding everyday life
- Imagining alternatives that might disrupt the status quo
- Transforming concern for marginalized members of society
- Inspiring innovative solutions that promote equity and social justice
- Becoming a critically-engaged citizen of our communities and workplaces
- Promoting changes that can make a difference in the world
Program Statement
The Critical Theory minor is an interdisciplinary program offering students a variety of critical theories and perspectives for better understanding, critiquing, and transforming contemporary social realities. The ability to think critically is a primary aim of an undergraduate education, and a critical theory minor offers a useful way for students who are exploring other fields of study to develop a background in critical ways of engaging the world. Initial courses introduce major strands of critical thought and thinkers who established a foundation for the emergence of critical theorizing. The rich diversity of elective courses provides an exemplary interdisciplinary experience with opportunities to explore the reach and influence of critical theory.