College Requirements
If you are in Arts and Sciences, you are expected to become familiar with this section of the catalog, which relates specifically to College requirements. This section contains information essential to your success as a well-informed student at Ohio University. It should be noted that you are responsible for understanding and meeting all requirements designated for your degree program. The following list outlines the Arts and Sciences degree information presented in the sections that follow:
Advising
Academic Probation
Degree Requirements (B.A., B.S.)
Double-Majors and Second Degrees
Major Requirements
Minor Requirements
General Education Requirement
Foreign Language Requirement
Humanities Area Requirement
Social Sciences Area Requirement
Natural Sciences Area Requirement
Level of Study Requirement
Single Application of Credit
Credit, Noncredit, and Pass/Fail Credit
Transient Study
Teacher Licensure
Education Abroad
All departments in the College of Arts and Sciences provide a designated undergraduate advising coordinator who oversees advising procedures within that department. Every student in the College of Arts and Sciences is assigned an advisor, including undeclared (“undecided”) students. It is expected that you will schedule a conference during the priority registration period each semester. For students with declared majors, your advisor is a faculty member in the department of your major. For undecided majors, an advisor is assigned from Arts and Sciences faculty and administrative staff. To learn more about your advisor assignment go to: www.ohio.edu/registrar/prereg_advising.cfm.
While advising conferences are particularly encouraged during the registration period, it is recommended that you maintain regular contact for assistance with concerns related to academic and career planning. Any requests by students to deviate from stated major requirements must be communicated in writing by the department chair or the undergraduate advising chair to the College Student Affairs Office. While your advisor is expected to assist with course choices and recommendations, it is your responsibility to see that your own program requirements are met. If you have questions about fulfilling requirements you are invited to seek help at the College Student Affairs Office in Wilson Hall.
To change majors, contact the Office of Student Affairs in Wilson Hall. Either a new advisor will be assigned or you will be referred to the Advising Coordinator of the department of your new major. Other matters pertaining to advisors are administered by Advising Coordinators or the departmental offices.
All students who, at the time of review, do not have a 2.0 or higher GPA, will be placed on academic probation. More information about academic status is available at: www.catalogs.ohio.edu/conten/php. Students placed on probation will be required to complete an Academic Success Workshop coordinated by the Allen Student Help Center. This 90 minute workshop is mandatory each time a student is placed on academic probation and is intended to help students improve their academic performance and return to good academic standing as quickly as possible. Failure to attend a workshop will result in a registration hold, which will not be lifted until the workshop is completed. Information about the workshop will be emailed to the student. See the Allen Student Help Center website www.ohio.edu/helpcenter for workshop dates and times. Please contact the Allen Student Help Center with any questions or concerns about the workshop: 419 Baker University Center, 740.566.8888, helpcenter@ohio.edu.
General requirements for a B.A. or B.S. are:
- a minimum of 120 semester hours for the B.A. or B.S. degree
- 60 hours of Arts and Sciences coursework at the 2000 level or above
- A minimum of college level foreign language at the 2120 level or the equivalent for the B.A. and, for the B.S., a minimum of college level foreign language at the 1120 level or equivalent (see further explanation of the differences between the B.A. and B.S. requirement in the “Foreign Language Requirement” section below),
- At least 9 semester hours each of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences coursework for a total of 33 semester hours for the B.A. degree and 27 semester hours for the B.S. degree
- General Education requirements— Tiers I, II, III
- All requirements stipulated by the department for the chosen major..
To receive a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, you must have a minimum 2.0 GPA on all of the following:
- All hours attempted at Ohio University
- All hours attempted at Ohio University in your major.
Additional information about grading and GPA is available at: www.catalogs.ohio.edu/content.php
Graduation requirements are defined by your catalog of entry. Students who have no enrollment at Ohio University for more than 5 years must re-enroll under the catalog year that they return. An average course load of 15 hours a semester is necessary to graduate in four years. For specific information involving graduation requirements, including residence requirements (i.e., the minimum number of credit hours that you must complete at Ohio University), see the Graduation Requirements - Universitywide section of the catalog.
