Southern Studies Minor

Find new ways to interpret the South and contribute to its well-being.

Develop important knowledge and an intellectual agility. This foundation will enhance a career in fields such as:
  • teaching.
  • law.
  • writing.
  • public or community service.
  • the arts.
  • health professions.
  • business.
  • graduate school.

What will I learn?

You’ll go beyond stereotypes and dig deeper into the South’s diverse cultures. You’ll experience Southern art and culture firsthand and explore the region’s rich and complex past. You’ll become a better thinker as you discover connections between the many communities and cultural traditions that have existed in our region. You’ll learn why people critique and celebrate the South.

View Curriculum: Southern Studies Minor

Program Highlights

This minor help you interpret Southern culture and history by studying in many different departments. Choose courses from across campus that fit your interests. Explore the region’s strengths and its recurring challenges. Experience this city’s amazing cultural resources: archives, museums, landscapes, architecture, foodways, local experts, and our historic campus.
  • Hands-On Learning

    In your senior year, you will complete a capstone project. You'll select a topic that you have already researched during your studies. You will reinterpret it using some of the skills and knowledge you have gained in Southern studies courses.

  • Location

    Charleston’s history reflects the complex history of the South and many of the South’s diverse cultural traditions. No other university has such strong ties to the unique history of Charleston. It blends natural landscapes, historic structures and active cultural traditions from Europe, Africa and North America.

    The College of Charleston has significant archival collections which attract international scholars. You can study Southern cultures directly through letters, diaries, historical documents and interviews.

  • Careers & Outcomes

    This minor can enhance a career in almost any field. Recent Southern Studies minors are pursuing graduate degrees or working in education, the arts, project management or cultural resources management.