Essential Education Newsblog

Category: Minors

Add a Minor to your Major – Husky Minor Fair – Save the Date

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What: Michigan Tech Academic Minor Fair
When: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 3:30pm – 5 pm
Where: East Reading Room – Van Pelt Library on Campus

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveyed employers in 2025 to inquire what talents they were looking for in new graduates. The top 10 skills employers are searching for included:

  • Problem-solving skills (88,3%)
  • Ability to work in a team (81.0%)
  • Communication skills (written) (77.1%)
  • Initiative (73.7%)
  • Strong work ethic (73.2%)
  • Technical skills (73.2%)
  • Communication skills (verbal) (69.3%)
  • Flexibility/adaptability ((67.0%)
  • Analytical/quantitative skills (67.0%)
  • Detail-Oriented (65.9%)

Additional valued skills included: Interpersonal Skills, Computer Skills, Leadership, Entrepreneurial Skills, Creativity, and Strategic Planning Skills.

Employers noted they wanted to hear how prospective hires acquired these skills in their diverse coursework, projects, and experiences, sharing these stories through their resumes and in the follow up interviews. Employers stated this would provide recruiters evidence that the candidate had acquired and already utilized skills to do the job and excel at it. 

In today’s competitive job market, employers are looking for flexible candidates who can bring diverse skills and knowledge to their role on the corporate/project teams. Completing an academic minor in addition to your major adds skills noted as employer desired above. A completed minor can end up enriching a student’s professional career and personal life. Minors give you a unique edge in your career/job search, by illustrating your unique combination of abilities that set you apart from other professionals in your field. 

The Michigan Tech Minor Fair is an opportunity for students to explore curriculum that can help them identify their own personal interests, give you an “edge up” in your job search, while adding skills that will prepare you for a career that has yet to be created. We hope to see you on Wednesday, January 28 at 3:30 pm – 5 pm in the Van Pelt Library East Reading Room to help you explore your minor opportunities.

See the list of Minors that will be shared with you by the academic units that oversee them on the Essential Education Blog <https://blogs.mtu.edu/essential-ed/2026/01/add-a-minor-to-your-major-husky-minor-fair-save-the-date/> . For academic units still wanting to participate in the Minors Fair, contact Steve Patchin at shpatchi@mtu.edu. 

Come learn about Minors that could add to your Major at the Michigan Tech Minors Fair:

  • *AI Ethics (HU) 
  • Communication Studies (HU)
  • *Diversity Studies (HU)
  • Ethics & Philosophy (HU)
  • *Global Cultures (HU)
  • German (HU)
  • German International (HU)
  • Journalism (HU)
  • Media Production (HU)
  • Spanish (HU)
  • Spanish International (HU) 
  • Writing (HU)
  • American Studies (SS)
  • Global Community (SS)
  • Development Partnerships (SS)
  • Global Studies (SS)
  • Law and Society (SS)
  • Public History (SS)
  • *Public Policy and Law (SS)
  • Social and Behavioral Studies (SS)
  • *Sustainability Studies (SS)
  • Applied Geophysics (GMES)
  • Earth Sciences (GMES)
  • Geological Engineering (GMES)
  • Mining (GMES)
  • Systems Engineering (Eng Fundamentals)
  • Cyber Security (Applied Computing)
  • Data Acquisition (Applied Computing)
  • Industrial Controls (Applied Computing)
  • Biomedical Engineering (Biomed Eng)
  • Biomaterials Engineering (Biomed Eng)
  • Medical Devices and Instrumentation (Biomed Eng)
  • Tissue and STEM Cell Engineering (Biomed Eng)
  • Public Health (KIP)
  • *Population Health (KIP)
  • Coaching (KIP)
  • Sustainable Biomaterials (CFRES)
  • Ecology (CFRES)
  • Plant Biotechnology (CFRES)
  • Plant Sciences (CFRES)
  • Computer Science (College of Computing)
  • Mathematics (Math)
  • Statistics (Math)
  • Psychology (PHF)
  • *Human Centered Design (PHF)
  • *Sneak peek at Individual Health and Wellness (PHF)
  • Mineral Processing (Chem Eng)
  • Polymer Science and Engineering (Chem Eng)
  • Alternative Energy Technology (Chem Eng)
  • Bioprocess Engineering (Chem Eng)
  • Ecological Engineering (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Construction Management (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Surveying (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Railroad Engineering (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Municipal Engineering (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Water Resource Recovery Technology (Civil, Environ, Geospatial Eng)
  • Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
  • Manufacturing (MAE)
  • Business (CoB)
  • Business IT Solutions (CoB)
  • Construction Management (CoB)
  • Economics (CoB)
  • *Economics and Society (CoB)
  • *Entrepreneurship (CoB)
  • Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Innovation (CoB)
  • FinTech (CoB)
  • Global Business (CoB)
  • Art (VPA)
  • *Creativity and Expression (VPA)
  • Jazz Studies (VPA)
  • Music (VPA)
  • Music Composition (VPA)
  • Music Performance (VPA)
  • Sound (VAP)
  • Theatre Arts (VPA)
  • Theatre Performance (VPA)
  • Technical Theatre (VPA)

