Degree Requirements

Topics Requirement

Students in the College must take one Topics course. These courses expose students to the questions asked and methods pursued by scholars within broad branches of learning (arts and humanities, social and historical studies, and natural and mathematical sciences). Topics courses focus on a particular subject area or topic, and also offer an opportunity for exploring the ways in which knowledge is broken down within the university, the various approaches taken by practitioners from different fields, and the possibilities for crossing disciplinary boundaries. Because Topics courses employ and compare a number of different critical approaches, they help students to decide which major(s) they want to pursue.

Any student who is a candidate for a Bachelor’s degree offered by the College is required to complete one Topics course on the Bloomington campus. This includes students who transfer from other IU Bloomington schools, from other IU campuses, and from other institutions.

Students are encouraged to take this course in their first year; in any case, they should plan to take their Topics course no later than the first semester of their second year.

Courses that fulfill the Topics requirement are designated by the abbreviation (TFR). For a listing of all courses that can satisfy the Topics requirement, please see the section of this Bulletin entitled "Appendix III," which can be found under "Course Designations." For updates of Topics courses, see the College Web site at www.indiana.edu/~college/topics/. Topics courses can also be counted toward a distribution requirement.

Course Descriptions for Topics Courses (COLL)