The College of Arts and Sciences awards a B.A. or B.S. only once, regardless of the number of majors completed within that degree designation. If you complete two or more majors for the B.A. (e.g., Women’s and Gender Studies and African American Studies) that is considered a double major and you will receive one diploma. A second bachelor’s degree requires completion of a B.A. and B.S. (e.g., Spanish and Biological Sciences) or a B.A. or B.S., and a different degree from one of our other colleges (e.g., B.B.A. from the College of Business). In this case two diplomas are awarded.
University policy requires the completion of a minimum of 135 semester hours for the second or dual degree (an additional 15 hours beyond the 120 required for the first degree), including all specific requirements for both degree programs. If you have met the requirements for two degrees, as stated above, and want to have the degrees conferred in successive semesters, you may do so without further credit requirements. For example, one degree may be conferred a the end of one semester and an application made for the second degree in the subsequent semester. For more information about earning a second degree, see the Graduation Requirements - Universitywide section of the catalog.
If you are a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, you may enroll in the College as an undecided major; you must declare a major at or before you have earned 60 hours. If you have earned 30 or more semester hours from Ohio University, you are ineligible to transfer into the College as an undecided major. Transfer students from other universities may not enroll as undecided students in Arts and Sciences.
College policy requires that any major program consist of a minimum of 24 hours. Most majors require more than 24 hours and there might be specific departmental requirements, such as minimum GPA for core coursework. Methods courses for certification in education are not included in hours that apply to the A&S major. You are obligated to fulfill the requirements specified by the department of the major, which, at minimum, require a 2.0 GPA and at least 50 percent of the major from Ohio University. No courses in any major (except extradepartmental requirements, e.g. chemistry for a biological sciences major) may be applied to the area distribution requirements. A second major or second degree program allows an exception to the rule stated above. In the case of a single major, courses used to fulfill that major cannot be used for area requirements.
All courses in the major numbered at the 2000-level or higher are applied to the 60-hours-above-2000-level requirement. To earn a major in an Arts and Sciences discipline, you must be enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences (except for economics majors, who may be enrolled in either the College of Arts and Sciences or the College of Business). If you are a student in another college at Ohio University, you may enroll concurrently or consecutively in Arts and Sciences.
Students interested in completing a minor may choose from the 29 minors offered by the College of Arts and Sciences or select a minor offered by another college. You must declare the minor and fulfill all hour and course requirements for it to be conferred and noted on your Ohio University transcript. The minor will not show on the transcript until a degree is conferred.
University policy stipulates that a minor comprise of a minimum of 15 required hours. In the case of foreign languages, the minimum requirement is 15 hours beyond the 2120 level. English courses fulfilling Tier I composition requirements do not count toward an English minor. Within these limits, the distribution of courses, as well as other specific requirements, are determined by the academic department. At minimum, a 2.0 GPA is required. In cases where extradepartmental courses required to fulfill your major either nearly or completely duplicate courses for your chosen minor, declaring that minor might not be acceptable. See the Majors, Minors, and Certificate Programs section for specific minor requirements.
The University General Education requirements (Tiers I, II, and III) are similar to, but lesser in scale than, the Arts and Sciences requirements. You may select courses that, while fulfilling University General Education requirements , can partially satisfy Arts and Sciences distribution requirements in foreign languages, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and courses at the 2000-level or higher. The lists for humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences indicate specifically, and without exception, the courses that fulfill the three Arts and Sciences areas. Many of these courses also satisfy Tier II requirements.
All courses that fulfill General Education requirements, even if they are not Arts and Sciences courses, apply toward the 120 credit hours needed to graduate from Ohio University.
Some courses designated for Tier I quantitative skills and freshman composition (including any skills courses needed as prerequisites) apply only to hours for graduation and do not apply to Arts and Sciences distribution requirements. Other courses, such as MATH 1350 and PSY 2110 may fulfill multiple requirements. Arts and Sciences courses that fulfill the Tier I advanced composition requirement at the junior level can apply to the humanities distribution area and in certain cases, to your major.
