Bulletin 2000-2002

School of Liberal Arts Cavanaugh Hall (CA) 401 
425 University Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140
(317) 274-3976
School of Liberal Arts Home Page

Bachelor of Arts

Requirements

All students admitted to the School of Liberal Arts after June 1, 2000, must fulfill the requirements described below. Students admitted before that date, may elect these requirements by informing their advisor and the Office of Student Affairs or may obtain their degree under the requirements in effect at the date they were admitted to Liberal Arts.

All students must meet three types of requirements: general-education requirements, distribution requirements, and major requirements. Questions about general-education and distribution requirements can be answered by the School of Liberal Arts Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall 401, (317) 274-3976. Questions having to do with major requirements should be directed to a faculty advisor or the chairperson of the major department.

General Education Requirements

  1. A minimum of 122 credit hours is required for a B.A. degree in the School of Liberal Arts. The B.S. requires 134-135 credit hours.

  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.

  3. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be at the 300-400 level.

  4. A minimum of 26 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to the School of Liberal Arts. This requirement may be waived by petitioning the Academic Affairs Committee. Petitions are available in Cavanaugh Hall 401.

  5. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of their major course work in residence in the appropriate department in the School of Liberal Arts. Some departments have more restrictive residency requirements. Check with your advisor.

  6. Courses taken using the Pass/Fail option can be applied only as electives or toward the 300- to 400-level requirements (Area III of the distribution requirements for the bachelor’s degree). A maximum of eight courses, with no more than two per year, may be taken.

  7. With permission from the departmental advisor and the Office of Student Affairs, a maximum of 12 credit hours may be taken by correspondence through the School of Continuing Studies.

  8. All candidates for degrees in May and August must file an application for the degree by December 1 of that year. All candidates for December degrees must file an application for the degree by September 1 of that year. Candidates for degrees in December, May, or August may participate in the May commencement.

  9. Credit hours from the following courses will not count toward the 122 hours needed for graduation: English E010, W001, G010, G011, G012, and G013; Math M130, M131, M132, and any math course lower than M118; Business C221, C222, and C225.

  10. Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.

  11. A maximum of 9 credit hours in unapproved electives can be counted toward the degree.

Distribution Requirements

The requirements for SLA’s baccalaureate degree programs include the common general education core approved by the faculties of both the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Science, and is a curriculum based on the IUPUI Principles for Undergraduate Education.

Candidates for the B.A. and B.S. degrees must complete the following requirements:

Core Course Requirements

A. First-Year Experience (1-3 cr.)

This course introduces students to IUPUI’s culture and values; familiarizes them with campus resources, especially academic uses of technology; provides them with skills in dealing with life at IUPUI; and introduces them to an overview of the humanities and the social and natural sciences. This course is cross-listed as follows:

School of Liberal Arts: S100

University College: UC110

B. Junior/Senior Integrator (3 cr.)

This course shows how the humanities and social and natural sciences are interrelated and interdependent. It examines the philosophical relationships among the three areas that involve the interplay of science, politics, and social policy; as well as the crucial interplay among science and technology, the social order, and political decisions. Students must complete the following: one course in your major, English Composition W131 and W132, History H114, one science course, one math course (M118 or above), one course from two of the areas--humanities, social science, comparative world cultures. Ideally, students should complete one course from each of the three lists before taking the integrator course.

Lists of approved courses will be available in the Schedule of Classes and in the Office of Student Affairs (Cavanaugh Hall 401).

C. Capstone Experience (1-3 cr.)

The capstone course is generally taken in a student’s major as a cumulative integrating experience that addresses the principles of undergraduate education as well as values and ethics as they relate to a student’s major. The capstone may be an independent research project or study, a practicum, or a seminar or field experience building on students’ previous work. Special interdisciplinary capstones may also satisfy this requirement. Check with your advisor about which courses satisfy this requirement.

Area I. Communications Core (19 cr.)

The courses in the communications core provide work in English and foreign language to help students organize and present their thoughts in an effective manner. Students should enroll in these courses as early in their college careers as possible.

English Composition (6 cr.) Competency in English composition is required. This requirement may be satisfied in the following ways:

  1. by completing W131 or Honors W140 and W132 or Honors W150 with a grade of C (2.0) or better;

  2. by becoming eligible for the W131 exemption portfolio through the English Placement Exam and receiving special credit for W131 after submitting a portfolio, and completing W132 or Honors W150 with a grade of C (2.0) or better; or

  3. for transfer students, by completing course work equivalent to W131 or Honors W140 and W132 or Honors W150 with a grade of C (2.0) or better at another campus or institution

The School of Liberal Arts strongly recommends that students complete English W131 or Honors W140 during their first semester or as soon afterward as placement test scores and course availability allow. Students who place into English W001 must earn a minimum grade of C in W001 to advance to English W131.

Note: Special English as a Second Language (ESL) sections of W001 and W131 have been designated for students whose first language is not English.

Speech Communication R110 (3 cr.) Students with previously acquired competency in public speaking may be eligible for special credit and exemption from this requirement; contact the chairperson of the Department of Communication Studies, Cavanaugh Hall 309, (317) 274-0566.

Foreign Languages Requirement First-year competency is required and second-year competency is strongly recommended. This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

  1. by completing first-year (10 credit hours) courses in a single language with passing grades;

  2. by completing a second- or third-year course with a grade of C or better;1

  3. by taking a placement test and placing into the 200 level or higher; this waives the 100-level requirement but does not carry with it credit toward graduation.

This requirement may be met with first-year proficiency in American Sign Language.

Placement Test Students with previous experience in French, German, or Spanish should take the Foreign Language Placement Test at the Testing Center to assess their level of language preparation.

Students who have achieved elementary or intermediate proficiency in any other foreign language should confer with the Foreign Languages and Cultures department for placement in the correct level of that foreign language.

Students who complete the course into which they were placed with a grade of C or better are eligible for special credit at a reduced fee for the appropriate lower-division course(s) that precede the course taken. Foreign language special credit counts toward graduation and toward the foreign language requirements.

117 Courses Courses numbered 117 are reserved for students who have never studied the language before. Students who have had two or more years of formal study in a language may take a 117-level course in that language as a refresher course before enrolling in a more advanced course, but they must recognize that their work will be graded on a Satisfactory/Fail (S/F) basis. A grade of S is equivalent to a minimum grade of C.

Non-Native Speakers Students for whom English is not a first language may be exempted from the foreign language requirement, without credit, by completion of English W131 and W132 with the required grade of C or better.

Students whose native language is not English may demonstrate proficiency in their native language and earn 3 to 6 hours of 298/299 special credit by successfully completing an appropriate 300-level course. They may not, however, receive credit for taking first- and second-year courses in their native language.

Area II. Basic Courses

Analytic Skills (6 cr.) These courses provide the student with insight into the process of logical reasoning. Each student must complete 3 credit hours in mathematics (Math M118 or above) plus 3 credit hours in one of the following: mathematics2, a statistics course (Economics E270, Geography G488, Psychology B305, Sociology R359, Statistics 301), a computer programming course (N201, N211), a course in logic (Philosophy P162 or P265), Sociology R251, Political Science Y205, or Computer Science N207. A logic or statistics course in a student’s major can be applied toward the second requirement.

Computer science and computer technology courses that develop the student’s problem-solving ability and promote the understanding and use of logical structures of thought are appropriate for the analytical skills requirement. Computer courses must focus on programming.

Natural Science (9-11 cr.) This area allows for a choice of courses treating the natural phenomena of the world according to models of scientific thought. The credit hours are to be selected from at least two of the following areas:

Anthropology A103
Astronomy A100, A105
Biology K101, K103, N100, N107, N200, N212, N213 (lab), N214, N215 (lab), N217, N251, N322
Chemistry C100, C101, C102, C105, C106
Geography G107, G108 (lab), G185, G303, G307
Geology G107, G117 (lab), G109, G119 (lab), G110, G120 (lab), G206 (lab), G115, G132, G180
Physics 100, 152, 200, 218, 219, 251, P201, P202
Psychology B105 At least one of these courses must be a laboratory course.

Up to 5 credit hours in geography (G107, G108, G303, or G307) may be counted toward this requirement, but they cannot be counted toward the major as well. G108 may be counted as the laboratory component for this requirement.

History (6 cr.) These courses explore patterns and processes of history essential for making decisions in the present and give the background necessary for students to assume their responsibility as citizens. This requirement is fulfilled by taking H114 and either H108* or H113.*

Arts and Humanities (6 cr.) This area presents insights into aesthetics, ideas, and systems of values.

The 6 credit hours must come from two of the areas below. Courses in one’s major cannot be used to fulfill this requirement; however, one course taken as part of a minor may be used. Creative writing, drawing, performance, or studio courses will not satisfy the arts and humanities requirement.

Afro-American Studies: A150*
Classics: C205*
English Literature: L105, L115
Fine Arts: Communication Studies (theater) T130; English (film) C190; Herron H100, H101, H102
Folklore: F101*
Foreign Languages and Cultures: F200, German G265, Japanese E231
History: H105, H106, H108*, H113*, H217
Philosophy: P110, P120
Religious Studies: R111, R120, R133*, R173, R180, R212*
Women’s Studies: W105* Social Sciences (6 cr.) This area uses procedures and information developed in the social sciences to examine the complexities of societies and human interaction. The 6 credit hours must come from two of the areas following. Courses in one’s major cannot be used to fulfill this requirement; however, courses taken as part of a structured minor may be used to fulfill this requirement. Afro-American Studies: A150*
Anthropology: A104
Communication Studies: C180
Economics: E101, E201, E202
Folklore: F101*
Geography: G110*, G130
History: H117
Language Awareness: G104
Political Science: Y101, Y103, Y213, Y219
Psychology: B104, B310
Public and Environmental Affairs: V170
Sociology: R100, R121
Women’s Studies: W105* Comparative World Cultures (3 cr.) This area presents culture in a comparative and conceptual manner and includes material from several cultures.

