Requirements & Courses
Requirements & Courses
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Dimensions of Organizations is interdisciplinary, which means that HDO majors take a combination of core HDO classes courses and a variety of approved courses offered in other departments. Students can discuss and review this list of approved courses with HDO’s academic advising team, see “Advising” under Bachelor’s Student Resources.
Courses & Descriptions
HDO 301: Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Organizations
In this course, students are introduced to what organizations are and how the liberal arts can examine, analyze, and change them. The course will define an organization from a liberal arts standpoint; survey various approaches to understanding organizations, and explore career opportunities related to the human dimensions of organizations.
HDO 310: Researching People-Centered Problems
In this course, students learn mixed-methods research skills using active learning and project-based assignments. We will explore the basics of qualitative and quantitative research methods, research ethics, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving.
HDO 350: Identities in Organizations
In this course, students explore how intersecting identities shape both individal and group experiences of various organization.
HDO 379: Applying the Human Dimensions of Organizations
In this course, students will engage in a connecting experience that allows them to apply the multidisciplinary methods of the Human Dimensions of Organizations with an external entity. These individual projects enable students to broaden their understanding of the role of the liberal arts viewpoint in practical settings.
HDO 359H and 379H: Honors Research in Human Dimensions of Organizations (Optional)
Students in the honors track will complete an extended connecting experience that they develop in consultation with a member of the faculty. In this connecting experience, they will describe an organizational problem that they witnessed and do an extended thesis that uses one or more disciplines to provide insight into how this problem can be addressed. The program will culminate in a poster session in which honors students present their work to faculty and students.
HDO majors who are interested in pursuing the HDO Honors program, visit the Bachelor’s Program Resources page for more information about the program.
*CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW HONORS STUDENTS AT THIS TIME*
Course Lists
- Spring 2024 Courses: This list highlights which approved courses are being offered in the Spring 2024 semester.
- Summer 2024 Courses: This list highlights which approved courses are being offered in the Summer 2024 semester.
- Fall 2024 Courses: This list highlights which approved courses are being offered in the Summer 2024 semester.
- Core and Liberal Arts Course Universal List: This advising handout lists courses that satisfy the Natural Science, Cultural Expression, Human Experience, & Thought, and Social Science requirements
HDO course lists are updated every registration cycle.
Contact HDO’s Academic Advisors with any questions (see the Advising & Careers page for contact information).
Degree Plans
Organization of the Major
Thirty semester hours of Human Dimensions of Organizations, at least eighteen of which must be upper-division, including:
1. Human Dimensions of Organizations 301
2. Human Dimensions of Organizations 310
3. At least 3 credit hours in each of the following fields:
Methods: Courses that teach students about collecting and analyzing data that involve statistical analysis and/or courses that enhance students’ understanding of gathering information about people as they function in groups, cultures, and organizations. Quantitative courses involve the development of surveys and experiments; basic statistical analysis; econometrics; and computational methods. Qualitative courses introduce students to data gathering methods including observation, ethnography, interviews, history, etc.
Creativity and innovation: Courses that require students either to think in new ways about personal and organizational dynamics or to study how organizations promote the development of new ideas. Classes may focus on theater, creative writing, or the arts or may study the way individuals, groups, and cultures can generate, evaluate, and implement new ideas.
Culture and communication: Courses that develop students’ communication skills by challenging them to sharpen their writing/speaking skills and/or their understanding of cultures outside of their own or historical forces that shaped their own culture.
4. Nine additional credit hours from section 3 above
5. Human Dimensions of Organizations 350
6. Human Dimensions of Organizations 379
*Students on the 2020-2022 Catalog should refer to the Students Resources page or inquire with HDO Advising (hdo.advising@austin.utexas.edu) for degree plan information.
“Most employers look for people who are human-oriented and can later learn the skills needed for a specific job. HDO fosters personal development and creates well-rounded individuals.”
“HDO students stand out because they are equipped to change the world.”
“HDO doesn’t limit you to just one area of education, it empowers you to learn about many topics. I like to do a lot of things, and this major allows me to do that.”
Students with a deep knowledge of these areas of study are well-suited to address the problems that factors like globalization, regulation and linguistic and cultural differences can cause.
The HDO Bachelor’s Degree provides a broad-based exploration of liberal arts as applied to organizations. It allows students to:
• Develop effective, persuasive oral and written communication skills;
• Understand ethical behavior in the workplace;
• Broaden their knowledge of the types of cultures that influence organizations;
• Measure human behavior to inform decision-making, and
• Consider how key lessons from the humanities and the social/behavioral sciences can be applied in organizational settings.
It is this last learning outcome that distinguishes HDO from the traditional disciplines that make up UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts.