Undergraduate students entering in Fall 2019 or beyond, regardless of their major, must have an area of focus in their HASS studies that is accomplished by completing an approved 12-credit depth concentration, known as the HASS Integrative Pathways. Some students will satisfy a modified version of this requirement. Details about these exceptions can be found below.
The complete list of pathway titles, descriptions, and associated courses can be found here. Information about compatible minors can also be found on this page.
Students may switch pathways as long as it is feasible to complete the requirements of the new pathway before graduation. Students should work with their advisors to ensure timely completion of the pathway requirement.
Students who are considering switching pathways may find it useful to consult this page showing possible pathways that begin from each HASS Inquiry course.
Students who are considering switching pathways may find that they are unable to satisfy any of the Course 1 options for the new pathway (e.g., if all of the Course 1 options are HASS Inquiry courses, and the student already took a different HASS Inquiry course). In such cases, the student may still be able to follow the new pathway if it includes a “non-HI gateway course”. These courses offer an alternative entry point into a pathway for students who cannot take any of the Course 1 options. If a student enters a pathway through a non-HI gateway course, he or she must take 8 additional credits (for a total of 12) to complete the pathway.
Note: These guidelines apply to first-year students only. The guidelines for transfer students can be found below.
Courses that transfer in as named courses that are part of a pathway will be counted toward the pathway requirement. Courses that transfer in as HASS electives may be eligible to count toward a pathway only if the topic matches. Requests for approval will be reviewed by the Associate Dean of HASS.
For first-year students, a maximum of 8 credits from AP courses and transfer courses combined can be applied toward a pathway.
Students who wish to apply transfer credits toward a pathway should keep in mind that the pathway requirement is specified in terms of number of credits (12), not number of courses. If a 3-credit transfer course is applied toward a pathway, the student must take an additional 9 credits within that pathway to satisfy the requirement.
First-year students who enter with sophomore status based on AP and/or transfer credits must follow the new HASS Core as outlined in the catalog.