Veterans Studies students and instructors visit veterans at the VA Hospital in Lexington, KY during National Salute Week in 2019.
Stand Out with a Specialization in Veterans Studies
Minor – 18 Hours
EKU’s Minor in Veterans Studies was the first in the world. It is a great complement to degree programs in “helping professions” such as Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy – any profession that provide services directly to veterans or their families. Available 100% in-person or online.
Core Requirements (6 Hours)
The introductory course equips you with a variety of disciplinary perspectives through which to understand issues impacting veterans. The culminating capstone allows you to focus on a specific research topic or service project, apply knowledge gained from courses in your major, and broaden your knowledge by working alongside student-scholars in a variety of fields.
- VTS 200 – Introduction to Veterans Studies
- VTS 500 – Veteran Identity Theory OR
- VTS 401 – Veterans Studies Capstone (Independent Study) OR
- Program-approved capstone in your major dealing explicitly with military/veterans issues
Cultural Competency Electives (6 Hours)
Cultural competency electives focus on current and historical forces shaping veterans’ lives. These courses and the internship opportunity all deal directly and predominantly with military/veterans issues. (Pick Two)
- ENG 386W – War and Peace in Lit Since 1900
- MSL 303 – American Military History
- VTS 300 – Veterans in Society
- VTS 349 – Cooperative Study
- VTS 350 – Special Topics in Veterans Studies
- Program-approved electives (i.e., HIS 300A War and American Society, WGS 300 Gender and War and other courses that deal explicitly with veterans’ identities, cultures and experiences).
Interdisciplinary Electives (6 Hours)
The remaining elective requirements allow you to narrow your focus, dive deeper into veterans’ issues and gain skills and theoretical perspectives to apply in the capstone. You are encouraged to find courses that count toward your major or that you are interested in as free electives to speed up your progression through the program. (Pick Two)
- HLS 400 – Evolution of the U.S. Intelligence Community
- MGT 300 or MGT 301 (Non-Business Majors) – Principles of Management
- PLS 375 – Terrorism / Counterterrorism
- POL 325 – Global Security
- POL 357 – American Political Thought
- PSY 258 – Career Development (suitable for non-PSY majors)
- PSY 300 – Social Psychology
- PSY 308 – Abnormal Psychology
- PSY 405 – Intro to Interviewing / Therapy
- PSY 476 – Psychology of Trauma
- SOC 131 – Introductory Sociology
- SWK 210 – Introduction to Social Work
- SWK 310 – Social Welfare Policy History
- SWK 365 – Crisis Intervention
- Program-approved Electives (i.e., ANT 330, CDF 424, CMS 205W, HUM 300, NSC 442, PSY 314 and SWK 335 have all been accepted in the past.)
If you entered the program under a different set of criteria, you have the option to choose the curriculum requirements above or those that were in place when you enrolled. Please check the course catalogs for previous years’ requirements.
Ready to Add the Minor to Your Program of Study?
1. Go to the online change of major form.
2. Login if prompted (it will autofill your information).
3. Answer the questions about your current major, the change you wish to make (adding the Veterans Studies Minor), and provide your electronic signature.
4. You will receive an email notification when your form has been submitted and another when your record has been updated. It may take longer if you are a student athlete, have applied to graduate, or have more than 105 credit hours. In these cases, extra approval is needed to ensure you stay on track to graduation.
Have questions? Contact Brianna Williamson, and she will help you complete the process.