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Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences curriculum for the Bachelor of Arts degree is designed to give students a broad acquaintance with the various ways scholars study and interpret the world in which we live. It is also intended to enable students to understand, and to communicate their understanding of, the richly varied and changing contexts of our lives. Within this general-educational framework students choose one or more areas for in-depth study.

Every student at IU South Bend must complete campuswide general-education requirements. Students within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must also complete requirements for bachelor’s degrees, and the following concentration requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisors every semester to help them select the optimal course of study. In many cases, courses can be selected that satisfy both the college and the campuswide general-education requirements.

A bachelor’s degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at IU South Bend comprises three parts:

Part One | Campus and college requirements (I, II and III) together encourage breadth of general knowledge and skills.

Part Two | A minor encourages depth of knowledge in an area outside the major, perhaps even outside the college

Part Three | A major encourages deep and coherent knowledge and skills development in a particular field of study within the college.

Parts One and Part Two together make up the college’s liberal education requirements, summarized below. For information on Part Three, major requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, refer to the relevant department or interdisciplinary program section of this campus bulletin.

No course may be used to meet more than one Part One requirement. Any course used to meet major (Part Three) or minor (Part Two) requirements may also be used to meet one but not more than one of the Part One requirements. No course may be used to meet both a minor (Part Two) and major (Part Three) requirement. No course may be used to meet a requirement toward more than one minor.

A candidate for a bachelor’s degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 120 credit hours, including at least 30 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.

Part One

Campuswide Curriculum (33-39 cr.)

For a more detailed description of the IU South Bend general-education curriculum, including lists of approved courses, see the General Education site. All courses certified as meeting the campuswide general-education requirements are designated in the Schedule of Classes.

Bachelor of Arts students with 56 or more transfer credits must complete the following components of the campus general education curriculum in addition to the minimum campus requirements:

Area II: Common Core

In addition to one 300-level Common Core course, Bachelor of Arts students must complete one course (transfer or IU) in each of the remaining three areas.

The Natural World: ANAT, AST, BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, PLSC, or approved N190/390 course

Human Behavior and Social Institutions: ANTH, GEOG, POLS, PSY, SOC, or approved B190/B399 course

Literary and Intellectual Traditions: CMLT, ENG, HIST, PHIL, or approved T190/T390 course

Art, Aesthetics and Creativity: FINA, MUS, THTR, or approved A190/A399 course

Area III: Contemporary Social Values

Bachelor of Arts students must complete both a course that meets the Diversity in US Society requirement and a course that meets the Non-Western Culture requirement.

Additional College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements (14-23 cr.)

Bachelor of Arts students must also satisfy the following College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements:

Junior/Senior-Level Writing (3 cr.) | Select from approved course list

Writing clear English is one of the defining characteristics of a liberal arts graduate. All Bachelor of Arts students are required to complete a junior/senior-level writing course with a grade of C or higher. This course must be taken after completing at least 56 credit hours. Visit the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising Center website at advise.iusb.edu for courses satisfying this requirement.

World Languages (3-12 cr.)

The study of languages other than English is essential to understanding and appreciating the global community. In recognition of this fact, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires that its Bachelor of Arts majors attain an intermediate-level proficiency in a second language. This requirement can be met in one of three ways:

• Successful completion of a fourth-semester language class, designated as 204 in the IU South Bend Bulletin. The 204 course is the last class in a four-semester sequence (101, 102, 203, and 204).
• Successful completion of a 300- or 400-level course in which the primary instruction is in a language other than English. Formal training, as evidenced by secondary or university diplomas, in a language other than English.

World Languages Placement Examination

The Department of World Language Studies (W.L.S.) offers a placement examination to:

• Determine in which semester a student should enroll
• Qualify students for credit by examination

Students may earn up to 6 credit hours for testing out of any two of these language classes (101, 102, 203, or 204). For more details, see the world language studies website.

Western Culture before 1800 (3 cr.) | Select from approved course list

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts students should attain an awareness of the historical, literary, artistic, or philosophical achievements that contributed to the construction of the idea of the West, its culture, and institutions. Bachelor of Arts majors must take one course in which the primary subject matter treats aspects of the ancient, medieval, and/or early modern world and gives the student a sense of the historical and geographical origins of modern societies.

