When the data is all being spit out for you, options are being spit out for you, you need a different perspective in order to have a different view of the data, one that a 'free thinker' from the liberal arts can deliver.
Mark Cuban,
Entrepreneur, Investor, Producer, and TV Personality
All students must enroll in the two foundational courses and then choose at least two classes in a specific pathway to complete the certificate.
Foundational/Required Courses
HUM 101 (GH/IL) /Transformative Texts I (Antiquity to Modern Times)
Students will read texts from a variety of humanities disciplines alongside appropriate historical context to learn how ideas transformed, and were transformed, by social, economic, political, and historical events and institutions. The course supports open dialogue and critical engagement among students and faculty, to promote curiosity, reflexivity, and mindfulness, while cultivating the spirit of life-long learning.
HUM 102 (GH/US)/Transformative Texts II (Modern Times to the Present)
This second course of the Keystone sequence explores critical issues from the modern era through texts and visual materials. The course supports open dialogue and critical engagement among students and faculty, to promote curiosity, reflexivity, and mindfulness, while cultivating the spirit of life-long learning. Students will also learn how issues of intersectionality, history, interculturalism, global perspectives, democratic and ethical decision making, and many other areas covered in the humanities will make them better citizens at work and in their local, national, and global communities.
Pathway Options
The lists below are a digest of courses available to satisfy the Keystone Certificate credit requirement in several pathways. For full course descriptions, visit the Penn State Bulletin.
Conflict and Justice
- AFAM/WMNST 101N: African-American Women
- AFAM/INART 126N: History of Hip-Hop
- AMST 100: Introduction to American Studies
- AMST 226N: Critical Approaches to Hip-Hop
- ANTH 45N: Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives
- ART/ENGL/WMNST 225N: Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture
- ARTH/HIST 292N: Witches and Witchcraft from the Middle Ages to the Present
- CAS 222N/AYFCE 211N/CIVCOM211N: Civic and Community Engagement
- CAS 232N: Identity, Citizenship, and the Rhetoric of the American Horror Film
- CAS 271N: Intercultural Communication
- CMLIT 11: The Hero in World Literature
- CRIMJ/HIST 159: History of the FBI
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- EARTH 155N: Science Controversies and Public Debate
- ENGL/AMST 135: Alternative Voices in Literature
- ENGL 182C: Literature and Empire
- ENGL/WMNST 194: Women Writers
- ENGL 228: Introduction to Disability Studies in Humanities
- HIST/SOC/WMNST 116N: Family and Sex Roles in Modern History
- HIST/JST 121: History of the Holocaust 1933–1945
- HIST/AMST 150: America in the 1960s: An Introduction
- IST/ COMM 234N: Digital Cultures
- METEO/PHIL/RLST 133N: Ethics of Climate Change
- PHIL 10: Critical Thinking
- PHIL 103: Ethics
- PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership
- PHIL/BIOET 132: Bioethics
- RLST 1: Introduction to World Religions
- RLST 101: Comparative Religions
- RLST 107: Introduction to Islam
- SOC 119N: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- SOC/CRIMJ/EDUC 205N: Critical Race Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences
- WMNST/HIST 117: Women in U.S. History
- WMNST/ENGL 194: Women Writers
Culture and Globalization
- AFAM/WMNST 101N: African-American Women
- AFAM/INART 126N: History of Hip-Hop
- ANTH 220: Anthropology and Artifacts
- ANTH 45N: Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives
- ARTH/HIST 292N: Witches and Witchcraft From the Middle Ages to the Present
- ASIA/HIST 182: Asian Trade, Economy, Industry and Capitalism in Asia
- CAS 222N/AYFCE 211N/CIVCOM211N: Civic and Community Engagement
- CAS 271N: Intercultural Communication
- CMLIT 10: World Literature
- CMLIT 11: The Hero in World Literature
- CMLIT 153: International Culture: Film and Literature
- CMLIT 3: Introduction to African Literature
- CMLIT/ASIA 4: Introduction to Asian Literature
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- EARTH 155N: Science Controversies and Public Debate
- ENGL/AMST 135: Alternative Voices in Literature
- ENGL 182C: Literature and Empire
- ENGL 228: Introduction to Disability Studies in Humanities
- FR 139: France and the French Speaking World
- HIST 1: Western Civilization I
- HIST/SOC/WMNST 116N: Family and Sex Roles in Modern History
- HIST 120: History of Modern Europe Since 1789
- HIST/JST 121: History of the Holocaust 1933–1945
- HIST 179: Latin American History Since 1820
- HIST/JST 181: Introduction to the Middle East
- HIST/AFR 191: Early African History
- HIST/AFR 192: Modern African History
- HIST 2: Western Civilization II
- HIST 20: American Civilization to 1877
