Academic Programs Catalog

This interdisciplinary major provides RCAH students the opportunity to live and learn together in Snyder-Phillips Hall, a historic building on the MSU north campus. From this home base, students have the benefit of being part of a residential academic program while also having the diverse resources of one of the nation’s most distinguished public research universities available to them. The major mobilizes the arts and humanities through a wide range of programming to create collaborative, community engaged methods for addressing the complex societal problems facing our local and global communities and to reimagine and build a more inclusive and sustainable world. RCAH provides abundant opportunities for learning and hands-on training outside the classroom, in settings that include the RCAH Poetry Center, the LookOut! Art Gallery, the RCAH Theatre, and the Language and Media Center.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Arts and Humanities

1. The University requirements for bachelor’s degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in the Arts and Humanities.
   
   The completion of  RCAH 111 referenced in item 2. a. below satisfies the University’s Tier I writing requirement.
   
   The University’s Tier II writing requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree in the Arts and Humanities is met by completing RCAH 492. That course is referenced in item 2. g. below.
   
   The completion of IAH 207R and IAH 231R referenced in item 2. a. below satisfies the University’s Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities requirement.
   
   The completion of at least 30 credits in courses at the 300-level or above, which may include courses from items 2.d., 2.e., and 2.f. below.
2. The following requirements:

   a.	All of the following courses (32 credits):
   	IAH	207R	The Presence of the Past (D)						4
   	IAH	231R	Themes and Issues: Transcultural Relations (I)						4
   	RCAH	111	Writing in Transcultural Contexts						4
   	RCAH	112	Writing, Research and Technologies						4
   	RCAH	150	Introduction to the Arts and Humanities						4
   	RCAH	215	Introduction to Theory and Methods in the Arts						4
   	RCAH	225	Introduction to Community Engagement						4
   	RCAH	235	Foundations of Language and Culture Studies						4
   b.	Complete one of the following pathways (10 credits):
   	Arts Pathway
   	The following course:
   	RCAH	315	Methods in the Arts						4
   	Two enrollments in the following course:
   	RCAH	316	Topics in the Arts Community Engagement Pathway						6
   	The following course:
   	RCAH	325	Methods in Community Engagement						4
   	Two enrollments in the following course:
   	RCAH	326	Topics in Community Engagement Language and Culture Pathway						6
   	The following course:
   	RCAH	335	Methods in Language and Culture						4
   	Two enrollments in the following course:
   	RCAH	336	Topics in Language and Culture						6
   	Humanities Pathway
   	The following course:
   	RCAH	345	Methods in the Humanities						4
   	Two enrollments in the following course:
   	RCAH	346	Topics in Humanities						6
   c.	Complete 6 to 8 credits in any of the following courses not used to fulfill item b.:
   	RCAH	315	Methods in the Arts						4
   	RCAH	316	Topics in the Arts						3
   	RCAH	325	Methods in Community Engagement						4
   	RCAH	326	Topics in Community Engagement						3
   	RCAH	335	Methods in Language and Culture						4
   	RCAH	336	Topics in Language and Culture						3
   	RCAH	345	Methods in the Humanities						4
   	RCAH	346	Topics in Humanities						3
   d.	A minimum of 15 credits at the 300-level or above taken outside of RCAH chosen in consultation with the student’s academic advisor.
   e.	Completion of a minimum 50-hour volunteer or paid experiential learning opportunity. This requirement can be satisfied with one of the following options in the junior or senior year.
   	(1)	An approved internship
   	(2)	An approved undergraduate research, creative, or community engagement project directed by a faculty member through enrollment in RCAH 450 (1 to 4 credits)
   	(3)	An approved study abroad/study away with at least one course at the 300-400 level.
   f.	Completion of the language and cultural studies requirement.
   	a.	For students entering RCAH before Fall 2027, this requirement is met by completing one of the following two options:
   		(1)	Participate in an approved language-intensive study abroad program
   		(2)	Complete one of the following combinations of language and cultural studies courses:
   			(a)	Complete 2 years of language courses in no more than two languages and complete one of the approved cultural courses from the list maintained by the student's academic advisor.
   			(b)	Complete 1 year of language courses in a single language and three of the approved cultural courses from the list maintained by the student's academic advisor.
   			(c)	Complete a minor in one of the approved area studies programs as approved by the student's academic advisor.
   	b.	For students entering RCAH Fall 2027 and later, this requirement is met by completion of second–year competency in a foreign language which is more closely aligned with the language requirement in the College of Arts and Letters.
   g.	The following capstone course (4 credits):
   	RCAH	492	Senior Seminar (W)						4