Interdisciplinary Programs and Courses

• Field Description
• Liberal Arts Minors
• Feit Interdisciplinary Humanities Seminars
• Chase Interdisciplinary Seminar
• Courses
  • Courses in Interdisciplinary Curriculum (IDC)

Field Description

Baruch College offers a variety of interdisciplinary experiences associated with the different schools and programs described below.

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Liberal Arts Minors

• Liberal Arts Interdisciplinary Minors
• Interdisciplinary Minor with Honors in New York City Studies
• Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Minor with Honors

Liberal Arts Interdisciplinary Minors

A liberal arts minor is a graduation requirement for any student who is following the Baruch Common Core Curriculum, and any of the minors listed below can also be completed by students following the Pathways curriculum. The liberal arts minor consists of three courses (9-12 credits) in a disciplinary concentration outside the student’s major field of study. Of those three courses, two must be taken at the 3000-level or higher. Courses used to satisfy other base curriculum requirements may not be used to fulfill the liberal arts minor requirement. The third course in the minor is the 4000-, 5000-, or 6000-level capstone course. Capstone courses are research oriented and communication intensive. The capstone course can be taken only after the student has completed two courses in his or her disciplinary concentration at the 3000-level or higher, and it must be taken at Baruch College. To receive credit for having completed a liberal arts minor, the student must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the three courses that make up his or her minor. As an alternative to the traditional discipline- or department-based minors, students may choose from Baruch's interdisciplinary minors. These minors, which bridge several areas of study, enable students to satisfy specific interests and intellectual curiosity.

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American Studies (AMS)
The minor in American studies is a multidisciplinary program that investigates the content and meaning of American culture within the United States. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Michael Staub (Department of English; Michael.Staub@baruch.cuny.edu ).

Asian and Asian American Studies (AAS)
The minor in Asian and Asian American studies offers students an opportunity to study Asian cultures and the histories and experiences of communities of Asian descent residing in the U.S. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Shigeru Suzuki (Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature; Shigeru.Suzuki@baruch.cuny.edu).

Black and Latino Studies (BLS/LTS)
This minor explores the social, political, and economic history of Black and Latino peoples throughout the world from ancient to modern times. (See department page for course information.) Program coordinator: Shelly Eversley (Department of Black and Latino Studies; Shelly.Eversley@baruch.cuny.edu ).

Environmental Sustainability (ENV)
The minor in environmental sustainability is an interdisciplinary program suitable for both business and liberal arts students who have an interest in developing a critical understanding of interactions between human society and the broader global ecosystem. The program emphasizes economic, legal, and philosophical issues of environmental sustainability. (See department page for course information.) Program co-coordinator: Chester Zarnoch (Department of Natural Sciences; Chester.Zarnoch@baruch.cuny.edu).

Film Studies (FLM)

The minor in film studies provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of film as a vital expression of 20th-century art and culture. Courses are offered in history, aesthetics, theory and criticism, and production. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Alison Griffiths (Department of Communication Studies; Alison.Griffiths@baruch.cuny.edu).

Global Studies (GLS)

The Global Studies Minor incorporates perspectives from a wide range of disciplines in order to explore complex economic, geopolitical, diasporic, and cultural exchanges across the world. Students minoring in Global Studies become aware of the migrations of peoples, economic goods, cultural products, and ideas across national, geographic, and conceptual borders through a wide range of media. Students also will explore international interactions, both at the national government level and at the sub-national level. (See program page for course information) Program coordinator: Matthew Eatough (Department of English; Matthew.Eatough@baruch.cuny.edu).

Information Technology and Social Responsibility (CIS)
The minor in information technology and social responsibility studies the effects of new technologies on the individual, the workplace, and society at large. In this program of study students will examine the increasing importance of individual and organizational social responsibility in today's interconnected and computer-mediated environment, as well as the specific issues that stand at the intersection of social responsibility and information technology. (See department page for course information.) Program coordinator: Nanda Kumar (Department of Statistics and Computer Information Systems; telephone: 646-312-3403; Nanda.Kumar@baruch.cuny.edu).

Jewish Studies (JWS)

The Jewish Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of Jewish culture, history, sociology, literature, art, film and religion. While the focus of Baruch’s Jewish Studies program highlights the American, and more specifically, the New York Jewish experience, all courses that center on Jewish-related subjects fulfill the requirements for the minor. These courses are offered often cross-listed with other departments and are open to all students; they address the historical, social, cultural, religious and political life of American and world Jewry.  (See program page for course information) Program coordinators: Andrew Sloin (Department of History; Andrew.Sloin@baruch.cuny.edu) and Jessica Lang (Department of English; Jessica.Lang@baruch.cuny.edu) .

Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS)
The minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies exposes students to cross-cultural and professional opportunities through courses that explore the historical, political, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions in the region. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Shelly Eversley (Department of Black and Latino Studies; Shelly.Eversley@baruch.cuny.edu ).

Law and Policy (LAW)
The minor in law and policy examines the legal system from various liberal arts perspectives. The program emphasizes philosophical, historical, sociological, and political insights about law and individual rights. (See department page for course information.) Program coordinator: Matthew Edwards (Department of Law; Matthew.Edwards@Baruch.cuny.edu).

