Human Dimensions of Organizations, Bachelor of Arts
Program Overview
A degree in the Human Dimensions of Organizations (HDO) teaches students to use the disciplines of the liberal arts – the humanities and the social/behavioral sciences – to understand workplace interactions and how organizations can best serve their employees, customers, and clients. This major is intended for students who envision themselves solving human-centered problems in organizations including business, government, nonprofits, and the military. Career paths from HDO include human resources, people management, nonprofit leadership, project management, and government service, among others. Disciplines in the liberal arts have always taught critical thinking skills and effective communication, which are crucial to success in organizations. These disciplines also provide a deeper understanding of culture, motivation and behavior, group dynamics, and individual psychology.
Specific graduation requirements for this program beyond university bachelor's degree requirements.
A student graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Dimensions of Organizations (HDO), is required to demonstrate proficiency (beginning, intermediate or advanced) in a foreign language. Proficiency can be demonstrated by:
- Earning 6 credits of foreign language through successful completion of coursework
- Earning 6 credits through a foreign language college credit exam (e.g., AP, CLEP, International Baccalaureate)
- Demonstrating proficiency by meeting the WebCAPE scores approved by the Department of Writing and Language Studies
- Demonstrating proficiency by an exam approved by the Department of Writing and Language Studies
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
Major Requirements - 30 hours
Required Courses - 9 hours
| HDOS 2301 | Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Organizations | 3 |
| HDOS 3320 | Multidisciplinary Methods for Exploring Organizations | 3 |
| HDOS 3379 | Applying the Human Dimensions of Organizations | 3 |
Prescribed Electives - 21 hours
Students must take 21 credit hours across the four categories below. Students must complete at least 3 credit hours for a total of 12 credit hours. The remaining 9 credit hours may be taken from any of the four categories. Students cannot exceed 12 credit hours in a single category. A minimum of 6 credit hours must be at the advanced level.
Quantitative Reasoning: 3 to 12 hours
Choose from:
| CRIJ 3305 | Statistical Applications in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| ENGL 3361 | Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics | 3 |
| ENST 1301 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 |
| PHIL 1340 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| POLS 2470 | Introduction to Political Science Research | 4 |
| PSYC 3325 | Research Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC 3343 | Tests and Measurements in Psychology | 3 |
| SOCI 3301 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
Qualitative Reasoning: 3 to 12 hours
Choose from:
Creativity and Innovation: 3 to 12 hours
Choose from:
Culture and Communication: 3 to 12 hours
Choose from:
Free Electives - 48 hours
Free elective credit hours at the advanced level may be needed to achieve the institutional minimum of 42 advanced hours.
Total Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.