Schools, Departments, and Programs

Examine the history of people of African descent from the colonial period through the present by studying racial inequality and social movements and exposing students to the ideas and practices that African-American peoples have used to survive and shape the modern world.

African Studies offers students the opportunity to gain deep understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic factors that shape the lives of African peoples. It provides students with key historical knowledge, placing Africa within the center of global history.

Anthropology students gain holistic, integrative social science training in and out of the classroom. They gain a deeper understanding of human behavior and biology and the human experience–knowledge that contributes to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems.

The Department of Asian Studies offers four undergraduate majors and minors in Asian Studies and the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. In addition, the department is building South Asian Languages and Cultures and Asian American Studies programs.

The intercollege Bioethics Program provides undergraduate students with an interdisciplinary and flexible opportunity to explore the field through the minor in Bioethics and Medical Humanities.

CAMS students study the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean world, including the ancient Greeks, the Romans, and the peoples of Egypt and the Near East, including their languages, literatures, history, politics, religion, mythologies, philosophies, and material culture.

CAS students learn to think critically, analyze public discourse, understand empirical studies that test communication theories, argue persuasively, influence people, form and maintain relationships, and participate in civic life.

Comparative Literature offers ways to study literature and culture in a global context, examine global media, and explore questions of ethics, human rights, and more. Students are trained in analytical writing, argumentation, and communication in an international context.

Penn State students may earn a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree in economics. A minor in economics is open to students enrolled in any college. The department also offers a program of mentoring for students who wish to pursue graduate education in economics.

English majors explore the imaginative and practical uses of English through courses in literature, writing, rhetoric, and language. They develop perspectives on human nature and cultural values and learn how to gather, analyze, synthesize, and communicate information.

The major in French and Francophone Studies provides students with an opportunity to develop proficiency in the French language as well as cultivate an appreciation and understanding of the various contexts that comprise the French and Francophone literary and cultural traditions.

Undergraduate students can earn a bachelor’s degree in German or Russian. Many combine this with another major at the University. With only one additional year of study, students in both programs can earn a master’s degree in International Affairs.

The School of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures includes the Departments of Asian Studies, Comparative Literature, French and Francophone Studies, Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and the Center for Global Studies.

The history major offers a unique perspective on the world by offering a comprehensive view that social-science disciplines seldom match. History majors benefit from close involvement in humanistic learning as they acquire skills that are critical in today’s workforce.

The Jewish Studies major provides broad inquiry into the history, culture, society, literature, philosophy, politics, language, and religious beliefs of Jewish people from Biblical times to the present.

The School of Labor and Employment Relations offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in Labor and Human Resources and Organizational Leadership as well as several integrated programs both online and at University Park.

Latin American Studies offers an exciting and diverse undergraduate major. Depending on individual students’ interests, it can include courses in Anthropology; Economics; History; Political Science, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese; and more.

Latino Studies offers an undergraduate minor consisting of 18 credit hours, six of which must be at the 400 level.

The Linguistics Program offers a bachelor of arts degree as well as a minor in linguistics. Linguistics, which is the study of language as a structural, cognitive, historical, and cultural phenomenon, intersects with many different academic disciplines and career paths.

Middle Eastern Studies at Penn State provides a major and minor for students pursuing degrees in any major who are interested in courses on the Middle East from ancient to modern times. The program offers a way to investigate a region of the world from multiple perspectives.

The only student-designed major at Penn State! Multidisciplinary Studies is a multi-disciplinary, theme-oriented, and student-designed Liberal Arts major leading to a bachelor of arts degree. Students can formulate a unique theme—a topic, idea, or issue you wish to explore. After thorough research and consultation with the Multidisciplinary Studies academic adviser, you can design a program of study that investigates that theme from the viewpoint of at least three different subject areas.

The Department of Philosophy offers both the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degree as well as two minors—one in Philosophy and one in Ethics.

The Political Science department offers bachelor’s degrees in Political Science, International Politics, and Social Data Analytics as well as a minor program in Political Science. Students learn about the institutions, policies, and processes that govern people’s lives.

The Department of Psychology offers two programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. The bachelor of science degree has options for specific career interests, while the bachelor of arts degree represents a more typical degree in the Liberal Arts. 

Penn State undergraduates interested in policy advocacy, design and implementation have the opportunity to apply to the Penn State Master of Public Policy program up to a year early and complete the undergraduate degree and master’s degree together in a compressed time frame.

The Department of Sociology and Criminology offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in both Sociology and Criminology as well as a minor in Sociology.

The Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese offers bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Italian as well as minor programs in all three languages.

The Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in Women’s Studies as well as minor programs in Women’s Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies. A certificate in Diversity Studies is also available.