Students must take one course from one of the areas below:

Anthropology: A104*
Classics: C205*
Foreign Languages and Cultures: F200
Geography: G110*
History: H108*
Political Science: Y217
Religious Studies: R133*, R212 Transfer Credits Students with transfer work from other universities may have some of their work counted toward the distribution requirements, even if their courses, when transferred in, were not designated as matching the courses listed previously. The Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the departments, when appropriate, will determine whether transfer courses satisfy the distribution requirements.

Area III. Advanced Courses (15 cr. at 300-400 level)

In addition to advanced courses in one’s major, the SLA student should conduct in-depth study in other areas of the liberal arts or science. Ordinarily, at least 15 credit hours of one’s 300- to 400-level courses must be taken outside the major department and in four different departments or interdisciplinary programs within the School of Liberal Arts or the School of Science. However, when students believe that advanced courses outside the School of Liberal Arts or the School of Science or concentrated in fewer than four departments would strengthen their academic program, they may petition the Academic Affairs Committee in advance for permission to count non-SLA/School of Science courses and/or courses concentrated in fewer than four departments toward this requirement. For a list of approved courses outside of the liberal arts and science, see your advisor or the Office of Student Affairs. Up to four junior- or senior-level courses in a second major will count toward this requirement. Three courses at the 300 or 400 level in a structured minor, including the business structured minor, can also be counted.

Major Requirements

The requirements for each major in the School of Liberal Arts are described, along with course descriptions, in the section of this bulletin entitled ‘‘Departments and Programs.’’ A minimum of 24 credit hours must be taken in the major subject area. Any course in which the student receives a grade below C (2.0) may not be used to fulfill the major area requirement (a C– does not qualify). However, courses in which the student receives below C, but above an F, will count toward the 122 credit hour total provided that the student does not repeat the course.

Electives

Candidates for a degree in the School of Liberal Arts must complete their general-education requirements and the requirements of their major department. Of the remaining credit hours, known as electives, up to 9 credit hours of course work may be elected from any degree-granting university. The remaining electives must come from courses within the School of Liberal Arts, the Herron School of Art, the School of Journalism, the School of Science, or from a list of courses approved by the faculty of the School of Liberal Arts.

If students wish to use courses that do not appear on the list, they must petition the Academic Affairs Committee before taking the course. A current list of approved elective courses is available in Cavanaugh Hall 401.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Normally holders of bachelor’s degrees seeking further education are encouraged to enter graduate programs; in certain cases, however, students may prefer to work toward a second bachelor’s degree. If admitted by the dean to candidacy for a second degree, students must earn at least 26 additional credit hours in residence and meet the requirements of the School of Liberal Arts and of the department in which they are candidates.

Minors and Certificate Programs

School of Liberal Arts students may complete one or more minors and/or certificate programs. Minors will not appear on the student’s transcript until graduation. Students in other schools of IUPUI may complete minors in the School of Liberal Arts.

Only courses in which students receive a C (2.0) or better can be applied to the minors and certificates. Specific requirements are described in the section of this bulletin entitled ‘‘Departments and Programs.’’

Courses required for minors and certificates may also be used in fulfilling other requirements, including distribution requirements.

School of Liberal Arts minors are presently offered in the following areas:

Afro-American Studies
American Studies
Anthropology
Business and Professional Writing
Classical Studies
Communication Arts
Cultural Diversity
Economics
English
Film Studies
French
Geography
German Culture
Germanic Language Skills
Global Economics
History
Japanese Studies
Legal Studies
Media Studies
Medical Humanities and Health Studies
Medical Sociology
Organizational Communication
Philanthropic Studies
Philosophy
Political Science
Religious Studies
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre
Urban Studies
Women’s Studies
Writing The following certificate programs are also available: International Studies
Museum Studies
Paralegal Studies
Technical Communication Students must receive departmental or program approval for the courses to be used for minors as well as approval for courses not taken at IUPUI that they wish to count in a minor. Special credit may be applied to minor requirements with departmental approval.

Minor in Business

A special minor in business, consisting of 34 credit hours, has been established between the School of Business and the School of Liberal Arts. Specific requirements are described in the “Department of Economics” section of this bulletin.

Other Options

The School of Liberal Arts allows students to complete double majors and double degrees. For further information, see the section in the front of this bulletin.

Footnotes

1 Students interested in receiving credit for lower-division language courses, see the section ‘‘Special Credit for Foreign Language Study.’’

2 Additional mathematics courses for this requirement must be above M118 and may not include M130, M131, and M132.

*This course appears on more than one list or in more than one section. However, this course may be used to satisfy only one requirement unless specifically stated.
 

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