Hello all! I visit frequently here, and post many discussions in the “chance me” section, but I have come to terms with what I am capable of, and have a (sort of) good idea of the colleges that are a good fit for me academically. I previously wanted to major in philosophy, and still do, but it is my second choice. I have recently, in the past 3 or so months, thought about changing that major to semiotics, as I have been reading some Umberto Eco and Borges, and what I read was really life-changing to me. Although I have a problem, where can I actually study semiotics? If it means going to Europe, I’d still consider it, as I was thinking of doing that anyway. But we’re could I actually get into that has semiotics as a major with a 31 ACT and 3.86 GPA? If needed, I’ll post my extracurriculars and other info. Thank you for your time.
There’s a difference between studying semiotics and selecting semiotics as a major (and the latter of which may counter-productively limit your options). With this as a consideration, I’d recommend you look closely at the course descriptions at schools that offer linguistics as at least a minor. Within this course of study, you would have the opportunity to pursue semiotics. Should you not find these types of programs to be sufficiently specific to your interests, you can then look for more specialized programs.
I would be surprised if anywhere offered semiotics as an undergrad major - one would specialize in it in grad school. Study linguistics, philosophy, literature - and then continue for a PhD. Check out Brandeis, Tufts, Bard - those are just programs that I know of which offer study in semiotics. I assume there are a number of large public universities, like UMass Amherst which also would be a worth looking into. I’d say MIT and UC Berkeley but I think it would be a challenge to get in. Others who know way more than me about the field will probably weigh in.
@merc81 so if I were to want to study semiotics, it would be wisest to major or minor in linguistics, and focus on semiotics? I’ve been trying to find it as a major, and it seems to me that it is not one.
You could definitely do semiotics as a contract major at most reputable schools. Your stats make it very reachy, but Brown would be a target.
In the US, semiotics is taught in many university literature, linguistics, French, philosophy and even rhetoric departments. Brown University used to have it as an undergraduate major, but it’s now been incorporated into the interdisciplinary Department of Modern Culture and Media.
@lavishdolphin : The best semiotics professor I’m aware of teaches linguistics courses out of an anthropology department. Based partly on this, I’d recommend you look for three aspects in a college: 1) the availability of at least a linguistics minor 2) a distinct anthropology department (in contrast to a school at which anthropology is combined with sociology) and 3) clear offerings in the anthropological subfield known as linguistic anthropology.
In your reading, you should eventually come across Derrida, if you haven’t done so already.