Carthage Symposium

The Carthage Symposium is an innovative academic program that allows students to explore a topic through the lenses of two completely different fields. Two faculty members from different academic departments — and often different academic divisions — team up to teach a single course.

For example, a classics professor may team up with a sociology professor to teach a class on race and gender in the ancient world. Or a business professor may team up with a physics professor to teach a class on the elements of technology-based business. 

The Carthage Symposium presents diverse ways of learning about and understanding the world, models effective navigation of boundaries and academic discourse, and opens up avenues to innovative problem-solving. Students make connections between disciplines, complementing Carthage's liberal arts core curriculum.

Examples of Recent Carthage Symposia

  • Elements of Technology-Based Business Careers — taught by Physics and Astronomy Prof. Doug Arion and Business Prof. Thomas Groleau

  • Aquatic Ecology and Hydrology — taught by Biology Prof. Scott Hegrenes and Geography and Earth Science Prof. Matt Zorn

  • Focusing on Nature: Investigating Biodiversity and Conservation with Digital Photography — taught by Biology Professor Dana Garrigan and Communication and Digital Media Prof. Laura Huaracha

  • Roots of African-American Religion and Art — taught by Art Prof. Anne Cassidy and Religion Prof. David Musa

Requirements

All Carthage students must successfully complete at least one Carthage Symposium, typically taken during the sophomore or junior year. The Carthage Symposium requirement can be satisfied by either one course (4 credits) or a set of two linked courses (usually 8 credits) that provide an interdisciplinary learning experience. All Symposia are completed within one academic term. The Carthage Symposium creates a community of learners among the students and two faculty.

Past Carthage Symposia
Frequently Asked Questions

Academics at Carthage

Prospective Students

Focusing on Nature

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Student Work. See photographs taken by Carthage students during a J-Term trip to Tucson, Ariz.