IU Columbus Programs
Undergraduate Programs
Division of Liberal Arts
A liberal arts education begins with the premise that one’s world and one’s self are at the core of the pursuit of knowledge. It leads to viewing the world from more than one perspective and learning something about its social, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions. Those different perspectives within the liberal arts encompass two major groups of academic disciplines: the humanities, which explore the history and experience of human culture; and the social sciences, which examine the social and material foundations of human life.
Regardless of the perspective, the focus in the liberal arts is on knowledge itself, on both its substance and the tools for pursuing it, on what is known and what is worth knowing. Skills for acquiring and generating knowledge, as well as the preservation of knowledge, are contained within the School of Liberal Arts curriculum.
Common Core:
Core Communication (2 courses; 6 cr.)
- ENG-W 131 Reading, Writing and Inquiry
- COMM-R 110 Public Speaking
Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning (2 courses; 6 cr.)
- At least one must be college level math
Life and Physical Sciences (2 courses; 6 cr.)
- One must include a lab
Cultural Understanding (1 course; 3 cr.)
Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences (3 courses; 9 cr.)
- One Social Science course
- One Arts & Humanities course
- One Social Science or Arts & Humanities course
General Education Requirements:
- ENG-W 131 with a grade of C or higher
- ENG-W 231 Professional Writing Skills or ENG-W 270 Argumentative Writing Skills (grade of C or higher)
- UCOL-U 110 or DLA-L 110 First Year Experience (waived for transfer students with 18 or more credits)
- Computer Proficiency/Logic (If computer proficiency is already proven or waived, then a Logic course is required)
- Arts & Humanities 100 or 200 level courses not in your first major field of study
- Social Science 100 or 200 level course not in your first major field of study
- World Language and Culture (Students are required to complete first-year competency in a world language.)
- Advanced courses: 40 credits must be completed at the 300-400 level, including courses within the major
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Students may complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. Students will learn about communication theories, research methods, and competencies from a variety of contexts: rhetoric, public address, organizations, family, health, and media. The department offers a diverse curriculum for students interested in majoring or minoring in Communication Studies. Students learn about the communication process inherent in the areas of interpersonal, small group, organizational, public, and media studies.
Courses in Communication Studies aid students in enhancing their critical inquiry, speech delivery, message design, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. Students who pursue Communication Studies degrees are well-suited for graduate work in various areas of communication studies, humanities, and in professional programs such as law and business. Course work also assists those students pursuing career fields: public relations, marketing, training and development, human resources, public affairs and social advocacy, and event planning.
Required courses:
- COMM-C 180 Interpersonal Communication*
- COMM-G 100 Introduction to Communication Studies
- COMM-G 201 Introduction to Communication Theory
- COMM-G 310 Communication Research Methods
- COMM-M 150 Mass Media & Contemporary Society*
- COMM-R 330 Communication Criticism
- Four Communication Electives*: Three out of four must be at the 300-400 level
Student can choose additional electives to meet the 120 credit degree requirement.
*May be used to fill requirements in the General Education Core. However, the credits count only once.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Students may complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at IU Columbus. A Criminal Justice degree will provide students with a broad and layered understanding of the history, operations, and implications of criminal justice in America.
The U.S. criminal justice system is designed to enforce defined standards of conduct designed to protect the rights of individual citizens and groups of citizens. The term “criminal justice” is used to describe the policies, procedures, and practices that federal, state, and municipal governments use to uphold legal codes and laws, ensure public safety, deter and mitigate crime, penalize those who violate laws, and rehabilitate offenders. It also aims to reduce crime, deliver justice to victims, and maintain public confidence that the system protects law-abiding citizens.
As a criminal justice student, you will study, explore, and research important societal needs related to law enforcement, the judicial system, corrections, and national security. You will complete classes on research methods, criminological theory and policy, criminal law, courts, corrections, and policing. You may also study cutting-edge topics related to homicide, terrorism, juvenile justice, and cybercrime.
Required courses:
- CJUS-P 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CJUS-P 199 Careers in Criminal Justice
- CJUS-P 200 Theories of Crime and Deviance (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 275 Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 295 Criminal Justice Data, Methods, and Research (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-K 300 Techniques of Data Analysis (or equivalent)
- CJUS-P 301 Police in Contemporary Society (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 302 Courts and Criminal Justice (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 303 Corrections and Criminal Justice (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 370 Criminal Law (P:CJUS-P 100)
- CJUS-P 470* Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (P: P:CJUS-P100, P200, P295, K300) *May substitute CJUS-P481 Field Experience in Criminal Justice or CJUS-P496 Research Internship
- CJUS-P___ Criminal Justice Elective (3 cr.)
