Minor in Civic Life

AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM ENABLING STUDENTS IN ANY FIELD OF STUDY TO MEET THE CRITICAL CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY.

What does it take for people to engage productively as informed, skilled, and effective members of democratic communities and the world?

Whether we are scientists, doctors, engineers, advocates, public servants, or anything else, we are all members of pluralistic communities. In all of these communities, people of all kinds need capacities to engage productively with one another, develop the skills to negotiate difference, and cooperate to achieve common goals.

The area of civic studies examines why such skills are foundational to making liberal democracy work in pluralistic societies, how such capacities can be nurtured, and the historical and contemporary struggles to realize these principles. It is an applied and interdisciplinary field, incorporating critical reflection, ethical thinking, empirical understanding, historical perspectives, and action for social change within and between societies.

The minor in civic life introduces students to civic studies through its core seminars, electives, and experiential learning opportunities. Students participating in the minor will join a vibrant community of student peers, faculty, and fellows at the SNF Agora Institute. Regardless of their primary area of undergraduate study, the minor in civic life empowers students to be engaged global citizens. As a minor, it is specifically intended to engage and equip students interested in pursuing any kind of career (including STEM careers) with the skills of critical inquiry and applied research they need.

MINOR REQUIREMENTS (17 CREDITS)

  • AS.196.201 Introduction to Civic Life: 3 credits
  • AS.196.320 Civic Life Seminar: 2 credits
  • AS.196.420 Civic Life Capstone: 3 credits
  • Three approved elective courses: 9 credits (Scroll down for a list of eligible options)

Courses taken at another institution that are not directly equivalent to a JHU course may not apply towards the minor without permission from the director of undergraduate studies. All courses must be taken for letter grades and receive a grade of C-minus or higher.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the minor in civic life, please email Bryce Corrigan, director of undergraduate studies, at [email protected].

Featured Faculty

APPROVED ELECTIVES FOR THE MINOR IN CIVIC LIFE

Offered Spring 2026, Fall 2026

PROGRAM OF STUDY: AGRI-ELECT

AS.196.210 Catastrophe
AS.196.301 Social Entrepreneurship and Democratic Erosion
AS.196.302 Science and Democracy
AS.196.306 Democracy by the Numbers
AS.196.316 Power to the People?: Popular Sovereignty in the United States
AS.196.325 AI and Democracy
AS.196.363 Populism and Politics
AS.196.411 The Modern American Midterm Election in Historical Perspective
AS.197.101 Social Theories of the Economy I
AS.197.102 Social Theories of the Economy II
AS.197.213 Social Democracy
AS.197.308 Follow the Money: Crime Media, Surveillance, and Policing in the U.S.
AS.197.327 People, Power, and Pay: The Economics of the Workplace
AS.197.330 Social Networks
Center for Leadership Education
EN.660.105 Foundations of American Enterprise
EN.660.329 Social Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Community Based Learning
EN.660.392 Social Impact Design
EN.661.250 Oral Presentations
History
AS.100.271 Documenting & Digitizing Black Louisiana: Sources, Tools and Contexts
AS.100.345 Right-wing populism since the 1980s
AS.100.406 Public History and Engaged Research
AS.100.411 AI and Data Methods in History
AS.100.433 Free Speech and Censorship in the United States
AS.100.453 Global Legal History
Interdepartmental
AS.360.461 Hopkins Semester DC Applied Practitioner Seminar
Mathematics
AS.110.303 The Mathematics of Politics, Democracy, and Social Choice
History
AS.100.119 Introduction to U.S. Immigration History and Law
AS.100.145 Introduction to Computational History
AS.100.271 Documenting & Digitizing Black Louisiana: Sources, Tools and Contexts
AS.100.345 Right-wing populism since the 1980s
AS.100.433 Free Speech and Censorship in the United States
AS.100.453 Global Legal History
Philosophy
AS.150.219 Introduction to Bioethics
Political Science
AS.190.101 Introduction to American Politics
AS.190.102 Introduction to Comparative Politics
AS.190.108 Contemporary International Politics
AS.190.225 Democracy in America: Classics in Context
AS.190.420 From Polycrisis to Polytunity
AS.190.437 Race and Ethnic Politics in the United States
AS.190.444 Comparative Politics
Public Health Studies
AS.280.101 Introduction to Public Health
AS.280.314 Truth, Evidence, and Influence: Case Studies in Public Health
AS.280.389 Medicine for the Greater Good: Community Engagement’s Role in Health Systems
AS.280.390 Power, Positionality, and Social Change: Theories and Methods of Community Partnerships
AS.280.399 Community Based Learning – Practicum Community Health Care
Sociology
AS.230.101 Introduction to Sociology
AS.230.150 Issues in International Development
AS.230.175 Chinese Revolutions
AS.230.220 Polarized College Students: Interviewing Across the Divide
AS.230.331 Qualitative Interview Methods
AS.230.365 Public Opinion and American Politics
Writing Program
AS.004.101 (xx) Reintroduction to Writing: The Cost of Free Speech?
AS.004.241 (xx) Special Topics in Writing: Great Trials: On Legal Reasoning and Writing
Writing Seminars
AS.220.213 Community-Based Learning: Incarceration, Reentry, and Personal Storytelling

Note: Check SIS for the most current listings. All courses must be taken for a letter grade with a C-minus or higher.