The humanities program at USI gives students the opportunity to explore the human side of business and medicine through two applied minors. Situated in the Department of English, the program draws on the power of language, literature, and culture to help students sharpen skills like critical thinking, ethical reasoning, research, and communication. At its core, the program is about empathy and perspective: learning to see the world through different eyes and using that understanding as a foundation for leadership, innovation, and care.
This minor is a great addition to a degree in accounting, business administration, economics, finance, management or marketing. Studying business humanities, which intersect areas like culture, ethics, global studies, and psychology, helps students develop important skills like research, analysis, critical thinking, cross-cultural competence, empathy and imagination. Through learning and practicing these important skills, students will become more thoughtful, creative and human-centered citizens and future employees.
Required (6 hours): HUM 203 Introduction to Humanities and HUM 303 Business Humanities (both courses fulfill Core requirements)
Electives (12 hours): Options include GLST 101 Introduction to Global Studies, WLC 155 Cultural Awareness, PHIL 201 Introduction to Ethics, PSY 273 Social Psychology, POLS 363 Public Organizational Behavior, and PSY 376 Industrial Psychology
This minor is a great addition to a degree in health services, nursing, or radiologic/imaging sciences or pre-professional programs like pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy or pre-physical therapy. Studying the medical humanities, an interdisciplinary field that intersects areas like literature, ethics, and culture, helps future healthcare providers become effective listeners, observers and interpreters. Research also shows that professional school programs (like those in medicine and dentistry) seek well-rounded applicants who have empathy and strong communication skills, and the medical humanities help students develop and practice these important skills.
Required (6 hours): HUM 203 Introduction to Humanities and HUM 304 MedicalHumanities (both courses fulfill Core requirements)
Electives (12 hours): Options include WLC 155 Cultural Awareness, PHIL 201Introduction to Ethics, GERO 215 Introduction to Global Aging and Healthcare, GNDR 222 The Body in Art and Culture, CMST 327 Communication and Healthcare, SOC 343 Death, Dying, and Bereavement (cross-listed with GERO343), and IPH 356 Ethics and Healthcare in a Pluralistic Society
There are no major programs offered in humanities. Humanities courses fulfill requirements of the University Core 39 Curriculum.
See the Undergraduate Bulletin for Humanities courses and descriptions.
Education for Life
Courses in humanities at the University of Southern Indiana are designed to impart an understanding of some of the major ideas and creative work of world culture. Students learn to recognize and respond to the strengths and shortcomings of various humanistic traditions and appreciate the diverse voices that have shaped them.
Humanities courses seek to:
