Overview

Students are required to take 28 credits in the AHSE fields, 12 of which must be in AHS.  Students can check whether a course counts as AHS credit by consulting the "Official Coloring List" on the STaR website.  If the course is not colored, the student must petition the Course Substitution and Transfer Board (CSTB) to have the course colored by following this policy on the STaR (Student Accounts and Records) website.

In addition, students must complete foundation courses in both AHS and Entrepreneurship, as outlined below. Finally, students must complete a concentration in either AHS or Entrepreneurship, as discussed here.

Foundation

Every student is required to take an AHS foundation course during their first semester at Olin. Thus, to fulfill this requirement the student only needs to obtain a “pass” in the class (as per the pass/no credit grading used in the first semester). If the course is not passed, the student must take another AHS foundation or approved substitute in a future semester. The foundation course cannot count as part of the concentration unless another course is taken to fulfill the foundation requirement.

The student has a choice of five to six courses during the first semester that will fulfill this requirement. These courses share common goals such as an emphasis on writing, criticial reading, and discussion, as discussed in further detail here.

Concentration

Students must form a concentration of related courses in either the AHS fields or the Entrepreneurship field.  This concentration is declared during the second semester of the sophomore year through a survey sent out by the Registrar. If the student chooses to pursue an AHS concentration, more information can be found here. If the student chooses to form an Entrepreneurship concentration, more information can be found here.

Course alternatives in AHS-related fields

Credits can be counted from research, Independent Studies, or Olin Self-Study if the proper procedure is used to gain approval. The activity must be supervised by an Olin AHS faculty member with relevant expertise. The student must submit a request to the AHS Committee for the activity to be reviewed and the decision of whether or not AHS credit is appropriate to be made.  This must be completed by the end of the Add period at the start of each semester, though students are encouraged to submit requests the semester prior to the activity. Typically, students may not include research, IS, or OSS in an AHS concentration.