Interdisciplinary Humanities (I HUM)

Click here for program requirements as listed in Penn State's Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin.

This major helps students appreciate, understand, and interpret relationships among the arts, ideas, media, and values that have shaped Western and world cultures. Students are expected to be active learners who can synthesize, interpret, and communicate knowledge and experience through writing, speaking, and creative expression in a variety of media. The School of Humanities helps students meet these goals by offering a range of interdisciplinary and discipline-based courses in the arts, art history, communication studies, English, history, literature, music, philosophy, religious studies, theatre, and writing.

For a B.HUM. degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities, a minimum of 120 credits is required.

Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Humanities

Career Opportunities

The Interdisciplinary Humanities major at Penn State Harrisburg provides the opportunity for a student interested in a broad-based liberal arts education to create an academic program to fit individual interests, abilities, and career or education plans. The program encourages a strong student/faculty partnership in planning a student’s curriculum. Further, the program encourages internships, focused concentration of electives, and involvement in student organizations as invaluable assets to a student’s educational planning. With these tools and an understanding of their career goals, graduates of the Interdisciplinary Humanities program can explore diverse opportunities in today’s career world. Career paths may include teaching, corporate communications, media, arts management, advertising, marketing and sales, social service agencies, law, government, business, and nonprofit agencies.

Related Job Titles

The following list has been developed to provide examples of the opportunities available in today’s career market for graduates of the Interdisciplinary Humanities program. It is not an exhaustive list, but can be used as an initial source of reference. Positions include: Account Executive, Alumni Relations Coordinator, Civic Affairs Representative, Communications Specialist, Community Affairs Coordinator, Community Relations Specialist, Consumer Affairs Coordinator, Copy Editor, Director of Development or Fund-Raising, Editor, Event Coordinator, Human Services Worker, Library Aide, Lobbyist, Patient Advocate, Public Relations Writer, Sales or Sales Management, Social Work Assistant, Technical Writer, Vocational Counselor, Volunteer Coordinator, and Writer.

Graduate School

The Interdisciplinary Humanities program will provide preparation for students planning to continue their education. Advanced academic degrees are necessary to advance in the fields of law, medicine, ministry, psychiatry, and college or university-level teaching. It is recommended that students seek the advice of their faculty adviser to plan in advance for graduate or professional school entrance requirements.

Internships

Humanities undergraduate internships are linked directly to the school’s instructional programs and provide opportunities for students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a typical workplace. Internships can be approved for a varying amount of credits (1-6) based on the number and sophistication of the tasks a student will perform, the extent to which the internship will foster independent effort, and the specific outcomes of the experience. Prospective interns should apply 3 to 6 months before they expect to participate. Additional information can be obtained from the School of Humanities office.

Job Outlook

The employment outlook for the well-qualified and prepared Interdisciplinary Humanities graduate will be good through 2006. Human services, law, teaching, business management, corporate communications, government, and nonprofit management are fields which are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2006.