Consistent with the overall mission of the University, the major goal of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies is to provide students with the requisite academic skills, knowledge, and a sense of competence which will allow them to assume leadership roles in their respective fields of study. This College is organized into five divisions: Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences; Division of Fine Arts; Division of Integrative Studies; Division of Literature, Languages, and Philosophy; and Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies. Academic majors leading to the Associate of Arts are offered in:
Liberal Studies (General Core)
Liberal Studies (General Core with emphasis in Early Childhood Education)
Liberal Studies (Honors)
Academic majors, leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in the following areas:
Art Music English Political Science Liberal Studies Psychology Social Sciences
The College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies offers minors in the following areas: African-American Studies, Art, Communications, English, French, History, Journalism, Liberal Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, and Speech and Theater.
Students interested in earning credit for Teacher Certification at the elementary or secondary level may take courses offered by the appropriate divisions in the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies in cooperation with the faculty of the School of Education and Human Services in the College of Professional Studies. Details of these programs may be found in the College of Professional Studies section elsewhere in this Catalogue.
Students should refer to the appropriate degree program section in the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies for coursework requirements applicable to their particular programs. To earn a degree through the College in four years, students must satisfy both academic program and University course requirements. Summer session coursework and possibly an additional academic year may be required in some cases. Every student is encouraged to work closely with his/her mentor or advisor.
Any student in the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies who has completed the Liberal Studies requirements of the University through the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies will not be required to satisfy the number of semester credit hours of a suggested curriculum. However, the student will be required to complete a minimum of 128 semester credit hours and the required coursework in the major.
Liberal Studies requirements of the University through the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies will not be required to satisfy the number of semester credit hours of a suggested curriculum. However, the student will be required to complete a minimum of 128 semester credit hours and the required coursework in the major.
Through the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies, it is possible to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree following a specially-designed, individualized curriculum. A student-designed liberal studies curriculum permits a student to pursue a course of study that combines related subjects from different disciplines for the sake of some specific approved educational or career goal. The student-designed curriculum option is intended to serve students with special academic needs while maintaining a level of coherence and integrity in the course of study.
A student pursuing this degree must complete the University's Liberal Studies Requirements (or their equivalent through the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies). In his/her sophomore year, the student should petition for permission to follow a student-designed curriculum. The general University requirement for a minimum of 128 semester credit hours for the Bachelor of Arts degree must be met. This petition will define and justify an interdisciplinary course of study. It will specify the general topic and purpose, show how particular courses from various academic units will contribute to the general goal, and propose a realistic course sequence.
The student will submit this petition to his/her mentor or advisor, who will collaborate with the student in refining the proposal. The mentor or advisor will send the petition and his/her recommendation to the dean of the College. The dean will transmit the petition and his/her recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The proposal will not be an approved course of study until it has the written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
A petition for a student-designed Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program of study may be made after the sophomore year, but students who wait until the junior or senior year to propose an interdisciplinary curriculum will generally not be able to finish their undergraduate coursework within four academic years.