Humanities

The Bachelor of Science in Humanities (Course 21) offers students seven interdisciplinary areas of study from which to choose:

  • African and African Diaspora Studies
  • American Studies
  • Ancient and Medieval Studies
  • Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies
  • Latin American and Latino/a Studies
  • Russian and Eurasian Studies
  • Women's and Gender Studies

All options for this major are by special arrangement and must be approved by the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Students must file a proposal that identifies all the subjects to be taken in the chosen program. Contact information for each program is included in its description.

African and African Diaspora Studies

The African and African Diaspora Studies program is designed for students interested in the contributions, cultures, and experiences of peoples of African descent on the African continent and across the diaspora. The goal of the program is to emphasize the importance of Africa and people of African descent in the world's cultural, economic, and social developments, and to provide a balance between language, humanistic, historical, and contemporary study. Building on MIT's strengths in understanding science and technology, the program provides students the opportunity to study interactions of people of African descent with contemporary technology sectors, such as digital media, artificial intelligence, aerospace, genetics, and climate change mitigation. It also includes study of economic and political systems as they reflect the African continent and areas of the African diaspora, and the histories, languages, and literatures of Africans and peoples of African descent elsewhere.

All of Africa falls within the program's geographical scope; a student may concentrate on a particular region or on any of the broad groupings of African cultures, regions, or languages. Equally, a student choosing to focus on the African diaspora may concentrate on any group of African-descended populations in the Americas and beyond. Students focusing on either principal area (Africa or the African diaspora) must also take at least one subject that deals with the other area or with interactions between them.

As noted in the degree chart, the program consists of at least eight subjects beyond the introductory subject (24.912[J] Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies), pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT), and thesis (21.THU). The eight subjects—at least five of which must be MIT subjects—should be arranged in four areas of study; students should select two subjects that contribute to language training, and six subjects that together draw from Areas II, III, and IV:

  • Area I: Language
  • Area II: Humanities and the Arts
  • Area III: Social Sciences
  • Area IV: Historical Studies

The list of subjects for the program will build on the list currently approved for the minor. Subjects about Africa and the African diaspora, as well as subjects in indigenous African languages, are also available from Harvard University and Wellesley College through cross-registration. Students must receive permission from the program advisor prior to registering for a class at another institution.

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information can be obtained from the program advisor, Professor Danielle Wood, Room E14-574N, 617-253-1631, or from the SHASS Dean's Office, Room 4-240, 617-253-3450.

Area I: Language 1
French III
and French IV
Spanish III
and Spanish IV
Portuguese III
and Portuguese IV
Two subjects at any level in an indigenous African language or other non-English official language of the region of study
Area II: Humanities and the Arts
Global Africa: Creative Cultures
African Migrations
World Literatures
Introduction to Musics of the World
Jazz
Music of Africa
Jazz Harmony and Arranging
Jazz Composition
Composing for Jazz Orchestra
MIT Senegalese Drum Ensemble
All the World's a Stage: Socio-Political Perspectives in Global Performance
Writing about Race
Narrative and Identity: Writing and Film by Contemporary Women of Color
Area III: Social Sciences
Violence, Human Rights, and Justice
Human Rights at Home and Abroad
Law, Social Movements, and Public Policy: Comparative and International Experience
Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics
Ethnic Conflict in World Politics
Engineering Democratic Development in Africa
Africa and the Politics of Knowledge
Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities
The Science of Race, Sex, and Gender
Psychology of Sex and Gender
Race, Culture, and Gender in the US and Beyond: A Psychological Perspective
Area IV: Historical Studies
A Survey of Modern African History
The Black Radical Tradition in America
Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law
Colonialism in South Asia and Africa: Race, Gender, Resistance
The Ghetto: From Venice to Harlem
Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies
African Americans in Science, Technology, and Medicine
Africa for Engineers
Women and Gender in the Middle East and North Africa
1

Students are expected to have two intermediate (Levels III and IV) subjects in French, Spanish, or Portuguese, or two subjects at any level in an official language of the region of study or in an indigenous language. If a student is specializing in Anglophone Africa or an English-speaking region of the diaspora and does not undertake study of an indigenous language, or is a native speaker of the official language(s) of a country or region of emphasis, this component would be replaced by literature or other humanities subjects. Students not required to take Area I subjects must take all eight subjects for the program from Areas II, III, and IV, with at least one subject from each area.

