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Application Deadline

  • Spring: December 8
  • Summer: April 12 (early sessions)
  • Fall: July 19

Class Begins

  • Spring: January 6, 2025
  • Summer: May 5, 2025 (early sessions)
  • Fall: August 19, 2024

Degree Awarded

Bachelor of Arts
in Humanities

WSU College

College of Arts and Sciences

A Degree Designed for You

There is a whole wide world of knowledge out there, just waiting to be explored. If you would like to have the freedom to discover a diverse range of fascinating fields and disciplines in the humanities, liberal arts and social sciences, a humanities degree might be the right option for you. 

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Why Major in Humanities?

The humanities are comprised of multiple disciplines that allow students to consider personal, academic, and career goals, and design a degree program customized to them by integrating two or more of these diverse areas. Students pursuing WSU’s online humanities degree select courses and learn about cultural concepts through literature, art, music, theater, philosophy, history, languages, and linguistics. They develop a unique, customized and integrative degree plan that will focus on their individual values, interests, and aspirations.

Find out more from a Humanities Outstanding Senior!

What You’ll Learn

A degree in humanities develops skills in communication, writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking that lead to a distinctive transdisciplinary outcome. Upon graduation, you can seek employment in areas linked to business, communication, education, human resources, social services, and many others. The degree also opens the door to many graduate and professional programs.

Concentrations are available in the following subjects:

  • Anthropology
  • Arts
  • Communication
  • Comparative Ethnic Studies
  • Digital Technology and Cultures (DTC)
  • English
  • Foreign Languages and Cultures
  • History
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Infographic: Humanities degree.
Note: All career statistics come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

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WSU Online Humanities Degree Strengths

  • Play a major role in designing your own degree.
  • Choose from multiple concentration areas and study what interests you.
  • Gain valuable knowledge and marketable skills that can open the door for a wide variety of jobs and careers fields after you graduate.
  • Learn from experienced and highly-qualified faculty members from WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Program of Study

All courses are available online

All WSU undergraduates must complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE). These can generally be satisfied with a direct transfer degree. For a list of direct-transfer agreements, visit WSU’s Transferring an Associate Degree page.

Humanities students have two options; their program of study can include two (PLAN A) or three (PLAN B) different concentrations.

Two Concentrations

Primary Concentration

24 semester credits in one Humanities discipline

At least 15 credits must be upper division (300-400 level).

Plan A primary concentration areas

  • Anthropology
  • Communication
  • English
  • History
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Secondary Concentration

15 semester credits in any Humanities discipline

All 15 credits must be concentrated within one Humanities discipline and at least six of these credits must be upper-division (300-400 level).

Three Areas of Concentration

A minimum of 21 semester credits for all concentrations and electives must be upper division (300-400 level).

Concentration 1

9 semester credits in one Humanities discipline

Concentration 2

9 semester credits in a second Humanities discipline

Concentration 3

9 semester credits in a third Humanities discipline

Elective Credits

12 semester credits in Humanities disciplines

Plan B primary concentration areas

  • Anthropology
  • Arts
  • Communication
  • Comparative Ethnic Studies
  • Digital Technology and Cultures (DTC)
  • English
  • Foreign Language and Cultures
  • History
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

All students, including community college transfer students with an approved transferable AA degree from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona or Hawaii, or students pursuing a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences, will be held to the following additional requirements:

  • Foreign Language: Complete 2 years of high school or 1 year of college in a single foreign language
  • Complete an Equity and Justice [EQJS] designated course
  • Additional 1 lab credit of [BSCI], [PSCI] for a total of 8 semester credits and 2 labs.

Please review the online WSU Catalog for additional information about specific degree requirements.

Related Certificate

Global Campus offers this related undergraduate certificate program that you can consider pairing with your Humanities degree.