The new degrees include four bachelor’s degrees and one master’s program:
Applied Humanities (B.A.): a multidisciplinary program that connects skills like media literacy, ethics, and cross-cultural communication.
Critical Agriculture Studies & Agroecology (B.A.): combines the study of food systems, environmental justice, and cultural resilience.
Community Health (B.A.): focuses on health equity and how social and environmental conditions shape community well-being.
Health & Medical Science (B.S.): prepares students for careers in healthcare and graduate programs such as medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy.
STEM Education (M.A.): a hybrid program for STEM educators that allows students to earn a teaching credential and a master’s degree.
Designed to be interdisciplinary, these programs bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities while giving students experience through lab work, internships, and community partnerships.
"These programs are designed to help students find meaningful paths where they can make a difference, and give them the skills to do so," said Shawna Young, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "They connect what students learn in the classroom with hands-on experience in the community, so they’re prepared to take on challenges we’re seeing here on the North Coast and beyond."
The programs are part of Cal Poly Humboldt’s transition to a polytechnic university and join more than a dozen new programs launched since 2023, including Cannabis Studies, Marine Biology, and Fire Science. Last fall, the University also introduced its Media Arts degree, which sits at the intersection of art and technology to prepare students for careers in fields like animation and digital design.
Additional academic programs are expected to roll out in the coming years as part of the University’s broader polytechnic transformation, with the next programs launching by 2029.
Students applying to Cal Poly Humboldt can explore the new programs and learn more about admissions requirements at humboldt.edu/academics/new-polytechnic-programs.