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Undergraduate Programs

An ampersand is just a symbol. The shortest part of the College of Arts & Letters. Easy to overlook. But '&' defines our students — what they do in their time at Notre Dame and where they go after graduation.

Because Arts & Letters offers more than 60 programs across the arts, humanities, languages, and social sciences, every student is able to customize their academic experience through coursework, research and international experiences, and career development opportunities in a way that is uniquely suited to their interests and passions. Whether they end up as a Philosophy & American Studies major with a passion for Art History or an Economics & Theology major diving deep into research in Latino Studies or a Psychology major with minors in Data Science & Health, Humanities, and Society, every Arts & Letters student develop valuable skills and a passion for knowledge that prepares them for success.

Their journey doesn't end there. As they head out into the world, they're prepared to do anything — adding more &s to their personal and professional experience as they become leaders at work, in their communities, and around the world.

  • Africana Studies

    Course Highlights

    • African Literature and the Moral Imagination
    • Landscapes of Urban Education
    • African American Resistance

    Africana Studies

    The Department of Africana Studies stands at the center of the study of the African American experience, Africa, and the African Diaspora—the global dispersion of peoples of African descent. Using an interdisciplinary approach to coursework and research, the department introduces students to a wide range of historical and contemporary perspectives, promoting a critical engagement with the whole of human culture.

    Our courses focus on race, politics, theology, education, and history related to the Africana world, and our faculty of dedicated teacher-scholars approach these topics from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Our students develop a multifaceted understanding of the Africana experience that prepares them for undergraduate research and internship opportunities in a wide array of fields.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • American Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Witnessing the Sixties
    • Sports and American Culture
    • American Political Journalism

    American Studies

    American Studies is the ideal major for students who are interested in the world around them but who don’t want to limit themselves to just one method or perspective. Take courses on anything from “The American West” and “American Capitalism” to “Race and Popular Culture” and “Catholics in America” and much, much more. After all, why should you limit yourself?

    American Studies is a student-centered major that fosters a vibrant academic community. Our graduates find success in some of the most interesting career fields, graduate programs, and service programs.

    Our students love our intellectually provocative curriculum that tackles real-world issues, our brilliant but approachable faculty, and the tightly-knit relationships formed between students and professors in this remarkable department.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Anthropology

    Course Highlights

    • Global Cultural Worlds
    • Biological Anthropology
    • Health and Culture

    Anthropology

    The Department of Anthropology is committed to a multidimensional inquiry into what it is to be human—past and present, nearby and distant.

    Anthropology is the study of everything human. As a broad study of the human experience, anthropology is the most scientific field in the humanities and the most humanistic field in the sciences. As an anthropology student, you can explore cultural, biological, linguistic, and archeological perspectives in a uniquely integrative approach.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • Arabic

    Course Highlights

    • The Arabian Nights and World Literature
    • Modern Arab Thought
    • Miracles in Arabic Literature and Islamic Theology: Sorcerers, Poets, and Saints

    Arabic

    Arabic is a difficult but high-demand language that can be an asset in a wide array of careers. Our language courses, taught by native speakers, cultivate the ability to write clearly, listen precisely, speak with fluency, and read critically.

    While language is at the Arabic program’s core, a variety of electives complement language acquisition and expose both majors and non-majors to the richness and diversity of Middle Eastern culture and Islamic intellectual history and thought. A full selection of courses in Arabic literature, history, civilization, culture, and religion provide a balanced and integrated approach to the field.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Art History

    Course Highlights

    • Rome: The Eternal City
    • Into to 20th Century Art
    • Art History: Looking at Objects and Artworks

    Art History

    Art History shows you the world. Whether it is an ancient temple in Corinth, Greece, or a desert landscape reinterpreted by Georgia O’Keeffe, the subtle hatching of an Old Master drawing, or the brilliant stained glass of a Gothic cathedral, art history explores past and present cultures in light of contemporary intellectual, social, and artistic issues.

    A major or minor in art history provides training in transferable skills employers value: visual analysis, critical thinking and reading, the use of evidence to support an argument, and analytical writing.

    Students develop these competencies through the study of the art and architecture of the world in the present and the past and in relation to its context—the political, economic, scientific, and religious forces that inform the work of artists and architects. Art history is a truly global and interdisciplinary field of study.

  • Arts and Letters Pre-Health

    Course Highlights

    • Organic Structure and Reactivity
    • Biochemistry and Vertebrate Physiology
    • Embryology
    • Biochemistry

    Arts and Letters Pre-Health

    Pursue any major in the College of Arts and Letters while acquiring the education and skills to succeed in medical school. Combines 49+ hours of science with 70+ hours of classes in humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Regardless of major, 84% of Notre Dame pre-med graduates are admitted to medical school — twice the national average.

    Programs Offered

    • Supplementary Major

  • Business Economics

    Course Highlights

    • Principles of Microeconomics
    • Introductory Accountancy
    • Introductory Finance

    Business Economics

    No matter what major you pursue in the College of Arts and Letters, you can also earn a minor in Business Economics — taking full advantage of a liberal arts education while becoming literate in key business principles. With the Business Economics minor, you add to your professional skill set an understanding of specialized terminology used in business and the fundamental concepts of a market economy.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Catholic Social Tradition

    Course Highlights

    • Environment, Food, and Society
    • The Climate Crisis; Race and Class in America
    • Theology, Ethics and Business
    • Comparative Conflict Regulation

    Catholic Social Tradition

    This interdisciplinary minor is open to undergraduates from every college and major to learn the Catholic Social Tradition — including concepts of the Common Good, Rights and Responsibilities, Option for the Poor, Subsidiarity, and Peace. 

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Chinese

    Course Highlights

    • Politics & Performance
    • Chinese Literature and Gardens
    • Chinese Economy since 1800
    • Chinese Religious World Today 

    Chinese

    More people speak Chinese than any other language in the world. This major prepares students for incredible life and career experiences, including in business, humanities, social sciences, communications, and technology. It also pairs well with other fields of study at Notre Dame. 

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Classical Studies: Civilization

    Course Highlights

    • Visions of Helen: Epic, Tragic, Lyric Film
    • Words and/of Power: The Theory and Practice of Persuasive Speech in Greece and Rome
    • Roman Criminal Law

    Classical Studies: Civilization

    Earn a minor in Classical Studies: Civilization by taking three required courses that provide a framework for Greek and Roman history and archeology, then choosing two more from interesting options in philosophy, art, architecture, political theory, literature, and law. 

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Classical Studies: Heritage

    Course Highlights

    • Age of Nero; Barbarians, The Church, and the Fall of Rome
    • Sex and Gender in Greco-Roman Antiquity

    Classical Studies: Heritage

    Connect the study of classical antiquity with other disciplines and periods and study the inheritance and transformation of the classical tradition. Select courses designed around your interests, including patristics, philosophy, late antiquity, and later Western art and literature.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Classics

    Course Highlights

    • Ancient Heroes: From Achilles to the Avengers
    • Archaeology of the Roman Empire
    • Ancient Sport and Society
    • Democracy Ancient and Modern; Visions of Cleopatra

    Classics

    A passport to the past — and your future. Classical studies is interdisciplinary — encompassing literature, art, architecture, philosophy, archaeology, languages, and military, political, and social history. Learn how whole societies work.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Supplementary Major

  • Collaborative Innovation

    Course Highlights

    • Design Research Practices
    • Intro to Product Development
    • Social Design: Initiatives, Challenges & Innovation

    Collaborative Innovation

    The collaborative innovation minor offers a five-course sequence starting with Design Matters, a large, introductory, lecture-based design-thinking class. Declared minors will then cycle through a series of four additional courses introducing students to the various skillsets implicated in design thinking including research methods, visualization, and entrepreneurship.

    Design thinking is a dynamic, iterative, and deeply human process that prepares students for the type of collaborative, cross-disciplinary work they will encounter after graduation—no matter what career paths they pursue. Established companies and entrepreneurs in fields as diverse as healthcare, sustainability, education, urban planning, and economic development are increasingly employing design thinking methodology to produce innovative results.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Computer Science

    Course Highlights

    • Data Structures
    • Systems Programming
    • Design and Analysis of Algorithms

    Computer Science

    The Bachelor of Arts in computer science allows you to pursue a broad liberal arts education while building a strong foundation in computer science. Housed in the College of Arts and Letters, the program involves significant coursework in the College of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

    The B.A. in computer science is flexible, so you can explore other interests in the liberal arts while learning foundational principles that will launch you into your desired field. You will learn the fundamentals of computer science, including algorithms, structured programming, data structures, programming languages, and software engineering.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Computing and Digital Technologies

    Course Highlights

    • Digital Forensic Analysis
    • Sound and Music Design for Digital Media
    • Technological Revolutions and Environmental Change

    Computing and Digital Technologies

    The Idzik Computing and Digital Technologies (CDT) minor is a blended program cutting across departments in the College of Arts & Letters and partnering with the College of Engineering's Department of Computer Science & Engineering. In this innovative interdisciplinary minor, you will take CDT courses in both colleges to enhance your technical skills and increase your understanding of the ways in which technology can contribute to both personal and professional life.

    CDT will enrich your liberal arts education, broaden your perspectives, and give you skills and experience that prospective employers will value tremendously.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Constitutional Studies

    Constitutional Studies

    Building on courses across Arts & Letters, the Potenziani Minor in Constitutional Studies is designed to encourage students to confront fundamental questions concerning justice, the rule of law, and human flourishing. We approach these questions from a variety of historical, cultural, disciplinary, and philosophical perspectives.

    The Constitutional Studies minor seeks to educate thoughtful and well-rounded citizens, thereby contributing to the University’s mission to pursue truth and to nurture a concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Data Science

    Course Highlights

    • Introduction to Biocomputing
    • Data Visualization
    • Sociotechnical Studies of Data Science

    Data Science

    Data science now impacts every industry, every job, and virtually every decision. Notre Dame's data science minor helps you explore this exciting field and learn to approach the challenging problems of our time with innovative analytical tools.

    Emphasizing computational science, communication skills, and ethics, the five-course sequence includes classes in data science and programming, as well as three electives that can be customized to your course of study. These electives delve into the applications of data science, demonstrate ways to communicate findings, and offer insights into privacy and ethics.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Design

    Course Highlights

    • Digital Media Design
    • Design Matters: Introduction to Design Thinking
    • Rapid Visualization

    Design

    Design at the University of Notre Dame lays emphasis on the art, science, and practice of building platforms and experiences that create tangible communication between content and users through traditional and contemporary media. Students can major in industrial design or visual communication design.

    The design programs are established around human-centered design principles. Design training focuses on building a deep empathy with stakeholders and solving wicked problems with contextual solutions that derive from a holistic vision.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Dual-degree in A&L and Engineering

    Dual-degree in A&L and Engineering

    In a world increasingly challenged by new developments in technology and science, it is particularly important that those most intimately engaged in the creation and implementation of technology have skills that go beyond technical competence and the opportunity to reflect deeply on the world their technical work will transform. The Reilly Dual Degree Program in Arts and Letters/Engineering is designed to make this possible.

    Established in the 1960s, the program enables engineering students to combine professional training in a field of engineering with richer expertise in humanistic, artistic, and social scientific disciplines than would be possible within the confines of a four-year engineering degree program alone.

    To achieve its goals, the AL/ENG Program requires five full academic years of study. However, those who complete the program receive, in turn, two degrees, a bachelor of science degree from the College of Engineering and a bachelor of arts degree from the College of Arts and Letters.

    Programs Offered

    • Special Programs

  • Economic and Business History

    Course Highlights

    • Financial Markets in Global History
    • Modern Africa
    • Gender@Work
    • History of Food
    • Christianity, Commerce and Consumerism 

    Economic and Business History

    Gain vital perspective on complexities of the global age — including histories of business, labor, development, finance, capitalism, and economic thought. A capstone course — Economy and Business in History — introduces students to core approaches and ideas and offers the opportunity to do an in-depth research project.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Economics

    Course Highlights

    • Economics of Immigration
    • Forecasting for Economics and Business
    • Game Theory

    Economics

    The undergraduate economics major allows you to acquire strong quantitative, analytical, and communications skills in the context of a liberal arts curriculum. The program provides students with the insights of scientific analysis and social perspective to deepen their understanding of the complex economic forces at work in society.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Education, Schooling, and Society

    Course Highlights

    Psychological and Social Influences of Bullying in American Schools

    Drama in the Classroom: Active Techniques for Theatre Education

    Social Inequality and American Education

    Exploring Learning Within Informal Environments

    Education, Schooling, and Society

    The interdisciplinary ESS program explores how people learn and how society, culture, politics, and the economy influence that learning. Students critically analyze issues and examine ways in which policy and design affect teaching, learning, and youth development. Students also are encouraged to advocate for children and families and become aware of the role that education plays in democracy.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • English

    Course Highlights

    • Shakespeare for Life
    • Children’s Literature
    • Fiction Writing: Fantastic Worlds

    English

    The English major at Notre Dame allows you to explore the rich and powerful ways in which literature engages fundamental aspects of the human experience — including the most pressing issues and questions of today’s world. As a student in the English major, you can concentrate your studies in literature or creative writing.

    Our 10-course curriculum and exciting and diverse course offerings expose you to a wide range of literary cultures, historical periods, forms, and genres. The flexibility of our degree allows many of our students to double major, and they do so in a wide range of fields. Our small classes (15–17 students) will enable you to form strong relationships with your professors and your fellow students.

    The English major provides you with invaluable training in critical thinking, public speaking, and writing — skills that are greatly needed and desired in many different professions — and expands your capacities for imaginative thinking, innovation, and leadership.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Film, Television, and Theatre

    Course Highlights

    • Critical Approaches to Television
    • World Theatre: Text and Performance Across Cultures
    • Critical Approaches to Screen Cultures

    Film, Television, and Theatre

    As a major in Film, Television, and Theatre you will learn about vital arts and entertainment across various media. You will have an opportunity to blend scholarly inquiry with hands-on artistic and production work. You will delve deeper into films, TV shows, and plays, discover stories from across the globe, and learn about perspectives and cultures different from your own.

    You will study the history of film, TV, and theatre as well as individual films, TV shows, and plays. You will learn about directors and writers, and different approaches to making film, TV, and theatre. You will study canonical works and lesser-known ones. You can learn cinematography, lighting, set design, acting, sound design, animation, and other creative skills. You can try your hand at writing plays and screenplays, or even develop a new musical.

    As an FTT major, you will have small discussion classes and lots of opportunities for experience with high-level equipment. You will work in collaboration with your peers. You will develop close relationships with faculty mentors through classes and work on outside productions and projects.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • French

    Course Highlights

    • Writing with Media in French, 2015-2019
    • Refugees and Migrants: Rethinking Europe's Borders
    • Literature and Opera
    • Fantasmes et fantastique

    French

    The program of French and Francophone Studies provides an entrée into research and scholarship on language, culture, politics, economics, migration, gender, public health, and faith. The official working language of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Olympic Committee is spoken by 275 million people worldwide and is a gateway to the international community.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Gender Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Fashioning American Identities
    • Gender and Popular Culture
    • Gender Beyond Binaries

    Gender Studies

    The Gender Studies undergraduate curriculum provides an interdisciplinary program of study grounded in the liberal arts. Gender Studies students are well-rounded, intellectually curious people committed to social justice. An education in Gender Studies prepares us to live, think, and be agents of change in a complex world.

    Gender Studies analyzes systems of gender and sexuality in diverse local, national, and global contexts. Gender Studies students and scholars identify, examine, and challenge injustice, while imagining and creating better futures that serve the common good.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • German

    Course Highlights

    • Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
    • Germany and the Environment
    • European Fairy Tale Tradition

    German

    Our classes are discussion-based and draw on interdisciplinary approaches that integrate history, politics, language, literature, art, and culture to provide you with a full understanding of the German-speaking world. Our courses give you the intercultural competence that is necessary to succeed in a study abroad program, internship, or job in the region.

    A German major or minor is very easy to combine with other disciplines, such as political science, history, English, economics, business, science, journalism, mathematics, music, and engineering.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Globally Engaged Citizens Program

    Course Highlights

    • Arabic
    • Chinese
    • French
    • German
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Korean
    • Portuguese
    • Russian
    • Spanish
    • Latin
    • Greek
    • Hebrew
    • Hindi
    • Quechua
    • Swahili
    • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

    Globally Engaged Citizens Program

    The Program rewards students for engaging with language and culture studies. Students demonstrate what they have learned in an ePortfolio — which also can be used as the foundation for a job search portfolio — and reflect on insights about other cultures in an essay or video. 

    Programs Offered

    • Special Programs

  • Greek

    Course Highlights

    • Reading and Writing in Greek Prose
    • The Greek Novel
    • Greek Paleography

    Greek

    The minor in Greek is designed to guarantee a solid grounding in the philological and literary study of Greek texts of the classical and Hellenistic periods.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Greek and Roman Civilization

    Course Highlights

    • Greek History Seminar: The Hellenistic World
    • Rebels in Myth: From Antigone to the Joker
    • Christianity in the Roman World

    Greek and Roman Civilization

    Do a deep dive into life — art, religion, customs, philosophy, architecture, and literature — of Ancient Greece and Rome. Study abroad in Rome, Italy, or Athens, Greece, explore historic sites, and put what you've leaned into context.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Health, Humanities, and Society

    Course Highlights

    The US Healthcare System in Perspective; Contemporary Concerns in Medicine; History of Race and Racism in Science; Biopolitics

    Health, Humanities, and Society

    HHS minors study matters of health, medicine, and sickness from multiple disciplinary approaches, and learn how medicine is simultaneously technical, scientific, humanistic, and social. Learn the deeper social and humanistic factors underpinnings of health, in both a local and a global context.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Hesburgh Program in Public Service

    Course Highlights

    • Keeping the Republic
    • Philanthropy and the Common Good
    • Contemporary Concerns in Medicine
    • Ethics of Emerging Weapons Technology

    Hesburgh Program in Public Service

    The Hesburgh Program in Public Service — an affiliate of the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy — is an interdisciplinary career-oriented minor that prepares students for an active life devoted to the pursuit of effective and just responses to issues in American society.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • History

    Course Highlights

    • History of Energy in American Life
    • Colonial Latin America; Global Africa
    • The Priest and Nun in American Culture
    • Irish Language & Culture 1600-1900: Anglicization or Modernization

    History

    Look to the past to find a better way forward. History majors take a variety of courses emphasizing different geographical areas, chronological periods, and thematic approaches. The Department of History thrives on and fosters the University's distinctive mission of preparing students to engage the world and to transform it.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • International Economics

    Course Highlights

    • International Macroeconomics
    • Poverty in the Developing World
    • Empirical Methods in Development
    • Economics of Immigration

    International Economics

    To help you prepare for careers in global business, nonprofits, or government, the International Economics curriculum combines rigorous coursework in the Department of Economics with advanced training in either Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish. The major also provides you with opportunities for study abroad as well as overseas internships and research projects.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • International Security Studies

    International Security Studies

    Through the minor in international security studies, the Notre Dame International Security Center (NDISC) educates exceptional undergraduate students to prepare them for careers in a critical field. Our alumni land prestigious positions in the intelligence community, on Congressional committees, in the Department of Defense, in the private sector, and at top graduate schools.

    International Security Studies (ISS) will continue to have a profound influence on the world and the people living in it. Understanding the causes and consequences of war helps us to reflect on how to avoid conflicts—increasing the chances for peace, security, and diplomacy.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor
    • Special Programs

  • Irish Language and Literature

    Course Highlights

    • Ireland on Screen
    • Flann O'Brien's Ireland
    • When Irish Eyes Are Smiling: The Irish Comic Tradition

    Irish Language and Literature

    Students learn Irish (Gaelic) — the indigenous language of Ireland and the voice of the oldest vernacular literature in Europe — from world-class faculty. Explore Irish literature and folklore originating in, or shaped by, its native language across more than 1,500 years to the present. This knowledge will enhance your ability to study abroad in Ireland.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Irish Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Archaeology of Ireland
    • Irish Hands that Built America
    • Gender and Irish Drama
    • The Making of Modern Ireland

    Irish Studies

    All University undergraduates can earn an Irish Studies minor. Students engage in the interdisciplinary study of Ireland — including Irish language, folklore, history, literature in Irish and English, music, anthropology, archaeology, Africana Studies, dance, film, and American studies.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Italian

    Course Highlights

    • The Hero’s Journey: Adventure Narrative in Italian Literature and Cinema
    • Fascism and Resistance; Passage to Italy

    Italian

    Enjoy Verdi’s operas in Italian; watch Fellini and Gomorra without subtitles; consult for an Italian engineering company; do scientific research at CERN; work with refugees at the forefront of humanitarian action; sift through manuscripts in the Vatican archives. Italian Studies is an area of exceptional strength at Notre Dame and has its own Global Gateway facility in Rome.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Japanese

    Course Highlights

    • Banned Books in Japan
    • Green Japan
    • The Samurai: Classical Japanese Literature
    • Japanese Apocalypse Literature

    Japanese

    Japanese is an exceptional option for students seeking to expand their cultural horizons and explore exciting career opportunities in a wide array of fields. Support is also provided for students who want intensive summer language study abroad opportunities and international research and internships.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy

    Course Highlights

    • Fundamentals of Journalism
    • Principles of Science Communication
    • Persuasion, Commentary, and Criticism

    Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy

    The Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy offers a minor for students interested in working in print, broadcast, or digital news. The Gallivan Program combines training in practical skills with the study of social, political, economic, and ethical issues that journalists face, offering students a foundation in the reporting and editing principles that endure in a changing media industry.

    The journalism minor embeds practical and ethical training specific to the news industry within the broader scope of a liberal arts education. The content-specific knowledge students develop in their major(s), as well as critical thinking and curiosity from engaging with diverse ideas among professors and peers on a variety of subjects, sharpens an aspiring journalist’s worldview. Along with the lessons from journalism courses and student media work, Gallivan Program graduates embark on their careers prepared to succeed in the news industry and make a difference in their communities.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Korean

    Course Highlights

    Exploring Korean History/Culture

    Korean

    The Korean minor is a great fit for students seeking options in a variety of fields — from medicine, to the arts, to social and political sciences. Students have opportunities to experience Korean culture on campus and study abroad in Seoul, South Korea.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Latin

    Course Highlights

    • Roman Comedy
    • Age of Nero
    • Cicero's Speeches
    • Roman Literature and Roman Tyranny

    Latin

    The Latin minor is designed to guarantee a solid grounding in the philosophical and literary study of Latin texts of the classical period, or, for those who prefer, of Christian Latin literature.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Latino Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Transformative Latino Leadership
    • Latino Theology & Christian Tradition
    • Borderlands Art and Theory

    Latino Studies

    Latino Studies is an interdisciplinary field of academic research and scholarship engaged in understanding the past, present, and future of the youngest and fastest-growing population in the United States. Latinos encompass immigrants from every country in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as those whose ancestors were long ago incorporated during U.S. westward expansion.

    Latino Studies is relevant for practically every academic discipline and useful for careers in architecture, business, church leadership, community organizing, the arts, engineering, law, medicine, teaching, and much more.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Linguistics

    Course Highlights

    • Zoom Text Talk Insta Sing Read Write Chat: Modalities and Media of Interaction
    • Psycholinguistics
    • Language and Power

    Linguistics

    Linguistics minors learn how languages are constructed and used in different contexts. Linguistics has connections with a variety of fields, including neuroscience, literature, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, computer science, and languages, and is valuable for students interested in careers in translation, publishing, and military intelligence careers, to name a few.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Liturgical Music Ministry

    Course Highlights

    • Voice, Organ or Piano Lessons
    • Music of the Catholic Rite
    • Church and Worship
    • Catholic Sacraments

    Liturgical Music Ministry

    The Liturgical Music Ministry minor is for students who want to be well-informed lay leaders in their congregations, have a deeper understanding of music they play or sing in their own prayer lives, and graduate with a stronger sense of theological and historical meanings of sacred repertory in its liturgical contexts. 

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Mathematics

    Course Highlights

    • Topics in Geometry and Topology
    • Combinatorics
    • Complex Analysis
    • Algebraic Geometry

    Mathematics

    The rigorous Mathematics Honors Program is for students who enjoy mathematics, thrive on challenge, and want to understand how and why mathematics works. It provides outstanding preparation for a variety of careers that value strong analytic and quantitative skills, as well as for further study in all mathematical intensive areas of the sciences.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Medieval Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Arthurian Literature
    • Classical Islamic Literature
    • Medieval Dreaming & Dream Texts

    Medieval Studies

    Meet us in the Middle Ages — the crossroads of everything. Join the faculty, students, visiting fellows, friends and supporters at this historical crossroads. Explore it, map it, and make it known in our research, teaching, and community engagement.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Middle Eastern and North African Studies

    Middle Eastern and North African Studies

    The minor in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Studies will equip you with critical skills to approach the study of the region in a constructive and nuanced manner. Through the minor, you will explore the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa from various intellectual perspectives, using multidisciplinary tools such as textual criticism, historical studies, and strategic analysis.

    Students can choose between two tracks: religion and literature, or history and politics and the minor is open to any Notre Dame undergraduate student.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Music

    Course Highlights

    • Music Through Technology
    • The Business of Music
    • Music of Schubert, Brahms, Dvorak

    Music

    Studying music at Notre Dame offers avenues to build on the strengths, experiences, and training you bring to the program as well as new opportunities to engage deeply with familiar and unfamiliar sounds, traditions, and ways of understanding music through theories, histories, and cultures ranging from the Western classical tradition to musics around the world.

    Our curriculum combines a strong foundation with a variety of advanced electives. It is designed to prepare you for professional careers in performance and academic study of music. You can also pair music with any other major if you wish to further your musical development while developing your knowledge in another subject, from anthropology to finance to computer science. The knowledge and skills developed through studying music will help you thrive in a wide variety of fields after graduation.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • Musical Theatre

    Musical Theatre

    The goal of the musical theatre minor is to engage students in both an intellectual and practical introduction to musical theatre. It provides an interdisciplinary approach to the craft while offering opportunities for you to follow your own interests in the art form, both in practice and in theory.

    It is not a voice-centric minor — you have the ability to take classes that are aligned with your interests, and can structure your program around singing and acting, songwriting, conducting, stage directing, research, or other areas of focus. Admission to introductory classes is not based on performance ability.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Neuroscience and Behavior

    Course Highlights

    • Intro to Cognitive Neuroscience
    • Molecular Neuroscience
    • Developmental Neuroscience

    Neuroscience and Behavior

    Problems range from investigation of the evolution of nervous system in basal vertebrates to the application of neuroscience to education and law. Neuroscientists also seek to develop neurologically plausible models of human thinking, affect and behavior.

    Neuroscience creates a context for scholarly conversation about the nature of mind, brain, and behavior. It engages experts in collaboration across diverse fields, including biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, physics and psychology. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the major, the curriculum includes flexibility such that it can be customized to best prepare students for a variety of future careers.

    Students studying neuroscience will be prepared to pursue professional programs (medical, dental, veterinary, clinical psychology, or other health professions) and graduate programs in areas such as neuroscience, biological sciences or psychology.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Philosophy

    Course Highlights

    • Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
    • The Examined Life; Ancient Theories of the Soul
    • Business and the Common Good

    Philosophy

    Philosophy asks, and tries to answer, deep and important questions. Is there a god? Is there a real difference between right and wrong? In the largest philosophy department in the United States, whatever questions interest you, we have resources to help you pursue them in a rigorous and serious way.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Course Highlights

    • Modern Philosophy
    • Formal Logic
    • Christian Traditions

    Philosophy and Theology

    The joint major in philosophy and theology is an intensive 60-hour program for students interested in advanced work in both fields. It requires two courses in a Classical language, the joint seminar, and a senior thesis.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

    Course Highlights

    • International Political Economy
    • The Examined Life
    • Ukrainian and Russian Culture
    • Justice Seminar

    Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

    The minor — open by application — is for students with serious interests at the intersection of political theory, political philosophy, and economic theory. It provides a forum where all three disciplines are brought to bear on common or complementary problems. 

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Philosophy, Religion, and Literature

    Course Highlights

    • God, Work, and Poetry
    • Islamic Political Philosophy
    • Kierkegaard; Saints & Stories
    • African Literature and Moral Imagination
    • Augustine's Confessions

    Philosophy, Religion, and Literature

    This interdisciplinary minor creates a context in which philosophical, religious, and literary approaches to thought and its expression are studied systematically and in conjunction with each other.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics

    Course Highlights

    • Seminar in Philosophy, Science, and Math
    • Formal Logic
    • History of Modern Philosophy
    • Ancient Theories of the Soul
    • The Science-Gender Connection

    Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics

    This interdisciplinary minor — one of a kind in the U.S. — is designed to think about big questions raised by science and mathematics, including:

    • Is there a conflict between contemporary science and religious belief?
    • What does the theory of evolution tell us about ethics?
    • What is mathematical truth?

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Political Science

    Course Highlights

    • The Geopolitics of Energy
    • Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia
    • Politics of Climate Change

    Political Science

    Analyze elections. Study policy. Learn how to lead. Political Science — one of Notre Dame's most popular majors — offers a range of American politics, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. It combines breadth and depth, and provides structure and flexibility so students can tailor their courses to explore, discover, and develop their interests.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Portuguese and Brazilian Studies

    Course Highlights

    • Brazilian Pop Culture
    • Brazil Beyond Stereotypes
    • Race and Social Inequality in Brazil
    • Brazilian Literature

    Portuguese and Brazilian Studies

    Learn the language in interactive, dynamic, and communicative classes. This interdisciplinary minor opens doors to explore topics in diplomacy, history, business, international relations, and social sciences. There are also numerous opportunities to serve and study abroad.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Program of Liberal Studies

    Program of Liberal Studies

    Do you hate it when people tell you that you have to choose just one major (or just two; ok, and maybe a minor)? Do you want your education to be personally transformative, while also preparing you for whatever profession you happen to be passionate about upon graduation? The PLS major might be a great fit for you.

    The Program of Liberal Studies is one of the most distinctive, challenging, and rewarding courses of study that you can pursue at the University of Notre Dame. In an integrated curriculum composed of small discussion-based Seminars and Tutorials spanning the arts, history, literature, natural science, philosophy, politics, and theology, students and professors join a vital conversation about what it means to be human.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Psychology

    Course Highlights

    • Food and the Brain
    • How Children Think
    • Unlocking Human Potential

    Psychology

    Psychology is crucial to any conversation about the human condition. Consequently, psychology majors study human behavior in all of its complexity, from biological functioning and the work of the brain to the emergence and development of selfhood and personality.

    Psychology is often considered a “hub” discipline because its theories and findings are central to the work of many other fields of study. It has implications for the work of biologists, educators, economists, engineers, computer scientists, ethicists, and lawyers. It has implications for the organization of businesses, for marketers, political scientists, and architects. Psychology also raises questions that go to the heart of philosophical and theological inquiry.

    Programs Offered

    • Major

  • Romance Languages and Literatures

    Course Highlights

    • Expression of France
    • Dante I and Dante II
    • Fascism in Spain

    Romance Languages and Literatures

    Expand your understanding of the world, effectively communicate with others, pursue a career with a global perspective, and flourish in an increasingly global society. This major is designed for students who want competency in two languages (French, Italian, or Spanish) and is applicable to numerous careers, including in international law and business, communications, education, fine arts, tourism, and diplomacy.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Supplementary Major

  • Russian

    Course Highlights

    • Russian Short Stories
    • From Rasputin to Putin
    • Behind the Iron Curtain

    Russian

    The Russian program at Notre Dame features small class sizes, close relationships with faculty, opportunities to do research and write a senior thesis, multiple avenues to study abroad in a Russian-speaking country, cultural events in the South Bend and Chicago areas, and much more!

    Our classes are discussion-based and draw on interdisciplinary approaches that integrate history, politics, language, literature, art, and culture to provide you with a full understanding of this complex region. They will give you the theoretical and analytical tools necessary to think critically and independently about Russia’s place in the world, as well as the intercultural competence to succeed in a study abroad program, internship, or job in the region.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • Science, Technology, and Values

    Course Highlights

    • The Geopolitics of Energy
    • Explaining an Unequal World
    • Science and Catholicism

    Science, Technology, and Values

    The Science, Technology, and Values (STV) program offers students the opportunity to acquire an interdisciplinary understanding of science and technology in modern societies, providing them with analytical and conceptual tools they need to confront the complex questions that arise at the intersection of science and society.

    Science and technology play a powerful role in structuring our world, in everything from our physical environment to our culture. A multifaceted understanding of this role is key both for those who aspire to shape our world and for those who want to be successful in it.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Sociology

    Course Highlights

    • Marriage and the Family
    • Race and Ethnicity
    • Social Inequality and American Education

    Sociology

    Sociology at Notre Dame teaches you to use empirical data to ask and answer complex and multi-faceted questions and to write with clarity, depth, and precision. By helping you understand context, studying sociology prepares you for a variety of career paths. Additionally, sociology helps you live our campus commitment to social justice and human rights, helping you to direct your talents, gifts, and energy in practical and meaningful ways to help others. 

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • Spanish

    Course Highlights

    • From Text to Table
    • Spanish for the Medical Profession
    • Modern Latin-American Literature and Culture

    Spanish

    In addition to gaining proficiency in Spanish, students develop invaluable skills in critical and creative thinking. Majoring in Spanish opens the door to possibilities and unique experiences, including opportunities to travel, study, and work in a Spanish-speaking country or community.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Supplementary Major

  • Sport, Media, and Culture

    Course Highlights

    • Sport and Big Data
    • Martial Arts and Popular Culture
    • Sport, America, and the World

    Sport, Media, and Culture

    The minor in Sport, Media, and Culture (SMAC) invites students to examine the cultural politics of sport from a scholarly point of view, and to practice them with an eye towards social justice and the dignity of every human being.

    SMAC thus defines media broadly—to include visual art, historical texts, and performing arts as well as print journalism, radio, film, television, and social media—and incorporates analyses of race, gender, sexuality, class, and inequality from across the humanities and social sciences. Through SMAC, students will consider how their own interest in sport engages in the politics of representation, and how they can promote equity and justice through it.

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Studio Art

    Course Highlights

    • Multilevel Painting
    • Experiments in Narrative
    • Metal Foundry

    Studio Art

    Studio art prepares students to contribute creatively to the social and cultural discourses that shape contemporary society. From personal practice to the integration of visual art across disciplines, studio art offers a way of problem-solving through visual thinking, production, and analysis.

    The major seeks to promote growth and development of the student through a range of courses dealing with aesthetics and composition, critical skills, and mastery in both traditional and digital techniques. The interdisciplinary structure of the curriculum encourages students to explore a range of media in pursuit of their educational or career objectives.

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor

  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

    Course Highlights

    • Introduction to Sociolinguistics
    • Digital Literacy in Language Learning
    • Methods in Second Language Teaching

    Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

    The TESOL minor equips students with essential skills to teach English to speakers of other languages. Learn about fundamental aspects of linguistics and language education and get practical experience in classroom instruction and lesson planning. 

    Programs Offered

    • Minor

  • Theology

    Course Highlights

    • Saints and Warfare
    • Faith and Science
    • Islam and Christian Theology

    Theology

    The Department of Theology — guided by the ideal of “faith seeking understanding” — is at the heart of the education in faith and reason the University strives to provide students. Encounter the great questions of life: What is truth? What is justice? What happens after death? While Catholic in our religious tradition, our commitment to pluralism and diversity is reflected in areas of academic specialization among faculty and students. 

    Programs Offered

    • Major
    • Minor
    • Supplementary Major

  • The Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society

    The Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society

    The Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society is a robust intellectual community. Students, faculty, and industry leaders explore the intersections of business and the liberal arts through rigorous coursework, collaborative research, meaningful dialogue, and purpose-driven career discernment.

    Students pursuing academic programs in both the College of Arts and Letters and the Mendoza College of Business are eligible to apply for this selective, cohort-based program.

    Programs Offered

    • Special Programs