Ethics, Culture, and Society

Art is a timeless means of communicating human experiences. Artistic, creative abilities help move our civilization forward.

When you choose the art emphasis at Viterbo, you will learn what it means to recognize and create sound works of art and to understand the art forms of cultures throughout history.

You will be provided with meaningful study and practice in artistic methods, techniques, and media, embedded with intellectual inquiry and critical analysis. Explore questions such as:

• How do I generate ideas and discern their strength?
• How do I turn my ideas into strong, original art forms?
• How do I craft them with my hands?
• How might I use art and my creative abilities to serve my community?

The art emphasis consists of courses in studio art and art history. Studio courses are offered in:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Sculpture
• Ceramics
• Printmaking
• Photography
• Graphic design

Our history emphasis will prepare you with a wealth of knowledge—both past and present—and encourage curiosity and mindfulness of the events that have shaped civilization around the world.

You will learn to connect ideas across cultures, which will serve you well in your education and career. Studying history grants you a unique opportunity to supplement your skills in written and oral communication, while also learning to be an informed citizen of the world.

Philosophy is being recognized more and more as one of the strongest and most versatile fields of study. In fact, we live in an age where employers want employees to be more than just knowledgeable in their chosen field; employers want critical thinkers, clear communicators, and ethical decision-makers. These skills are central to the study of philosophy. This emphasis is a great supplement for those going into the business world, law, or public policy.

Students interested in a law career are individually counseled by the pre-law advisor, who suggests a program of study and provides information on law school application. Keep in mind that maintenance of a relatively high undergraduate grade point average is very important for successful law school admission. Recommended undergraduate fields of study include:

• Accounting
• Criminal justice
• English
• Management
• Psychology
• Ethics, culture, and society

In our legal studies minor, you will explore legal issues in a variety of ways.

This minor is perfect if you want to apply to law school upon graduation and wish to gain an intellectual base in legal studies at the undergraduate level. Legal studies is also relevant if you have an interest in the law and pursue the minor in order to complement your major—generally one in the humanities.

The minor includes courses in business law, philosophy, and criminal justice courses and consists of 18 credit hours.

The art minor consists of an 18-credit sequence of courses in studio art and art history. You will take two foundations courses, one course in art history, and nine credits in studio electives. Studio courses are offered in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, and graphic design.

Gain the critical thinking, communication, and ethical decision-making skills that employers seek. The ethics, culture, and society philosophy minor generally requires 15–25 credits for completion. Course transfers, waivers, and/or substitutions could modify these credit totals.

The minor in ethics recognizes both the interdisciplinary nature of many moral problems as well as the value of ethical reasoning and ethical theory.

Employers state that moral decision-making is one of the most important skills they seek, yet this area is rarely recognized as a specific area of competency.

Given the importance of ethics and moral reasoning for students’ own personal development, as well as its value for recognizing and resolving moral problems both in and out of the workplace, having a minor in ethics is a great way to prepare to deal with the complexity of the real world.

Our political science minor deepens your knowledge on how governments, institutions, public policy, and political behavior work in the modern world. This minor is perfect if you plan to enter a career in government service, public policy, journalism, or a related profession. Political science can also help you prepare for law school and other graduate programs.

Supplement your skills in written and oral communication, while also learning to be an informed citizen of the world. The history minor generally requires between 15–25 credits for completion. Course transfers, waivers, and/or substitutions could modify these credit totals.

Develop and deepen your vocation to engage in competent, creative, and faithful leadership that works for the common good. Choose the servant leadership minor if you plan on serving as a leader in ministry, nonprofit organizations, or business. Completing a total of 15 credits in the minor is required.

The Spanish language is ever-growing in popularity, and now almost 15% of Americans speak it.

Having an enriched knowledge of Latin culture and the Spanish language is a valuable trait in modern America. The Latin American and Latino/a studies minor can help you enrich a skill set that is valuable in:

• Health care
• Education
• Business
• Social work
• Communication fields

This minor also promotes two significant outcomes:

1. Raise awareness of social justice issues related to Latin American populations and Latinos in the United States
2. Encourage local, national, and international engagement and advocacy toward social justice issues in Latin America and Latinos in the United States

With a focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary problem-solving for the common good, this course uses a case study approach to explore historical and contemporary social issues. Rooted in a commitment to “scholarship for social change,” you will learn how to make use of perspectives from history, philosophy, art, and other disciplines in order to creatively engage with complex, often contentious issues in an imperfect world.

South Africa stands as a witness to the power of social movements to not only imagine but also bring into being a more just and compassionate world. Learn how South Africans draw on religion, music, and global justice movements to resist and rise from the violence of Apartheid, the AIDS and COVID epidemics, climate change, and persistent economic inequities.

This course includes team-based transdisciplinary problem-solving addressing current issues in the La Crosse community and beyond. The community issue addressed will change from year to year, in connection with the theme of the D.B. Reinhart Ethics Institute  Conference and/or in response to emerging community needs and current events. You will apply knowledge from studies in your two declared disciplines to the problem.

This course focuses on team-based transdisciplinary problem-solving addressing a variety of issues, from those in the local community to national and global challenges. The course seeks to address the many stakeholders, assumptions, and values that shape how we evaluate and resolve disagreements, showing students the positive value philosophy brings in supporting transdisciplinary problem-solving. The community issues addressed will change from year to year, in connection with the theme of the D.B. Reinhart Ethics Institute Conference and/or in response to emerging community needs and current events. You will apply knowledge from studies in your two declared disciplines to the problem.

Develop an interdisciplinary capstone proposal, research, project, and presentation over the course of two semesters with faculty mentoring and guidance. Our unique, student-driven capstone project allows seniors to conceive and implement an interdisciplinary project of their own design that connects to the local community. For one example, Stephanie Sesvold (’22) completed a capstone in the form of a podcast  on women in labor unions, based on her semester of study in Washington, D.C., where she interviewed women in local unions.