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 | ||
| INNOVATION FOR SOCIAL IMPACT | ||
| HOUSEHOLD ENERGY IN GUATEMALA: BACKGROUND | ||
| HOUSEHOLD ENERGY IN GUATEMALA: APPLICATIONS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| *INTRO TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY-BASED DESIGN | ||
| *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 and/or courses that are listed on the HEST Baccalaureate Core Playlist may count as thematic electives. Electives related to HEST outside of the Baccalaureate Core Playlist 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 non-Baccalaureate-core 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
Baccalaureate Core Playlist for Thematic Electives
There are two categories of baccalaureate core courses 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) | ||
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| WGSS 280 | *WOMEN WORLDWIDE | 3 |
| Literature and the Arts | ||
| ENG 322 | *STUDIES IN GLOBALISM, TEXT, AND EVENT | 4 |
| Physical Science | ||
| WSE 210 | *BIOLOGY, STRUCTURE, AND UTILIZATION OF WOODY PLANTS | 4 |
| Social Processes and Institutions | ||
| H 225 | +*SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH | 4 |
| WGSS 223 | *INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
| Western Culture | ||
| PHL 205 | *ETHICS | 4 |
| Difference, Power, and Discrimination | ||
| ENG 220/FILM 220 | *TOPICS IN DIFFERENCE, POWER, AND DISCRIMINATION | 4 |
| FW 340 | *MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES IN NATURAL RESOURCES | 3 |
| GEOG 333 | *ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| MB 330 | *DISEASE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| WGSS 223 | *INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
| WGSS 414 | *SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION IN WOMEN'S LIVES | 4 |
| Synthesis-Contemporary Global Issues | ||
| ANTH 374 | *ANTHROPOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH | 3 |
| ANTH 380 | *GLOBAL CONFLICTS: ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES | 3 |
| ANTH 466 | *RURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 4 |
| ANTH 482 | *ANTHROPOLOGY OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| FW 325 | *GLOBAL CRISES IN RESOURCE ECOLOGY | 3 |
| 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 |
| HDFS 447 | *FAMILIES AND POVERTY | 4 |
| PHL 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 |
| SUS 350 | *SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | 4 |
| WGSS 380 | *MUSLIM WOMEN | 3 |
| WGSS 480 | *GENDER AND TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVISMS | 3 |
| Z 349 | *BIODIVERSITY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CONSERVATION | 3 |
| Synthesis-Science, Technology, and Society | ||
| ANTH 330 | *EVOLUTION OF PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| ANTH 481 | *NATURAL RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY VALUES | 3 |
| ENGR 350 | *SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING | 3 |
| ES 445 | *NATIVE AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | 4 |
| GEO 306 | *MINERALS, ENERGY, WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| GEOG 300 | *SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | *INTRODUCTION TO WATER SCIENCE AND POLICY | 3 |
| H 445 | *OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH | 3 |
| PH 313 | *ENERGY ALTERNATIVES | 3 |
| SOC 481 | *SOCIETY AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 4 |
| WGSS 440 | *WOMEN AND NATURAL RESOURCES | 3 |
| List II (all eligible thematic electives from Bacc Core) | ||
| Biological Science | ||
| BOT 101 | *BOTANY: A HUMAN CONCERN | 4 |
| SOIL 205 & SOIL 206 | SOIL SCIENCE and *SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 | 4 |
| SUS 102 | *INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY | 4 |
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| ANTH 210 | *INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 311 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-NORTH AMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 313 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| ANTH 314 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-MIDDLE EAST | 3 |
| ANTH 315 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-AFRICA | 3 |
| ANTH 317 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-PACIFIC | 3 |
| ANTH 318 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-CHINA | 3 |
| ANTH 319 | *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-JAPAN AND KOREA | 3 |
| ES 101 | *INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES | 3 |
| ES 231 | *INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES | 4 |
| ES 241 | *INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | 4 |
| GEOG 105 | *PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PERSPECTIVES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH | 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 | *QUESTS FOR MEANING: WORLD RELIGIONS | 4 |
| PHL 315 | *GANDHI AND NONVIOLENCE | 4 |
| WGSS 280 | *WOMEN WORLDWIDE | 3 |
| Literature and the Arts | ||
| ENG 210 | *LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: ASIA | 4 |
| ENG 212 | *LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: MESO/SOUTH AMERICA, CARIBBEAN | 4 |
| ENG 213 | *LITERATURES OF THE WORLD: MIDDLE EAST | 4 |
| ENG 260 | *LITERATURE OF AMERICAN MINORITIES | 4 |
| ENG 322 | *STUDIES IN GLOBALISM, TEXT, AND EVENT | 4 |
| ES 334 | ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LITERATURE | 4 |
| Physical Science | ||
| GEO 221 | *ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY | 4 |
| SOIL 205 & SOIL 206 | SOIL SCIENCE and *SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 | 4 |
| WSE 210 | *BIOLOGY, STRUCTURE, AND UTILIZATION OF WOODY PLANTS | 4 |
| Social Processes and Institutions | ||
| AEC 250 | *INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | 4 |
| ECON 201 | +*INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202 | +*INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| H 225 | +*SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH | 4 |
| PS 205 | *INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 4 |
| SOC 204 | *INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| SOC 205 | *INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIAL CHANGE | 3 |
| WGSS 223 | *INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
| WGSS 224 | *WOMEN: PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE | 3 |
| Western Culture | ||
| AEC 253 | *ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS | 4 |
| GEOG 106 | *WESTERN TRADITION & EMERGING CHALLENGES IN THE GLOBAL NORTH | 3 |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
- +
Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards
Minor Code: 769