Walter H. Beale, Professor and Dean of the College
Robert E. Gatten, Jr., Professor and Associate Dean
Mary K. Sandford, Professor and Associate Dean
The College of Arts and Sciences is composed of the departments of Anthropology, Art, Biology, Broadcasting and Cinema, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Classical Studies, Communication, English, Geography, German, Russian, and JapaneseStudies, History, Mathematical Sciences, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, Sociology, Theatre, and Women's Studies. It also includes Freshman Seminars, and Special Programs in Liberal Studies, which includes: African American Studies, Archaeology, Environmental Studies, International Studies, and Linguistics.
CASA, the College advising center, provides academic assistance for first-year and pre-major undergraduate students.
Through its faculty, courses, and programs, the College of Arts and Sciences encourages intellectual inquiry and development of the knowledge and skills that enable critical examination of traditions and assumptions. A liberal education prepares students for informed and reflective participation in society, for sustained cultural and aesthetic enjoyment, and for a lifetime of learning.
Freedom and self-motivation in the context of a rational plan of disciplined study are fundamental to a liberal arts education. Students are encouraged to seek relationships among the various subjects studied and to develop a coherent intellectual perspective. To aid in this process, the College requirements build upon the University's General Education requirements.
College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (CAR)
In addition to the course requirements stated in the University's General Education Core (GEC), students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must also complete the following:
Humanities
(Literature GLT, Fine Arts GFA, Philosophical/Religious/Ethical Perspectives GPR)
Students in the College must distribute the 12 credit hours required by GEC in the Humanities as follows: GLT, 6 hrs; GFA, 3 hrs; and GPR, 3 hrs.
Historical Perspectives-Western Culture (GPM and GMO)
Students must complete a total of 6 hours in GHP courses, with one course chosen from the pre-modern (GPM) list and one from the modern (GMO) list.
Natural Sciences (GLS and GPS)
Students must complete a total of 9-10 hours in GNS courses, with at least one course chosen from the Life Science (GLS) list, and at least one course chosen from the Physical Science (GPS) list, and one of which is a laboratory course. See course lists on next page.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GSB)
Students must complete a total of 9 hours in GSB courses, with courses taken from at least two different academic departments.
Foreign Language (GFL)
Students are required to complete intermediate-level proficiency in a foreign language, i.e., through the 204-level. Six hours of a foreign language may be used towards the General Education marker requirement of 12 hours of Global (GL) or Global/Nonwestern (GN) courses.
Writing-Intensive Courses (W)
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete a total of four writing intensive courses:
a. At least one of the four Writing-Intensive courses must be in the lower division (200 and below), at least one in the upper division (300 and above), and at least one in the department or program of the student's primary major. A single course may satisfy both the requirement for a course in the major and one of the requirements for a course at a specific level (lower- or upper-division), as long as a total of four Writing Intensives are taken.
b. Students transferring to UNCG as sophomores, and returning students who completed 30-59 hours of their coursework at UNCG prior to 1989, are required to take three writing-intensive courses, distributed as in 1-a above. Students transferring to UNCG as juniors, and returning students who completed 60-89 hours at UNCG prior to 1989, are required to take two writing-intensive courses, at least one of which must be in the department or program of their primary major. Students who transfer as seniors, or who return having complete 90 or more hours at UNCG prior to 1989, must take one writing-intensive course. NOTE: Writing-intensive courses may also meet General Education Core, Marker, or major requirements.
Students who obtain a score of 5 on the English Advanced Placement Literature and Composition examination are exempted from one of the required lower-division writing-intensive courses. Contact the Department of English for further information.
General Education/CAR Credit Through Study Abroad
In addition to the above listed courses, students may receive General Education Core and Marker Credit and College Additional Credit (CAR) for courses taken in three overseas programs offered by the University's International Programs Center. For information about these courses, contact the International Programs Center, 127 McIver Street, UNCG, 336/334-5404.
