Degree Requirements
The requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in the College provide a flexible structure that is designed to inspire curiosity and frame opportunities while drawing you toward two distinct goals: general education across the wide range of the arts and sciences and specialized education in a major.
The General Education requirement develops skills and approaches to knowledge and engages you in the intellectual work of disciplines in a variety of fields across the arts and sciences. The General Education requirement is made up of Foundational Approaches and Sector requirements.
The Major requirement provides an opportunity to know a segment of human knowledge deeply, with a sufficient grasp of its modes of thinking and analysis.
The Elective requirement gives you the freedom to pursue interests that may lie outside the major and that extend beyond those addressed in the General Education Curriculum.
Because the College curriculum fulfills a Bachelor of Arts degree, students are required to complete a minimum number of c.u. in the Arts & Sciences.
The overall c.u. requirement is determined by the primary major and ensures a broad education across the University with a specialization in the Arts & Sciences and a manageable number of courses taken over four years.
Students are responsible for fulfilling all the requirements of their degree. Consult the Policies and Procedures for requirements specific to your class year.
Policies Governing the Curriculum
The Major
All College students are required to complete a major in the School of Arts and Sciences. This requirement ensures that all graduates of the College develop a thorough understanding in at least one field of knowledge through concentrated study over several years in at least 12 courses.
Students are subject to the specific policies and requirements of a given major in effect at the time they declare that major, and they remain so even if the major requirements are subsequently changed. With the approval of the department or program, however, one may be permitted to abide by the new requirement structure.
The major and concentration within a major also determines a portion of the Arts & Sciences courses required at graduation. See Credits Needed By Major for more detail.
Students who declare more than one major should consult with each major advisor regarding rules for any potential double-counting between the two majors.
Policies Governing the Major Requirement
Policies Governing the Engineering Major for College Students