American Studies

American Studies at MIT offers students the opportunity to organize subjects from various fields (e.g., history, anthropology, literature, political science, music, art, architecture, and urban planning) into personally constructed interdisciplinary programs as a way of gaining an integrated understanding of American society and culture. Students can focus on any of several areas of interest, such as American literature; folklore and popular culture; black history and culture; women's studies; American history, politics, or law; the history of science and technology; and American art, architecture, or music. Thus, a program in American Studies is ideal for preparing students for further work not only in the various humanistic fields, but also in law, urban planning, management, architecture, engineering, medicine, teaching, and the media.

The program has three primary objectives:

  • To understand the underlying system of beliefs that informs every aspect of American culture—its myths, institutions, politics and literature, its characteristic dreams and rituals.
  • To understand the uses and limits of different methods and intellectual disciplines as tools for exploring the complexities of a culture.
  • To understand the American present in relation to the American past.

As noted in the degree chart, the program includes a pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT), a thesis (21.THU), and a minimum of nine restricted electives (108 units) selected from at least two of the following three disciplinary areas:

  • Area I: Humanities and the Arts
  • Area II: Social Sciences; Science, Technology, and Society
  • Area III: Historical Studies

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward American Studies requirements. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor.

The list of restrictive electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information can be obtained from the American Studies advisor, Professor Christopher Capozzola, E51-284, 617-452-4960, or from the SHASS Dean's Office, 4-240, 617-253-3450.

Restricted Electives
Select 9–12 subjects from at least two of the following areas:
American Literature
Introduction to Film Studies (Restricted Electives)
Understanding Television
The American Novel
Race and Identity in American Literature
American Authors
Music of the Americas
Jazz
Musicals
Film Music
American Popular Music
Studies in Jazz and Popular Music
Asian American Theater
History of American and European Scenography
Contemporary American Theater
Writing and Rhetoric: Writing about Sports
Communicating in American Culture (ELS)
Writing about Race
South Asian America: Transnational Media, Culture, and History
Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies
Silent Film
Area II: Social Sciences; Science, Technology, and Society
Introduction to Housing, Community, and Economic Development (not a HASS subject)
Youth Political Participation
Public Finance and Public Policy
Introduction to the American Political Process
Congress and the American Political System I
Electoral Politics, Public Opinion, and Democracy
Public Opinion and American Democracy
Race, Ethnicity, and American Politics
Mass Incarceration in the United States
The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime 1
US Social Policy
American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future
US National Security Policy
US Military Power
American Dream: Exploring Class in the US
Latinx in the Age of Empire
Technology in American History
Science Activism: Gender, Race, and Power
History of Manufacturing in America
The Civil War and the Emergence of Modern America: 1861-1890 1
Science in American Life: 1920-2020
African Americans in Science, Technology, and Medicine
The Long War Against Cancer
The History of MIT
Race, Gender and Social Inequality: Reproductive Health Care in the United States
The Science of Race, Sex, and Gender
Area III: Historical Studies
American Urban History
History of the Built Environment in the US
The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime 1
Asian American History: 1865 to 1965
American History to 1865
American History since 1865
US Environmental Governance: from National Parks to the Green New Deal
The American Revolution
The History of American Presidential Elections
The United States in the Cold War Era
War and American Society
Metropolis: A Comparative History of New York City
Riots, Strikes, and Conspiracies in American History
History of the US Supreme Court
American Classics
The Black Radical Tradition in America
MIT and Slavery: Research
MIT and Slavery: Publication
The Indigenous History of MIT
American Consumer Culture
Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law
Gender and the Law in US History
Downtown
Christianity in America
Global Commodities, American Dreams
The Civil War and the Emergence of Modern America: 1861-1890 1
Sexual and Gender Identities in the Modern United States
1

Counts as Area II or III, but not both.

