Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees must meet all college and University requirements for graduation. Candidates for graduation must:
As part of the 120 credit hours required for graduation, all students in the College of Arts and Sciences must establish academic competence in a major field. Through this mastery of a core of courses in a single discipline or in closely related disciplines, Arts and Sciences graduates achieve the depth of knowledge that is characteristic of educated persons.
It is possible to satisfy the requirements for more than one major. With early and careful planning, students may complete double majors within the 120-credit hour program. Students who anticipate a double major should consult with the Office of the Dean.
A major should be chosen in consultation with an adviser after alternatives have been carefully weighed. While premature specialization is unwise, a major should ordinarily be selected by the end of the sophomore year. It is important that students seeking teaching certification declare their majors early to facilitate program planning. The list of offered majors is published above in “Areas of Study.”
The following majors are offered: acting; anthropology and sociology; art history; applied music; astronomy; biochemistry, cell and molecular biology (BCMB); biology; chemistry; computer science; directing; drawing; English; environmental policy; environmental science; graphic design; history; international relations; law, politics and society; mathematics; mathematics education (secondary); music; music business; music education; musical theatre; neuroscience; painting; philosophy; physics; politics; printmaking; psychology; religion; rhetoric and communication studies; sculpture; sociology; study of culture and society; theatre arts; theatre design; theatre education; and writing.
Students whose goals lie outside the areas listed above may seek faculty approval to pursue a combination of existing courses as an individualized major.
Students may pursue majors in more than one discipline or area, and, where permissible, may apply particular courses toward majors in more than one discipline or area. For each major, the respective department determines whether its requirements have been fulfilled.
The department from which a transfer student seeks certification as a major may, after examining the student’s credentials, require the completion of a certain number of courses to fulfill the major regardless of the amount of work in a discipline or related areas the student has completed elsewhere.
A student may pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences in the Division of Natural Science, Humanities or Social Sciences.
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree within the School of Fine Arts must satisfy the Drake Curriculum requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Each department within the School of Fine Arts has established its own graduation requirements for professional degree candidates. A description of those requirements may be found under the individual departmental listings.
The information in this catalog does not constitute a contract between the university and the student. The university reserves the right to make changes in curricula, admission policies and processes, tuition and financial aid, academic standards and guidelines, student services and any other regulations or policies set forth in this catalog without giving prior notice.