Program Details
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory (SCCT) offers both a Ph.D. minor and a graduate certificate. The Ph.D. minor is intended for current Ph.D. students. Graduate students enrolled in MA, MFA, JD, MBA, and other non-Ph.D. programs should pursue a graduate certificate.
Prospective minor students should email an expression of their intent to the Chair of the Program, Dr. Leerom Medovoi, at medovoi@arizona.edu. The Chair will respond with further information about the SCCT Minor program and may make an appointment with you to discuss the program further. If you decide it is a good fit for you, you will then formalize your minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Minor when you submit the GradPath form that establishes your Doctoral Plan of Study paperwork.
The SCCT Minor is open to any Ph.D. student currently enrolled in a major field at the University of Arizona. The SCCT graduate minor comprises of a 12-credit hour graduate curriculum that includes a two-semester set of core courses and two elective advanced seminars (to be selected from an approved list). Students may petition to have a different course (i.e. not appearing on the list) count as one of their electives if it has a significant theoretical dimension and is relevant to their plan of study. At least one of the elective seminars should be from outside the student’s home program. Additionally, graduate students will be expected to include at least one member of the faculty collective from outside their home unit on their orals and dissertation committees.
We understand that unusual circumstances may require modification of these requirements. If you find you cannot meet these requirements due to truly extenuating circumstances, you can petition the Chair at medovoi@arizona.edu. You should provide written documentation of your situation and the curricular modification required.
Graduate Committee Requirement
Students must select one (1) SCCT faculty member from the SCCT Faculty to represent the SCCT Minor on their Ph.D. comprehensive examination and final dissertation defense advisory committees. The SCCT faculty committee member should be identified early in the student's program, so he or she can serve as resources during the student's studies. >The SCCT faculty member representing the minor must reside in a home department that is different from the student’s major department. Note that the faculty composition of the Ph.D. comprehensive examination committee and the dissertation committee may differ, but in each case, one SCCT faculty member is required on the committee.
Course Requirements
Core Courses
SCCT 500: Introduction to Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory is offered every fall semester. This course is designed to provide an overview of important and foundational readings in social, cultural, and critical theory.
SCCT 510: Problems in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory is offered every spring semester. This course is team-taught course by two faculty members from different units and is designed to address and explore an annually selected topic that raises challenges or introduces problems to our theoretical frames of study. The course is tied to an annual theme that is also investigated through academic events, reading groups and/or public programming.
Electives
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF CURRENTLY APPROVED ELECTIVES
Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory electives should broaden your knowledge of the field, not simply provide additional depth in your research area. Two approved elective courses are required (6 units). The electives should be selected from the list of courses above, with guidance and approval of the SCCT PhD Minor faculty on your committee. Courses on this list are offered regularly and have few or manageable prerequisites.
In addition to the classes listed here, many departmental seminars are extremely relevant to interdisciplinary theory and can be counted for elective credit. Such substitutions must receive advance approval by a member of the SCCT executive committee and fulfill the “broadening” objectives as described above.
We know that course offerings change rapidly, and we would appreciate students alerting us to additional classes that may be relevant to include on this list.