Ancient and Medieval Studies

Through a wide variety of subjects drawn from a number of disciplines, this program provides a curricular framework for exploring topics in ancient and medieval studies which range from the history of ideas and institutions to that of material artifacts, literature and certain of the original languages. The chronological span of the program includes some 6,500 years between 5000 BC and 1500 AD.

The goal of this program is to develop knowledge and understanding of the more distant past both for itself, in its uniqueness, and as an object of specifically modern questions and methods of inquiry. We are interested in the structure of institutions and social systems, and in relationships between the social order and learned traditions, values, ideologies and ideas. Ancient and medieval studies derive a special claim to our interest from the fact that the record is so full and multiform and that much of it is of exceptionally high quality at once in substance and form.

The program in Ancient and Medieval Studies is designed for students who are seeking a fuller understanding of the forces which shaped the ancient and medieval world. The geographical and chronological scope of the program is broadly conceived and is intended to be comparative. Subjects range in content from Classical Greece and Rome, and the ancient societies of Asia and South America, to medieval Europe and Japan. Students will be required to demonstrate intermediate level language proficiency in either Greek, Latin or a medieval vernacular, but they need not concentrate their other subjects on the area associated with that language. Students are also expected to have some distribution across the ancient and medieval time periods. We expect that students will consult closely with the program advisor in order to devise a coherent program of study.

As noted in the degree chart, the program includes a minimum of nine subjects (108 units) beyond the pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT) and thesis (21.THU). The nine subjects must include one language subject in Area I (or equivalent proficiency); the eight remaining subjects must be selected from at least two of the three other disciplinary areas (Areas II–IV), with at least one subject in both Ancient and Medieval periods. To satisfy the communication-intensive (CI-M) component of the program, students may select two subjects from among 3.990 Seminar in Archaeological Method and Theory, 21H.331 Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Roman Republic, 21H.240 The World of Charlemagne, 21H.390 Theories and Methods in the Study of History, or any Literature seminar with an ancient or medieval focus.

  • Area I: Languages
  • Area II: Arts and Architecture
  • Area III: Literary Studies
  • Area IV: Material and Historical Studies

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward the requirements of the Ancient and Medieval Studies program. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor. 

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information can be obtained from the advisors for the program, Professor Eric Goldberg, E51-290, 617-324-2420, and Professor Arthur Bahr, 14N-424, 617-253-3616, or from the History Office, E51-255, 617-324-5134.

Restricted Electives
Area I: Languages 1, 2
Select one of the following for a total of 12 units:
Old English and Beowulf 3
Latin I
and Latin II
Greek I
and Greek II
Latin Readings
and Advanced Latin Readings 3
Two intermediate-level subjects in Greek, Latin, Italian, Norse, or Arabic 4
Select eight subjects from at least two of the following disciplinary areas. At least one subject must be taken in both the Ancient and Medieval periods.
Area II: Arts and Architecture
Ancient
A Global History of Architecture 5
The City of Athens in the Age of Pericles
The City of Rome in the Age of the Caesars
Medieval
Building Islam
Early Modern Architecture and Art
Medieval and Renaissance Music (CI-M)
Area III: Literary Studies 6
Ancient
Foundations of Western Literature: Homer to Dante 5
Comedy 5
Ancient Authors
The Bible
Latin Readings
and Advanced Latin Readings 3, 5
Ancient Philosophy
Medieval
Arthurian Literature
Old English and Beowulf 3
Area IV: Material and Historical Studies
Ancient
Communities of the Living and the Dead: the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
The Ancient Andean World
Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization
The Human Past: Introduction to Archaeology
Human Evolution: Data from Palaeontology, Archaeology, and Materials Science
Archaeology of the Middle East
Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Studies 5
The Ancient World: Greece
The Ancient World: Rome
Barbarians, Saints, and Emperors 5
Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Roman Republic (CI-M)
Early Christianity 5
The Making of a Roman Emperor
Humane Warfare: Ancient and Medieval Perspectives on Ethics in War 5
Medieval
The Medieval World
Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective
Islam, the Middle East, and the West
The Vikings
The World of Charlemagne (CI-M)
Technology and the Global Economy, 1000-2000
How to Rule the World: The Promises and Pitfalls of Politics, War, and Empire
1

