Applied Humanities Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following location:
- Ecampus
Applied Humanities focuses on training students in liberal arts methods to greatly enhance skills in communication and cultural competency, especially in terms of career preparedness. By taking several classes that contextualize the current diverse United States’ workplace, graduates will understand the full range of ways in which all forms of communications – including in the workplace and the public sphere – embed cultural perspectives, rhetorical positions, and historical context. Through critical thinking and writing, students prepare for a future as engaged citizens and successful professionals who can construct reasoned arguments, evaluate diverse perspectives, and resist reductive explanations.
The learning outcomes for each required course include one or more of the most desired competencies as determined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The required courses have been carefully chosen to prepare students in the practical specifics of workplace written communication, as well as broadening their world views in the classic humanities disciplines of History and Philosophy.
Major Code: 026
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Apply critical thinking/problem solving to the workplace.
- Generate highly skilled oral/written professional communications.
- Use digital technology effectively as a communication tool.
- Integrate cultural fluency into professional settings.
BA Requirement
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate Core 1 | 30 | |
| Liberal Arts Core 2 | 7 | |
| BA Requirements | 24 | |
| Major Requirements | 54 | |
| Upper-Division Electives | 24 | |
| Electives | 41 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
BS Requirement
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate Core 1 | 30 | |
| Liberal Arts Core 2 | 7 | |
| BS Requirements | 15 | |
| Major Requirements | 54 | |
| Upper-Division Electives | 24 | |
| Electives | 50 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
18 credits from the major course requirements satisfy University General Education requirements
- 2
8 credits of major coursework satisfies College of Liberal Arts Core requirements
Applied Humanities Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| HST 203 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| PHL 205 | *ETHICS | 4 |
| HSTS 417 | *HISTORY OF MEDICINE | 4 |
| HST 480/PHL 480 | ^PERSPECTIVES IN HUMANITIES | 4 |
| Lower-Division Major Elective | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6-7 | |
| *INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO FICTION | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES | ||
| *INVENTING ETHNIC AMERICA | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO RELIGIOUS STUDIES | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | ||
| Select 32 credits from the following courses: | 32 | |
| *IMMIGRATION TO THE U.S. SINCE 1880 | ||
| *UNITED STATES RELIGION AND SOCIAL REFORM | ||
| *SCIENTIFIC REASONING | ||
| *PACIFISM, JUST WAR, AND TERRORISM | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES | ||
| *AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGION | ||
| *PUBLISHING AND EDITING | ||
| *WRITING FOR THE WEB | ||
| *SCIENCE WRITING | ||
| ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING | ||
| STUDIES IN WRITING | ||
| Total Credits | 54-55 | |
- *
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
Major Code: 026
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
BA in Applied Humanities
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| COMM 111Z or COMM 114 | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| PHL 205 | *ETHICS | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Social Processes and Institutions | 4 | |
| Language 111 | 4 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Winter | ||
| WR 121Z | *COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Literature & The Arts | 4 | |
| Language 112 | 4 | |
| Lower-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HST 203 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Math | 4 | |
| Language 113 | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Language 211 | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Lower-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| HHS 231 | *LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH | 2 |
| Language 212 | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Bacc Core: Physical Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Writing II | 3 | |
| Language 213 | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Contemporary Global Issues | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological or Physical Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 3 | |
| CLA Core: Additional Course | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HST 480/PHL 480 | ^PERSPECTIVES IN HUMANITIES | 4 |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSTS 417 | *HISTORY OF MEDICINE | 4 |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 180-181 | |
BS in Applied Humanities
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| COMM 111Z or COMM 114 | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| PHL 205 | *ETHICS | 4 |
| BS Computer Science | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Social Processes and Institutions | 4 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Winter | ||
| WR 121Z | *COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| HHS 231 | *LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH | 2 |
| Lower-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Literature & The Arts | 4 | |
| CLA Core: Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HST 203 | *HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES | 4 |
| Math | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Lower-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Bacc Core: Physical Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Math | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| CLA Core: Additional Course | 3 | |
| BS Science Course | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Biological or Physical Science with Lab | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| HST 480/PHL 480 | ^PERSPECTIVES IN HUMANITIES | 4 |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Bacc Core: Contemporary Global Issues | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HSTS 417 | *HISTORY OF MEDICINE | 4 |
| Upper-Division Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 180-181 | |