Humanities, Social Sciences, and Writing Requirements

You need at least 18 credit hours in humanities, social sciences, and writing in order to graduate from one of the College's 14 Bachelor of Science degree programs (the Computer Science Bachelor of Arts degree follows a different General Education Curriculum).  Some degree programs require more credit hours in this area.  You can learn more about the courses below, including course descriptions and prerequisites, in the University Catalog.  Pre-Fall 2018 HSS/Writing requirements may be found here.

The following minimum requirements apply:

A. Writing: 3 credit hours. Choose one of the following:

• ENES 1010 (first-year engineering students only)
• ENES 2843 Special Topics [AI, Writing and Inquiry] topic only for fall 2025 + spring 2026
• ENES 2010 AI, Writing, and Inquiry
• ENES 3100, ENLP 3100, WRTG 3030, WRTG 3035, or PHYS 3050
• ONLY this specific topical Global Seminar of WRTG 3020 [Irish Odysseys or Writing in Ireland] may apply as a writing course or as HSS course (but not both); no other topics of WRTG 3020 are approved for the writing requirement

B. Humanities and Social Sciences: 15 credit hours of approved courses, of which 6 must be at the upper-division level (3000 or higher).

Explanation of Categories on the Approved H&SS Course List

Courses approved for the H&SS requirement have the class attribute of Engineering & Applied Science General Education: Humanities & Social Science in the Class Search. Class Search Tips 

This includes the following categories.

• The Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society teaches H&SS courses designed especially for engineers, and all Herbst courses are approved for H&SS credit.
• All Engineering Leadership Program courses (with course prefix of ENLP) are approved for H&SS credit.
• All Engineering Honors Program courses (with course prefix of EHON) are approved for H&SS credit.
• Foreign Language. All foreign language courses at the 1000- and 2000- levels are approved. The college encourages students to pursue the study of a new language. However, students should NOT enroll in courses for which they have already mastered the material.  If students have earned AP/IB credit and choose to reenroll in the same coursework to solidify their foundational knowledge (and are allowed to do so by the course instructor), the subsequent enrollment will override the previously earned credit.  The reenrollment may cause loss of any earned post-requisite foreign language credit, in which case the student's academic advisor can contact the Registrar's Degree Audit Office to request an adjustment to restore the post-requisite credit.
• First-Year Seminar Courses. Some First-Year Seminars (FYSM) will apply as lower division Humanities & Social Science credit for the College of Engineering. Consult this list to see which FYSM courses are approved.
• College of Arts & Sciences General Education Courses: Any course included in the A&S General Education categories of:
  • Arts & Humanities
  • Social Sciences
• Any other course specifically approved for all students by the Undergraduate Education Council of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The following courses are so approved:

• Up to one credit hour of COEN 1510 is also approved.

Strategies for Fulfilling H&SS Requirements

In choosing your H&SS electives, try to envision a coherent plan that combines both breadth and depth. Avoid accumulating a host of unrelated and/or introductory courses. There are many useful and reasonable ways to combine H&SS courses, but you need to think first about your particular interests and needs. A few organizing strategies:

• Concentrate your courses in a single department, such as History, Philosophy, Political Science, or a Foreign Language. This sort of grouping may enable you to declare a minor field or earn a certificate; requirements vary by department.
• Create an international focus to your degree by declaring the Global Engineering Minor.  A number of the globally- and regionally-focused courses within the minor also count towards humanities and social science requirements.
• Consider earning the Engineering, Ethics & Society Certificate to engage in contemporary issues regarding the promotion, use, and possible risks of engineering and applied science.
• Consider courses in the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics & Society, which offers H&SS classes that are designed specifically for Engineering students. The Herbst Program's small classes provide an excellent opportunity for you to interact closely with faculty and with fellow students, and to boost your writing, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning skills. Each semester Herbst offers upper- and lower-division H&SS courses with no prerequisites.
  • In addition to its regular first-year and junior/senior seminars (ENES 1010 and ENES 3100), Herbst frequently offers a variety of special interest classes, such as  A Global State of Mind for Effective Engineering Practice, Modern Science & the Technological Society, Ethics of Genetic Engineering, and The Meaning of Information Technology, as well as Global Seminars and Global Intensives to Italy and Austria.
  • Herbst’s popular small discussion seminars, ENES 1010: Engineering, Ethics & Society and ENES 3100: EES Seminar each fulfill the college writing requirement (or alternatively may be used as H&SS classes).