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Majors, Minors, & Areas of Study

Law and Philosophy

What role does law play in our world today?

Law enters our lives in myriad ways, both requiring things of us and providing avenues for accomplishing our goals. It can be a tool of oppression and liberation; it can provide cover for unscrupulous actors and checks on bad behavior; and it can bewilder and shine light on moral quandaries. A philosophical approach to these issues is crucial to understanding them and their importance to contemporary societies.

The Law & Philosophy minor is designed to give students an understanding of the fundamental theories, concepts, and methodologies of the intersecting disciplines of law and philosophy (especially jurisprudence, logic, and ethics). Students of the minor will examine a wide variety of issues. Course work will thematize topical controversies such as the morality of the death penalty, theories of criminality and punishment, the viability of liberalism, causation in tort, or the appellate process in US federal courts. And, importantly, students will develop skills in reading closely, developing arguments, engaging in research, and questioning assumptions. Both the content and skills emphasized in the minor provide, alongside a student’s major area of study, a measure of preparation for law school and careers in law, public service, business, medicine, non-profit advocacy, and the environment.

Academic Catalog

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Museum Studies

Protect, interpret, and share our heritage.

The museum studies minor at the University of Mary Washington explores not only how museums are organized and operated, but also how they care for and interpret their collections, serve their audiences, and respond to new technologies. You will look at how museums grapple with complex legal and ethical issues unique to their disciplines including the cultural implications of the work they do and the extent of that work’s impact from the intimate community to the global market.

Areas of Study

Combining theory with practice, the curriculum incorporates classroom study and directed research with practical experiences in the form of field trips, group projects, and internships. The minor incorporates the disciplines of American studies, anthropology, art and art history, classics, historic preservation, and history, from which students may select their own concentration preference. The minor is open to students from any discipline in the arts and sciences, education, or business colleges at UMW.

Career Opportunities

The museum field is a rapidly expanding and vital part of society. The American Alliance of Museums estimates there are 35,000 museums operating in the United States alone, generating a demand for highly trained museum professionals.

Internships

Museum studies students have the opportunity to collaborate with UMW alumni working in museums all over the United States. UMW interns have worked in such institutions as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. UMW’s three museums also support this minor with internship opportunities.

Fall branded photo shoot, October 2022

The museum studies minor requires 18 credits. You must take two basic museum studies courses (6 credits) and complete an internship (3 credits) through one of the following departments: American studies, anthropology, art history, classics, historic preservation, or history. You will complete three elective courses (9 credits) from among the same departments, including such classes as the Anthropology of Art, Archives and Society, Digital History, Introduction to Conservation, Museum Collections Management, Museum Education, and Museum Accessibility. Approved special topics courses may count as electives.

While there are no UMW scholarships specifically for the museum studies minor, there are scholarships that may be available to museum studies minors. Search scholarships.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Journalism

Real news still matters.

The interdisciplinary minor in journalism teaches students essential skills for working in a news environment, such us how to gather facts, evaluate them and disseminate them simply and clearly for print and online audiences, as well as how to critically examine the institution of mass media.

The minor in journalism requires 18 credits in relevant courses.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

Entrepreneurship

Driven to run a business?

The entrepreneurship minor offers students the tools needed to start their own business. Students will learn the foundations of creating a business, writing a business plan, and participating in hands-on business creation through the practicum in entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurship minor is specially designed to be completed by students from any discipline.

The minor in entrepreneurship requires 15 credits in relevant courses.

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Majors, Minors & Areas of Study

English Literature

Literature reveals the world.

The minor in English literature offers the opportunity to study literature on an advanced level and to develop critical thinking, writing, and research skills alongside the enjoyment of literature. Students can explore a range of genres, including poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction; a range of national traditions, including not only British and U.S. literature but also literature written in English from around the globe; and a range of historical periods, from the Middle Ages to the present. Courses examine literary works’ diverse artistic forms and cultural significances and introduce students to the most important historical and contemporary methods of reading literary texts.

The English literature minor requires 18 credits in relevant courses.