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The College of Arts and Sciences has launched five new undergraduate majors, all of which incorporate emerging trends and issues into carefully designed, interdisciplinary academic programming.

“The College of Arts and Sciences is a community of excellence that equips our students to follow any path, and we adapt to the ever-evolving global landscape and job market to ensure we’re supporting them along the way,” says Janet Box-Steffensmeier, interim executive dean and vice provost. “These five new undergraduate majors converge disciplines in innovative, exciting ways, preparing students to be competitive in their careers and pursuit of advanced study.”

INTEGRATED MAJOR IN MATH AND ENGLISH (BS)

The Integrated Major in Math and English (IMME) is a unique and innovative program that combines the knowledge, precision and analytical skills acquired through the Department of Mathematics with the reading, writing, composition methods and information-processing taught in the Department of English. IMME offers four math-focused concentrations (actuarial/finance, applied mathematics, math education and theoretical mathematics).

Students who graduate from the IMME program will be well-equipped to pursue graduate studies in areas such as law, medicine, business and education, as well as careers in banking, insurance, marketing, nonprofit management and other fields that require both mathematical awareness and strong communication skills.

ITALIAN STUDIES (BA)

While the Italian Studies major requires nine hours of courses taught in Italian, the program is not necessarily for students who are interested in advanced language proficiency. Instead it provides comprehensive understanding of Italian literature, history, society and culture to enhance students’ understanding of global diversity.

The major is housed in the Department of French and Italian and offers a selection of courses from the departments of Classics, English, History, History of Art, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Music, as well as the Knowlton School of Architecture. The overlap of course requirements with classics, English, history and history of art facilitates double majoring.

MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (BA, BS)

Students can earn either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science through the new Medical Anthropology major, offered by the Department of Anthropology. The program draws upon biological and sociocultural anthropology to understand human health and well-being, taking into consideration human evolutionary history, as well as the cultural, economic and political contexts of individual and societal health.

Students pursuing this major will develop the skills to tackle some of the most pressing national and global health challenges, and go on to pursue graduate education and/or careers in medicine, nursing, social work, public health, health policy and other social sciences with a health focus. While not listed as an option on the 2019 application, autumn 2019 incoming students may switch into the Medical Anthropology major upon admission.

PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS (BA)

The Departments of Philosophy, Political Science and Economics have teamed up, along with the Center for Ethics and Human Values and Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability, to offer a bachelor of arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), which will train students to think across traditional boundaries. The PPE major includes training in all three core disciplines, enabling students to study the forces and institutions that shape the modern world from more than one perspective.

Students also pursue one of four concentrations within the major (choice and behavior; global cooperation and conflict; justice and moral reasoning; or law, policy and governance). This integrative, yet focused approach will prepare students for careers in law, public policy, public service, business, education and journalism, just to name a few. While not listed as an option on the 2019 application, autumn 2019 incoming students may switch into the PPE major upon admission.

STATISTICS (BS)

Previously only available as a minor, the new statistics major encompasses coursework in the Department of Statistics and Department of Mathematics, preparing students to understand the design, collection, assessment and curation of data and how to apply these concepts to formal statistical models.

Statistics, the science of decision making under uncertainty, is one of the fastest growing professions in the nation, and students in Ohio State’s statistics program will develop computational and numerical skills that are applicable in fields such as business, agriculture, education, science and engineering, finance, medicine and the social sciences.

In June of 2019, the college announced a sixth new major.

SOCIOLOGY (BS)

Joining an elite group of only four other Big Ten universities offering a Bachelor of Science in sociology, this new course of study in the Department of Sociology positions Ohio State as a leader in this rigorous, research-focused major. While a BA in sociology is already offered, the BS option is more intensive and rigorous in its methodological training, as well as more research-focused. Tapping into the deep well of faculty expertise and robust resources at Ohio State and in the College of Arts and Sciences, the degree will allow students to become well-versed in both the substantive and methodological foundations necessary to leverage data, research and curiosity to investigate the world.