College-Wide Programs
The world today is an interdisciplinary world.
Responding to the challenges we face as a region, a nation, and a planet requires the perspectives of multiple disciplines. CASL is home to a number of interdisciplinary programs that bring together faculty and students from different departments to study these challenges. These College-Wide Programs not only offer academic majors, minors and certificates, they also sponsor many of the events and activities that make UM-Dearborn an intellectually exciting place responsive to the needs and concerns of our metropolitan region.
African & African American Studies (major, minor): The history, cultural legacies, and prominent issues confronting Africans and African Americans.
African & African American Studies (certificate): This is an interdisciplinary undergraduate and post-baccalaureate certificate that compliments the already existing minor and major concentrations of study in the AAAS program.
Arab American Studies (minor): The worlds of Arabs and Arab-Americans, with special attention to the Arab-American community of Dearborn and Metropolitan Detroit.
Arab American Studies (certificate): This is an interdisciplinary undergraduate and post-baccalaureate certificate that prepares students for working and living in our diverse metropolitan region and world by concentrating on the historical and current experiences of Arab and Muslim Americans and the relevance of those experiences for understanding race and ethnicity in the U.S. and globally.
Behavioral and Biological Sciences (major): This new program is specifically designed for students pursuing a career in medical heath or behavioral research with a heavy focus on genetics, biochemistry and behavior.
Business Studies as a Second Major: This is an optional second major for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree through the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL).
Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies (major): The causes, means of prevention, and social structures and institutions for punishing criminal behavior.
Individual Program of Study (major): An option for first year students which may not duplicate an already existing major, and it is recommended that an interdisciplinary curriculum, in the true spirit of a Liberal Arts education, be created.
Integrative Studies (major): A four-year program which allows the student to customize their degree with three concentrations rather than a traditional major.
Law and Society (minor): The law and legal system in historical and social contexts.
LGBTQ Studies (certificate program): The LGBTQ Studies Certificate prepares students to work and live in our diverse world by concentrating on forms of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression that are frequently left out of traditional fields of study.
Medieval & Renaissance Studies (minor): Cross-cultural in design, this program covers the time-period from Late Antiquity (ca. 400) to the seventeenth century.
For students who want to explore the Middle East more deeply, Middle East Studies is a multi-disciplinary program that includes three years of foreign language study.
Students build skills and knowledge through coursework in three areas: A) History, B) Language and Literature, and C) Social and Cultural Studies. They complete their degree with a capstone course that draws upon that expertise. The three-years of foreign language study is typically in Arabic, though the program can accept transfer credit in other languages with certain conditions.
Middle East Studies (MEST - certificate program): The Middle East Studies Certificate is a credential for students who have studied the history and culture of the Middle East from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Requiring a minimum of 12 upper-division credits after the completion of pre-requisites, the MEST Certificate can complement your major or stand alone as a post baccalaureate credential.
Religious Studies (minor): Religions and religious traditions in relation to society, with special focus on the diverse religious communities of metropolitan Detroit.
Women’s and Gender Studies (major): Women and gender in social context, particularly in relation to social class, race, religion and sexuality.