Minor Overview and Requirements

The Minor in Inequality Studies, offered by Cornell University’s Center for the Study of Inequality, exposes students to scholarship on inequality through a breadth of approaches, methods, and topics while allowing them to tailor the program to their particular interests. The Minor in Inequality Studies is appropriate for students interested in public and private sector employment, policy, and civil society, as well as for those who wish to pursue graduate and professional degrees in a variety of fields.

The Minor’s Health Equity Track, launched in Spring 2019, affords interested students the opportunity to explore the social causes and consequences of inequalities in life expectancy, health outcomes, health-promoting behaviors, and access to health care. As with the general Minor in Inequality Studies, the Health Equity Track is open to any student in any major, and offers excellent preparation for students who are interested in careers in medicine, public health, social science research, or public policy.

An interdisciplinary program, the Minor in Inequality Studies is open to students in all Cornell undergraduate colleges and can be completed in conjunction with almost any major by completing six required courses.

The Minor in Inequality Studies’ Health Equity Track, new in Spring 2019, affords interested students the opportunity to explore the social causes and consequences of inequalities in life expectancy, health outcomes, health-promoting behaviors, and access to health care. As with the general Minor in Inequality Studies, the Health Equity Track is open to any student in any major, and offers excellent preparation for students who are interested in careers in medicine, public health, social science research, or public policy.

Interested in learning about the causes and consequences of inequalities in health? Enroll today!

Pursue the Minor that makes a Major difference!

Six courses are required to complete any track of the Minor in Inequality Studies and must include:

The CORE course: Social Inequality (SOC 2208, PUBPOL 2208)

This course reviews contemporary approaches to understanding social inequality and the processes by which it comes to be seen as legitimate, natural, or desirable. Offered every spring semester.

ONE of the following overview courses:

• Comparative Social Inequalities (GDEV 3700, DSOC 3700, and SOC 3710)
• Controversies About Inequality (SOC/GDEV/ILROB/PUBPOL 2220, PHIL 1950, and AMST/GOVT 2225)
• Managing Diversity: Policies and Practices (ILROB 6260)
• Race and Public Policy (PAM 3370 and SOC 3370)
• Race, Racism, and Public Policy (PUBPOL 2370 and SOC 2370)
• Social Problems in the United States (PUBPOL 2250, AMST 2070, and SOC 2070)
• Families and Social Inequality (PAM 4470 and SOC 4470) [note this course is no longer offered]
• Economic Analysis of the Welfare State (ILRLE 4426 and ECON 3450) [note this course is no longer offered]

An additional FOUR electives complete the requirements for the minor:

• General Minor Electives: Students enrolled in the general Minor in Inequality Studies choose all four electives from the full list of elective courses, with choices available across over thirty academic departments.
• Health Equity Track Electives: Those students who opt to enroll in the Minor’s Health Equity Track must complete at least TWO of their FOUR electives from the selection of electives with indicated health-equity focus. This focus is indicated with "HET" on the full list of electives. The other two electives can be chosen from the broader list, or these additional electives may include courses with an indicated health-equity focus.

All courses toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade. The electives and overview course must collectively be distributed across at least three departments (all ILR courses are considered one department and cross-listed courses can be counted as any of their cross-listings). Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all minor courses. Completion of the minor will be recorded on the student’s academic record. For questions about course requirements, please contact the Center for the Study of Inequality.

The Center for the Study of Inequality hosts occasional lectures and symposia, and minors are encouraged to attend these when possible. These events will be announced via email and are also listed on our events page.

Students interested in the Minor in Inequality Studies should complete the Minor Enrollment Form. Please contact CSI in the event of any academic leave, study abroad, or changes to your major or expected graduation date. There is no deadline to enroll and there is no penalty for incomplete minors.