Signum’s course concentrations let students focus their education on a preferred area of study.

In order to help credit students as they begin developing their thesis topics, we have created several course concentrations. These concentrations allow students to focus their degree on areas of interest to them. Concentrations are also available for our certificate programs.

Courses in each of these concentrations will be offered during our three 12-week semesters each year.

Read more about the concentrations available below, and click through the links for more information about the topics, courses, and professors that each concentration offers.

As the father of modern fantasy, Tolkien has inspired research in diverse areas from language and literature to politics and economics. This concentration focuses on providing a grounding in Tolkien’s biography, academic work, and – of course – legendarium.

Learn more ≫

Science fiction, fantasy, speculative stories: Imaginative literature comes in every form and explores pretty much every topic. From Mary Shelley and H. P. Lovecraft to Ursula K. Le Guin and Neil Gaiman, the lines get drawn, quartered, crossed, and blurred so often, it’s hard to tell what’s what – and that’s okay! This concentration explores imaginative literature in its wondrous variety.

Learn more ≫

“The Classics” are classics for a reason. From epics like Beowulf to the peregrine yarns of Chaucer to Shakespeare’s theatrical masterpieces, these enduring stories are distinctive products of the eras in which they were written, and yet they remain timeless tales that evoke thoughts and emotions in modern readers. This concentration also looks at traditional stories, such as Celtic myths and Arthurian legends.

Learn more ≫

Language is a living thing, growing and changing with each successive generation, and sometimes even more frequently. Germanic Philology explores the relationships between language and literature through the development of English from Anglo-Saxon to whatever future historians will call what we speak now. Other branches, such as Old Norse, will be explored as well.

Learn more ≫

Questions?

Have questions about our concentrations? See our Frequently Asked Questions, or contact Student Support for more information.