Fulbright College Adds Six New Minors for Fall 2015 Semester

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will offer six new minors in Jewish studies, journalism, indigenous studies, Southern studies, legal studies and Italian to the 2015-16 catalog of studies.

Minors in nanotechnology and sustainability and four world language minors with a business orientation were approved for the 2014-15 academic year.

The Jewish studies minor offers a broad interdisciplinary context of coursework that can complement most programs of study. Students will learn about historical, religious, cultural, linguistic and philosophical foundations and be able to critically question the exploration of all branches of Jewish studies.

The journalism minor acquaints students with the history, theory and ethics of mass communication. It provides them with journalistic skills, including the ability to express themselves logically and clearly and to guide them in securing specialized knowledge regarding media and society, the fundamental of journalism, news reporting, journalistic ethics, media technology and media law.

The indigenous studies minor invites discovery of alternative world views, ecological relationships, societies, religions, arts and governments of indigenous peoples in North America and beyond from antiquity to the present. Exposure to theories and training in culture, history and literature prepares students for graduate work in the humanities, business, law and the sciences as they pertain to indigenous peoples. Students pursuing careers requiring knowledge of cultural difference between Arkansas and an increasingly global society would find this to be useful.

The Southern studies minor gives students the opportunity to study a rich and complex region from many disciplines. Courses will explore questions about the distinctiveness of the region both past and present and examine the role that history, art, literature, pop culture, material culture, gender, sexuality, religion, race and politics have played in shaping the many Souths and the many Southern identities that exist today.

The legal studies minor is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in law, preparing for a career that will require a measure of legal knowledge or considering entering law school. It will introduce students to the study and application of law by taking law-related courses in disciplines such as the U.S. Constitution; criminal evidence, procedures and society; legal communication, ethics and philosophy; and administrative, agricultural, food, international and media law.

The Italian minor is designed to develop skills in grammar, conversation, literature and social understanding. Students will be exposed to Italy's heritage and to the many facets of contemporary Italian culture.

Minors in nanotechnology, sustainability and world languages with a business orientation began in fall 2014.

The nanotechnology minor draws expertise and coursework from the College of Engineering and the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. While the minor is intended for engineering, physics, chemistry and biochemistry students, anyone who has met the necessary prerequisites may enroll in courses that constitute the minor.

The sustainability minor provides foundational knowledge and skills related to the emerging discipline of sustainability organized around four thematic areas including the sustainability of social, natural, built and managed systems. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to become innovators within many diverse fields.

The four world language minors with a business orientation are primarily designed for business majors. In addition to courses in cultural readings, grammar and composition and an advanced class in language, the business orientation minor also requires a class focused on business vocabulary and expressions that would be helpful in an everyday commercial environment. Students may minor in Chinese, French, Japanese or Spanish with a business orientation.

Most of the minors require students to take 15 credit hours within the approved curriculum and to receive a grade of "C" or better on all coursework. Students should consult with an adviser in the Fulbright College Advising Center to receive guidance in planning major and minor courses of study.