Department List in Alphabetical Order

African American Studies

The study of the African American experience, with attention to the Caribbean and Africa by means of diverse academic disciplines, including history, political science, art, literature, communication, sociology, music, and education.

Anthropology (Department of Sociology/Anthropology)

The study of people in all their diversity as cultural beings, coping with and adapting to their changing environments.

Biological Sciences

The division of biology devoted to the study of all types of animal life.

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The study of the composition, structure, and changing properties of matter.

Classics and World Religions

Classics programs: The study of language, literature, and culture of ancient Greek and Latin-speaking peoples.
World Religions program: The study of both ancient and contemporary religions, their beliefs, doctrines, myths, rituals, and sacred texts.

Economics

The description and analysis of how goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed.

English Language & Literature

The study of literature (English, American, and international), writing (technical, creative, and critical), and literary form (poem, essay, story, novel, and play).

Environmental & Plant Biology

A division of biology concerned with the scientific study of all forms of plant life.

Geography

The study of the earth's physical and human systems and their interaction at varied scales of analysis - local, regional, and global.

Geological Sciences

The study of materials, processes, and developmental history of the earth so that resources can be effectively utilized and the environment preserved.

History

The recording, study, and interpretation of human activity of events in terms of time and place.

Linguistics

The scientific study of the nature of language and its function and purpose in human society.

Mathematics

The study of structure, order, and relation that has evolved from practices of counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects. It deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculation, and involves a high degree of abstraction.

Modern Languages

The study of the languages, literatures, and cultures of non-English speaking countries. Majors are offered in French, German, Russian, and Spanish.

Philosophy

The study of such concepts as knowledge, truth, reasoning, right and wrong, law, mind, and God.

Physics and Astronomy

The study of physical properties of matter and energy, including mechanics, acoustics, optics, heat, electricity, magnetism, radiation, astronomy, atomic structure, and nuclear phenomena.

Political Science

The description and analysis of governments and political institutions.

Psychology

The study of the factors that influence both normal and abnormal behavior.

Social Work

The study of the interaction between people and their social environment in order to help people realize goals. A successful application process and specific course requirements, are necessary to advance to the professional level of this major.

Sociology (Department of Sociology/Anthropology)

The systematic study of human groups and interaction within group structures.