Is this even possible in grad school?

Question

I'd like to study a particular topic that spans all sorts of disciplines: philosophy (pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle), religion, anthropology, psychology (Jung), literature, history (especially of Western intellectual thought).

Yet, is it possible to have an in-depth study of these particular areas in classes focused on these topics instead of vague survey theme-directed courses that briefly touch on the topics from an oblique bias and have it all fit together in a degree program?

I'm not a "lifelong learner", I have serious scholarly ambitions, and in surveying various grad programs in liberal arts, humanities, and interdisciplinary studies I have thus far not encountered any which are capable of or even adequate as far as meeting my needs. Have I overlooked anything?

Answer 1

Have you looked at Classics yet? That may be the closest fit. Other fields that tend to go across disciplines are theater, comparative religion, and comparative literature, but those aren't quite it. I'm thinking Classics.

The thing about graduate level studies is that they do tend to be quite field-focused. In fact, in some cases, people studying broader, cross-disciplinary themes have difficulty finding jobs, post PhD, because they aren't an obvious fit for, say, a position teaching literature, or history, or what have you. So as you look at programs, also research the possibilities of finding employment post-grad, and how your approach to your studies might impact that process. Go in with your eyes open, in other words.

Answer 2

What you have overlooked is that in order to get in depth study of all these disciplines you need to be a "lifelong learner". You have to choose one specific topic within a topic of the above topics listed for your graduate degree.

You may also have overlooked how in depth a study really is...
There is no way a normal person is able to get an in depth study of all those subjects at a graduate/PhD level on a reasonable time scale. You will HAVE to be a lifelong learner in order to accomplish that task.

Answer 3

I think that should definitely be possible...I'm in grad school myself and my program always says that your grad school studies are what you make them. It's really awesome that you have such a clear idea of what you want to do. Is there a "home" discipline or department in which you could enroll? Then, with a faculty adviser from that department, you might be able to arrange an independent course of study that includes the in-depth courses you want. Good luck!

Answer 4

A topic like this could be don ina History program or a Philosophy program. Some universities have interdisciplinary programs.

Answer 5

Sure. Essentially what you are proposing here is a degree in "Humanities." Talk to the "Humanities" department at some schools of interest and talk to them about it. You would still have to take specific classes in history, philosophy, religion, etc... but there would also be inter-disciplinary courses and you could link them all together for your thesis or dissertation. The possibilities are endless. Good luck!

Answer 6

unfortunately most graduate programs that cover these subjects in depth are directed at "lifelong learners"--not exactly the way to go if you have seriouis scholarly aspirations (I know this from personal experience). Have you contacted Naropa Institute or the CG Jung Institute for suggestions?

Answer 7

I just finished a Master's degree in literature, and now teach college Composition. I'm in the process of filling out applications to Ph.D programs and, like you, I kind of wish they all didn't want to know what I wanted to specialize in, because I want to specialize in a lot of things.
However, I'm sticking with literature and here's why:
Literature reflects the age in which it was written. By studying literature (and by default, literary theory), you get to study history, philosophy, religion, science, and everything else you want to study in order to understand the literature better.
And you get paid to do it.
What you've overlooked is that once you start a graduate program, you essentially create your own program of study. Just do it. (Oh, crap. I used the Nike slogan and didn't mean to. Please don't sue me, Nike.)