Explanation of Major/Program Requirements and Course Descriptions

AULER and CLER Abbreviations | Course Credit Hours | Course Numbers and Levels | Course Prefixes | Description | Equivalent Courses | Frequency of Offering | Guide to Course Descriptions | Grading Method | Majors | Minors | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Repeat for Credit | Special Curriculum Option-Plan II | Undergraduate Areas of Study

Undergraduate Areas of Study

Undergraduate areas of study include all majors, concentrations, teacher licensure programs, minors, and second majors that are available to UNCG students. Each area of study has a unique code which is used to identify the program. Students seeking a baccalaureate degree must select a primary major, and may, after consultation with an advisor, also select a minor or a second major.

See the College and School sections for a complete list of available areas of study and the departmental listings for specific program and degree requirements. Also see list of current Area of Study Codes.

Each academic unit or department establishes the course requirements for each major program, concentrations within a major, and related-area requirements. All program requirements follow the general structure described below.

Major Description

The following information is always included at the beginning of any program description:

• Name of Major
• Degree Awarded
• Total Hours Required for the Degree
• Area of Study Codes (AOS)
• Concentrations Available (if more than one area of study is available)

Program Admission Requirements

Special program admission and/or continuation requirements, if any, are listed immediately following the description of the major and degree. A number of programs have requirements that must be met before the student can be formally admitted to the major and permitted to take upper level courses. Such requirements usually involve completion of foundation courses, achievement of a certain GPA, and completion of a specified number of credit hours. Some programs require portfolio review or audition. See individual programs for details.

Program Course Requirements

AULER or CLER Requirements

All students completing undergraduate degrees at UNCG are required to complete AULER (All University liberal Education Requirements) or CLER (College Liberal Education Requirements).

Most programs in the Bryan School of Business & Economics, the School of Education, the School of Health & Human Performance, the School of Human Environmental Sciences, the School of Music, and the School of Nursing follow AULER requirements. Most programs in the College of Arts & Sciences follow CLER requirements. These requirements, including specific course requirements, are listed prior to the major requirements. See complete AULER and CLER information.

Major Requirements

Major requirements include all courses that must be taken within the major program for completion of the degree.

Majors that provide students with more than one concentration or area of study within the major will usually divide the Major Requirements into Core Requirements and Additional Concentration Requirements.

Core Requirements

Core courses are those courses required of all students in the major, regardless of concentration.

Additional Concentration Requirements

Concentration requirements are additional courses required only by a specific concentration.

Related Area (Other or Cognate) Requirements

A number of majors require courses from other departments or programs for completion of the degree. Such courses are listed as "Related Area" requirements following the major requirements.

Teacher Licensure Requirements

Programs which lead to teacher licensure also list teacher licensure requirements.

Second Major or Concentration Requirements for Teacher Licensure Programs

Several teacher licensure programs require students to complete a second major or concentration, consisting of a minimum of 24 hours, in addition to the major program. Specific requirements are listed in each of the following programs: Elementary Education; Middle Grades Education; Health Education (School Health concentration); Physical Education; and Education of Deaf Children.

Electives

Most programs do not specify which electives a student must take although some may make suggestions. Electives are those courses a student takes to complete the hours required for the degree after fulfilling AULER/CLER requirements and major, related or other program requirements.

Programs that can be taken as minors are described following descriptions of the major and second major. A minimum of 15 hours is required to complete an area of study as a minor. Several areas of study can be taken only as minors. See individual programs for details.

For students whose needs are not met by the formal majors and degrees offered at UNCG, a special curriculum option called Plan II allows students to design their own course of study in consultation with appropriate faculty.

Students desiring to pursue Plan II should be advised that there is no guarantee that their proposed program will lead to graduation until it has been fully approved. Developing a program is a time consuming process, often taking one year from initial intent to final approval. Students must file a statement of intent to pursue Plan II in the Office of Student Academic Services prior to registering for their last 45 hours. Required steps have been adopted by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for approving Plan II programs. The following is an abbreviated description of the procedures that must be followed:

1. Consult with the Director of Student Academic Services regarding general requirements and procedures. All general University requirements and minimum admission requirements for the desired departmental programs must be met by any Plan II program.
2. Select a faculty advisor with expertise in the interdisciplinary major.
3. Select another member of the faculty to serve on an advisory committee.
4. Develop a formal proposal with the committee.
5. Send proposal to Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Minor modifications to an approved Plan II program may be made if approved by both the faculty advisor and the Director of Student Academic Services. Other modifications require the full process outlined.

Course descriptions are comprised of the following information:

• Course Prefix and Number
• Course Title
• Course Credit (in parentheses)
• Special Information, which may include:

  AULER/CLER credit

  Prerequisites and/or corequisites

  Special restrictions or other requirements

  Repeat-for-Credit notation (if course can be repeated)

  Grading Mode (if other than letter grade)

• Course description
• Frequency of offering (in parentheses); optional
• Equivalent courses, if any (in parentheses)

Each course description is represented by a three-letter symbol (indicating the department or program within which the course is taken) and a three-digit course number. After each course title are two (or three) numbers separated by colons which indicate semester hours credit, lecture, and laboratory hours. Following the credit indicator the following items may be listed: AULER/CLER credit; course prerequisites or corequisites; special restrictions or requirements; repeat-for-credit information if the course can be repeated for credit; and grading mode if the course is graded other than by letter grade. The course description itself may be followed by frequency of offering information. Explanations of each of these topics follows.

A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before another course may be taken. A corequisite is a course that must be taken concurrently with another course. Prerequisites and corequisites are indicated after the course title and credit by "Pr." or "Coreq." followed by the requirements which must be met before that course may be taken.

A student may not enroll in a course without having completed the proper prerequisites unless these prerequisites have been waived by the head of the department in which the course is offered.

Other Course Restrictions/Requirements

Some courses carry additional restrictions (Freshmen only; Majors only; etc.). Such restrictions are highlighted following the listing of any course prerequisites.

Grading Method

All courses are graded by letter grade (A-F) unless otherwise noted in the course description. If a course is graded other than by letter grade, this information is stated after the prerequisites are listed. Also see section on Grading.

The following undergraduate level courses are graded P/NP (Pass/Not Pass) and are so noted in their descriptions:

CSC 312; CSD 219, 571; CUI 299A & B, 399 A, B, C & D, 461, 462, 499A; DCE 250, 461, 462; ESS 461, 462, 594, 595; GRK 150; HEA 428, 461, 462; HHP 110; MUS 090, 091; RPT 315, 417; SAS 100; SPA 104.

Repeat-for-Credit Notation

Some courses may be repeated for credit under special circumstances. Such information is highlighted in the course description following the listing of any prerequisites.

Example: "May be repeated once for credit when topic varies."

Students should be aware, however, that most courses cannot be repeated for credit. Consult specific course descriptions for repeat-for-credit information or check with advisor.

Course Description

The description of a course is necessarily brief and is intended to give students a concise overview of course content. Check with the department or instructor for complete details about a courses's content and requirements.

Frequency of Course Offering

Many courses indicate the semester(s) in which they are usually offered. This information is indicated in parentheses at the end of the course description as follows: