areas of study in LS&A WHAT WOULD I BE STUDYING IF... LSA offers courses in many academic disciplines. With so much academic choice, some of these disciplines may be unfamiliar to you. Here are descriptions of a few of our subject areas. As you brouse our course offerings and find other areas that are new, be sure to ask your advisor to describe what you would actually study if you took a course in that area. AMERICAN CULTURE The study of American Culture is an interdisciplinary study of U.S. society and culture, including Americans' ideals and experiences of what it means to be American. Courses explore the multicultural diversity of American society, paying particular attention to ethnic, gender, and other forms of social difference and inequality. ANTHROPOLOGY Anthropology is a science that deals with the biological and cultural aspects of humanity. Courses examine the organic evolution of the human species; the origin, development, and integration of the customs and beliefs which define human social groups; and the interrelations between these biological and cultural factors in human behavior. geology BIOCHEMISTRY Biochemistry, the chemistry of living things, is concerned with the basic materials and processes of life itself. Biochemists seek to determine the chemical nature of such fundamental processes as photosynthesis, the hormonal control of metabolism, and selective gene expression. asian studies COMPUTER SCIENCE Computer scientists are computation experts, both in terms of the theory of what the fundamental capabilities and limitations of computation and how computation can be practically realized and applied. A computer scientist understands how to design and analyze algorithms that apply computation effectively and store and retrieve information efficiently, how computers work to deliver computation, and how to develop software systems that solve complex problems. ECONOMICS Economics analyzes the ways in which societies use scarce resources in the production of goods and services to satisfy human wants. Economists deal with recession and unemployment, inflation, poverty, environmental questions, governmental spending and taxation, the banking system and the money supply, labor unions, government regulation of business, foreign trade and balance of payments problems ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE The study of the structure and content of works of literature, primarily in the form of poetry, prose, or drama. Courses explore theories of language and literature and develop the ability to interpret language in speech and writing. comparative literature GLOBAL CHANGE Global Change studies critical issues such as global warming, overpopulation, pollution, and the ozone hole, as well as the role of natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes and extreme weather. It investigates the causes, potential impacts and politics of global change, from physical and human perspectives. statistics political science HISTORY OF ART Art history examines the wide range of things that people have made and looked at and endowed with meaningfrom the facade of an imperial palace to an artist's intimate sketches. The discipline encompasses the study of painting, sculpture, the graphic media, and architecture, as well as a variety of forms in visual culture (advertising, ritual and ceremony, popular entertainment). Students of art history become conversant with the world's cultures and develop skills in visual analysis in order to understand how images, objects, and built environments communicate, and what they meant in their own historical and cultural contexts.   LINGUISTICS Linguistics investigates all aspects of spoken and writtenhuman language. Its courses focus upon the principles of languagestructure, the structure and history of particular languages and groups of languages, the role of language in human experience, and the techniques used in analyzing and describing language.   film & video studies MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICAN STUDIES (MENAS) Modern Middle Eastern and North African Studies offers a rich interdisciplinary program of study in history, language politics, religion, arts and culture of the countries and civilizations of this area of the world. communications   ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES Organizational Studies emphasizes the influence of economic, psychological, sociological, informational, and political factors on individuals and complex organizational systems. Organizational Studies is concerned with a variety of different kinds of organizations including business, government, health, information technology, international affairs, community organization and still others. As a field, Organizational Studies addresses how organizational systems function, what their effects are on individuals and the larger society, and processes of organizational change. mathematics theatre & drama PHILOSOPHY Philosophy addresses a wide variety of questions, some that are familiar (Does God exist? Why should I be moral? How is the mind related to the body?), and others that are less so (What is time? What is space? Is it rational to rely on past experience as a guide to the future?). Philosophy also examines the methods and practices of virtually all areas of inquiry and human practice ­ from the sciences to the arts. SOCIOLOGY Sociology studies social relationships and social structures. It focuses on relations among people, groups, organizations, classes, cultures, and societies. RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES (REES) Russian and East European Studies focuses upon the politics, culture, history, and society of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. WOMEN'S STUDIES Womens' Studies examines the systems that shape women's lives. It asks: how does being female affect one's participation in the family, economy, politics, arts and literature? How do language, belief, and history convey meaning about women's and men's status in our society? classical studies