- HIST 21: American Civilization Since 1877
- IST/COMM 234N: Digital Cultures
- KINES 341: Historical, Cultural, and Social Dynamics of Sport
- LA 135: College, Work, and Citizenship in the 21st Century
- METEO/PHIL/RLST 133N: Ethics of Climate Change
- PHIL 10: Critical Thinking
- PHIL 103: Ethics
- PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership
- PHIL/BIOET 132: Bioethics
- RLST 1: Introduction to World Religions
- RLST 101: Comparative Religions
- RLST 107: Introduction to Islam
- SC 120N: Plants, Places, and People
- SOC 119N: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- SOC/CRIMJ/EDUC 205N: Critical Race Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences
- WMNST/ENGL 194: Women Writers
Environment and Sustainability
- ANTH 220: Anthropology and Artifacts
- ANTH 45N: Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives
- CAS 222N/AYFCE 211N/CIVCOM211N: Civic and Community Engagement
- CAS 232N: Identity, Citizenship, and the Rhetoric of the American Horror Film
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- EARTH 155N: Science Controversies and Public Debate
- HIST 109: Introduction to U.S. Environmental History
- HIST 111: Introduction to U.S. Food History
- HIST/AMST 150: America in the 1960s: An Introduction
- IST/COMM 234N: Digital Cultures
- METEO/PHIL/RLST 133N: Ethics of Climate Change
- PHIL 10: Critical Thinking
- PHIL 103: Ethics
- PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership
- PHIL/BIOET 132: Bioethics
- SC 120N: Plants, Places, and People
- SC/CMLIT 183Q: From Beast Books to Resurrecting Dinosaurs
- STS/PHIL 233Z: Ethics and the Design of Technology
Healthcare and Medicine
- ANTH 45N: Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives
- ART/WMNST 207N: LGBTQ+ Identity, Culture, and Arts
- ART/ENGL/WMNST 225N: Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture
- CAS 162N: Communicating Care
- CAS 253: Health Communication
- CAS 271N: Intercultural Communication
- CAS 453: Health Communication Theory and Research
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- EARTH 155N: Science Controversies and Public Debate
- ENGL 228: Introduction to Disability Studies in Humanities
- ENGR 320Y: Design for a Global Society
- HIST 109: Intro to U.S. Environmental History
- HIST 111: Intro to U.S. Food History
- METEO/PHIL/RLST 133N: Ethics of Climate Change
- PHIL/BIOET 132: Bioethics
- SOC/CRIMJ/EDUC 205N: Critical Race Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Management and Organizations
- AFAM/WMNST 101N: African-American Women
- ASIA/HIST 182: Asian Trade, Economy, Industry and Capitalism in Asia
- CAS 101N: Introduction to Human Communication
- CAS 271N: Intercultural Communication
- CAS 311: Methods of Rhetorical Criticism
- CAS 452W: Organizational Communication Theory and Research
- CMLIT 11: The Hero in World Literature
- CRIMJ/HIST 159: History of the FBI
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- ENGL/AMST 135: Alternative Voices in Literature
- ENGL 182C: Literature and Empire
- ENGL/WMNST 194: Women Writers
- ENGL 228: Introduction to Disability Studies in Humanities
- FR 139: France and the French Speaking World
- HIST 111: Introduction to U.S. Food History
- IST/COMM 234N: Digital Cultures
- PHIL 10: Critical Thinking
- PHIL 103: Ethics
- PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership
- SOC 119N: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- SOC/CRIMJ/EDUC 205N: Critical Race Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences
- WMNST/HIST 117: Women in U.S. History
Science and Technology
- AFAM/WMNST 101N: African American Women
- ANTH 45N: Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives
- ART/ENGL/WMNST 225N: Sexuality and Modern Visual Culture
- ARTH/HIST 292N: Witches and Witchcraft From the Middle Ages to Present
- CAS 101N: Introduction to Human Communication
- CAS 162N: Communicating Care
- CAS 232N: Identity, Citizenship, and the Rhetoric of the American Horror Film
- CAS 271N: Intercultural Communication
- CRIMJ/HIST 159: History of the FBI
- DIGIT 100: Introduction to Digital Humanities
- EARTH 155N: Science Controversies and Public Debate
- ENGL 182C: Literature and Empire
- ENGL 228: Introduction to Disability Studies in Humanities
- HIST 1: Western Civilization I
- HIST 109: Introduction to U.S. Environmental History
- HIST 111: Introduction to U.S. Food History
- HIST/JST 121: History of the Holocaust 1933–1945
- HIST 2: Western Civilization II
- METEO/PHIL/RLST 133N: Ethics of Climate Change
- PHIL 10: Critical Thinking
- PHIL 103: Ethics
- PHIL 119: Ethical Leadership
- PHIL/BIOET 132: Bioethics
- SCS 120N: Plants, Places, and People
- SC/CMLIT 183Q: From Beast Books to Resurrecting Dinosaurs
- SOC 119N: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
- SOC/CRIMJ/EDUC 205N: Critical Race Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences
- STS/PHIL 233Z: Ethics and the Design of Technology