Students are required to take at least 12 units in a pre-modern language. Two six-unit subjects in a pre-modern language may be combined to satisfy this requirement (e.g., Latin I and II or, for students who enter with strong Latin from high school, two different iterations of 21L.6xx Latin Readings). Greek, Latin, and Old English are currently offered at MIT, but students may substitute another pre-modern language taken elsewhere. 

2

Students with equivalent proficiency in a pre-modern language may substitute the Area I requirement with one more subject from areas II–IV.

3

Counts as Area I or III, but not both.

4

MIT does not offer these languages; consult with advisor concerning appropriate coursework at Harvard University or Wellesley College. Arabic is required for students proposing a specialty in the medieval Islamic world.

5

Counts as either Ancient or Medieval, but not both.

6

Any seminar-tier subject in Literature with a substantially ancient and/or medieval focus counts toward Area III and satisfies a CI-M.

Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies

This program is designed for students interested in serious intensive research on the languages, history, politics, and cultures of Asia and/or the Asian diasporas. The geographic region of Asia includes countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In consultation with the program advisor, students may focus their coursework on a sub-region of Asia, on one of the Asian diasporas, or design their program to offer a comparative study across different regions and/or cultural groups. The goal of the program is to provide balanced coverage of language, humanistic, and social science offerings on the region and to expose students to some comparative perspectives within the region. The MIT Departments of Global Languages, History, and Political Science offer a substantial number of subjects related to Asia and the Asian diasporas.

As noted in the degree chart, the program includes a minimum of nine subjects (108 units) beyond the pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT) and thesis (21.THU). The nine subjects must include two language subjects in Area I (or equivalent proficiency); the seven remaining subjects must be selected from at least two of the three other disciplinary areas (Areas II–IV).

  • Area I: Language
  • Area II: Humanities and the Arts
  • Area III: Social Sciences
  • Area IV: Historical Studies

For the thesis requirement, students choose a topic in consultation with an MIT faculty member whose specialty falls within Asian Studies; the thesis research may include knowledge of an Asian language.

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward the requirements of the Asian and Asian Diaspora Studies program. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor.

The language requirement can be satisfied by taking two intermediate (Levels III and IV) subjects in an Asian language. Students with proficiency at this level in the spoken and written language can either take two more advanced language subjects (highly recommended), or two more courses from Areas II, III and IV. Chinese and Japanese are taught at MIT. Subjects about Asia and the Asian diaspora, as well as subjects in Asian languages, are also available from Harvard University and Wellesley College through cross-registration. Students must receive permission from the advisor prior to registering for a class at another institution.

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information can be obtained from the SHASS Dean's Office, 4-240, 617-253-3450.