CJUS-P___ Criminal Justice Elective (3 cr.)
CJUS-P___ Criminal Justice Elective (3 cr.)
Additional courses to total 120 credit hours (Not required to be CJUS courses, but could be.)
Credit for law enforcement training
Sworn full-time police officers who have graduated from any of the five Indiana law enforcement academies can earn 13 undergraduate credit hours from CJUS. You can apply these credits to any of our undergraduate degree programs. To be eligible, you must be admitted to IU Columbus and must have completed at least 12 IU Columbus credits with a 2.0 GPA.
Bachelor of Arts in English
Students may complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing or the Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Literature. The Undergraduate Program in English provides opportunities for personal and professional achievements. Our multi-dimensional program offers courses in professional writing, creative writing and literature that seek to foster students’ abilities to read closely, think critically, research effectively, and write with clarity and purpose. Our English degrees prepare students for meaningful lives and a variety of careers.
Bachelor of Arts in English with Concentration in Creative Writing
Creative Writing students will improve their creative expression through a range of courses and workshops. In addition, they will work closely with published faculty; read and critique a variety of experimental, canonical, and original texts; participate in intensive workshops while practicing the craft of writing with a community of writers; consider wider audiences for their creative work through internships, educational field trips and travel, readings, community projects, and a capstone course. They should consider submitting original creative work to the university’s student literary magazine, Talking Leaves, as well as other venues. Students may aspire to publish an original book.
Required courses:
Gateway Course (6 cr.)
- ENG-W 206 Introduction to Creative Writing
- ENG-W 207 Introduction to Fiction Writing
Concentration Core (12 cr. in at least two genres, including at least 3 cr. at the 400 level)
- ENG-W 301 Writing Fiction
- ENG-W 302 Screenwriting
- ENG-W 303 Writing Poetry
- ENG-W 305 Writing Creative Nonfiction
- ENG-W 401 Advanced Fiction Writing
- ENG-W 403 Advanced Poetry Writing
- ENG-W 411 Directed Writing (only with permission)
English Experience (9 cr.)
Three Literature courses 200-400 level or higher; at least one at 300-400 level
Language, Pedagogy and Editing (3 cr.)
- ENG-W 365 Theory and Practice of Editing
- ENG-W 210 Literacy and Public Life
- ENG-W 310 Language and the Study of Writing
- ENG-Z 204 Rhetorical Issues in Grammar and Usage
- ENG-Z 205 Intro to the English Language
ENG-E 450 Capstone Seminar
Any additional credit hours needed to reach the minimum of 120 credits hours required to graduate.
Bachelor of Arts in English with Concentration in Literature
Literature students will read, discuss, and analyze a range of written works. For example, students may study historical complexities of Elizabethan drama in the plays of Shakespeare; American transcendentalists in New England such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau; the golden age of high society and aristocracy in novels by Edith Wharton and Henry James; life in the southern United States by writers like William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Flannery O’Connor; or the nuanced aesthetics of modernist and contemporary poetry and prose in the works of Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and Toni Morrison. In reading and analyzing works like these, students will develop broad and deep understandings of the human condition across many cultures. Students will sharpen critical thinking skills that will serve them well, personally and professionally.
Required courses:
Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or higher in all English courses.
Gateway Course (3 cr.)
- ENG- L 202 Literary Interpretation
Concentration Core (15 cr.)
- Critical and Historical Foundations - Britain (6 cr.)
ENG-L 301 Critical and Historical survey of English Lit I
ENG-L 302 Critical and Historical Survey of English Lit II - Critical and Historical Foundations - U.S. (6 cr.)
ENG-L 351 Critical and Historical Survey of American Lit I
ENG-L 352 Critical and Historical Survey of American Lit II
ENG-L 354 Critical and Historical Survey of American Lit III ENG-L 379 American Ethnic and Minority Literature - ENG-L 220 Introduction to Shakespeare (3 cr.)
One of the following (3 cr.):
- ENG-L 207 Women and Literature
- ENG-L 378 Studies in Women and Literature
- ENG-L 379 American Ethnic and Minority Literature
- ENG-L 382 Fiction of the Non-Western World
English Experience (9 cr.)
Language and Linguistics, one of the following (3 cr.):
- ENG-Z 204 Rhetorical Issues in Grammar and Usage
- ENG-Z 205 Intro to the English Language
ENG-W 365 Theory and Practice of Editing (3 cr.)
One English course at the 200-level or above, outside of Literature (3 cr.)
ENG-E 450 Capstone Seminar (3 cr.)
Any additional credit hours needed to reach the minimum of 120 credits hours required to graduate.
