Breadth of Inquiry Requirements (9 courses)

The Breadth of Inquiry requirement consists of three areas of study:

  • Arts and Humanities (A&H)
  • Social and Historical Studies (S&H)
  • Natural and Mathematical Sciences (N&M)

Approved courses that will fulfill the Breadth of Inquiry requirement (as well as the Culture Studies requirement) can be found by using the College of Arts and Sciences Course Designations search tool.  Courses from the campus-wide General Education Breadth of Inquiry course lists may also fulfill the requirement.

Note: The College of Arts and Sciences Course Designations search tool was designed for College of Arts and Sciences students rather than Journalism students so it may include search functions for requirements exclusive to the College of Arts and Sciences degrees in addition to the requirements for which Journalism students have been directed to the site.  Journalism students only need to fulfill the requirements listed here in the School of Journalism bulletin.

Students should note the examples below before using the College search tool:

Example 1: Course level approval

  • AAAD-A 112 Black Music of Two Worlds A&H GCC

All versions of AAAD-A 112 are approved for A&H and GCC*.

Example 2: Topic level approval

  • ANTH-E 300  Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups Islam in and out of Africa S&H GCC (for this topic only)

Only the topic "Islam in and out of Africa" is approved for S&H and GCC*.  Other topics of ANTH-E 300 are not approved for these designations. 

(*GCC is the abbreviation for Global Civilizations and Cultures, which is one of the designations within the World Languages and Cultures Culture Studies requirement.)

Students are advised to read carefully course descriptions in the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin or other appropriate bulletins for prerequisites and conditions concerning awarding of credit. Breadth of Inquiry courses may be cross-listed to Culture Studies and Second Concentrations when they are included on these requirements' approved lists.

To ensure a rich and varied general education, the School of Journalism requires students to complete the Breadth of Inquiry requirements as follows:

Arts and Humanities (A&H) (three courses)

Courses in this area help students think about the complexity of human experience, appreciate the range of human thought and emotion, learn about varieties of aesthetic expression, and grapple with moral issues. Such courses study written texts and works in literature, the visual arts, music, and the other performing arts, as well as philosophical and religious thought, and intellectual and cultural traditions. The approach may be comparative, historical, or analytical, but the emphasis is on developing students' interpretive and critical skills.

(Please note that by taking two of the three A&H courses from the campus-wide GenEd list, students will fulfill the GenEd A&H requirement, as well as part of the B.A.J. A&H requirement.)

Social and Historical Studies (S&H) (three courses)

Courses in this area analyze social institutions, the behavior of individuals in social contexts and historical settings, and changes in social conditions over time. Such courses study the political, economic, and cultural institutions of society, from individuals in social interactions to the international system of nation-states and transnational organizations and actors as well as changes in the human condition over time, including the inception, development, and transformation of institutions and civilizations, ideas, genres, or forms of representation.

(Please note that by taking two of the three S&H courses from the campus-wide GenEd list, students will fulfill the GenEd S&H requirement, as well as part of the B.A.J. S&H requirement.)

Natural and Mathematical Sciences (N&M) (three courses)

Courses in this area provide an appreciation of the physical and biological environment, introduce students to systematic investigation of that environment, show the value of experimental methods for understanding natural laws, and explore the role and methods of the mathematical sciences. Such courses study the natural sciences, introducing and emphasizing basic principles of the chemical, physical, and life sciences, and expanding students' understanding of the physical world and scientific inquiry about it, as well as analytical reasoning, the mathematical sciences, and the thinking process and its representations. Courses may focus on forms of reasoning or the nature and processes of cognition and computation.

(Please note that by taking two of the three N&M courses from the campus-wide GenEd list, students will fulfill the GenEd N&M requirement, as well as part of the B.A.J. N&M requirement.)

Academic Bulletins

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