Degree Requirements

Major Requirements—B.A.

Students have three options for fulfilling the major concentration requirements for the B.A. degree: major, double (or triple) major, or interdepartmental major. For detailed information about the requirements for any particular major, please see the entries in this Bulletin for individual Departments and Programs. Some departments require students to complete a minor in addition to the major.

  1. With the exception of interdepartmental majors, majors that are part of the B.A. degree require a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 42 College of Arts and Sciences credit hours. Students—especially those considering graduate school—may count up to 20 major credit hours taken in excess of 42 toward the 120 minimum credit hours required for the degree if the total number of credit hours outside of the College and excess major hours combined do not exceed 20. 
  2. Certain departments and programs do not count 100-level language courses toward the requirements.
  3. Students must complete at least 18 credit hours at the 300–400 level in courses applicable to the major.
  4. Any course in which the student earns a grade below C– may not be used to fulfill a major or minor requirement. Courses in which the student earns a D– or higher, however, count toward the 120 credit hour total.
  5. Courses taken to satisfy the Foundations requirement in English Composition may not be applied toward a major or minor requirement.
  6. The grade point average of all courses taken in the major must be at least 2.000.
  7. The residence requirement of at least 18 credit hours in the major at Bloomington must be met. 
Double or Triple Majors (B.A.)

The College offers a double or triple major for the B.A. degree with the following requirements:

  1. At least 27 distinct College of Arts and Sciences credit hours must be taken in each major.
  2. The residence requirement of at least 18 credit hours in each major at Bloomington must be met.
  3. Students must have two or three advisors, one from each department in which they propose to study.
  4. With approval of the relevant major departments and the College, one course may be counted toward both majors of a double major or all three majors of a triple major program. Whether a student plans two majors or three majors, a total of only one course may be double-counted.
Interdepartmental Majors (B.A.)

Interdepartmental majors are available in some disciplines for students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree and who wish to combine two disciplines or subjects into an interdepartmental concentration area. Such students are required to complete a minimum of 40 credit hours but cannot exceed 62 credit hours in the interdepartmental major. However, a maximum of 20 major credit hours taken in excess of 62 may be counted toward the 120 minimum credit hours required for the degree. In no case may the total of credit hours outside the College and excess major credit hours exceed 20 credit hours.