Restricted Electives
Select two subjects in the same language from Area I and seven subjects from at least two of Areas II, III, or IV. 1
Area I: Language 2
Chinese III (Regular)
Chinese IV (Regular)
Chinese V (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies
Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies
Chinese III (Streamlined)
Chinese IV (Streamlined)
Chinese V (Streamlined)
Business Chinese
Japanese III
Japanese IV
Japanese V
Japanese VI
Korean III (Regular)
Korean IV (Regular)
Two intermediate-level subjects in another Asian language 3
Area II: Humanities and the Arts 4
Topics in Indian Popular Culture
Introduction to East Asian Cultures: From Zen to K-Pop
Advertising and Media: Comparative Perspectives
China in the News: The Untold Stories
Gender and Japanese Popular Culture
A Passage to India: Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society
Classics of Chinese Literature in Translation
Modern Chinese Fiction and Cinema
Anime: Transnational Media and Culture
Introduction to Japanese Culture
Japanese Media Cultures
Digital Media in Japan and Korea
Cinema in Japan and Korea
Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese Youths and Web Culture
Music of India
China on Stage
Asian American Theater
South Asian America: Transnational Media, Culture, and History
Science, Gender and Social Inequality in the Developing World
Area III: Social Sciences
Chinese Foreign Policy
International Relations of East Asia
The Rise of Asia
Politics and Policy in Contemporary Japan
Images of Asian Women: Dragon Ladies and Lotus Blossoms
Area IV: Historical Studies
Asian American History: 1865 to 1965
Global Chinese Food: A Historical Overview
The Global Chinese: Chinese Migration, 1567-Present
Dynastic China
Modern China
Inventing the Samurai
Modern Japan: 1600 to Present
Modern South Asia
Business in China Since 1800
Shanghai and China's Modernization
World War II in Asia
South Asian Migrations
Colonialism in South Asia and Africa: Race, Gender, Resistance
1

Students who are not required to take Area I subjects (see footnote 2) must take all subjects from Areas II, III, and IV with at least one subject from each area.

2

The language requirement can be satisfied by taking two intermediate (Levels III and IV, or Very Fast Track equivalent) subjects in an Asian language. Students with proficiency at this level are encouraged to take two more advanced language subjects, such as 21G.105 Chinese V (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies and 21G.106 Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies or 21G.505 Japanese V and 21G.506 Japanese VI. Alternatively, they may take two more subjects from Areas II, III, and IV. In cases where the student is specializing in an Asian country where English is one of the official languages, in an English-speaking region of the diaspora, or is a native speaker of an Asian language, the Area I component would be replaced by other subjects in consultation with the program advisor.

3

Other languages may be taken at Harvard or Wellesley through cross-registration, with the permission of the advisor, or at other institutions during IAP or the summer, with permission from the relevant transfer credit examiner.

4

21G.591, 21G.592, 21G.593, 21G.594, 21G.596, and 21G.597 are acceptable alternatives for 21G.039[J], 21G.064, 21G.065[J], 21G.094[J], 21G.063, and 21G.067[J] respectively. 21G.190, 21G.192, 21G.193, 21G.194, and 21G.195 are acceptable alternatives for 21G.036[J], 21G.046, 21G.030[J], 21G.038, and 21G.044[J], respectively. These 13-unit alternatives include a research project that is conducted in the language of study.

Latin American and Latino/a Studies

This program is designed for students interested in the language, history, politics, and culture of Latin America and of Hispanics living in the US. Students are encouraged to develop a program that is both international and comparative in perspective and that takes into account the heterogeneous cultural experiences of people living in the vast territory encompassed by the term Latin America, as well as of those people living in the United States who identify themselves as Latino/a.

As noted in the degree chart, the program includes a minimum of eight subjects (96 units) beyond the introductory course (17.55[J] Introduction to Latin American Studies), the pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT), and thesis (21.THU). The eight subjects must include two language subjects in Area I (or equivalent proficiency); the six remaining subjects must be selected from at least two of the three other disciplinary areas (Areas II-IV).

  • Area I: Language
  • Area II: Humanities and the Arts
  • Area III: Social Sciences
  • Area IV: Historical Studies

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward the requirements of the Latin American and Latino/a Studies program. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor.

Subjects in Latin American and Latino Studies are also available from Harvard University and Wellesley College through cross-registration. Students must receive permission from the program advisor prior to registering for a class at another institution.

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information may be obtained from the advisor for the program, Professor Tanalís Padilla, E51-293, 617-324-7544, or from the SHASS Dean's Office, 4-240, 617-253-3450.

