Interdisciplinary
Programs
In keeping with the philosophy that integration of knowledge is as important as proficiency in a given field, the College of Arts and Sciences has combined the resources of several departments to offer a series of interdisciplinary majors and minors for undergraduate students. These programs are listed below with contact information for the chair of each program. Some of our interdisciplinary programs are available as online learning opportunities.
To declare a major in one of the college’s interdisciplinary programs, undergraduate students should visit Arts and Sciences Advising Services in Room 313 of Ayres Hall.
Asian Studies
The Asian Studies program at the University of Tennessee provides students the opportunity for intensive study of pre-modern and modern Asian civilizations. The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Asian Studies combines language study with work in art history, geography, history, literature, political science, and/or religious studies. Majors focus on one of four geographical-cultural areas: China, Islamic World, Japan or South and Southeast Asia.
Cultures & Societies
The concentration in Cultures and Societies aims to provide online students with a deeper understanding of the beliefs, practices and behaviors of different groups of people. The courses offered within this concentration are designed to enhance one’s knowledge of the history of various cultures and societies and how the practices and behaviors of various cultures influence people and our environment. Courses include: People and Environment, Bioethics, and Religion and Society in North America.
Jewish Studies
The Fern and Manfred Steinfeld Program in Judaic Studies is the center for the study of Jews and Judaism at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. It offers a variety of public and academic programs that enhance student learning, promote Jewish Studies scholarship, and contribute to the intellectual life of the Knoxville community and beyond.
Latin American & Caribbean Studies
In many parts of Latin America, geography students learn there is only one continent in the western hemisphere: América. It is both a geographic entity and an idea. We share legacies of colonialism with Latin America and the Caribbean, and must face together new challenges of development and global integration.
Becoming a major or minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies provides you with an opportunity to learn about cultures, people, and histories that shape our world today.
Justice Studies
The AJRC offers a unique curricular space of law and justice studies courses, allowing law, undergraduate, graduate, and clinical students to engage in collaborative complex problem solving in capstone, intern, and community lab/practicum courses. Through a carefully curated set of community justice courses (over 200!) from across campus, students can build their own pathway of study, grounded in the strengths of their major and their backgrounds in the region. We welcome all, especially indigenous, Black, poor and underserved students with connections to the region who seek to participate in research and curricula centered upon their communities.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the systematic study of language systems and how they work. It presupposes both an interest in language generally and a solid command of other languages, especially those greatly different from one’s own.
The Linguistics concentration offers a broad exposure to the various areas of linguistics (including historical, descriptive, theoretical, and applied linguistics) along with an opportunity to study fields where linguistics overlaps with other disciplines such as psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, speech pathology and the like. It is designed to prepare a student for graduate work in linguistics or related areas, or to serve as an enrichment to the study of a particular language.
Medieval & Renaissance Studies
The Marco Institute is an internationally acclaimed center for the study of the history and culture of the premodern world, from roughly 300 to 1700 C.E. With our rich schedule of lectures, workshops, and symposia; multiple fellowship opportunities for faculty and graduate students; graduate certificate and Summer Latin Program; and undergraduate major and minor, we pursue the research and teaching of the early periods at the highest levels. Our interdisciplinary approach and collaborative enterprises contribute to the intellectual life of the UT campus, the Knoxville community, and beyond.
Middle East Studies
Middle East Studies is an interdisciplinary major that focuses on the region of the Middle East, past, present, and future. The program requires students to study at least two languages that are spoken in the region so that they will have more direct access to its texts and people, whether they are doing their research in Knoxville or abroad. Our curriculum introduces students to the complex history of the Middle East, which in turn helps students understand the contemporary region as well. Our goal is to provide students with top-level interdisciplinary training in the history, culture, literature, politics, languages, and religions of the Middle East in order to prepare them for a variety of careers related to this significant region of the world.
Public Policy & Administration
The concentration in Public Policy and Administration aims to enhance one’s knowledge about the process of making decisions and policies within an organization as well as how the study of government policies impacts organizational functioning. Online students can take a variety of courses within this concentration to best suit their particular interests and career goals, including Contemporary Issues in American Public Policy, Law in American Society, and Conflict Processes.
![Some WGS representatives at a meeting](https://artsci.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/WGS.webp)
Women, Gender, & Sexuality
Women, Gender, and Sexuality (WGS) is a major dedicated to the study of how gender and sexuality shape the past, present, and future of human cultures and societies. Our interdisciplinary curriculum trains students in critical studies of the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with race, ethnicity, nationality, ability, and other dimensions of difference. Our courses provide students with a wide variety of methodological skills and perspectives with which to conduct their own research, creative activity, and activism. The WGS program is an inclusive and updated program for the 21st century. We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment that welcomes all members of our academic community.