This minor enables students to gain a foundation in the history of psychoanalysis, its central concepts, and contemporary applications in psychology, cultural studies, literature, and other fields. Students learn the basic ideas and methods of psychoanalysis, the ways in which these enhance understanding of human relations and creative practices, and a fuller appreciation of their usage in contemporary social and cultural theory.
The minor is a cooperative venture between Emerson College and the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI). Students enrolled in any course that fulfills the minor will be offered special membership status and access to the events and library resources of BPSI, and BPSI-affiliated psychoanalysts with special interest in the arts will be invited to teach.
The Psychoanalysis as Cultural Criticism minor requires 16 credits, four courses from the list below, two of which must be IN courses and one must be at the 300 or 400 level. Students are encouraged but not required to complete the minor with a capstone directed studies project, IN 498 .