Select a field to read a short excerpt from the student's proposal.
Africans in the U.S. »
“Africans and African-Americans are lumped together under the umbrella term “black,” but their cultures are distinct. People outside the cultures assume the two belong to a single group, but within the cultures their experiences differ. These contrasting experiences foster a fragile relationship and affect their ability to relate to one another…”
American Racism »
“…The study of American racism involves investigating the historical background and persistence of negative racial attitudes in the United States. This minor is an examination of how and why racism exists, the exceptionalism of racism in the United States, and in what ways racism resonates in modern-day America…”
Biomimicry »
“Biomimicry is the idea and practice that technology should follow the same course that nature itself has taken. To have a long lasting future, technology requires a sturdy foundation with a negligible tendency to damage the ecology, and the best groundwork is the only one that has been tested by way of natural selection for the longest time – Mother Nature itself…”
Childhood and Learning »
“…I intend to study the processes by which children acquire essential skills for learning. The study is not simply about education, but about the external factors that influence how children learn. These skills are not only acquired through cognitive development, but through social interactions that occur during communication, playing, and relationship building…”
Christianity and Civilization »
“I hope to study the evolution of Christianity and the impact of the Church at various stages of its development on those civilizations where Christianity became dominant. How did politics and government change as a result of the emergence of Christianity in the Roman civilization? What impact did these changes have on non-Christian citizens of the empire?…”
Christianity in American Politics »
“I propose a broad study of how Christianity in America has changed and how these changes have influenced politics in America. The freedom of religious practice brought many colonists from Britain. Quakers founded Pennsylvania, Roman Catholics founded Maryland and Puritans founded Massachusetts Bay…”
Communicating Emotions »
“Emotions define human existence. With emotions, people communicate, interact, observe, come closer or grow apart; understanding them helps us understand how individuals experience life. However, this topic does not concern the nature of emotions but rather how humans express them…”
Conflict and Communication »
“I hope to study how communication often serves as the catalyst for conflict and specific ways communication can be used to deescalate conflict and help strengthen personal, business, and international relations…”
Criminal Justice »
“Nearly every segment of our society has a potential for criminal activity. All cultures have laws and regulations, and therefore must have a way to properly enforce them, at the risk of chaos. I propose to study criminal justice, with an emphasis on law enforcement…”
Digital Entertainment »
“New and old art forms and technologies are becoming more and more interrelated, and their digitization is creating a new breed of entertainment. I’m interested in finding out more about the knowledge necessary to fully understand and keep up in this fast-paced and ever-growing field…”
Epidemiology »
“…Epidemiology is the study of differences in health patterns among certain groups and the factors that create these differences. Epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness among a population by considering information from a sample…”
Forensic Anthropology »
“For my proposed topic, I will be studying the anthropologic aspect of the field of Forensics. Forensic anthropology is the combination of physical anthropology and human osteology, the study of bones. This special division of Forensics is relevant when whole or partial human remains are evidence for criminal cases…”
Gender, Culture, and Sport »
“In 1972, Congress passed Title IX, which stated, ‘No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…’ But nearly 40 years later we are a long way from parity in female athletics. I intend to study professional sports in the United States, focusing on society’s different attitudes towards male and female athletes…”
Global Health and Inequality »
“Countries and their societies vary significantly in health. There are several components that factor into these inequalities. The first is the economic aspect, the availability of resources including sources for food, water, and materials for export…”
Global Healthcare Policy »
“…’Global Healthcare Policy’ will involve an examination of the various kinds of political solutions to healthcare around the world. Industrialized countries have attempted to address health and healthcare in diverse ways, from the guarantee of treatment in socialist economies to the mixture of public and private insurance in the United States…”
Health and Poverty in Developing Nations »
“Developing countries are measured by things such as literacy rate, each individual’s income, employment rate, and low life expectancy. I propose to focus my study on the ways in which the social and political conditions in developing countries impact health and health care…”
Healthcare Economics »
“…Because of rapidly evolving technologies and burgeoning public and private medical bureaucracies, healthcare economics is an especially important and worthwhile topic of controversy in America…”
Healthcare Policy in Modern Africa »
“In my proposed minor, ‘Healthcare Policy in Modern Africa,’ I intend to study how African governments have impacted the formulation, adoption and implementation of healthcare policy in Africa throughout the past thirty years…”
Human Nature »
“Simply put, I have always wanted to know what makes humans unique from other species. What does the ‘human’ mean in human nature? What are the limits of biology in explaining human nature? I am interested in both the biological and non-biological factors that shape everyday behaviors…”
Immigration Studies »
“I am interested in studying immigration not just from a political point of view, but from cultural, historical, theoretical and personal perspectives. I want to answer questions such as, what prompts a person to leave everything they have ever known behind? What is it like to confront cultural, linguistic, and economic barriers once they have arrived in the new country? …”
Islam and Feminism »
“The U.S. and the Middle East coexist in a sort of symbiotic relationship in which both parties are in a perpetual state of reliance on one another. Americans rely on interactions with the Middle East to support economic and political interests. Historically, the Middle East, known as the Fertile Crescent, was always a sought-after territory for its valuable natural resources and location…”
Leadership and Ethics »
“Leadership and Ethics is a study of the concepts of leadership and ethics as they relate to public life… The topic is designed around several questions. For example, What is leadership? How does political leadership differ from other forms of leadership such as that required of teachers and even parents? Should we expect political leaders to behave more ethically as officeholders than the people who elect them?…”
Medical Ethics »
“Medical ethics is the application of ethical theories to the healthcare field, both in a clinical setting as well as in the public sphere through policy and law. Perhaps the most contentious issues in medical ethics stem from the clinical aspect…”
Music and the Brain »
“…My topic, then, would involve studies in psychology to learn more about emotion and the release of neurotransmitters in the brain; courses in biology, to examine the physical responses of the person; and studies in music. It also occurs to me that what is known in these three fields forms the basis of music therapy…”
Music and Tradition »
“I am interested in the role that music has played in shaping societies and helping them evolve. I am particularly interested in the formation of traditions and even values communicated musically that extend beyond music in the form of art or rituals…”
Public Health »
“While public health is commonly seen as strictly a scientific issue, in actuality it encompasses a broad range of fields including epidemiology, laboratory research, health communication, policy research and development, public health management training, and public health law. I plan to concentrate on the epidemiological aspect of public health; that is, the numerous causes of disease, the incidence and prevalence of disease, and the measures taken to alleviate disease migration…”
Public Health »
“From the seatbelt that we fasten on our way to our destination to the vaccinations that we receive at our yearly doctor’s visit, Public Health is involved in many aspects of our lives. As a profession, it includes the development of vaccinations, motor-vehicle safety, and safer workplaces…”
Public Health in Underdeveloped Countries »
“My topic…links many different academic disciplines from health, social behaviors, geography, economics, and government to biology. I believe that all of these factors play a major role in the development of a country’s public health…”
Revolution and Social Change in Western Europe »
“My topic of study focuses on revolution as it pertains to those societies in Western Europe that have suddenly shifted toward a new philosophy or form of government. I intend to look not only at wars and overthrown governments, but at social change and the elements that all revolutions in this region, both political and sociological, tend to share…”
Sexuality and Culture »
“Each individual culture in the world has social rules that dictate how its members can express their sexuality without being offensive to others. One example of how sexual expression can differ in two different cultures can be seen within the United States…”
Sexuality, Biology, and Culture »
“The nature of sexuality is complex. The word can refer to several things: an organism’s structural and functional traits of reproduction, an organism’s sexual orientation towards other members of its species, or an organism’s gender identity…”
The Sociology of AIDS »
“In my interdisciplinary topic, ‘The Sociology of AIDS,’ I plan to examine the implications and effects of society and societal perspectives on the AIDS epidemic. Particularly, my interest lies in the medical treatment and prevention of AIDS and how levels of care have varied, and continue to vary, among societies and over time throughout the disease’s 30-year history…”
Sports in American Culture »
“In my proposed topic, ‘Sports in American Culture,’ I will study the various effects sports has on American culture, especially on the collegiate level. I am particularly interested in how different sports and the revenue that is associated with some of these activities affect policy and funding for American universities…”
The United States and Israel »
“I am interested in exploring several questions: why has the United States favored Israel in foreign policy as opposed to Palestine? Why do the surrounding Arab countries feel threatened by the ‘special relationship’ between the US and Israel? Is the two-state solution realistic?…”
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