This requirement can be met by taking any course or section designated as approved for Western Culture before 1800.

Science Course and Laboratory (5 cr.)

Natural science laboratory (2 cr.)

Additional natural science course (3 cr.)

• Select from anatomy, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, microbiology, physiology, physics, or plant sciences

These requirements can also be satisfied by a single 5 credit hour integrated lecture/laboratory course.

To prepare students for a world profoundly influenced by rapid changes in science and technology, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires that Bachelor of Arts students take 5 credit hours in the natural sciences, in addition to N 190 The Natural World.

To understand science, students must learn the experimental method. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires that Bachelor of Arts students take a science course with a formal laboratory component.

Part Two

The Required Minor (15-18 cr.)

While the campuswide general-education requirements expose students to a broad array of topics and methods, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts students should also explore at least one area outside their major in some depth. Bachelor of Arts students must complete a minor offered by any IU South Bend school, college, division, or approved interdisciplinary program.

Bachelor of Arts students must also complete a minor in an area outside their major. For the minor requirements of specific departments and interdisciplinary programs, consult those sections of this publication. Students must declare their minor in a timely manner by meeting with an advisor for the department or program offering the minor early in their career at IU South Bend. Students are encouraged to consult with an advisor for the minor regularly.

Any student who completes a double major within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or a second major from outside the college is deemed to have met this requirement.

Departmental Minors

Students must earn a minor in conjunction with a Bachelor of Arts degree. See departmental pages. All minors consist of at least 15 credit hours, with a grade of C– or higher, in one department or in an approved interdepartmental program (a minimum of two courses, totaling at least 6 credit hours, must be taken while in residence at IU South Bend).

A GPA of 2.0 is required in the student’s minor department(s). World language majors may minor in second languages; others must choose minors outside of their major departments. Each minor program must be approved by an advisor in the department or interdepartmental committee offering the minor and must be filed with the director of student services.

For the minor requirements of specific departments and interdepartmental programs, consult those sections of this publication. See list of minors.

Part Three

The Required Major

Select from degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as specified under the respective undergraduate degree listing in this campus bulletin.

Concentration Requirement

Many concentrations require careful planning starting with the freshman year. Students are advised to consult early in their college career with the departmental advisor for any department in which they may wish to concentrate.

Single Major Area of Concentration

The following are minimum requirements for the concentration requirement. Additional and/or detailed requirements are to be found in the departmental statements in this publication. The specific departmental requirements that must be fulfilled are those published in the IU South Bend Bulletin that is current at the time the student certifies into the college (but not longer than 10 years), or those in the IU South Bend Bulletin current at the time of graduation. The following rules pertain to the concentration group:

• At least 25 credit hours must be taken in the major subject area. This is a minimum. See specific departmental requirements.
• Any course in which the student receives a letter grade below C– may not be used to fulfill the concentration area requirement. However, courses in which the student receives a D or higher count toward the 120 credit hour total that is required for graduation.
• A GPA of 2.0 is required in the student’s major department(s).

Double Major

A student may major in more than one discipline. A double major requires that the major requirements in both departments be fully met, as well as general-education and other general requirements of the college. The student should consult regularly with advisors from both departments if this option is chosen.

Requirements for a Second Bachelor’s Degree

Normally the holder of a bachelor’s degree who wishes to pursue a further educational goal is encouraged to become qualified for admission to a graduate degree program. In certain cases, however, the dean may admit a bachelor’s degree holder to candidacy for a second bachelor’s degree. When such admission is granted, the candidate must declare a major, earn at least 26 additional credit hours in residence, and meet the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences additional general-education requirements as well as those of the major department. No minor is required.

Bachelor of General Studies

The College of Arts and Sciences offers the Bachelor of General Studies degree to allow students to design and implement a coherent, focused, and comprehensive plan of study leading to a bachelor’s degree. While  achieving the traditional objectives of a university education, the B.G.S. allows students needed flexibility and creativity to also meet their own personal and professional goals.

Bachelor of Science

Every student who registers in a curriculum leading to the degree Bachelor of Science must complete the requirements for bachelor’s degrees and the general-education requirements as specified under the respective departmental listing in this campus bulletin.

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