Key for Departments:

  • Chem Eng – Chemical Engineering
  • PHF – Psychology, and Human-Factors
  • Math – Mathematics
  • CFRES – College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
  • MAE – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • CoB – College of Business
  • VPA – Visual and Performing Arts
  • * Michigan Tech Essential Education Minors ation Minors


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Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minors – Options that Fit Your Interests

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Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minors allow students to earn a credential completely within the structure of Essential Education. These are specific minors that are created to satisfy the spirit of Essential Education by introducing students to multiple disciplinary perspectives, as a complement to their major.

Explore three of the nine Essential Education Minors below. Which compliments your major and peaks your interests?


Human-Centered Design

The Human-Centered Design (HCD) minor at Michigan Tech prepares students to see the world through the lens of people – understanding not just how technologies and systems work, but how they truly impact the individuals and communities who use them. Rooted in internationally recognized design standards (ISO 9241-210:2019 and ANSI/HFES 400-2021), this minor emphasizes designing for usability, accessibility, and positive user experiences while also considering broader social and environmental impacts.

What makes this minor unique is its emphasis on ethical, sustainable, and community-focused approaches. Students will explore how design decisions shape daily life, from the interfaces we interact with to the systems we rely on. For example, you might work on designing a community space for inclusivity, creating safer and more intuitive healthcare technologies, or developing a digital tool that helps reduce energy use. Every project challenges you to think holistically – balancing technical feasibility, user needs, and long-term societal impact.

By completing the HCD minor, you’ll graduate with a versatile skill set that makes you stand out in todays job market. Industries from engineering to healthcare, computing to business, are seeking professionals who can integrate human-centered thinking into their work. This minor shows that you’re not just solving problems – you’re solving the right problems in what’s that make life easier.

Economics and Society

The Economics and Society Minor is designed for students who want to understand how economic forces shape communities, businesses, and public policy. Unlike a traditional economics minor, this program is deeply interdisciplinary – students explore core economics alongside courses in social sciences, humanities, communication, mathematics, and more. With 19 credits, the program integrates seamlessly with the Essential Education framework while giving students flexible pathways tailored to their own interests.

What makes this minor unique is the emphasis on real-world application. Students can pair foundational courses like Principals of Economics and Microeconomic theory with special topics such as Environmental Economics, Game Theory, or Energy Economics. Beyond economics, students dive into courses such as Environmental Communication, Indigenous Natural Resource Management, or Social Inequality. This combination ensures that graduates don’t just learn theory – they practice connecting economics to societies most pressing questions, whether climate change, financial decision-making, or cultural perspectives on development. 

Sustainability Studies

This interdisciplinary minor allows students to:

  • Build a foundational understanding of sustainability topics through multiple lenses
  • Customize their learning with courses across departments and colleges
  • Strengthen their ability to think crucially about sustainability issues in a global context

At Michigan Tech, we believe sustainability education should be:

  • Accessible to students in all disciplines
  • Rooted in real-world, experiential learning
  • Inclusive of diverse perspectives and lived experiences

Whether through coursework, minors, living-learning communities, or hands-on projects, our sustainability programs are designed to meet students where they are – and help them grow into leaders ready to shape a sustainable future for all. 

List of Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minors

  • AI Ethics
  • Creativity and Expression
  • Economics and Society
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Human-Centered Design
  • Leadership
  • Population Health
  • Public Policy and Law
  • Sustainability Studies

To learn more about these minors, visit Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Newsblog . In the coming weeks we will continue to provide highlights of these minors from the academic teams and departments/colleges that developed them. 

To learn more about what course choices you have for each of Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minors, follow this link. Take a moment to design your own Essential Education Minor within the available themes that compliments your own major and personal interests. 



