Philosophy and Religion Department Minors

Leadership Minor

PEAKS | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

Leadership is a specialized ability necessary for success in particular endeavors and for success in life in general. All the key institutions in our society -- arts, business, education, government, health care, human services, religious, scientific and social -- require effective leaders. The Leadership Studies minor is designed to teach students competencies in communication skills, problem solving, and decision-making and group or team development, using a creative, interdisciplinary approach.
The Leadership CORE is augmented by an interdisciplinary area of emphasis.

The Leadership Studies minor consists of 15 credits and should include the following courses:

Business Emphasis

Christian Leadership Emphasis

 

Outdoor Leadership Emphasis

Student Learning Outcomes

Through core leadership classes students will gain skills and concepts that will contribute to their effectiveness as leaders in multiple settings. Through interdisciplinary study, students will gain skills and concepts that will contribute to their effectiveness as leaders in their area of emphasis. Students will gain other skills in:

  • Critical Thinking
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication

Philosophy Minor

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts |

The philosophy minor invites and provokes students to examine themselves and the world in ever more comprehensive ways, as well as to look at the most fundamental aspects of human reasoning and discourse. A minor in philosophy provides excellent preparation for graduate work in law, ethics, religion, philosophy and other fields in which reasoning and argumentation skills or ability to work at a high level of abstraction are important.

The minor consists of 19 credits:

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Critical Thinking
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication
  • Students will show an understanding of the major figures in the history of philosophy.

Religion Minor

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts |

A Religion Minor invites students to explore the ways in which humanity's deepest values and commitments shape society through stories, beliefs, rituals, behaviors and institutions.

Religion Minor consists of the following 19 credits:

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Critical Thinking in Religion
  • Analytical Reasoning in Religion
  • Problem Solving in Religion
  • Written Communication in Religion
  • Religious literacy, consisting of
    • being able to articulate the nature, role and necessity of “symbols” for expressing ultimate commitments and values in society and the interpretive issues involved in dealing with them
    • being able to make meaningful and fruitful comparisons between the key historical developments, practices and beliefs of at least two religious systems/movements/traditions and of the diversity within each of them

Associated Minors

Asian Studies Minor

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Social Science & History |

Home to over half of the world's population, Asia is a region of immeasurable significance to contemporary global society. The Asian Studies minor allows students to pursue a course of study that includes a variety of regional emphases across East, Southeast, and South Asia and disciplinary perspectives across English, Philosophy and Religion, History, and Political Economy. The minor consists of at least 16 credits.

This minor qualifies for either the Fine Arts & Humanities or the Social Science & History PEAK.

With approval of the Asian Studies faculty, students who complete study abroad coursework can appeal to substitute credits in the Humanities and Social Science from other disciplines not listed above.

Students are also encouraged to study abroad in Asia through internationally recognized programs or College of Idaho study tours. Credits from ASN-designated courses that include study tours to Asia are distributed according to the sponsoring discipline of the participating faculty. For example, a six-credit ASN course that includes Religion and Political Economy will count as three credits toward each discipline.

This minor requires 16 credits.

Humanities & Fine Arts PEAK

Social Science & History PEAK

*For ASN-494 Independent Study minors must expand a paper they have written for one of their ASN-related courses. These "starred papers" will be graded on a pass/fail basis by the faculty member who originally supervised the project and should constitute a polished piece of work that serves as the student's highest achievement in the minor.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Critical Thinking
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication
  • Acquire a basic familiarity with major traditions and themes in the study of Asia across at least three disciplines
  • Think comparatively about at least three different regions of Asia
  • Demonstrate an ability to write thoughfully and persuasively about Asia's diverse cultures and history

Classics Minor

PEAKS | Social Science & History |

The minor in classics combines academic work in the histories, languages, literatures, and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world.

The minor consists of 15 credits, to include:

Criminal Justice Studies Minor

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Social Science & History | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

The Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) minor offers a distinctly liberal arts approach to the burgeoning field of criminal justice studies. This program offers students the opportunity to investigate the field from a number of disciplinary perspectives. The Prison Experience capstone course, during which students visit a variety of adult and juvenile facilities, provides direct contact with prisons, insights into prison life, and the means by which students can enter the field. The internship option provides additional valuable experience in regional facilities, forging connections for future employment

This minor requires 17 credits.

Social Science & History PEAK

Humanities & Fine Arts PEAK

 

Professional Studies & Enhancement PEAK

*Six weeks before graduation, students will submit a portfolio of relevant work completed for the minor, such as exams and papers, including a two-page essay describing important academic lessons and skills acquired in this minor.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Critical thinking about the field from a number of disciplinary perspectives
  • Analytical reasoning applied to crime- and prison-related arguments
  • Problem solving in regards to social, political economy, and humanitarian issues
  • Written communication through intensive journals, research and response papers
  • First-hand experience visiting adult & juvenile correctional facilities
  • Opportunities to explore criminal justice-related professions

Pre-Law Minor

PEAKS | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

The Pre Law Minor is meant to create a foundation in preparation for a career in law. As a professional enhancement minor, the Pre Law Minor is further designed to help prepare students to succeed in law school. Through the minor students will be introduced to the American political system, precedent-setting Supreme Court cases, and philosophical/ethical frameworks for judging legal questions.

This minor consists of 18 credits and should normally include:

*Particularly Recommended: ENG-299T.25, ENG-299T.4, and ENG-380.5.

Potential Options to Prepare for Law School

There are multiple pathways to law school. No particular major is recommended. Indeed law schools accept students who have majored in everything from Music to Environmental Studies. Regardless of the major, students would benefit from courses in several disciplines not required for the minor including: International Relations, History, Sociology, and Environmental Studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Help prepare students for a career in law by introducing them to the American political system, precedent-setting Supreme Court cases, and philosophical/ethical frameworks for judging legal questions
  • Help prepare students for law school by teaching them how to brief a constitutional law case and become comfortable and competent in reading and understanding constitutional jurisprudence
  • Critical Thinking
  • Analytic Reasoning
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication
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