Courses designated as Tier III do not fulfill Arts and Sciences requirements, except those designated as Tier III equivalents (T3E), or Tier III courses, when they are taught by Arts and Sciences faculty. In either case, the course contributes to the hours-above-2000-level requirement. Courses designated as “T3E” may count both for Tier III and toward the major.
Transfer students whose credit is equated as comparable to Tier I level composition or to quantitative courses are considered to have met that Tier I requirement. Transfer students without comparable transfer credit in composition and/or quantitative courses must complete the requirement. Transfer students are responsible for completing Tier II and Tier III requirements.
The College of Arts and Sciences requires that all candidates for a B.A. degree successfully complete the 2120 college level of foreign language or equivalent. Equivalent credit can be Advanced Placement (AP): www.ohio.edu/admissions/transcredit/upload/AP_Semester_2012.pdf or college transfer credit. www.ohio.edu/admissions/transcredit. Students, who have prior knowledge of Spanish, French, or German, must take the placement test before enrolling in these courses. (The placement exam does not count as college credit.) If you test into the 3000-level or above, the foreign language requirement is considered fulfilled. Students who place at or above the 3000-level are encouraged to take that course for college credit. Language courses at this level will count both in the humanities academic area and in the A&S 2000-level or higher requirement, as well as towards a minor, or a language major.
The College of Arts and Sciences requires that all candidates for a B.S. degree successfully complete the 1120 college level of foreign language, or the equivalent. Equivalent credit can be Advanced Placement (AP): www.ohio.edu/admissions/transcredit/upload/AP_Semester_2012.pdf or college transfer credit. www.ohio.edu/admissions/transcredit. Students with prior knowledge of Spanish, French, or German, must take the placement test before enrolling in these courses. (The placement exam does not count as college credit.) If you test into the 2000-level or above, the foreign language requirement is considered fulfilled. Students who place at or above the 2000-level are encouraged to take that course for college credit. Language courses at this level will count both in the humanities academic area and in the A&S 2000-level or higher requirement, as well as towards a minor, or a language major.
Students who have prior knowledge of one of the following foreign languages should contact the academic departments listed below for test-out and placement information:
American Sign Language: Contact Person: Beck Brooks - saunderb@ohio.edu 740.654.6711 - Lancaster Campus
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Russian: Modern Languages - Contact Person: Heather Young - youngh1@ohio.edu 740.593.2765 - Gordy Hall 283
Greek or Latin: Classics and World Religions - Contact Person: Bill Owens - owensb@ohio.edu - Ellis 210
Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Swahili: Linguistics - Contact Person: Chris Thompson - thompsoc@ohio.edu - 740.593.0666
Kikuyu, Khmer, Somali, Twi, Wolof, Zulu: Linguistics - Contact Person: Peter Githinji - githinji@ohio.edu - 740.597.2595
Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese: College of Arts and Sciences - Pittaya Paladroi - paladroi@ohio.edu
Sudanese, Arabic: African Studies, Contact Person: Steve Howard - howard@ohio.edu - 740.593.1834
A&S students who have prior knowledge of a foreign language not offered at Ohio University can opt to take the NYU Foreign 12-Point exam (approximate cost $350) to complete their foreign language requirement: www.scps.nyu.edu/trans.
Please contact the A&S Undergraduate Student Affairs Office at 740.593.2845 for additional information.
Choice of Degree Options
For the limited number of majors that offer a choice of either the B.A. or B.S. degree (see listings in the Majors, Minors, and Certificate Programs section), you may choose which degree to pursue. Be certain to consider the appropriate language requirement. See above section for the respective B.A. or B.S. language requirements.
International Students
For international students whose first or native language is not English, and who completed high school where the first or native language was the one primarily used for instruction, the foreign language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating competence in English. This must be approved by the assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, and it generally requires the successful completion of at least one or more courses in English as a foreign language, specifically ENG 1610 .
You may also satisfy the foreign language requirement by taking a foreign language other than your own first language at Ohio University, or by successfully completing the NYU foreign language exam.
Enrollment in the beginning or intermediate level (under 3000) of your own first language(s) will be considered a noncredit course, where permitted.
The humanities requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:
- African American Studies: AAS 1060 , 1100 , 1500 , 2100 , 2110 , 2500 , 3100 , 3170 , 3500 , 3520 , 3530 , 3550 , 3560 , 3570
- College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 1110
- Art History: AH
- Classical Archaeology, except CLAR 2110 , 2120 , 2130
- Classics in English
- Communication Studies: COMS 3601 , 3602 , 3603
- Dance: DANC 2700 , 3550 , 4750 , 4710
- English: except ENG D150 , D160 , 1510 , 1610 , 4510 , 4520 , 4911 , 4912
- Fine Arts: FAR 1500
- Foreign language courses other than those used to complete the foreign language requirement and except FR 1199 , 4640 , JPN 3410 , and SPAN 1199
- History: HIST 1210 , 1220 , 1221 , 2950 , 3140 , 3143 , 3144 , 3146 , 3148 , 3280 , 3290 , 3291 , 3292 , 3293 , 3390 , 3400 , 3520 , 3501 , 3531 , 3532 , 3533 , 3540 , 3541 , 3542 , 3543 , 3560 , 3562 , 3600 , 3601 , 3602 , 3650 , 3700 , 3860 , 3861 , 3864 , 3900
- Humanities: HUM 2070 , 2080 , 2170
- Interdisciplinary Arts: IART
- International Literatures in English, International Literature: Linguistics, and International Literature: Modern Languages except ILL 3890
- Jewish Studies: (all), JS 1000 , 2100 , 2900
- Modern Languages: ML 2910 , 3210J , 3270J
- Music/Music Literature: MUS 1200 or 1250 , 1240 , 3210 , 4210 , 4211 , 4212 , 4213 , 4214 , 4215 , 4216 , 4270 , 4280
- Philosophy: except PHIL 1200
- Portuguese: PORT 4110 , 4120
- Theater: THAR 2710 , 2711
- University Professor: UP 1901 , 1901U , 4901U (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
- Women’s and Gender Studies: except WGS 3910
- World Religions: CLWR
The social sciences requirement may be met by a selection of 9 semester hours from the following:
- African American Studies: AAS 1010 , 1900 , 2020 , 2200 , 2250 , 2540 , 3400 , 3410 , 3450 , 3460 , 3680 , 4400 , 4820
- Anthropology: except ANTH 2010 , 3460 , 3550 , 4470 , 4480 , 4960 , and those listed as natural sciences below
- Business Law:BUSL 2000 , 2550
- Classical Archaeology: CLAR 2110 , 2120 , 2130
- College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 1120
- Economics: ECON
- Environmental and Plant Biology: PBIO 2170
- Geography: GEOG except those listed under Natural Sciences (see below)
- History: HIST except those listed under Humanities (see above)
- International Studies: INST
- International Literature: ILL 3890
- Japanese: JPN 3410
- Law, Justice, and Culture:LJC 2000
- Linguistics: LING
- Political Science: POLS
- Psychology: except PSY 1110 , 2110 , 2210 , 3110 , 3230
- Social Work: SW
- Sociology: SOC
- University Professor: UP 1901S , 4901S (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
- Women’s and Gender Studies: WGS 3910
- World Religions: CLWR 4340 , 4350
The natural sciences requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:
- Anthropology: ANTH 2010 , 3460 , 3550 , 4470 , 4480 , 4960
- Astronomy: ASTR
- Biological Sciences: BIOS
- Chemistry: except CHEM D015 , 1100 , 1150
- Computer Science: CS 4160
- Environmental and Plant Biology: except PBIO 2170
- Geography: GEOG 1100 , 2020 , 3010 , 3020 , 3030 , 3040 , 3050 , 3150 , 3160 , 3580 , 4060 , 4070 , 4080 , 4090 , 4110 , 4170 , 4660 , 4670 , 4712
- Geological Sciences: GEOL
- Mathematics: except MATH D005 , 1090 , 1101 , 1102 , 1200 , 1300 , 1321 , 1322 , 4100
- Physical Science: PSC
- Psychology: PSY 2110 , 2210 , 3110 , 3230
- Physics: PHYS
- University Professor: UP 1901N , 4901N (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
Note: Methods courses are not applicable to area requirements.
*These listings must be used as the official guide for the completion of the Arts and Sciences area (distribution) requirements. Exceptions to the 9-hour Arts and Sciences area distribution will be made only under the most unusual of circumstances and by petition only. Consideration for inclusion of courses not listed is not made on an ad hoc basis but requires formal approval of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.
Some courses from these categories may also be applied to the University Tier II requirements. However, the three Arts and Sciences area categories differ in scope from the six Tier II groupings (Applied Science and Mathematics, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Fine Arts, Humanities and Literature, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences). If you wish to select a course that will apply to both the Arts and Sciences and Tier II requirements, take care to choose a course that has been approved for the desired category in both the College and the University listings. Courses that can fulfill Tier I quantitative skills and freshman composition requirements and the Tier III requirement do not apply to the Arts and Sciences area distribution requirements. Exceptions include MATH 1350 and PSY 2110 .
The list of courses approved for Tier II categories appears in the Graduation Requirements - Universitywide section of the catalog.
Hours at the 2000 level or above
Within the total hours applied to the degree, at least 60 semester hours of Arts and Sciences courses must be above the freshman level numbered at the 2000-level or higher. Arts and Sciences courses are defined as courses listed earlier in this section under humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and include foreign languages, courses from the major, and courses taught by faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences intended to meet the junior composition or Tier III requirement. University Professor (UP) courses taught by Arts and Science faculty will count only if they are listed as applicable to any of the three A&S area requirements.
Economics majors may apply QBA 2010 and, with departmental approval, other advanced courses in statistics, to the Arts and Sciences 2000-level requirement for a maximum of 12 hours.
Non–Arts and Sciences courses are almost always considered electives and not counted toward the level of study requirement. Rather, they apply toward the 120-hour requirement for graduation.
Excluding the exceptions explained in Hours at 2000-level or above, no course may satisfy more than one of the area requirements in foreign language, humanities, social sciences, or the major requirement. For example, a philosophy major may not apply any courses in philosophy toward the humanities requirement and courses that fulfill freshman General Education Tier I requirements or Tier III will not apply to the distribution area requirement.
Exceptions to the single application rule include:
- MATH 1350 and PSY 2110 will fulfill the Tier I quantitative requirement, as well as the natural science area.
- Although in general, courses required for a major apply only to the major, Tier III-equivalent courses may fulfill both major and Tier III requirements. When there are two majors, courses required for a second major may be used for the area requirements in the other major. Required courses from outside the major department (extradepartmental) will be counted toward the area requirements, except in the case of interdisciplinary majors (i.e., classics and world religions) where required courses normally may not be applied to the distribution areas.
- Courses required for a minor will be counted toward the area requirements, except for non–Arts and Sciences minors.
- For students majoring in foreign language, language courses at the beginning and intermediate levels (1110 - 2120) of that language may fulfill the language requirement, since the major is defined as including language courses above the intermediate level only.
- Junior-level advanced composition courses offered by departments within the College of Arts and Sciences apply to the distribution area requirements, except when they are required for the major (e.g., ENG 3070J or HIST 3111J ).
Credit (CR) Hours
Coursework that is offered for credit (CR) may be applied toward requirements, but is limited to 12 hours out of 120 hours earned. (Do not confuse credit (CR) with pass/fail (P/F).)
Pass/Fail Hours
Courses taken pass/fail are limited strictly to electives hours, or hours that fulfill hours to graduate, and may total no more than 12 hours. No course taken pass/fail may fulfill any requirement, except the total hours requirement. For an Arts and Sciences student, this policy effectively restricts taking any pass/fail course within the areas of foreign language, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, major, minor, and special curriculum requirements, unless that area is completed, as required. See the Pass/Fail section in the Credit and Grading section of the catalog for further information. www.catalogs.ohio.edu/content.php
Noncredit Hours
Noncredit courses do not count toward the 120-hour requirement. Noncredit courses are those numbered below 1000; courses completed out of sequence (i.e., a lower-level course taken after completing an advanced course in the same academic department); certain technology courses; developmental courses (e.g.,ENG D150 , MATH D005 ) in excess of six credit hours; skills courses such as UC D998 in excess of the six hour limit; credits duplicated by the repetition of coursework; and courses taken for audit. See the Guidelines and General Information section for details about credit and grading, repeated courses, and residence requirements that affect hours required.
