Majors and Minors

The Department of Music at Providence College boasts one of the most comprehensive training programs for singers and instrumentalists at the undergraduate level. There are obvious reasons to study music at PC — to develop as a performer and to understand art at a deeper level are just two that are hardwired into the Department of Music’s mission.

The Bachelor of Arts in music education balances the liberal arts program of the College with the requirements for both the music and education departments for the certification process in music education.

Music Technology and Production is a specialized major where you will learn how to produce professional-quality music, as well as gain hands-on experience using music hardware and software technology, all while acquiring an understanding of the music industry. In combination PC’s well-rounded liberal arts curriculum, MTP graduates will be prepared for viable careers in the evolving music and media industries.

This concentration requires course work in music, acting, and dance combined with many performance opportunities.

As a neuroscience major at PC, students use multiple approaches and perspectives to think critically, creatively, and flexibility about the nature of intelligent life and definitions of the mind and brain. 

The program offers a select number of biology and psychology majors the opportunity to delve deeply into discovering more about the brain and nervous system through topical courses, hands-on research opportunities, and engaging internships.

Philosophy is about the big questions — questions about reality, the mind, and language; about knowledge, experience, and science; about freedom, ethics, and responsibility; about governance, law, and society; about race, gender, and sexuality — and many more besides.

The Department of Engineering and Physics offers undergraduate programs designed to prepare individuals for careers in applied science and engineering. 

Students who major in political science at Providence College examine politics in a variety of contexts and from a variety of perspectives, both domestic and international. Graduates of the program find that a degree in political science from PC opens doors to a wide range of careers in the public and private sectors. The major also enables our students to become engaged and responsible citizens of their communities.  

Our program is designed to provide not only a thorough and sound foundation in the principles of the discipline, but many and varied opportunities to apply that knowledge through independent and collaborative research.

The Public Administration Program is a special certificate program with the purpose of assisting students contemplating a career in government service.

The Public and Community Service Studies (PSP) program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on solving real-world problems. PSP students work closely with faculty and community partners to research and address complex issues and then reflect on this shared work to develop the leadership skills necessary for making positive social change. The department’s innovative curriculum, the first of its kind in the country, continues to make it a pioneer and leader in community-engaged, experiential learning. 

The social science major offers a highly interdisciplinary curriculum coupled with an incredible amount of flexibility — providing the opportunity to customize a course of study to best fit students’ interests and serve their professional goals. The program is built on a solid foundation of social theory, research methods, and critical thinking skills. Students then build upon this common foundation by choosing courses from any three of seven social science disciplines.

Through active, engaged learning and student participation, sociology students are challenged to approach their world critically and to achieve a nuanced understanding of how stratification, marginalization, and institutionalization impact society at large and individual opportunities, experiences, and realities.

Majoring in a foreign language is much more than just learning a foreign language. Our majors and minors become proficient Spanish, French, German, or Italian readers, writers, and speakers. But, our hope for students goes deeper than that. We want our students to become even more culturally proficient — understanding how the cultures they are studying are different from their own and also accepting of the connections. 

The Spanish Minor for the Health Professions consists of 18 credits, which include an internship that can be conducted locally or abroad.

For the theatre major, the core of the developmental process is a production-centered experience combined with an interdisciplinary classroom experience that forms the basis of a liberal arts education.

The theology department at Providence College draws upon sacred scripture and the Church’s tradition in pursuing scholarly, theological inquiry “from the heart of the Church.” Our program provides a foundation of knowledge in the teachings of the Catholic Church and explores the best of contemporary scholarship in Scripture, moral and spiritual theology, liturgy, and systematics.

The women’s and gender studies program is a rigorous and interdisciplinary program that places women’s lives, perspectives, and experiences at the center of inquiry. Students actively and reflexively learn about women’s diverse lived realities, struggles, and contributions through the lenses of race, class, gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, age, physical condition, and nationality.

Interested in literature, poetry, or journalism? Then, our Writing minor is for you. The dynamic, 18-credit minor complements nearly every major — from the arts and sciences to business and humanities disciplines—by focusing on sharpening written communication and reading skills.