Undergraduate Minor
The minor in Appalachian Studies includes courses from a variety of disciplines to give students a broad understanding of Appalachia from multiple perspectives. Field research courses guide students into firsthand experience in the region. Students are required to take APST200: Introducing Appalachia, at the start of their program of study. APST495 and APST496 are also required for the 15-credit minor.
The Appalachian Studies minor fulfills the REAL Curriculum with A: Cultural & Behavioral Analysis.
Students who wish to minor in Appalachian Studies must submit a Declaration of Minor Form (PDF) with appropriate signatures to the Registrar's Office. Students must consult with the APST chair or one of the members of the APST faculty for advising.
The Minor (15 credits)
Required:
APST200: Introducing Appalachia (offered every fall and spring semester) – 3 credit hours
APST495: Research in Appalachia (ATP-affiliated) (offered every fall) – 3 credit hours
APST496: Current Issues in Appalachian Studies/Capstone (offered every spring) – 3 credit hours
Choose from the following for 6 credit hours:
APST300: Diversity of Appalachia (offered every fall starting in 2022) – 3 credit hours
*APST410: The Power of Dialogue (POD): Deconstructing the Rural-Urban Divide Part I (offered every Maymester) – 2 credit hours
*APST420: The Power of Dialogue (POD): Deconstructing the Rural-Urban Divide Part II (offered every fall) – 1 credit hour
APST480: Internship in Appalachian Studies – 3 credit hours
APST498: Independent Study in Appalachian Studies – 3 credit hours
ENGL447: Appalachian Literature (offered every other spring) – 3 credit hours
APST490/ENGL490: Highland Summer Writers’ Conference (offered every summer) – 3 credit hours for one-week intensive workshop
SOCY340: Appalachian Health Culture – 3 credit hours
SOCY370: Environmental Sociology (offered every spring) – 3 credit hours
SOCY411: Appalachian Cultures (offered every spring) – 3 credit hours
SOCY433: Rural Sociology (offered every fall) – 3 credit hours
HIST373: Appalachian History (offered once every four semesters) – 3 credit hours (A designation in REAL curriculum)
BIOL103: Environmental Biology (offered every fall) – 4 credit hours
BIOL217: Flora of Virginia – 4 credit hours
CRJU380: Rural Crime and Law Enforcement (offered every other fall) – 3 credit hours
* Students registering for APST410 are required to enroll in APST420, also. In essence, this is one class with an experiential component in Maymester and reflective work/final group project created and submitted in the fall semester.
** Other courses in various disciplines may be petitioned to count toward the minor when the topic or final paper/project relates specifically to Appalachia.