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What’s New with the Essential Education Minors?

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Our new Essential Education minors, launching this fall, are built directly into the Essential Education curriculum. They offer a unique opportunity to explore a specific theme through a variety of disciplinary perspectives. By design, they are a seamless addition to a student’s degree, allowing them to broaden their perspective and complement their major without adding to their credit load. 

Each Essential Ed minor allows students to engage with a variety of perspectives and disciplines, incorporating courses from specific categories in the curriculum. These include a communication-intensive course, an intercultural competency course, and a selection of courses from the humanities, arts, social sciences, and business (SHAPE). A key feature is the flexibility for students to customize their coursework within the minor’s theme, allowing them to align their learning with their personal and career goals. The Essential Education Curriculum page <https://www.mtu.edu/essential-ed/overview/curriculum/> includes more specific information about the requirements each minor must meet. As part of their minor pathway, students will create an ePortfolio through Husky Folio, allowing them to reflect on and integrate their learning journey. 

We are excited to announce that the following Essential Ed minors are in the final stages of approval: 

  • AI Ethics
  • Creativity & Expression
  • Economics & Society
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Human-Centered Design
  • Leadership
  • Population Health
  • Public Policy & Law
  • Sustainability Studies

Stay tuned for a deeper dive into each of these themes in the coming weeks. In the meantime, get a sneak peek into the vision behind these minors by watching this video:  <Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minors – Launch 2025>. 

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Essential Education Announces Office Hours for Fall Semester

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The Essential Ed Leadership Team is setting up weekly “Office Hours” to support our campus community as we implement the new Essential Education curriculum. Individuals, department committees, and other working groups are welcome to attend for consultations, including (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • Revising degree audits and flowcharts to make the most of Essential Ed requirements
  • Tips for Building an Essential Ed Minor
  • How to Build an Essential Education Experience Course
  • What are in Essential Ed Seminar Modules
  • How is Essential Education Assessed
  • How have Wellbeing and Success Courses changed
  • What is Folio Thinking, and how do ePortfolios support Folio Thinking

The first two Essential Ed Office Hours will be in Library Conference Room 103 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm on Wednesday, September 4, and Thursday, September 12. The complete calendar of Office Hour Dates for the Fall Semester can be found below. Note the Special Guests and Topics noted on the calendar. For further information or questions, contact Steve Patchin – Project Manager for Essential Ed Implementation, at shpatchi@mtu.edu.

Library Conference Room 103 – Noon to 1 pm
Date Day Special Guest & Topic
September 4 Wednesday
September 12 Thursday
September 18 Wednesday
September 26 Thursday Nancy Barr – Folio Thinking & PebblePad
October 2 Wednesday Jeannie DeClerck – Assessment & Essentail Ed
October 10 Thursday
October 16 Wednesday
October 24 Thursday
October 30 Wednesday
November 7 Thursday
November 13 Wednesday Jeannie DeClerck – Assessment & Essential Ed
November 21 Thursday Nancy Barr – Folio Thinking & PebblePad
November 27 Wednesday
December 5 Thursday
December 11 Wednesday
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Seeking Input on SHAPE Essential Education Minor Themes

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The SHAPE Essential Education Minors Working Group is tasked with identifying 15 themes for SHAPE Essential Education minors to be developed over the next three academic semesters. We are sharing our preliminary identification of themes and requesting feedback from the campus community. 

As a reminder: SHAPE = Social Sciences, Humanities, & the Arts for People and the Economy/Environment. The SHAPE units on campus include: CLS, COB, CFRES, KIP, HU, Pavlis, SS, and VPA. The SHAPE Essential Education Minors will be hosted by SHAPE units and the majority of courses in the minors will be drawn from these units.

Please complete the feedback form by Wednesday, March 6, to provide your input!

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Sign Up for Essential Education Minor Development Workshops

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The Essential Education leadership team is hosting two workshops next week and one workshop in November to begin developing Essential Education minors.

The first workshops will take place next week on Monday (Oct. 9) and Wednesday (Oct. 11) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Alley Makerspace. Participants should plan to attend both sessions — on Monday and Wednesday — to complete the workshop. This workshop will be an opportunity to generate ideas for Essential Education minor themes. We will not be making any final decisions at these sessions. Please come with an open mind — ready to share your ideas and listen to others.

If you are not able to attend next week’s workshops, there will be another workshop on developing Essential Education minors on Nov. 17 from 2-5 p.m., also in the Alley Makerspace.

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