Approved Concentrations
In order to achieve depth and intellectual development in the humanities and social sciences beyond the introductory level, each student must complete a concentration of at least four courses within a single discipline chosen from the distinct areas of liberal arts study offered at The Claremont Colleges (below). Students should declare a concentration by their sixth semester.
The concentration represents progress in a field of study, and even though that field might be interdisciplinary, the concentration should typically advance beyond introductory level courses. A concentration in the fine or performing arts must include at least two courses that focus on theory, criticism or historical analysis. Courses that form the concentration may also satisfy other departmental requirements.
HSA concentrations must be chosen from the following list, though advisors have the discretion to add a “concentration detail” to a student’s record, indicating a more specific sub-field within one of the following areas. For example, a concentrator in religious studies may have a concentration detail which shows that their courses were in the sub-field of Asian religious traditions. Concentrators in foreign languages will typically have a concentration detail which shows the language they have studied.
Although many fields of study draw upon various disciplines, the classification of a concentration as ‘interdisciplinary’ below indicates that multiple courses in that concentration may, with approval of the advisor, also count towards the distribution requirement. Otherwise, only one course in the concentration may also satisfy a distribution requirement.
| Concentration | Interdisciplinary |
|---|---|
| American Studies | Yes |
| Anthropology | No |
| Art | Yes |
| Art History | No |
| Asian American Studies | Yes |
| Asian Studies | Yes |
| Africana Studies | Yes |
| Chicanx / Latinx Studies | Yes |
| Classics | No |
| Dance | No |
| Economics | No |
| Education | Yes |
| Environmental Analysis | Yes |
| European Studies | Yes |
| Foreign Languages | No |
| Gender Studies (including Women’s Studies and Feminist Studies) | Yes |
| Geography | Yes |
| German Studies | Yes |
| History | No |
| Holocaust & Human Rights | Yes |
| Jewish Studies | Yes |
| Justice Education | Yes |
| Latin American Studies | Yes |
| Linguistics | No |
| Literature (including English and Literature in translation) | No |
| Media Studies | Yes |
| Middle Eastern Studies | Yes |
| Music | No |
| Native American / Indigenous Studies | Yes |
| Philosophy | No |
| Political Studies (including Government, International Relations, and Public Policy) | No |
| Psychology | No |
| Public Policy Analysis | Yes |
| Religious Studies | No |
| Science, Technology, & Society | Yes |
| Secular Studies | Yes |
| Sociology | No |
| Theatre | No |
| Writing and Rhetoric | Yes |