Restricted Electives
Area I: Language 1
Select two subjects in the same language from among the following:
Spanish III
Spanish IV
Advanced Communication in Spanish: Topics in Language and Culture
Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition: Perspectives on Technology and Culture
Spanish Conversation and Composition
Spanish through Film: Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Spain
Spanish for Heritage Learners
Topics in Medicine and Public Health in the Hispanic World
Portuguese III
Portuguese IV
Select seven subjects, including 17.55[J], from at least two of the following disciplinary areas: 2
Area II: Humanities and the Arts
Subjects taught in English
Latin America and the Global Sixties: Counterculture and Revolution
The New Latin American Novel
Introduction to European and Latin American Fiction
The Latina Experience in Literature, Film and Popular Culture
Subjects taught in Spanish
Creation of a Continent: Media Representations of Hispanic America, 1492 to present
The Making of the Latin American City: Culture, Gender, and Citizenship
Advanced Topics in Hispanic Literature and Film
The Short Form: Literature and New Media Cultures in the Hispanic World
Introduction to Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film
Power and Culture: Utopias and Dystopias in Spain and Latin America
Literature and Social Conflict: Perspectives on the Hispanic World
Globalization and its Discontents: Spanish-speaking Nations
The New Spain: 1977-Present
Subjects taught in Portuguese
Conversational Portuguese
Topics in Modern Portuguese Literature and Culture
The Beat of Brazil: Portuguese Language and Brazilian Society Through its Music
Area III: Social Studies
Introduction to Latin American Studies
Additional options
The Ancient Andean World
Ancient Mesoamerican Civilization
The Anthropology of Politics: Persuasion and Power
Area IV: Historical Studies
Latin America Through Film
From Coca to Cocaine: Drug Economies in Latin America
Appropriate subjects offered at Harvard or Wellesley
1

Two language subjects beginning at Levels III and IV, either in Spanish or Portuguese, satisfy the Area I language requirement. MIT offers Levels III and IV of Spanish every semester and offers Level III of Portuguese every fall semester and Level IV every spring semester. Students who demonstrate competence beyond Level IV may either take two advanced language subjects (highly recommended) or two more subjects from Areas II, III, and IV.

2

Students who are not required to take Area I subjects and opt not to take advanced language subjects (see footnote 1 above) must take all subjects from Areas II, III, and IV, with at least one subject from each area.

Russian and Eurasian Studies

This program is intended for students seeking an interdisciplinary program of study centered on Russia and Eurasia. The program is regional in spirit, meaning that students can take courses in a wide range of countries of East/Central Europe, the Slavic states, and Central Asia.

As noted in the degree chart, the program includes a minimum of nine subjects (108 units) beyond the pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT) and thesis (21.THU). The nine subjects must include two language subjects in Area I (or equivalent proficiency); the seven remaining subjects must be selected from at least two of the three other disciplinary areas (Areas II–IV). At least six subjects must be MIT subjects or subjects taken at Harvard or Wellesley under cross-registration. (Students must receive permission from the program advisor prior to registering for a class at another institution.) The program includes four areas of study:

  • Area I: Language
  • Area II: Humanities and the Arts
  • Area III: Social Sciences
  • Area IV: Historical Studies

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward the requirements of the Russian and Eurasian Studies program. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor. 

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Additional information may be obtained from the advisor for the program, Professor Elizabeth Wood, Room E51-282, 617-253-3255, or from the SHASS Dean's Office, Room 4-240, 617-253-3450.

Restricted Electives
Area I: Language 1
Russian III (Regular)
Russian IV (Regular)
Select seven subjects from at least two of the following areas: 2
Area II: Humanities and the Arts
Introduction to the Classics of Russian Literature 3
Introduction to the Classics of Russian Literature - Russian Language Option
Introduction to Russian Studies
Appropriate subjects offered at Harvard or Wellesley
Area III: Social Sciences
Russia's Foreign Policy: Toward the Post-Soviet States and Beyond
Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society: 1917 to the Present
Appropriate subjects offered at Harvard or Wellesley
Area IV: Historical Studies
Imperial and Revolutionary Russia: Culture and Politics, 1700-1917
Appropriate subjects offered at Harvard or Wellesley
1

Two intermediate (Levels III and IV) subjects in the Russian language are required to satisfy Area I. Students with the equivalent proficiency, but who are not native speakers, can either take two advanced language subjects beyond Level IV (highly recommended) or two additional subjects from Areas I, II, and IV. Native speakers may substitute other subjects with the permission of the program advisor.