Multilingual Translation

The Multilingual Translation Minor, open to all students who have successfully completed a 4000-level language course or have proficiency in a second language, offers an introduction to the discipline of translation. Students will learn how to use the fundamentals of Translation Studies to interpret the cultural, social, and political underpinnings of literary and artistic works produced in different geographical environments, with a particular attention to how questions of gender, poetics, ideology, class, and nation operate in translations. Students will also be exposed to the basics of translation praxis and will develop the interlingual translation skills needed to produce a wide variety of texts in translation.(See department page for course information.) Program coordinator: Adrian Izquierdo (Department of English; Adrian.Izquierdo@baruch.cuny.edu).

New Media Arts (NMA)

See department page for course information. Program coordinator: Katherine Behar (Department of Fine and Performing Arts; Katherine.Behar@baruch.cuny.edu ).

New York Studies

The New York City Studies Minor provides students the opportunity to learn about the impact of global trends on New York City, specifically, in addition to urban environments more generally. Students will analyze the intersections and contests between global institutions, elites, and local communities. Courses in this program will allow students to understand the rapidly changing economic, political, social, environmental, and religious landscapes of the world today. (See department page for course information.) Program coordinator: Kenneth Guest (Department of Sociology/Anthropology; Ken.Guest@baruch.cuny.edu).

This minor is not open to students in the Macaulay Honors Program

Religion and Culture (REL)
The minor in religion and culture offers students the opportunity to study the religions of man from the earliest times to the present and how they have shaped and been shaped by the forces of history. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Kenneth Guest (Department of Sociology/Anthropology; Ken.Guest@baruch.cuny.edu).

Spanish-English Translation

The interdisciplinary minor in Spanish-English Translation, suitable for both Arts and Sciences and Business majors, allows students with good skills in English and Spanish to perfect their knowledge of both languages and gain the ability to produce fluent, accurate, and effective translations between them. The minor is open to all students who have successfully completed a 4000-level Literature or Culture and Civilization course in Spanish.See department page for course information. Program coordinator:  (Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature; Esther.Allen@baruch.cuny.edu).

Women's and Gender Studies (WSM)
The minor in women's and gender studies provides students with a deeper understanding of womens individual and collective experiences as well as knowledge of women's diverse contributions to their societies. (See program page for course information.) Program coordinator: Katherine Pence (Department of History; Katherine.Pence@baruch.cuny.edu).

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Interdisciplinary Minor with Honors in New York City Studies

This special minor uses New York City as a laboratory to explore the interdisciplinary relations between the arts and sciences. A unique feature of the Macaulay Honors College experience at Baruch, this minor consists of a sequence of courses that examine different facets of metropolitan life in general and New York City in particular. All of the seminars offer opportunities to meet and work with artists, cultural experts, scientists, and other distinguished professionals who represent the different facets of contemporary New York. These courses are only open to Macaulay Honors Scholars.

Prerequisite

Required Courses

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Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Minor with Honors

The arts and sciences interdisciplinary minor with honors provides students, especially those preparing for careers in business, with an opportunity to deepen their humanistic, social, or scientific knowledge as part of their preparation for life.

Courses
Students enrolled in a Feit Interdisciplinary Seminar (

) may complete a 9-credit Tier III minor with honors by registering for a two-semester (6000-level) honors thesis that delves more deeply into the subject matter introduced by the Feit Seminar. According to the intellectual direction that the student wishes to pursue, the thesis may be written either within a single discipline and continued under the appropriate disciplinary title (such as Art, English, or History), or as an interdisciplinary effort (/ )

Prerequisites
The thesis topic must be approved by the Undergraduate Committee on Honors. Students should complete the honors thesis application form as well as a two-page prospectus.

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Feit Interdisciplinary Humanities Seminars

Feit Seminars (

), endowed by the late Charles Feit ('48), bring together two or more instructors from different departments in the college and a small select group of students. Seminars speak to important themes and issues not ordinarily covered in the standard Weissman curriculum and reflect the special interests and research areas of our faculty.

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Chase Interdisciplinary Seminar

Chase Interdisciplinary Seminars (

, ), endowed by Baruch alumna Professor Hedy Feit in honor of former Weissman Dean Myrna Chase, offer a unique experience to second semester freshman who have participated in the Freshman Learning Community Program. Each spring, two groups of students chosen from among the most promising participants in the previous fall's Freshman Learning Communities receive invitations to register for these interdisciplinary team-taught courses that are designed on the model of the Feit Seminars. Faculty who are selected to teach these seminars are distinguished professors who are committed to creating an excellent educational experience for students.

The seminars also extend the learning community experience, including opportunities for education outside of the classroom. As in the learning community, professors may arrange co-curricular events, such as a play, a concert, an exhibit at a museum, or a visit to a restaurant. Participation in the seminar gives students the opportunity to become acquainted with some of the most interesting and gifted students at Baruch. Moreover, students who maintain at least a 3.3 GPA and who obtain a letter of recommendation from their Chase Seminar faculty may apply to the Baruch College Honors Program as Provost's Scholars.

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Courses

Courses in Interdisciplinary Curriculum (IDC)

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