Humanitarian Engineering Minor
This program is available at the following location:
- Corvallis
The Humanitarian Engineering minor provides multidisciplinary academic coursework for students interested in the application of engineering, science, and technology-based solutions to global development challenges such as access to basic resources (e.g., clean water, clean energy), improved quality of life, and increased ability to earn a livelihood particularly in rural, resource-limited or low-to-middle income settings. A core of coursework in humanitarian engineering, science and technology (HEST) is required. Both in the core coursework and in the electives, there is an emphasis on context including social, cultural, economic, resource, political, and environmental.
Minor Code: 769
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Use knowledge, diverse cultural frames of reference, and alternate perspectives to think critically and solve problems.
- Apply systems thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, or an understanding of context (economic, environmental, sociocultural) to the analysis of a HEST problem.
- Analyze relationships among science, technology, and society in the development of solutions to local or global problems.
- Demonstrate engagement with local or global community through service-learning, international study/work, or other community engagement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| Select 12 credits from the following courses: 1 | 12 | |
| INNOVATION FOR SOCIAL IMPACT | ||
| *ANTHROPOLOGY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | ||
| LAUNCH ACADEMY | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| HOUSEHOLD ENERGY IN GUATEMALA: BACKGROUND | ||
| HOUSEHOLD ENERGY IN GUATEMALA: APPLICATIONS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| +*TRANSDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-ENGAGED DESIGN THINKING | ||
| *ENGINEERING FOR GLOBAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| MULTIDISCIPLINARY CASE STUDIES IN HUMANITARIAN ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | ||
| UAV ENGINEERING | ||
| SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING FOR HUMANITARIAN ENGINEERING | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| *GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
HEST-related capstone design or undergraduate research (up to 6 credits) 2 | ||
| Thematic Electives 3 | 12-15 | |
| International or Service-Learning Component 4 | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
- 1
12 upper-division credits, taken as core, thematic electives and/or service learning courses, and a total of 27 credits are required to achieve the minor
- 2
Pending approval by a humanitarian engineering advisor or faculty member
- 3
Any additional credits beyond 12 taken from the HEST core may count as Thematic Electives. Electives related to HEST outside of the Thematic Electives lists can be approved on a case-by-case basis based on relevance to HEST and the student's interest in HEST. Case-by-case approvals may be granted, for example, for courses in political science, public health, anthropology, sociology, engineering, economics, business, geography or others
- 4
Study or work abroad, HEST 310, internship, relevant undergraduate research or capstone design project, BA 367, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) or other service-learning/civic engagement as approved by the humanitarian engineering adviser. OSU’s Office of Civic Engagement can serve to connect students with opportunities
Thematic Electives
There are two categories that will count for thematic electives:
- List I shows courses that are particularly recommended because of the relevance of material and/or instructor affiliation with the program.
- List II contains all of the courses that will fulfill thematic elective credits for the minor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| List I (recommended) | ||
| ANTH 330 | *EVOLUTION OF PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| ANTH 374 | +*BIOSOCIAL APPROACHES TO GLOBAL HEALTH INEQUITY | 4 |
| ANTH 380 | *GLOBAL CONFLICTS: ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES | 3 |
| ANTH 466 | *RURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 4 |
| ANTH 481 | *NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY VALUES | 3 |
| ANTH 482 | *ANTHROPOLOGY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| ENG 220/FILM 220 | *TOPICS IN DIFFERENCE, POWER, AND DISCRIMINATION | 4 |
| ENG 322 | *STUDIES IN GLOBALISM, TEXT, AND EVENT | 4 |
| ENGR 350 | *SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING | 3 |
| ES 445 | *NATIVE AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | 4 |
| FW 325 | +*SEEKING SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CRISES IN RESOURCE ECOLOGY | 3 |
| FW 340 | +*POWER AND JUSTICE IN U.S. NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| GEO 306 | +*MINERALS, ENERGY, WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 4 |
| GEO 308 | *GLOBAL CHANGE AND EARTH SCIENCES | 3 |
| GEOG 300 | +SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | 3 |
| GEOG 330 | *GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION | 3 |
| GEOG 331 | +*POPULATION, CONSUMPTION, AND ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| GEOG 333/ENSC 333 | +*ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | 3 |
| H 225 | +*SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH | 4 |
| H 445 | *OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH | 3 |
| HDFS 447 | +FAMILIES AND POVERTY | 4 |
| MB 330 | +*DISEASE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| PH 313 | +*ENERGY ALTERNATIVES | 3 |
| PHL 205 | +*INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS | 4 |
| PHL 443/REL 443 | *WORLD VIEWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES | 3 |
| PS 345 | *POLITICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS | 4 |
| PS 458 | INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | 4 |
| SOC 480 | *ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY | 4 |
| SOC 481 | *SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 4 |
| SUS 350 | +*SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | 4 |
| WGSS 223 | +*INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
| WGSS 280 | +*WOMEN WORLDWIDE | 3 |
| WGSS 380 | *MUSLIM WOMEN | 3 |
| WGSS 414 | +*SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION IN WOMEN'S LIVES | 4 |
| WGSS 440 | *WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 3 |
| WGSS 480 | *GENDER AND TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVISMS | 3 |
| WSE 210 | +*BIOLOGY, STRUCTURE, AND UTILIZATION OF WOODY PLANTS | 4 |
| Z 349 | *BIODIVERSITY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CONSERVATION | 3 |
| List II (all eligible thematic electives) | ||
| AEC 250 | +*INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | 4 |
| AEC 253 | *ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS | 4 |
| ANTH 210 | +*INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 211 | +*INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 215 | +*PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF AFRICA | 3 |
| ANTH 218 | +*PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF CHINA | 3 |
| ANTH 313 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 314 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-MIDDLE EAST | 3 |
| ANTH 317 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-PACIFIC | 3 |
| ANTH 319 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-JAPAN AND KOREA | 3 |
| BOT 101 | +*BOTANY: A HUMAN CONCERN | 4 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ENG 210 | *LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: ASIA | 4 |
| ENG 212 | +*LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN | 4 |
| ENG 213 | *LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: MIDDLE EAST | 4 |
| ENG 260 | *LITERATURE OF AMERICAN MINORITIES | 4 |
| ENSC 210 | +*ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES | 4 |
| ES 101 | *INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES | 3 |
| ES 231 | +*INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES | 4 |
| ES 241 | *INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | 4 |
| ES 334 | ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LITERATURE | 4 |
| GEOG 105 | *PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PERSPECTIVES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH | 3 |
| GEOG 106 | *WESTERN TRADITION & EMERGING CHALLENGES IN THE GLOBAL NORTH | 3 |
| HST 351 | *MODERN LATIN AMERICA | 4 |
| HST 391 | *TRADITIONAL CHINA AND JAPAN | 4 |
| HST 392 | *MODERN CHINA AND JAPAN | 4 |
| MUS 108 | *MUSIC CULTURES OF THE WORLD | 3 |
| NUTR 216 | +*FOOD AND CULTURE | 3 |
| PHL 160/REL 160 | +*RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD | 4 |
| PHL 315/REL 315 | *GANDHI AND NONVIOLENCE | 4 |
| PS 205 | *INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 4 |
| SOC 204Z | +*INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 4 |
| SOC 205Z | *SOCIAL CHANGE AND INSTITUTIONS | 4 |
| SOIL 205 & SOIL 206 | SOIL SCIENCE and +*SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 | 4 |
| SUS 102 | +*INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY | 4 |
| WGSS 224 | *WOMEN: PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE | 3 |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
Minor Code: 769