PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University’s Global Campus is launching three new online minors: American Indian Studies, Film Studies and Hospitality Business Management. The first two will be available beginning this spring. The hospitality minor will be available this fall.
“The new online American Indian Studies minor will help students expand their knowledge, abilities and interests in Native American history, culture, politics and contemporary issues,” said WSU Professor Michael Holloman, who helped create the program. “It will also benefit anyone in a profession that involves interaction with tribal communities, enterprises and business partners.”
The minor requires 18 credits, or six courses: Three core courses and three electives from a variety of related areas.
The Film Studies minor explores how cinema both reflects and influences the facts, ideas, and activities of any given society, said Ana María Rodríguez-Vivaldi, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and a professor of Spanish and Film Studies.
“The study of film encourages critical thinking, and bring us to an understanding of cultural diversity, using it as a text of facts and ideas,” she said. With film production rising in Washington state, she said, the minor also has a career benefit: “The industry is becoming a new source for jobs in many fields, including students majoring in business, psychology, humanities, and social sciences.”
The Film Studies minor also requires 18 credits, or six courses, with three core courses and three from a list of related electives, and allows for an internship component.
The Hospitality Business Management minor offers practical skills for anyone seeking to launch or advance a career in the hospitality industry. Courses range from accounting to culinary management to international tourism, and are taught by WSU faculty who have a wealth of real-life industry experience.
WSU’s hospitality business program was established in 1932, making it the third oldest in the country, said Professor Nancy Swanger, director of the School of Hospitality Business Management. The coursework provides skills not only for the rapidly growing hospitality business, she said, but also for a wide variety of other industries.
The HBM minor requires 19 credits, with one required three-credit course, one required 1-credit course and five electives. Students minoring in HBM must also earn 400 hours of paid internship or industry experience.
For more information on these minors, please go to http://online.wsu.edu/undergrad/formalMinors.aspx.
Contact:
Richard H. Miller, senior marketing communications coordinator, WSU Global Campus, 509-335-5711, millerr@wsu.edu