College of Arts And Sciences » Degree Requirements » Breadth of Inquiry Requirement

Degree Requirements

Breadth of Inquiry Requirement

Students pursuing a B.A. or B.F.A. in the College must complete 6 courses in CASE Breadth of Inquiry in addition to the Breadth of Inquiry courses that they must complete for campuswide General Education including two designated courses in the arts and humanities, two designated courses in social and historical studies, and two designated courses in natural and mathematical sciences. For information about Breadth of Inquiry requirements for the B.G.S. or B.S. degrees, please see the entry for the department or program that offers the degree in question. Specific courses that fulfill the College's Breadth of Inquiry requirement are designated by abbreviations following the course titles (CASE A&H, CASE S&H, or CASE N&M). For a complete list of courses that fulfill the Breadth of Inquiry requirement, please use the CASE Course Designations tool.

Courses to be considered for CASE Breadth of Inquiry credit must  be conducted as formal classes. A course can carry only one Breadth of Inquiry designation.

Arts and Humanities (CASE A&H)

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.

Social and Historical Studies (CASE S&H)

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.

Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CASE N&M)

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 expand 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.