The Minor
This week’s feature is the Minor in Science Fiction at California State University Los Angeles (Cal State LA). From the website:
The Minor in Science Fiction (SF) provides students the opportunity to study this popular and important genre while completing their general education requirements. Students in the minor will study the history of SF in literature, film, and television, and explore the traditions of SF as they intersect with ongoing cultural debates about race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic class, and other social categories that structure identity. Students will also study how science and culture interact through SF to shape our understandings of exploration, progress, and the future.
Students enrolled in the minor take two required courses (Introduction to Science Fiction, Science Fiction Film and Television) and then personalize their minor by selecting four electives, with a minimum of one each in two areas: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Science and Traditions of Science Fiction.
Two Interesting Courses
ANTH 4670 Human Evolution in Pop Culture
Examination of popular culture ideas about human evolution through use of current films, television shows, novels, and graphic novels/comic books.
LBS 3665 Gender and Sexuality in Science Fiction
Exploration of how concepts of gender and sexuality have been represented in science fiction.
Five Possible Complementary Majors at Cal State LA
Unique Opportunities within the Minor
Cal State LA hosts the annual Eagle-Con convention:
Eagle-Con is a 3-day convention that brings together science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and superheroes, as well as insider views of these highly creative genres. Situated on the campus of Cal State L.A., home of the “Golden Eagles,” Eagle-Con explores issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, identity, ability, and representation in science fiction and fantasy across media while also celebrating the boundless imaginations of artists and writers that turn ordinary humans into life-long devotees of these genres. With generous support from our founding sponsor, the Art Directors Guild, as well as the continued support of key partner the University-Student Union, Eagle-Con is a university-level event hosted by the College of Arts and Letters, where people of all shapes, sizes, hues, and fandoms can come together to learn, explore, and grow.
Sample Similar Programs
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- Georgia Tech: Minor in Science Fiction Studies
- Texas A & M: English Major, Concentration in Science Fiction and Fantasy Studies
- University of Kansas: coursework offered through the J. Wayne and Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction