To ensure a quality liberal arts education featuring a variety of types of knowledge, students earning a B.A. degree must complete:

• The IU Kokomo General Education Program (the Foundations, Liberal Arts Core, Diversity, and Ethically Responsible Citizenship requirements found here)
• The standard credit hour, GPA, and residency requirements needed to earn an IU Kokomo degree
• All requirements of their specific major
• Additional requirements in computing, writing, science, literature, history, social sciences, and foreign language (known hereafter as the Bachelor of Arts Core, or B.A. Core).

Where courses meet requirements in multiple categories above, they can be counted as satisfying all relevant categories (e.g., a course that satisfies the Liberal Arts Core, Diversity requirement, major requirement, and the B.A. Core can be counted as such). Specific instances where this happens will vary by major.

Once enrolled in a B.A. degree program, any additional courses students take to meet the IU Kokomo General Education Program must be from those offered by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences or the School of Sciences. Students should work with their academic advisor to select courses and satisfy requirements in a timely manner.

Bachelor of Arts Core (B.A. Core)

The following requirements must be met in order to complete the B.A. Core. Connections between the IU Kokomo General Education Program and the B.A. Core are highlighted.

• Computer Skills: CSCI-C 100 (1 cr.) or equivalent.
• Writing Intensive (3 cr.)
  • One 3 cr. course designated as Writing Intensive, either within the student’s major or from English.
• Science (12-13 total cr.)
  • 7 – 8 cr. are completed in the Liberal Arts Core; one course must include a lab.
  • 5 cr. of additional lab course; must be in an area other than the science lab course taken to meet the Liberal Arts Core.
    • The two areas of science lab courses are biological sciences (BIOL, ANAT, BIOL, MICRO, PHSL, PLSC) and physical sciences (CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, SUST).
• Literature (3 cr.)
  • One literature course (3 cr.) is required (multiple options available).
    • It is recommended that students take SPAN-S 360 or an ENG-L/ENG-E course to also complete one Liberal Arts Core requirement.
• History (6 cr.)
  • HIST-H 113 History of Western Civilization I
    • Also completes a Liberal Arts Core requirement and the Diversity requirement for the IU Kokomo General Education Program.
  • HIST-H 114 History of Western Civilization II
• Social Sciences (9 cr.)
  • 9 cr. of additional social sciences coursework from at least two different disciplines.
  • Eligible courses are ANTH-A 104, HIST-H 105, HIST-H 106, PSY-P 103*, SOC-S 100*, SOC-S 101*, POLS-Y 103*, POLS-Y 219*, and HSS-E 104.
    • *Satisfies the Liberal Arts Core for Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing; completing HIST-H 113 and any of these will satisfy the Liberal Arts Core in this category for B.A. students.
• Foreign language (6 cr.)
  • 6 cr. at the 200-level or appropriate placement results; complete the equivalent of two years of foreign language.

Freshman Learning Communities and First Year Seminars
Indiana University Kokomo provides a unique experience for entering freshman students designed to help them acclimate to their new college environment and to get to know students in their major. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences First Year Seminar course, HSS-A 101, is a one-credit hour experience taught in the Fall of the freshman year. We also offer several coregistered course blocks called Freshman Learning Communities, allowing the same set of students to have an interdisciplinary learning experience together.

There is no limit to the number of credit hours outside of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences as long as the basic requirements for the major and for general education (B.A. and campus) have been met.