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Students may complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and may also choose a concentration in Medical Sociology or Criminology to go with their degree. Human beings are social animals. We live in groups and do most things with other people. Much of what we think, say, and do is influenced by what others expect of us and by how others treat us. Sociologists study the patterns of interaction between people in all sorts of settings: at work, at play, at home, etc. They try to clarify what is going on, what lies behind it, what is likely to come from it, and what might be done differently. Their theories and research findings can provide insights into processes and events that affect us in our everyday lives.
Required courses:
- SOC-R 100 Introduction to Sociology
- SOC-R 351 Social Science Research Methods
- SOC-R 355 Social Theory
- SOC-R 359 Sociological Statistics*
- SOC-R Sociology Electives (6 courses; 18 cr.)
Senior Seminar (3 cr.)
SOC-R 494 Capstone: Internship (3 cr.)
OR SOC-R 497 Capstone: Independent Study (Instructor Permission)
*Students may take Psychology PSY-B 305 Statistics in place of SOC-R 359, but then need to complete 18 hours of SOC electives to reach the required 30 hours of Sociology courses for the major.
Any additional credit hours needed to reach the minimum of 120 credits hours required to graduate.
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Concentration in Medical Sociology
The optional concentration in medical sociology consists of four or five sociology electives from a list of approved courses. The medical concentration provides students with an understanding of the social factors connected to health, illness, patient care, and health-related professions. It prepares students for entry into a variety of those health professions such as nursing, optometry, medicine, social work, medical sociology, and psychology. Once completed, the concentration is noted on the student's transcript.
In addition to completing the Sociology Major Course Requirements, to earn the medical sociology concentration, students must complete 15 credit hours in this concentration with grade of C (2.0) or higher:
- SOC-R 381: Social Factors in Health and Illness or
- SOC-R 382: Social Organization of Health Care (available at IU Indianapolis)
Three additional Sociology electives from:
- SOC-R 320 Sexuality and Society
- SOC-R 321 Women and Health
- SOC-R 349 Victimology (available at IU Indianapolis)
- SOC-R 381 Social Factors in Health and Illness (if R382 was taken above)
- SOC-R 382 Social Organization of Health Care - available at IU Indianapolis (if R381 was taken above)
- SOC-R 327 Sociology of Death and Dying
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs and Society
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness
- SOC-R 415 Sociology of Disability
- SOC-R 495 Topics in Medical Sociology
Additional sociology electives to total 15 credit hours.
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Concentration in Criminology
Students majoring in sociology will have the opportunity to complete a concentration in the sociological subfield of criminology. Criminology studies the social causes and consequences of crime and deviance. Criminologists help shape policies and procedures designed to address crime. They enjoy careers in law, forensics, corrections, criminal profiling, law enforcement, and counseling. IU Columbus is the only IU location offering a sociology degree with a criminology concentration.
In addition to completing the Sociology Major Course Requirements, to earn the criminology concentration, students must complete five classes (15 cr.) from the sociology electives below:
- SOC-R 121 Social Problems
- SOC-R 240 Deviance and Social Control
- SOC-R 295/495 Topics in Sociology (with approval)
- SOC-R 344 Juvenile Delinquency and Society
- SOC-R 345 Crime and Society
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs, and Society
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness
Other Liberal Arts Degrees
If you are interested in a liberal arts degree that cannot be completed at IU Columbus—like Anthropology, Art, Geography, History, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, or a foreign language, for example—talk to us about completing some courses in Columbus and then transferring to the School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis or another IU campus.
In these cases, you will work closely with an academic advisor to develop an individual plan of study around the courses offered at IU Columbus that will apply to your desired major. You and your advisor will develop a timeline for a smooth transfer.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of human culture, biology, and social interaction across time and place. It includes the archaeological investigation of past and present human material culture; ethnographic study of contemporary cultures around the world and in the United States; research into human evolution and the origins of human physical diversity; and analysis concerning the origins, structure, and social use of language.
Art
IU Columbus offers introductory courses in art appreciation and drawing. Art Appreciation (HER-H 100 Art in Culture) introduces students in any major to the visual arts through the study of history, cultures, and media. Drawing students learn to express themselves through drawing and to critique, evaluate, and interpret drawings of different types.
Geography
Geography, like history, is a way of looking at the world. Whereas historians study variation through time, geographers study variation through space: how and why the earth’s natural and human features vary from place to place. Underlying this spatial approach are such recurring themes as spatial diffusion of people, goods, and ideas; the significance of location in human interaction; the power of place in human conscience; and the interaction of physical and human processes to create landscapes. Geographers can be found in a great variety of positions often not specifically identified as geographic: environmental management, urban planning, conservation, recreation and tourism, transportation planning, international affairs, and many others.
