Interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies BA/BS Degree
This creative and flexible interdisciplinary Appalachian Studies degree focuses on the culture, environment, leisure industries, and business entrepreneurship of the region for those students who may wish to remain, work, teach, serve in, or write about the state or region after graduation. While the B.A. in Appalachian Studies is ideally suited for students who may choose to continue graduate studies, pursue a law degree or MAT teaching certification, the B.S. in Appalachian Studies, with its second minor and no language requirement, is appropriate for students moving directly into positions of leadership or professions in the community. Both liberal arts degree tracks have the flexibility to prepare students for problem solving, innovation, understanding the region and the ever-changing and evolving working world of today.
Curriculum for a Bachelor of Arts Major in Appalachian Studies
Required courses, 36-38 + 12 Language Hours: In addition to the 36-38 required APST credits, students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts track in Appalachian Studies must satisfy the B.A. Foreign Language Requirement. Students will take APST Core classes and the required interdisciplinary electives or the alternative Celtic Roots Global Appalachia semester abroad. They must also satisfy the Community Service engagement requirement, as well as the required capstone in their senior year of study. Students choosing the Interdisciplinary BA degree in Appalachian Studies must select one of the discipline specific minors or an approved minor: Aging Studies Minor, Anthropology Minor, Education Minor, Business Administration Minor, Economics Minor, English Minor, Environmental Studies Minor, Entrepreneurship Minor, Innovation Minor, Gender and Women’s Studies Minor, Health and Fitness Minor, History Minor, Hospitality Management Minor, Journalism Minor, Marketing Minor, Nutrition Minor, Recreation and Sport Studies Minor, Sociology Minor, and Political Science Minor.
Appalachian Studies Core Requirements, 24 Hours:
- APST 256 – Appalachian Culture (3 cr)
- APST 309 – West Virginia and the Appalachian Region (3 cr)
- APST 358 – Appalachian Literature (3 cr)
- APST 343 – Appalachian Music and Ethnomusicology (3 cr)
- APST 401 – Appalachia in Time, Place, and People (3cr)
- *APST 430 – Celtic Roots and Global Appalachia (3 cr)
- APST 486 – Appalachian Studies Individual Project-Based Capstone & Presentation (3 cr)
- **APST 476 – Appalachian Studies Practicum or APST 480 Internship (3 cr) or approved Internship
*Writing Intensive Course
**Community Service Requirement for Appalachian Studies Major: Every major must engage in some form of sustained community service; this project can be met through selecting a local or campus community project, engagement through Alternative Spring Break and/or an APST Practicum 476, or through the APST 480 Internship. The project must be approved by the advisor/APST Director.
***Elective Courses, 12-14 Hours
Students will choose no more than two courses from the same discipline:
- ANTH 225 – Introduction to Museum Studies (3 cr)
- ANTH 315 – Cultural Anthropology (3 cr)
- ANTH 370 – American Architectural Heritage (3 cr)
- APST 345 – The Art of Storytelling and Appalachian Folklore (3 cr)
- APST 400 – Seminar in Appalachian Studies (3 cr),
- APST 431 – Appalachian Travel Field Experience (1-3cr)
- APST 476 – Appalachian Studies Practicum (1-3cr)
- BADM 150 – Introduction to Business (3 cr)
- BADM 311 – Exploring Entrepreneurship (3 cr)
- BADM 323 – Human Resources and Business Ethics (3 cr)
- BADM 340 – Principles of Marketing (3 cr)
- BADM 370 – Entrepreneurial Organization and Financing (3 cr)
- BADM 411 – New Venture Creation (3 cr)
- ENGL 371 – Introduction to Creative Writing (3 cr)
- ENGL 471 – Creative Writing: Fiction (3 cr)
- ENGL 472 – Creative Writing: Poetry (3 cr)
- ENGL 473 – Creative Writing: Nonfiction (3 cr)
- ENVS 306 – Environmental Policy (4 cr)
- ENVS 309 – Regional Geology and Geomorphology and Laboratory (4 cr)
- ENVS 322 – Environmental History (3 cr)
- ENVS 323 – Environmental Ethics (3 cr)
- ENVS 324 – Environment in Film (3 cr)
- ENVS 345 – Sustainable Development and Laboratory (4 cr)
- ENVS 390 – Geographic Information Systems (4 cr)
- ENVS 401 – Conservation Ecology (4 cr)
- HIST 300 – Historic Preservation and Interpretation (3 cr)
- HIST 304 – American Civil War and Reconstruction Era (3 cr)
- HIST 305 – History of the Lower Shenandoah Valley (3 cr)
- HIST 308 – The Old South (3 cr)
- HIST 345 – Introduction to Public History (3 cr)
- HPPH 325 – Oral History (3 cr)
- PSCI 300 – State and Local Government (3 cr)
- RECR 125 – Introduction to Tourism (3 cr)
- RECR 140 – Introduction to Leisure Studies (3 cr)
- RECR 343 – 21st-Century Tourism (3 cr)
- RECR 344 – Hospitality (3 cr)
- RECR 370 – Environmental Education (3 cr)
- SOWK 300 – Community Service Learning (3 cr)
- SOWK 301 – Social Welfare as a Social Institution (3 cr)
- SOCI 303 – The Family (3 cr)
- Or Approved Elective by APST Director
***A semester of study abroad at the University of the West of Scotland or at another approved institution in Scotland, Ireland or Wales where Shepherd University has agreements or exchange privileges will suffice for the required electives with approval by Director. APST prefix courses are recognized intrinsically as interdisciplinary in nature.
Curriculum for a Bachelor of Science Major in Appalachian Studies
Required courses, 36-38: Students pursuing the Bachelors of Science track will take APST Core classes and the required interdisciplinary electives or the alternative Celtic Roots Global Appalachia semester abroad. They must also satisfy the Community Service requirement, as well as the required capstone in their senior year of study. In order to enhance employability and personal skill sets, students choosing the interdisciplinary BS track in Appalachian Studies must select two minors; one from each of the two thematic categories below. All minors, however, listed in the student catalogue are available to students upon approval by the APST Board.
Minor Thematic Categories: Students should identify and choose two minors that complement their long-term career goals. Minors are designed to give students a range of interdisciplinary skill sets within these typical liberal arts minors and flexibility in the job market. In choosing the pairing of minors, students must work closely with advisors in APST and in the minor areas chosen to schedule classes efficiently for degree progression. They should also choose from these categories realizing that a key part of their degree—the final capstone project and presentation (APST 486)—will be based on the integration they can show or demonstrate. See catalog for details about the minors.
Appalachian Studies Core Requirements, 24 Hours:
(Problem Solving/Innovation Req.)
- BADM 211 – Creativity and Problem Solving (3cr) or
BADM 212 – Introduction to Innovation (3cr) or
BADM 311 – Exploring Entrepreneurship (3 cr)
(Ethics/Environment Requirement)
- ENVS 322 – Environmental History (3 cr) or
ENVS 323 – Environmental Ethics (3 cr) or
ENVS 306 – Environmental Policy (4 cr) - APST 401 – Appalachia in Time, Place, and People (3 cr)
- *APST 430 – Celtic Roots and Global Appalachia (3 cr)
- APST 486 – Appalachian Studies Individual Project-Based Capstone and Presentation (3 cr)
- **APST 476 – Appalachian Studies Practicum or APST 480 Internship (3 cr)
*Writing Intensive Course
**Community Service Requirement for Appalachian Studies Major: Every major must engage in some form of sustained community service; this project can be met through selecting a local or campus community project, engagement through Alternative Spring Break and the APST Practicum 476, or by working off-campus through the APST 480 Internship. The project must be approved by the advisor and APST Director.
***Elective Courses, 12-14 Hours
Students will choose no more than two courses from the same discipline:
- APST 343 – Appalachian Music and Ethnomusicology (3 cr)
- APST 358 – Appalachian Literature (3 cr) (Required Humanities CK Core Course)
- APST 345 – The Art of Storytelling and Appalachian Folklore (3 cr) (Required Arts MD Core Course)
- APST 400 – Seminar in Appalachian Studies (3 cr),
- APST 431 – Appalachian Travel Field Experience (1-3cr)
- APST 476 – Appalachian Studies Practicum (1-3cr)
- BADM 150 – Introduction to Business (3 cr)
- *****BADM 211 – Creativity and Problem Solving (3 cr)
- *****BADM 212 – Introduction to Innovation (3 cr)
- *****BADM 311 – Exploring Entrepreneurship (3 cr)
- BADM 323 – Human Resources and Business Ethics (3 cr)
- BADM 340 – Principles of Marketing (3 cr)
- BADM 370 – Entrepreneurial Organization and Financing (3 cr)
- BADM 411 – New Venture Creation (3 cr)
- FINC 250 – Financial Literacy and Well Being (3 cr)
- ENVS 309 – Regional Geology and Geomorphology and Laboratory (4 cr)
- *****ENVS 306 – Environmental Policy (4 cr)
- *****ENVS 322 – Environmental History (3 cr)
- *****ENVS 323 – Environmental Ethics (3 cr)
- ENVS 324 – Environment in Film (3 cr)
- ENVS 345 – Sustainable Development and Laboratory (4 cr)
- ENVS 390 – Geographic Information Systems (4 cr)
- ENVS 401 – Conservation Ecology (4 cr)
- HIST 300 – Historic Preservation and Interpretation (3 cr)
- HIST 304 – American Civil War and Reconstruction Era (3 cr)
- HIST 305 – History of the Lower Shenandoah Valley (3 cr)
- HIST 308 – The Old South (3 cr)
- HIST 345 – Introduction to Public History (3 cr)
- HPPH 325 – Oral History (3 cr)
- RECR 125 – Introduction to Tourism (3 cr)
- RECR 140 – Introduction to Leisure Studies (3 cr)
- RECR 343 – 21st-Century Tourism (3 cr)
- RECR 344 – Hospitality (3 cr)
- RECR 370 – Environmental Education (3 cr)
- *****Or any course selection from the Appalachian Studies Core not already taken
- Or Approved Elective by APST Director
***A semester of study abroad at the University of the West of Scotland or at another approved institution in Scotland, Ireland or Wales where Shepherd University has agreements or exchange privileges will suffice for the required electives with approval by Director. APST prefix courses are recognized intrinsically as interdisciplinary in nature.