Fall Semester in Britain
- Language and Literature of Twentieth Century Criticism (GFA)
- European Nations and States (GMO)
- Sociology: European Social Structures (GSB)
- Political Science: British Institutions and Politics (GSB)
- Human Geography: The Making of Europe (GPM)
- Environmental Principles (GNS)
Fall Semester in Finland
- Cultures and Societies of Scandinavia (GSB)
- Indigenous Cultures of the Polar Region (GN)
- Arts of Scandinavia (GFA)
- Finnish and Scandinavian Literature in Translation (GN)
- Nordic Nature and Environment (GNS)
Spring Semester in Poland
- Arts in Contemporary Poland (GFA)
- Culture and Society in Contemporary Poland (GSB)
- Evolution of Political Systems in Eastern Europe (GSB)
- History of Poland (GMO)
- Transition of Central European Countries to Market Economies (GSB)
- Polish Literature in Translation (GN)
All students in the College must fulfill the foregoing College Additional Requirements (CAR). A course in the major may be used to satisfy College requirements.
Requirements for each of the degrees offered by the College of Arts and Sciences are included in the descriptions of majors, concentrations, and minors under the respective departments.
Major Requirements
Major requirements are described for each program listed. A course cross-listed in the major department must be taken within the major and counts toward the total hours in the major.
Minor Requirements
Most departments and interdepartmental programs of the College offer a minor program which may be taken in conjunction with a major. In general, a minor requires 15 to 21 hours in a department or area with no more than 8 hours at the 100 level and no fewer than 9 hours taken at UNCG.
Second Majors
A student may take a second major in conjunction with the first major. This program requires a minimum of 24 semester hours in each of two approved majors. All requirements of each major must be met; hours from the second major can be applied toward General Education requirements. A student with a first major outside the College who chooses a second major in one of the College departments is required to complete all of the departmental requirements for the second major but need not satisfy the Additional College General Education requirements. In the case of transfer students, at least 12 hours in each major must be taken at UNCG. Students wishing to complete a second major should contact the Office of the Director of Student Academic Services so that an advisor can be appointed in each major.
Special Academic Programs in CAS
- African American Studies
- Archaeology
- Freshman Seminars
- Environmental Studies
- International Studies
- Linguistics
- Medical Technology
- Preprofessional Programs
- Special Programs in Liberal Studies
- Study Abroad
- Women's Studies Program
Student-Designed Interdisciplinary Major (SDIM)
The Student-Designed Interdisciplinary Major (SDIM) is an option available to students whose academic goals are not adequately served by any major, or combination of majors, second majors, and minors, available in the College of Arts and Sciences or in one of the professional schools.
Students selecting the SDIM option must satisfy all College Liberal Education Requirements and meet all University academic regulations. The option may not be used as a way of circumventing the requirements of an established major and SDIM Plans (see below) that constitute only minor changes to an existing major will not be approved. An SDIM Plan must represent a coherent academic program of study, not simply a collection of courses assembled to enable a student to obtain a degree.
The procedure for requesting approval of an SDIM is as follows:
1. A faculty member in the College must agree to serve as the student's advisor and to take responsibility for helping the student design a plan of study and for monitoring the student's progress. A student who wishes to pursue a SDIM, but is unsure which faculty to ask to serve as his or her advisor, should consult initially with the Associate Dean of the College (Mary K. Sandford, Room 100, Foust Building).
2. The student and the advisor devise a Plan of Study for the major. The Plan consists of:
(1) a brief paragraph describing the aims and intentions of the proposed major, and explaining why no existing major or combination of majors, second majors, or minors can be used to pursue those aims;
(2) a list of courses (minimum of 24 credits) that will constitute the major;
(3) either a list of courses or a narrative paragraph explaining how the student will satisfy (or has satisfied) the College's Liberal Education, foreign language, and writing-intensive requirements.
The student's advisor should ensure that courses included in the Plan are in fact offered with reasonable frequency; not all courses listed in the bulletin will be available with sufficient frequency to ensure timely graduation.
3. The Plan is initially submitted to the Associate Dean of the College for review. The Associate Dean will ensure that the Plan meets all the requirements noted above and will send copies of the approved Plan to the student, the major advisor, and the Office of Student Academic Services.
4. A student planning to graduate with a SDIM should submit the Plan of Study for review as soon as possible, but in any case prior to registering for the last 45 credit hours needed for graduation.
5. Any changes to the Plan after it has been submitted must be approved by the Associate Dean, who will forward the modified Plan to the Office of Student Academic Services. Generally, modifications will only be approved because some of the approved courses have become unavailable or because a new course appears to be better suited to the Plan than one that was originally included.