2

Students who are not required to take Area I subjects must take all subjects from Areas II, III, and IV, with at least one subject from each area.

3

Though students may opt for either subject, it is preferred that they take 21G.618 Introduction to the Classics of Russian Literature - Russian Language Option.

Women's and Gender Studies

The Women's and Gender Studies program offers students an academic framework for the study of women, gender, and sexuality using the analytical tools and methodologies of a variety of disciplines in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. It includes a minimum of seven subjects (84 units) beyond WGS.101 Introduction to Women's and Gender StudiesWGS.301[J] Feminist Thought, the pre-thesis tutorial (21.THT), and thesis (21.THT). However, students may request a two-class substitution for the pre-thesis/thesis requirement for a total of 11 courses in that case.

Up to six subjects (72 units) may be used for both the major and the GIRs, but the units from those subjects may not count toward the 180 units required beyond the GIRs. No more than one subject that counts toward the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may also be counted toward the requirements of the Women's and Gender Studies program. In addition, at least eight of the subjects required for the program cannot count toward any other major or minor. 

The list of restricted electives below is not exhaustive. Students interested in this interdisciplinary program should consult with the Women's and Gender Studies program manager, Stacey Lantz, Room 14N-213, 617-253-8844, and then arrange a meeting with the current director, Professor Lerna Ekmekcioglu.

Restricted Electives
Tier I
Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies (Required)
Tier II
Select seven subjects, including at least one from each category below: 1
Humantities (HASS-H) and Arts (HASS-A) subjects 2
Women and Global Activism in Media and Politics
Sexual and Gender Identities in the Modern United States
Gender and Media Studies
Gender and Technology
The History of Women in Science and Engineering
Race and Identity in American Literature
International Women's Voices
Narrative and Identity: Writing and Film by Contemporary Women of Color
Globalization: The Good, the Bad and the In-Between
Gender and Japanese Popular Culture
Gender and the Law in US History
Queer Cinema and Visual Culture
Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies
Women and Gender in the Middle East and North Africa
Science, Gender and Social Inequality in the Developing World
Writing about Race
New Culture of Gender: Queer France
WGS.234
Classics of Chinese Literature in Translation
Introduction to East Asian Cultures: From Zen to K-Pop
Jane Austen
Identities and Intersections: Queer Literatures
Social Science (HASS-S) subjects
Games and Culture
Gender, Medicine, and Public Health
For Love and Money: Rethinking the Family
Women in the Developing World
Women and War
Race, Gender and Social Inequality: Reproductive Health Care in the United States
The Science of Race, Sex, and Gender
Psychology of Sex and Gender
Race, Culture, and Gender in the US and Beyond: A Psychological Perspective
HIV/AIDS in American Culture
Violence, Human Rights, and Justice
Dilemmas in Biomedical Ethics: Playing God or Doing Good?
Images of Asian Women: Dragon Ladies and Lotus Blossoms
Gender, Race, and Environmental Justice
Cultures of Computing
French Feminist Literature: Yesterday and Today
Tier II
Feminist Thought (Required) 3
Gender: Historical Perspectives
1

One of the Tier II subjects may be taken at Harvard or Wellesley with the permission of the director.

2

Subjects 21L.430, 21L.460, 21L.512, 21L.702, 21L.704, 21L.705, 21L.715, and 21W.745 may be taken for credit as a Women's and Gender Studies subject when their content meets WGS criteria. For more information, consult the program office.

3

With the permission of the director, an advanced Women's and Gender Studies subject may be substituted for WGS.301[J].