(far right): Dr. Stephanie Takaragawa (Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science Associate Dean for Academics) talks with students at the Interdisciplinary Minors Fall 2024 Fair. Photo by Lisa Wong (’25 Broadcast Journalism and Documentary major and Visual Journalism/Chinese minors).

Partnering a major with the right minor can enhance a student’s overall career, broaden skill sets, increase employment opportunities, and, most importantly, fulfill a personal interest.

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences currently offers 12 Interdisciplinary minors, allowing students to learn from multiple disciplines that will enhance their educational goals.

On Thursday, March 13, students are invited to learn more about the Interdisciplinary minors offered in Wilkinson at the Interdisciplinary Minors Spring Fair in the Fish Interfaith Center (All Faiths Wallace Chapel), 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

To help you prepare for the Spring Fair, here is a quick look at the Interdisciplinary minors Wilkinson College offers.

Africana Studies 

The Africana Studies minor is designed to examine the histories, cultures, societies, kinds of literature, and arts of people of African descent, as well as their contributions to world civilization. The curriculum takes a transnational approach to the study of the Black experience and places it in a comparative context of Africa and the African Diaspora. With faculty advisement, students can select a tailored course of study that introduces them to the key themes, concepts, intellectual traditions, and political movements of Africana Studies, laying a strong foundation for practical application and social engagement through the critical interrogation of race, geography, and power.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion have always been a priority of mine. This minor plays a significant role in my future as I envision myself working in diverse spaces within the entertainment industry. I plan on contributing to big projects and companies to provide insight and excellent representation for underrepresented communities. Specifically, I will uplift more black voices within the entertainment industry.” 

⁠– Taya Good-Smith (‘26 Communication; Africana Studies minor)

Asian American Studies

The Asian American Studies minor provides an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the historical and contemporary experiences of people of Asian descent in the United States. This minor draws from history, film, literature, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines and complements other majors at the university by emphasizing critical thinking, global approaches, and social justice. Students gain a critical perspective on the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class and insights into the meanings and practices of citizenship, diaspora, and community in an increasingly globalized society.

“The most rewarding part of being in the minor has been connecting dots of mannerisms, behaviors, and experiences I have observed as an Asian American to articles, texts, and research. I have also enjoyed learning and implementing anthropological tools like field research and ethnography.”

– Mandy Fang (‘26 Dance, Public Relations/Advertising/Entertainment Marketing; Asian American Studies minor)

Creative and Cultural Industries 

Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) examines a vast array of cultural and creative activities, covering topics as diverse as media, fashion, tourism, museums, art galleries, publishing, video games, social media, emerging technologies, and visual cultures. This minor explores how such activities influence our understanding and experience of culture and the wider social, political, and economic implications of their development as industries. CCI is also about the nature of creativity: how we use creative practices to solve problems, develop new ideas and innovations, and challenge and disrupt established ways of thinking.

“I decided to minor in CCI because it gives me the perfect way to explore what I’m truly passionate about. Majoring in SCC and minoring in leadership have taught me so much, but CCI has really shown me that the possibilities for my future are endless. It’s the perfect addition to my coursework because it directly connects to my interests and goals—whether it’s my passion for social justice or my love for fashion and design, I get to combine what I’m learning in a way that actually makes sense for me. On top of that, the CCI faculty are some of the most welcoming and supportive people I’ve met. No matter what, they’re always there to offer guidance and encouragement, which has made this experience even more valuable. “

– Sammy Baloch (’25 Strategic & Corporate Communication; Creative and Cultural Industries & Leadership Studies minors)

Disability Studies

The Disability Studies minor provides an overview of the interdisciplinary study of disability across the domains of human experience. It allows students to explore the variety of approaches to understanding disability in personal, social, economic, artistic, and political contexts. The minor focuses on issues in the representation, history, and interpretation of disability as a social category of human difference rather than issues related to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of impairments.

“The most rewarding part of the minor has been the amount of knowledge and wisdom that the professors have imparted on all of their students. The professors have created a safe space for all of their students to share their experiences and learn from one another. They have allowed for us to explore the ways that disability studies can be applied to improve our future career fields and make them more inclusive.⁠” 

– Anastasia Beers (’25 Health Sciences Pre-Physical Therapy; Disability Studies minor)

Environmental Studies

The minor in Environmental Studies is designed to offer students a sound foundation in the scientific, political and cultural approaches to studying the environment. Students electing the minor in Environmental Studies may study in a broad range of subject areas, including sociology, economics, philosophy and political science.

“I chose to pursue a minor in environmental studies as it allowed me to further emphasize environmental social sciences in my coursework, bridging together my passion for the environment, psychology, and political science. The courses I have taken for this minor have given me an essential foundation for my interdisciplinary environmental research that I intend to continue investigating in graduate school.”

–  Analisa Vavoso (’26 Political Science, Psychology; Environmental Studies minor)

Ethnic Studies

The Ethnic Studies minor is the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity, with a focus on the histories, cultures, perspectives, and community work of marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The curriculum takes a theoretical, historical, and experiential approach to examine: modern (in)justice; social movements; legal and public policy activism; antiracist and anti-patriarchal ontologies; liberationist epistemologies; and community and identity formation in American history. Students learn about multiple cultures’ social and historical context within the United States; academic and experiential learning are interwoven such that key themes, concepts, and ideas in the field of Ethnic Studies are applied intentionally with communities.

