The Liberal Arts and Sciences Program is the University's set of general education requirements which must be completed as part of the requirements for graduation.
Requirements
Of the 120 semester hours needed to graduate, candidates must complete a minimum of 48 hours to satisfy the requirements of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Program, including the following components:
The Arts Cluster ("ART")
At least five courses, two must fulfill the writing I and II requirement, one must be an art or music course (AOM), and one must be a literature course (LIT)
The Science, Math and Technology Cluster ("SMT")
At least four courses, one must be a math, one must be a lab science, and one must fulfill the health and fitness requirement.
The Citizenship and the World Cluster ("CTW")
At least three courses, one must be a human behavior course, and one must be a history course ("HIST").
Global Diversity
At least two courses in at least two clusters. At least one of these courses must address a non-western region or culture.
Each student will select one of the following options with their academic advisor:
- Option A: Six credits in a single foreign language, and six credits from a single discipline outside of the student's first major, at the 2000 level or above of LAS courses (either from a recognized LAS discipline or LAS designated courses from a discipline that is not recognized as LAS).
- Option B: 12 credits (with a minimum of 6 credits at the 2000 level or above) in a single recognized major, or 12 credits toward a LAS minor (with a minimum of 6 credits at the 2000 level or above).
- Option C: Designed curriculum submitted by the completion of 60 credits. The student, working with an advisor, develops a unique curriculum based on his or her interests, needs, and/or goals. The curriculum, with a statement of its rationale, must be approved by the advisor, the department chair, and the appropriate dean, and then filed with the registrar. The curriculum must include a minimum of 12 credits, at least six of which must be at the 2000 level or above. These 12 credits must be LAS courses (either from a recognized LAS discipline or LAS designated courses from a discipline that is not recognized as LAS), and no more than one of the courses may be from the student's first major.
Each student must also complete computer literacy, speaking/listening, and junior/senior writing requirements, as defined by each major.
Candidates should be aware that the following restrictions apply with respect to fulfilling their Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements:
- Credits earned in one course cannot be divided.
- Credits earned toward graduation cannot be counted twice, even though courses that satisfy Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements may sometimes fulfill the requirements of one's major course of study.
- Certain majors specify which courses must be taken to satisfy Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements. Students should read the section pertaining to their selected major carefully before registering for classes.