History
History offers students the opportunity to better understand the human social condition through the systematic study of the human past. IU Columbus offers introductory courses in U.S. history and world history. History not only provides opportunities to serve the avocational interest of the liberal arts student, but also provides a foundation for continued work at the graduate level. Courses in history serve the student admirably in fulfilling the tradition of a liberal education. They also provide a solid basis for professional training in fields such as law, business, environmental affairs, historic preservation, public administration, and government.
Language
IU Columbus offers introductory courses in Spanish and American Sign Language.
Music
Students may take a variety of music classes at IU Columbus. In addition to a music fundamentals course designed for teacher candidates, IU Columbus offers classes on musical genres. For example, students may explore African American music, rock music, and the music of social protest.
Philosophy
Philosophic inquiry aims, ultimately, at a general understanding of the whole of reality. It draws on the insights of the great historical philosophers, on what has been learned in all other major fields of study, and on the rich perspectives embodied within ordinary ways of thinking. Philosophers address a diverse array of deep, challenging, and profoundly important questions. Examples include the nature of the self and of personal identity; the existence or nonexistence of God; the nature of time, mind, language, and science; the sources and limits of human knowledge; the nature of the good life; the foundations of state authority; the requirements of social justice; and the nature of art, beauty, and aesthetic experience. Philosophical questions are addressed not by reference to empirical information alone, but by means of analysis, synthesis, argument, and the construction and evaluation of philosophical theories.
Religious Studies
Religious studies offers students opportunities to explore the patterns and dimensions of the many different religious traditions of the world from the perspectives of the academic study of religion. The courses are designed to help students develop basic understandings of the many ways in which religions shape personal views of the world, create and sustain the communities in which we live, and interact with politics, economics, literature and the arts, and other structures of society. Through this curriculum, students are provided the skills that will allow them to understand religions as a part of the study of human history and traditional and nontraditional values.
Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) delivers a deeper understanding of gender and its social construction. WGSS examines societal norms like gender, race, and class as well as the dynamic, fluid definitions of masculinity and femininity and the gendered institutions that we inhabit. IU Columbus offers a robust interdisciplinary minor in WGSS that includes perspectives from sociology, literature, and communication studies among other fields.
Minors available in Liberal Arts
A minor can enhance the breadth and depth of your academic experience, strengthen your marketability and employment opportunities, or enable you to fulfill a life goal to simply learn more about a particular topic.
Communication Studies - A total of 15 credits are required to earn a communication studies minor at IU Columbus. COMM-G 100, plus 12 elected credit hours from at least two areas within the department curriculum (areas prefixed C, G, M, and R), and at least six credit hours must be 300 level or higher.
- COMM-C 180 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
- COMM-C 223 Business & Professional Communication
- COMM-C 316 Human Communication and the Internet
- COMM-C 380 Organizational Communication
- COMM-C 393 Family Communication
- COMM-C 395 Gender and Communication
- COMM-C 400 Health Provider-Consumer Communication
- COMM-C 482 Intercultural Communication
- COMM-G 201 Introduction to Communication Theory
- COMM-G 300 Independent Study
- COMM-G 310 Introduction to Communication Research
- COMM-G 391 Advanced Topics in Communication Studies
- COMM-G 491 Internship
- COMM-M 150 Mass Media and Contemporary Society
- COMM-R 309 Great Speakers: American Address
- COMM-R 310 Rhetoric, Society, and Culture
- COMM-R 321 Persuasion
- COMM-R 330 Communication Criticism
- COMM-R 350 American Feminist Rhetoric
- COMM-R 390 Political Communication
*COMM-R 110 does not count toward the communication studies minor.
Note: Other courses may be available to meet this requirement. Check with your academic advisor for more information.
Creative Writing - To earn a minor in creative writing, students must take 15 credit hours from the courses below. In order for a course to count toward the completion of the creative writing minor, you must receive a grade of C (2.0) or better.
ENG-W 206 Intro to Creative Writing
ENG-W 207 Intro to Fiction Writing
ENG-W 208 Intro to Poetry Writing
ENG-W 301 Writing Fiction
ENG-W 302 Screenwriting
ENG-W 303 Writing Poetry
ENG-W 305 Writing Creative Nonfiction
ENG-W 401 Advanced Fiction Writing
ENG-W 403 Advance Poetry Writing
ENG-W 411 Directed Writing
Criminal Justice - The Criminal Justice minor requires 15 credit hours of Criminal Justice course work with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
CJUS-P 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Core Courses (2 courses, 6 cr.), selected from the following:
- CJUS-P 295 Criminal Justice Data, Methods, and Resources
- CJUS-P 370 Criminal Law
- CJUS-P 200 Theories of Crime and Deviance
- CJUS-P 302 Courts and Criminal Justice
- CJUS-P 301 Police in Contemporary Society
- CJUS-P 303 Corrections and Criminal Justice
- CJUS-P 275 Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice
Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 cr. minimum): Take two other criminal justice courses (‘P” prefix). These may be drawn from the courses in the above list not used to fulfill that requirement. At least one of these two courses must be at the 300 or 400 level.
