Southwestern University recently announced the addition of four new minors to its interdisciplinary curriculum. Beginning with the Fall 2017 semester, Animal Studies, Data Science, Health Studies and International Studies will be offered as minors to current students.

These new minors were chosen based on a number of factors including student interest, faculty input, shifting marketplace demands, current resources and alignment with SU’s overall academic vision.

Animal Studies, Data Science and Health Studies are brand new minors to Southwestern. International Studies is also offered as a major, but the addition of a minor provides an avenue for additional students who are interested in global studies to pursue courses in the field. A brief description of each minor is outlined below:

Animal Studies Minor

Southwestern’s new Animal Studies minor incorporates classic studies of animal behavior as well as emerging research in critical animal studies.

This minor exposes students to the study of animals from biological, psychological and animal studies perspective and includes courses from the fine arts, humanities and social science.

Data Science Minor

Data science is an emerging field, and graduates with the skills to analyze and interpret large sets of data are in high demand. Students in Southwestern’s program will learn the tools, application and implications of data science.

The minor includes fundamental introductory courses in math/computer sciences, applied courses in social science and natural science categories, as well as humanities courses to address the implications of using data to make decisions that affect individual lives.

Health Studies Minor

The Health Studies minor covers areas of public health, community health and prepares students for postgraduate studies in the health related fields. Students will learn how to communicate concepts and ideas related to health across a range of disciplines, understand and debate health concepts from multiple perspectives and gain the skills to understand issues related to health topics such as disease, health related news, policy making and more.

International Studies Minor

Southwestern’s International Studies is an interdisciplinary program that incorporates global, area, and foreign language studies. The introduction of the minor, in addition to the current IS major, will benefit students interested in global studies including Business and Communication majors.

Participating students will gain an understanding of other cultures and global systems through a broad perspective and develop proficiency in a foreign language (Chinese, French, German or Spanish). Although it is not required, International Studies minors are encouraged to study abroad for a summer, semester or year.  

The addition of these four areas of studies brings the total minors offered at Southwestern to 39, along with 35 majors and a variety of pre-professional pathways with specialized advising, including medicine, law, dentistry, and theology.