The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences embraces the teaching, research, creative activities and service objectives of NDSU's land grant mission, and the needs of a diverse constituency. The college is committed to:

• Providing its students with the highest quality of preparation in an atmosphere that promotes intellectual rigor, critical inquiry, citizenship, and creative decision-making requisite for personal growth and professional success.
• Encouraging in its faculty exemplary scholarship of teaching, research, and service, leading to significant publications, creative work and performances.
• Invigorating the tradition of outreach through enriching performance, presentation, and cultural understanding. In its vision to realize human potential and achievements, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is guided by the qualities of creativity, ethical integrity, and mutual respect.

Degree Programs

B.A. or B.S. Degree Programs

Students seeking a broad educational background may choose to complete requirements for either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Majors available for either degree include the following:

• Agricultural Communication
• Anthropology
• Architecture
• Art
• Criminal Justice
• Emergency Management
• English
• French
• Health Communication
• History
• Journalism
• Landscape Architecture
• Management Communication
• Music
  • Music Education
• New Media and Web Design
• Philosophy-Humanities
• Political Science
  • Pre-Law Emphasis
  • Public Service Option
• Public History
• Public Relations and Advertising
• Social Science
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Theatre Arts
• Women and Gender Studies

B.S.Arch. Degree

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture is granted after the fourth year of study in the Architecture program, and typically is earned by students in pursuit of the professional Master of Architecture.

B.F.A. Degree

A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is offered in the disciplines of Theatre Arts and Art.

B.Mus. Degree

A Bachelor of Music degree is available within the School of Music .

Interdisciplinary Programs

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences participates in three interdisciplinary programs on campus. For further information on any of these programs, refer to the Interdisciplinary Programs section of this Bulletin.

Fraud Investigation Minor - Students in this interdisciplinary minor will study the causes of fraud, as well as the detection, investigation, and prevention of fraud.

Gerontology Minor - This program provides students with an integrated understanding of the process of aging, aging services, and the aged in America.

Women and Gender Studies Major and Minor - The goal of Women and Gender Studies is to examine the contributions of all genders to aspects of society, to explore the intersections of race, class, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability with gender both globally and nationally, to investigate the heritage, challenges and concerns of women and men, and to provide a newer and broader understanding of women and men in all fields.

Graduate Degrees

Master’s degrees are offered in Anthropology, Architecture, Emergency Management, English, History, Mass Communication, Music, Political Science, Social Science, Sociology and Speech Communication. Doctoral degrees are offered in Communication, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, English, History, and Music. For more complete details, see the Graduate Bulletin online.

Teacher Certification

Many of the majors available through the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences lead to careers in teaching. Students who are interested in becoming professional educators should refer to the degree program offered through the School of Education. However, a Music Education option is offered under the B.Mus. degree in Music within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. K-12 certification is available in Music Education. Teacher certification at the secondary level is available in the following areas: English, French, History, Social Science, and Spanish.

To meet requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, students interested in teacher education are encouraged to declare a double major in their discipline and in education (i.e. History and History Education). Such double majors may typically be earned by successful completion of a few additional credits. Students should contact their advisers or the Office of Registration and Records for details. Students are encouraged to declare their primary and secondary majors by submitting an online Major Change Form available on the Office of Registration and Records web site.

Degree Requirements

All degree candidates must apply for graduation through the Office of Registration and Records according to university procedures and deadlines.

A minimum of 122 credits of which at least 37 must be at the 300-400 level is required for the B.A. or B.S. degree.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements include proficiency of one foreign language at the second-year college level. Bachelor of Science degree requirements include completion of an approved minor. For more information on how to fulfill to B.A. requirement using a second language, refer to the Academic Policies section of this bulletin.

Students in the college may take courses under the pass/fail option for free elective credits only, with a limit of 16 hours.

See College Requirements for additional information on requirements that satisfy the college requirements. 

Field Experience Courses

1. Departments may adopt either pass/fail or letter grade options for Field Experience/ Internships.
   • Where Field Experience/Internship credits are a requirement of a program, these credits may be graded pass/fail to satisfy requirements for a major.
   • Where Field Experience/Internship credits are not a requirement of a program, up to three credits may be graded pass/fail to satisfy requirements for a major.

Cooperative Education

Cooperative Education , a program of the Career Center, offers undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to integrate classroom study with paid, career related work experience for academic credit. Work may be full- or part time. Credit is awarded directly by the Cooperative Education program. A Cooperative Education experience may substantially improve students’ employment opportunities after graduation. See Career Center for further information.

Right of Petition

Students seeking deviation from any academic rules and regulations administered by the college may appeal in writing to the College's Committee on Student Progress. Pre-Professional Curricula Requirements for admission to most professional academic programs may be met at NDSU. The specific courses taken in a pre-professional program depend primarily upon the admission requirements of the program to which a student wishes to apply.

Pre-Law

Although a baccalaureate degree is a requirement for admission to law school, most law schools do not prescribe a specific undergraduate program. Emphasis is placed on the development of scholarly skills and insights rather than the mastery of a prescribed subject. Thus, the pre-law student may elect the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, selecting a major or minor of special personal interest. For advisement purposes, new applicants to NDSU who indicate Pre-Law enter as Political Science Majors (see Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science ). To attain the necessary breadth of knowledge for successful practice, the student should elect the basic courses in several fields of learning. At the same time the student should avoid an elective program of only single courses in many fields, opting instead for some depth of study in each elected field.