History Minors in the Federated Department

The Federated Department can offer courses in almost every time period, geographical location, and branch of history from ancient Greece to modern China to contemporary America. The Department offers a rich array of minors that allow students to incorporate these courses into their studies.

In order to declare a minor, complete a declaration of minor form (OAS Version, Updated March 2021) and submit it for signature to the History Department via email  (history@newark.rutgers.edu) or in person (323 Conklin Hall). Forms will be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and the minor should be reflected on student records in approximately one week.

Rutgers University-Newark
    History Minor 
    Ancient and Medieval Civilizations Minor
    Asian Studies Minor
    Film Studies Minor
    Legal Studies Minor
    Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Minor

NJIT
    History Minor at NJIT
    Legal Studies Minor at NJIT

History Minor
Director: Daniel Asen

The minor consists of 18 credits, divided as follows:

     European history, including Western Civilization (3 credits, any level, 510 prefix)
     U.S. History (3 credits, any level, 512 prefix)
     Asian, African, Latin American, or Comparative (3 credits, any level, 510 prefix)
     3 Electives in history (9 credits, 510 or 512 prefix, or NJIT)

For minors declared in Fall 2013 and previous semesters, the minor consists of 21 credits, divided as follows:

    History of Western Civilization I (510:201) & II (510:202) (6 credits)
    5 Electives in history (15 credits)

Ancient and Medieval Civilizations Minor
Director: Gary Farney

The interdepartmental undergraduate minor in Ancient and Medieval Civilizations (AMC) encourages students to study the interrelations among the civilizations of Eurasia and North Africa and to appreciate how this exchange facilitated material and intellectual development from ancient times through the Middle Ages. These civilizations are approached through courses in history, language and literature, archaeology and art, religion and myth, and law and philosophy.

The minor consists of 18 credits, divided as follows:

    6 credits of select history courses and select courses in material and intellectual development according to the student's area of concentration.
    6 credits in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, or Latin selected according to the student's area of concentration.
    6 credits in a mixture of the above two categories according to the student's interests.

Asian Studies Minor
Director: Audrey Truschke

The Asian Studies minor at the Department of History offers an interdisciplinary perspective on Asia for students planning careers in any field involving contact with East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, Near East and the Middle East, including business, law, teaching, or social work. Students can choose from a wide range of course offerings spanning Asian history, culture, language, philosophy, politics, economy and geography. This minor also allows students to craft a personalized course of study and focus on their particular areas of interest (such as literature, film, religious and philosophical traditions, gender, popular culture, political institutions, economics, etc.) in consultation with the director. With this flexibility and interdisciplinarity, students can expect to gain a broad perspective on a diverse, dynamic region as well as cross-cultural competence, two significant assets for future academic study and/or employment at home and overseas.

Requirements

The minor in Asian Studies requires 18 credits of coursework that must be completed as follows:

  • 6 credits in history related to any of the following: East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Near East, Middle East*
  • 12 credits in a combination of courses chosen from language study (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian), history, humanities and/or social sciences*
  • A grade of C or higher in each course applied to the minor

* A list of courses approved for each category may be obtained in the Department of History or by clicking here.

Students may substitute other courses with permission of the director. Credit for internships or study abroad programs connected with Asia may be applied with the director’s prior approval.

To apply

  • Complete a declaration of minor form available here (OAS Version, Updated March 2021) or from the Department of History Office, 323 Conklin Hall.
  • Schedule an appointment with the director. Bring the completed form along with a copy of your current unofficial transcript.
  • Return the approved declaration form (OAS Version, Updated March 2021) to the Office of Department of History, 323 Conklin Hall.

Film Studies Minor
Director: Jon Cowans

The Film Studies minor draws on a range of disciplines to allow students to examine a vital modern form of cultural expression. The 18-credit minor examines film as an art form, a form of entertainment, a business, and a political and social practice, tracing its evolution over time and its variants in different cultures. The minor primarily aims to develop students’ abilities to think critically about a central and highly influential facet of modern life, but it also seeks to help prepare students who are majoring in other fields such as business to work in the entertainment industry. All courses in the minor require and teach writing skills. 

Students completing the minor will have learned about the historical evolution of film as an art form and a business in multiple countries; this knowledge should include an awareness of major styles, genres, directors, films, and controversies involving films; and major approaches to censorship used in various times and places, as well as arguments for and against censorship. They should be capable of thinking critically about films, identifying and analyzing many of the techniques they use (directing, casting, editing, etc.) to convey messages and images. Classes will also train students in writing about film, from reviews of individual films to essays of broader scope.

A list of courses that qualify may be obtained by clicking here. To inquire about a specific course, consult with Professor Cowans.

Legal Studies Minor

The Legal Studies minor, offered by the Department of History, is an 18-credit, interdisciplinary minor designed to provide students with an introduction to law.  The minor serves to enhance one’s preparation for a law-related graduate program and/or career.

How to Declare Minor:

  • Complete a declaration of minor form (OAS Version, Updated March 2021) and submit it for signature via email to Corey D Clawson in the Department of History Office (323 Conklin Hall). Forms will be submitted to the registrar and should show up on student records in roughly one week.

For advisement in Legal Studies/Pre-Law:

Mr. Chazz Fellenz, chazz.fellenz@rutgers.edu
Assistant Dean of Pre-Professional Services

Office of Academic Services
360 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Hill Hall Room 312
Newark, NJ 07102-1284
(973) 353-5800
https://sasn.rutgers.edu/student-support/office-academic-services

The minor consists of 18 credits, divided as follows:

    6 credits of select required courses.
    12 credits in select electives courses (no more than two courses per department).

A list of courses approved for each category may be obtained in the Department of History or by clicking here.

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Minor
Director: Leyla Amzi-Erdogdular

Students completing the minor will acquire knowledge and interdisciplinary tools of analysis to understand the Middle East region and its significance globally. The minor will expose students to future career and development opportunities related to the study of the Middle East and Islam.

The minor consists of 18 credits, divided as follows:

    9 credits of select core courses (from at least two different departments).
    9 credits in a mixture of select core and electives courses.

A list of courses approved for each category may be obtained in the Department of History or by clicking here.

History Minor at NJIT

Take five 300- or 400-level history electives at NJIT or Rutgers.* It's that simple! Courses may include HSS 404: History Capstone Seminar; Honors History Seminars in the Humanities (HSS 491-499); and with the approval of the faculty coordinator, Hist 401 or 402: Independent Studies in History.

* With the approval of the faculty coordinator, one of the five required courses may be a 300- or 400-level course in literature, philosophy, STS, or another field in the humanities or social sciences. Architecture majors receive a 1-course credit for Arch 381-382 (History of Architecture III-IV).

Legal Studies Minor at NJIT

Administered jointly by the NJIT History Faculty and the STS Program (and available ONLY to students matriculated at NJIT)

Faculty Coordinator: Alison Lefkovitz

The Minor in Legal Studies is a 15-credit, multidisciplinary minor designed to provide students with an introduction to the study of law. Study in the program may serve to enhance undergraduate preparation for entry into law school or other law-related careers.

Curriculum

Students take 15 credits in law-related courses drawn from academic programs and departments across NJIT and Rutgers University, Newark. The courses should be selected from different categories, as shown below. The list below includes courses already approved for credit; other law-related courses may be applied toward the minor with the approval of the faculty coordinator, including Hist 401, 402: Independent Study in History and STS 302, 303: Independent Study in Science, Technology and Society. Note that by selecting courses wisely, NJIT students can fulfill 9 credits of GUR courses in Lit/Hist/Phil/STS, Open GUR, and the HSS Capstone seminar with courses that also count toward the Legal Studies Minor.

Take one course from each category (12 credits) and another course from any category (3 credits)

A. Law and Business/Engineering

    IE 447: Legal Aspects of Engineering
    IE 472: Product Liability Engineering
    MGMT 290: Legal Environment of Business

B.Law and History

    Hist 369: Law and Society in History
    R060:335: Law in the Ancient Near East
    R190:335: Ancient Law
    R512:365, 366: American Legal History I and II
    R512:379: U.S. History in the Courts

C.Law and Humanities

    Phil 300: Philosophy of Law and Social Justice
    STS 300: Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Technology
    HSS 403: Literature Capstone Seminar: Literary Trials
    HSS 408: STS Capstone Seminar: Communication, Ethics and Law

D.Law and Social Science

    R202:302: Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice
    R202:305: Case Processing: Law and Courts
    R790:304*: Introduction to Law and Legal Research
    R790:356*: Sex Law and Public Policy
    R790:367: Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
    R790:381*: Judicial Process
    R790:387: International Law
    R790:401, 402*: American Constitutional Law and Politics I and II
    R790:409*: Law and Public Policy (writing intensive)
    R920:349: Law and Society

* Prerequisite is R790:201: American National Government, which may be taken to fulfill the GUR in Basic Social Science at NJIT