Transient study is defined as earning credit hours at another institution after enrolling at Ohio University for the purpose of fulfilling specific Ohio University or College of Arts and Sciences requirements. (Transfer study refers to credits transferred from another institution prior to being admitted to Ohio University.) See “Transferring Credit” in the Admissions section.
If you wish to earn credit by transient study, remember you must complete 50 percent of your major at Ohio University to complete an Ohio University degree, as well as a minimum of 32 total hours at Ohio University. Any minor must include 50 percent of required coursework from Ohio University.
Before registering for courses at another institution to earn credit through transient study, you must secure permission from the College of Arts and Sciences. Transient Study Permission forms can be downloaded from the CAS Web site at: www.cas.ohiou.edu/undergrad/cat/forms.asp . You will need a catalog and/or course description from that institution to complete the Transient Study Permission Form. Submitting the permission form to the College office ensures that you will know beforehand about the transfer value at Ohio University of any courses that you intend to take elsewhere. Students are not permitted to transfer back course credit for classes that they have failed at Ohio University. Keep in mind that while credits are transferable, grades are not. Your GPA will not be affected by credit hours transferred from another school, nor can you replace a grade earned at Ohio University with a grade from a transferred course.
See the major requirements section for information regarding Ohio University credits.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences can meet the requirements for licensure to teach at the secondary school level by completing requirements for either the B.A. or the B.S. degree program and completing any necessary requirements through the Patton College of Education. Information about requirements is available from department representatives in the College of Arts and Sciences. If you are interested in teaching middle or high school after you graduate, you must begin planning how to accomplish this goal very early in your college career. You will want to meet with a representative from the Patton College of Education .
Among the many study abroad opportunities offered by Ohio University are many programs open to all majors sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, listed below. For additional information about education abroad, please refer to the “Academic Opportunities - Universitywide” section. See also, Global Leadership Center. Be sure to inform your academic advisor and meet with staff in Education Abroad and the Office of Student Affairs in the College to discuss your plans. For information on programs and on using your financial aid for study abroad, visit the Office of Education Abroad in Walter Hall International Education Center, 15 Park Place or at http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/. All programs are subject to change.
Language Programs Abroad
Austria (Salzburg) - German Language and Austrian Culture, spring;
China (Beijing) - Chinese Language and Culture, summer;
Ecuador (Cuenca) - Spanish Language and Culture, spring;
France (Avignon) - French Language and Culture, spring;
Italy (Florence) - Italian Language and Culture, summer;
Japan (Nagoya) - Japanese Language and Culture, fall (with option to stay longer);
Mexico (Mérida) - Spanish Language and Mexican Culture, spring;
Russia (Moscow) - Russian Language and Culture, spring;
Spain (Toledo) - Spanish Language and Culture, spring.
Student Exchange Programs
Austria (Salzburg) - University of Salzburg, one semester or one academic year;
Denmark (Odense) - University of Southern Denmark, fall semester or one academic year;
Germany (Leipzig) - University of Leipzig, fall semester or one academic year;
Japan (Nagoya) - Chubu University, one semester or one academic year;
Japan (Tokyo) - Musashi University, one semester or one academic year:
Wales (Swansea) - Swansea University, one semester or one academic year.
Other Arts and Sciences Programs
Ecuador (various locations) - Tropical Disease Workshop and Research, summer;
France (Paris) - Women’s and Gender Studies, summer;
Israel (Tel Aviv) - cultural and Political Intersections, summer;
Scotland (Edinburgh) - City and Environment, summer;
Various locations - Global Studies in Plant Biology, fall, spring, and summer;
Various locations - SPIRE - the SPIN Triangle (Physics program), summer. |
