This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
The menu of academic choices for Lafayette College students keeps growing.
Lafayette is adding five new majors this fall, Africana Studies, Government and Law and Foreign Language, History and Government and Law, International Economics and Commerce, and Religion and Politics. Students now can choose from 44 majors spanning the humanities, engineering, natural sciences, and engineering.
Africana Studies is the scholarly examination of the black experience universally — in Africa, the United States, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. In this interdisciplinary major students analyze the experiences, problems, and questions at the center of the social, cultural, and political thought and actions of peoples of African heritage.
The other new offerings are innovative joint efforts that combine fields which many students have previously taken as double majors or as a major and a minor. Students in these majors will benefit from enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration and coordination.
The major in Government and Law and Foreign Language gives students the background they need for careers in diplomatic service, work in international organizations, and pursuing advanced degrees in fields such as area studies and international affairs. There are three tracks, Government and Law and French, Government and Law and German, and Government and Law and Spanish. The major is a collaboration of the department of government and law and the department of foreign languages and literatures.
History and Government and Law is a coordinate major between the department of history and the department of government and law. Study in these disciplines, which often overlap, helps students to develop critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills, the qualities most sought after by employers. It also opens the way to a broad range of careers in the public and private sectors or for advanced graduate or professional training in virtually every area, including law, international affairs, and teaching.
Majoring in International Economics and Commerce allows students to pursue an interest in the language, culture, and economics of Germany, France, or Spain. Students develop advanced skills in the German, French, or Spanish language and serve an internship in a country where the language is spoken. The major is a joint effort of the department of economics and business and the department of foreign languages and literatures.
Religion and Politics, a coordinate major between the department of religion and the department of government and law, gives students greater insight into political dynamics and enhances their ability to assess the impact that religious values have on politics. Students may choose from two tracks, American Politics and Theory, with an emphasis on religious study in the realm of American politics and theory, and International, which emphasizes religious study in the international arena.