The Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University
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Program in Social and Cultural Analysis

Major
The major in social and cultural analysis consists of introductory, elective, and research components, which together make up a total of eleven 4-point courses (44 points), as described below. Students choose two of the six program areas within SCA and concentrate their introductory and elective courses in these areas: Africana Studies, American Studies, Asian/Pacific/American Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Latino Studies, or Metropolitan Studies.

Three introductory courses (can be taken in any order):

Concepts in Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA-UA 1), an introduction to key terms and analytical categories for interdisciplinary work in Social and Cultural Analysis and related fields, is a required introductory course. This course fulfills the Societies and the Social Sciences Morse Academic Plan (MAP) requirement.

In addition, two courses are required from among the following introductory offerings:
  • Approaches to Africana Studies (SCA-UA 101) or Cultures and Contexts: Africa (MAP-UA 505) or Cultures and Contexts: The African Diaspora (MAP-UA 532) or Cultures and Contexts: The Black Atlantic (MAP-UA 534)
  • Approaches to American Studies (SCA-UA 201)
  • Approaches to the Asian/Pacific/American Experience (SCA-UA 301) or the MAP course Cultures and Contexts: Asian/Pacific/American Cultures (MAP-UA 539)
  • Approaches to Gender and Sexuality Studies (SCA-UA 401)
  • Approaches to Latino Studies (SCA-UA 501) or the MAP course Cultures and Contexts: Contemporary Latino Cultures (MAP-UA 529)
  • Approaches to Metropolitan Studies (SCA-UA 601) or Cities in a Global Context (SCA-UA 602)
Beyond the three introductory courses, six elective courses are required, to be distributed across two of the six different programs within the department (Africana Studies, American Studies, Asian/Pacific/American Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Latino Studies, and Metropolitan Studies).

Finally, two research courses are required:
  • Internship Fieldwork (SCA-UA 40) and Internship Seminar (SCA-UA 42), pertinent to Social and Cultural Analysis
  • Senior Research Seminar (SCA-UA 90), pertinent to Social and Cultural Analysis
A note about language/linguistic competency: The type of rigorous intercultural study promoted within the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis requires students to recognize the complex modes of communication at work both within and across different social groups. The department therefore strongly encourages its students to develop advanced skills in language and linguistics by any of the following means: taking elective courses in sociolinguistics, studying a language other than English beyond the minimum level required by the College of Arts and Science, studying languages especially germane to the department’s fields of study, pursuing community-based internship fieldwork necessitating the development and use of specific language skills, undertaking study or research abroad in contexts entailing the exercise of key language or linguistic capabilities.

Minor
The minor in Social and Cultural Analysis requires five courses: the introductory course Concepts in Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA-UA 1), plus four additional courses selected from SCA department offerings.

Honors
Majors who have completed 48 points of graded work in CAS and have a 3.65 GPA or higher (both overall and in the major) are encouraged to register for Senior Honors Seminar (SCA-UA 92) in the Fall semester of their senior year. Upon successful completion of the seminar requirements, students will be eligible to register for Senior Honors Thesis (SCA-UA 93) in the spring. Information about honors can be found at http://sca.as.nyu.edu/object/sca.related.honors.