Electives may be chosen as a flexible mix to explore a variety of fields throughout Denison’s curriculum or off-campus study. Denison maintains a list of accepted off-campus programs, both in the U.S. and abroad. It is strongly recommended that students interested in off-campus study make an appointment with the Office of Global Programs and Off-Campus Study early in their Denison career to begin planning for off-campus study.
Students who want more structure in their choices of elective courses may pursue a minor, a concentration, or a second major.
Academic Minor
A minor provides a guided plan of study within a discipline but with fewer requirements than a major. Typically, minors require core courses, beginning and advanced coursework in the field, and electives. Minors afford students a structured opportunity to enrich or complement majors, or to engage a separate academic field. Most departments and programs offering majors also offer a minor. In addition, stand-alone minors in are offered in the fields of Astronomy and Data for Political Research.
Concentrations
A concentration provides an interdisciplinary program of study, requiring a depth of study in a field that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Denison offers concentrations in the following fields: Computational Science, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Middle East and North African Studies, Neuroscience, and Queer Studies. In addition, there are a few concentrations available only to majors in certain disciplines (Financial Economics in Economics, as well as several concentrations/domains within Environmental Studies and Data Analytics). Two opportunities similar to a concentration are the Lugar Program and Organizational Studies. Students interested in these fields should talk with appropriate faculty soon after they have begun their Denison careers.