College Curricula

Degree requirements vary among the undergraduate degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

The curricula established for all baccalaureate degrees awarded by the college include a set of courses that fulfill general education requirements, a set of courses that comprise a departmental major, a set of courses that comprise a cognate or minor, and several hours of free elective courses. A course may be used to fulfill only one requirement.

Students who choose to complete one of the college’s degree programs are advised to read carefully the statement of the major department or program and to consult frequently with the major advisor. Students are not permitted to change a major field of study during the final 30 hours of academic work.

General Education Requirements

Degree candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences must satisfy the general education requirements prescribed for the specific degree program. These requirements are designed to provide students with a broad experience in the liberal arts and sciences and opportunities to develop intellectual skills in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, as well as competence in written and oral communication. General education is not defined by subject matter alone, but rather by an attitude toward the world that emphasizes intelligent functioning as a human being.

The College of Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements are derived from the learning outcomes on which the Carolina Core, the University’s general education curriculum for all baccalaureate degrees, is based. The College of Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements include all requirements in the Carolina Core; also, the College’s requirements include specified or additional requirements that must be met for baccalaureate degrees offered by the college.  

Each student must complete the specified number of hours or attain the desired level of achievement in the groups of courses outlined below. Note that the credit hours required in some of these groups vary somewhat between the B.A. and B.S. degrees. In planning the course of study during the first two years, a student should give precedence to courses that satisfy the general education requirements. Students must complete English 101 and 102 within the first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation.

Majors and Degrees

• African American Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
• Anthropology (Bachelor of Arts)
• Art Education (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
• Art History (Bachelor of Arts)
• Art Studio (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts)
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Bachelor of Science)
• Biological Sciences (Bachelor of Science)
• Cardiovascular Technology (Bachelor of Science)
• Chemistry (Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry)
• Chinese Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
• Classics (Bachelor of Arts)
• Comparative Literature (Bachelor of Arts)
• Criminology and Criminal Justice (Bachelor of Arts)
• Dance (Bachelor of Arts)
• Economics (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science)
• English (Bachelor of Arts)
• Environmental Science (Bachelor of Science)
• Environmental Studies (Bachelor of Arts) 
• Experimental Psychology (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science)
• Film and Media Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
• French (Bachelor of Arts)
• Geography (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science)
• Geological Sciences (Bachelor of Science)
• Geophysics (Bachelor of Science)
• German (Bachelor of Arts)
• History (Bachelor of Arts)
• Interdisciplinary Studies (Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Interdisciplinary Studies (Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies)
• International Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
• Marine Science (Bachelor of Science)
• Mathematics (Bachelor of Science)
• Media Arts (Bachelor of Arts)
• Philosophy (Bachelor of Arts)
• Physics (Bachelor of Science),
• Political Science (Bachelor of Arts)
• Religious Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
• Russian (Bachelor of Arts)
• Sociology (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science)
• Spanish (Bachelor of Arts)
• Statistics (Bachelor of Science)
• Theatre (Bachelor of Arts)
• Women’s and Gender Studies (Bachelor of Arts)

Basic Degree Requirements for Bachelor of Arts Degrees (120 Hours) 

Basic Degree Requirements for Bachelor of Science Degrees (120 Hours) 

Note: Bachelor of Science degrees with majors in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, Mathematics, Psychology, Sociology or Statistics, and the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a major in Chemistry require 120 hours. All other Bachelor of Science degrees require a minimum of 128 hours.

Majors. Every degree candidate in the college must successfully complete a major program of study, approved by a major advisor, that meets the major requirements of the department or program. A general major consists of at least 24 hours of approved advanced study in the student’s field of interest. An intensive major requires 36 to 48 hours of approved advanced study; no special notation will appear on the student’s transcript or diploma. The intensive major is often conceived specifically as preparation for professional or graduate study. A minimum grade of C is required for any course submitted for fulfillment of general or intensive major requirements. At least half of the major courses must be taken in residence in the College of Arts and Sciences in order to apply to the degree.

Interdisciplinary Studies. The College of Arts and Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies for students who want a program of interdisciplinary studies without a major in a single department or in a structured interdepartmental degree program (e.g., African American Studies). For details see the section titled “Interdisciplinary Studies.”

Second Major. In some degree programs of the College of Arts and Sciences, a student may elect a second major. Normally, second majors are possible only in degree programs with similar general requirements and are thus not available from other schools and colleges.  In those cases students may apply for two separate degrees. The second major option is not available in all colleges.

The following specifications for a second major apply:

1. The student must meet admission and progression requirements for the second major.
2. In those cases where second majors in two separate colleges are possible, the student must have received approval from both deans for a second major.
3. All requirements for the second major must be fulfilled.
4. All general education and special departmental requirements normally associated with the second major must be fulfilled.
5. In cases where the first major and the second major lead to different degrees, the student must designate one as the official degree of record.

A second major eliminates the cognate requirement; however, special departmental requirements normally completed as part of the cognate are not waived. Fulfillment of the requirements for a second major are indicated on the student’s official transcript upon graduation. No notation for a second major is placed on the official transcript for course work completed after graduation.

Second Baccalaureate Degree. For information on second degrees, see “Graduation” in the academic regulations chapter of this bulletin.

Cognates. 

The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.

Courses offered by departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences that are acceptable for cognate credit Bachelor of Science are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.

For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.

It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate.

For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

For Bachelor of Science degrees, grades of D are acceptable for completion of the cognate requirement, except where restricted by the major program.

Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences 

Minors.

In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major.

Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.

The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.   

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.

Minors are available in participating departments of the College of Arts and Sciences and in other colleges. For descriptions of specific minors, students should see the appropriate sections of the bulletin.

A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z 

Electives. Each degree in the College of Arts and Science requires a minimum number of credit hours in academic subjects.

No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may be applied as credit toward a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. To encourage the student to select electives that will broaden the educational background, the College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses.

Other Regulations

In addition to the University academic regulations, students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences are subject to the following:

1. A student shall not be permitted to enroll for more than 18 credit hours without the approval of the assistant dean of the college.
2. The assistant dean of the college, with the recommendation of the appropriate faculty, may authorize a student to repeat a course.