“My experience as an ethnic studies minor has been super intriguing to me. Some classes that I took included Black Feminisms, Immigration, Border, the Chicano/an experience, and Racial & Ethnic Politics. All of these courses opened my mind a lot to cultural experiences that I would have [otherwise] never learned about. Coming from a very diverse background, I really wanted to continue learning about other ethnicities, and the Ethnic Studies minor has definitely made that a reality for me.”

– Serena Lovell (’25 Integrated Educational Studies; Ethnic Studies and Leadership Studies minors)

Health Humanities

Health Humanities explores the human condition of health from a variety of critical and creative perspectives. Health Humanities students are prepared for careers throughout the healthcare industry as well as in policy, administration, education, arts, and advocacy, where health and health policy play a role. Each student has the opportunity to chart a path through the minor coursework that supports their intellectual curiosity, professional goals, and personal well-being.

Core courses are grounded in the humanities, whereas electives draw not only from the humanities but also from the arts, social sciences, and natural sciences so that the Health Humanities minor complements any undergraduate major and ensures that students build a complex understanding of what it means to be well in physical, mental, social, and cultural contexts.

“I chose to minor in Health Humanities at Chapman University to deepen my understanding of the human experience in healthcare. By integrating science with ethics, history, and cultural perspectives, I aim to become a more compassionate and well-rounded healthcare provider, capable of addressing not just medical conditions but the stories and emotions behind them.”

– Holly McCoy (‘26 Health Science; Health Humanities minor)

Latinx and Latin American Studies

The minor in Latinx and Latin American Studies offers students interdisciplinary knowledge and cross-cultural skills that can be applied in various fields, including but not limited to community advocacy, business, education, public policy, health sciences, and the arts. The minor integrates theories of decolonization and liberation with the exploration of historic geopolitical, economic, and sociocultural conditions of Latin American development and how they have shaped contemporary U.S. Latinx identities. The program explores the emergence of the Spanish and Portuguese colonial and postcolonial relations in the new world, including the encounter of the indigenous/native Americans and the Europeans, which subsequently shaped Latin American societies and cultures, and the emergence of Latinx identities in the United States.

“By being a part of the Latinx and Latin American Studies minor I have gotten to learn more about the diverse cultures within the Latinx community. And I have also met so many amazing Latinx professors who are devoted to creating spaces on campus where our community is empowered and understood. As a Latina and first-generation student, I have found this minor to be an amazing experience.”

– Braulio Campos Gil (‘27 Political Science and Economics; Latinx and American Studies minor)

Law and the Liberal Arts

Law and the Liberal Arts is an interdisciplinary minor that studies the role of law in society and politics. The goal of the minor is to prepare one to think critically and analytically about the role of law in our lives, using the tools of a well-rounded education in the liberal arts. It also teaches one core competencies that help prepare for law school admissions.

“[This minor] Gives pre-law students what they need that they can’t get from a law major so I really like that Chapman has offered this Law and Liberal Arts minor so I get a little bit of prior knowledge before law school.” 

– Elijah Clark (’24 Political Science; Law and the Liberal Arts minor)

LGBTQ Studies

From queer theory to queer-bashing, sexual and gender diversity issues have become highly visible issues across business, the humanities, and the sciences. The minor in Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Studies offers students the opportunity to analyze for themselves facts, theories, research and realities concerning diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, communities and histories, and the ways in which race, class and other dimensions of identity and experience impact LGBTQ people, histories and politics. Representing Chapman University’s commitment to diversity and intellectual inquiry, the minor provides students of almost any major the means to explore the issues surrounding this academic discipline in its scientific, socio-cultural, political and artistic contexts. In addition to supplementing academic specializations ranging from history or biology to English or psychology, the minor can also serve students preparing for careers in law, public policy, health and social services, the arts, entertainment or the ministry.

“Whether you are queer or not, the classes within the LGBTQ Studies minor will teach you a new perspective and understanding about several topics ranging from sexual orientation, gender, activism, and more. As for the community within this program, you won’t find a more inclusive, welcoming, and accepting environment to be in because of the amount of care and devotion that lies within it”

– Elyse Tran (’26 Psychology; LGBTQ+ minor)

Religious Studies

Religious Studies at Chapman University introduces students to the diverse cultures and religious traditions of the world, past and present, and to a global range of human understandings of life’s meaning and purpose and the nature of reality itself, of what it means to be truly human and how we relate to “heaven and earth and the myriad things.”

Through this interdisciplinary study, students develop a range of methodological tools to understand our complex world, hone their critical thinking and analytic skills, and acquire interreligious literacy, an essential competency enhancing understanding of contemporary politics, history, art and culture and providing a valuable professional asset for serving clients, patients, students, customers, or constituents.

“I chose this minor because I wanted to grow and explore my faith more scholastically. I was particularly intrigued to examine and learn about the different religions and traditions my classmates follow. What makes the religious minor program special is the depth of various Religious topics covered in each course.”

– Dominic Sposeto (’26 Business Entrepreneurship; Religious Studies minor)

Women’s and Gender Studies

The Women’s and Gender Studies minor provides an overview of the interdisciplinary approaches to the study of women and gender inequality; cultural representations of women and their social roles; and the social axes of gender, race, class and sexuality. The minor provides students with a broad, interdisciplinary framework for analyzing social practices related to gender as well as the impact on their own lives.

“In my sophomore year, I took WGST 101, and I felt like in every single class, I learned something new that I had no idea about, and it was very inspiring. From there, I wanted to take more courses that made me feel as though I was broadening my knowledge about the world today and feminism. I have loved every course I have taken, such as U.S. Women’s History and Feminist Art, and so many more! I am so glad I made the choice to take this minor.”

 

– Kassidy Doyle (‘25 Communication Studies; English & Women’s and Gender Studies minors)