Digital and Professional Writing - Requirements for a minor in Digital and Professional Writing: Prerequisites (Required Courses) (3 cr.) ENG-W 131 (or equivalent) with a grade of C or better (does not count toward the minor). In some cases, an equivalent course may be substituted if approved by the Director of Writing. A total of 15 credit hours (5 courses), with a grade of C (2.0) or better:
- ENG-W 231 Professional Writing
- ENG-W 270 Argumentative Writing
- ENG-W 315 Writing for the Web (independent study or online at IU Indianapolis)
- ENG-W 365 Theories and Practices of Editing
- ENG-W 398 Writing Internship: Writing in the Workplace (with approved site and faculty)
- ENG-Z 204 Rhetorical Issues in Grammar and Usage
Literature - To earn a minor and literature requires a total of 15 credit hours (5 courses) with a grade of C (2.0) or better, including:
One course from the following: ENG-L 202, ENG-L 203, ENG-L 204, or ENG-L 205
One survey of British literature (ENG-L 301 or ENG-L 302) and one survey of American literature (ENG-L 351, ENG-L 352, or ENG-L 354)
Two elective courses in literature, at least one of which must be at the 300 or 400 level
Medical Sociology - To earn a minor in Medical Sociology, students must complete 15 credit hours of sociology course work, with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
SOC-R 100 - Introduction to Sociology and SOC-R 381 - Social Factors in Health and Illness
9 additional credit hours selected from the following:
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society
- SOC-R 320 Sexuality and Society
- SOC-R 321 Women and Health
- SOC-R 327 Sociology of Death & Dying
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs and Society
- SOC-R 415 Sociology of Disability
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness
Sociology - To earn a minor in sociology, students must complete 15 credit hours of sociology course work with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
- SOC-R 100 Introduction to Sociology
- 12 additional credit hours* of sociology courses,
- *6 credit hours must be at the 200-400 level.
12 credits of Sociology courses can include:
- SOC-R 121 Social Problems
- SOC-R 240 Deviance and Social Control
- SOC-R 295 Topics in Sociology
- SOC-R 312 Sociology of Religion
- SOC-R 314 Families and Society
- SOC-R 315 Political Sociology
- SOC-R 320 Sexuality and Society
- SOC-R 321 Women and Health
- SOC-R 325 Gender and Society
- SOC-R 327 Sociology of Death and Dying
- SOC-R 333 Sports and Society
- SOC-R 335 Sociological Perspectives on the Life Course
- SOC-R 344 Juvenile Delinquency and Society
- SOC-R 345 Crime and Society
- SOC-R 346 Control of Crime
- SOC-R 351 Social Science Research Methods
- SOC-R 355 Social Theory
- SOC-R 381 Social Factors in Health and Illness
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs and Society
- SOC-R 415 Sociology of Disability
- SOC-R 425 Gender and Work
- SOC-R 461 Race and Ethnic Relations
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness
- SOC-R 495 Topics in Sociology
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies - To minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, students must successfully complete 16 credit hours in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses with grade of C (2.0) or better in each course.
Required courses include WGSS-W 105 Introduction to Women’s Studies, WGSS-W 499 Senior Colloquium in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and 12 credits in gender studies and/or cross listed classes (i.e., those in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, etc.).
- SOC-R 325 Gender and Society
- SOC-R 321 Women and Health
- SOC-R 495 Topics in Sociology: Sports & Gender
- SOC-R 314 Families and Society
- COMM-C 395 Gender and Communication
- ENG-L 207/ L 378 Women and Literature / Studies in Women and Literature
- ENG- L 202 Literary Interpretation
- ENG-L 354 American Literature since 1914
- WGSS-W 300 Gender, Race, and Class in Contemporary Literature
- SOC-R 320 Sexuality and Society
- SOC-R 425 Gender and Work
- COMM-C 393 Family Communication
- LSTU-L 290 Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
- LSTU-L 385 Class, Race, Gender, and Work
- LSTU-L 390 Women and Development
- BIOL-N 200 The Biology of Women
- PSY-B 388 Human Sexuality
