COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES - UNDERGRADUATE
www.as.miami.edu
The College of Arts and Sciences offers courses leading to the degrees of:
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Liberal Arts
Graduates with one of these degrees will have had a sound liberal arts introduction to the major fields of human knowledge. In addition to this background, each bachelor’s candidate has the opportunity to select an area of academic or of occupational interest. Within the degree may be built certain professional or pre-professional curricula leading to certification in teaching, or to dentistry, medicine, law, etc.
The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami is a community of scholars and students that encourages the quest for a deeper understanding of the human experience and fosters a personal commitment to lifelong learning, intellectual growth, and the enduring values of the liberal arts.
The College is dedicated to helping students develop analytical and communication skills, creative abilities, and a sense of civic responsibility needed in an increasingly complex society. It strives to provide them with a rigorous grounding in their chosen field, an awareness of the interconnectedness of disciplines, and an exposure to the discovery of new knowledge.
The College seeks to create an intellectual environment that enhances individual growth and supports scholarly activities and creative endeavors that augment human knowledge and understanding.
The College of Arts and Sciences follows the general university academic policies outlined in the General Academic Information section of this Bulletin.
BACHELOR OF ARTS AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREES
Candidates for B.A. and B.S. degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the credit hours of work and achieve the quality point average specified for students in the University at large. These requirements are indicated in the Academic Procedures and Information section of this Bulletin.
I. Required Areas of Study. Courses taken for the major, the minor, and the writing requirement may also be used to satisfy the Areas of Study requirements of the College. In each department and program, the applicable prerequisites must be met before upper division courses can be taken. No more than six credits in any discipline may be used to satisfy the Areas of Study requirements.
A. English Composition B.A. and B.S. degrees: 3-6 credits
Students must take English 105 and 106, or their approved equivalents, in the first year of residence.
Students with an appropriate score on the Advanced Placement [AP] language and literature examination, or with an appropriate score on the International Baccalaureate [IB] higher level English examination, may earn 6 credits in English 105 and English 106. Those with an appropriate score on the SAT verbal or ACT verbal exams may be exempted from English 105. Those with transfer credit for English 105 will take English 106 or its equivalent in the first year of residence.
B. Languages B.A. and B.S. degrees: 3-9 credits
Students must earn at least 3 credits of a language other than English at the 200 course level or higher. Special 100- and 200-level Spanish courses are required of heritage Spanish speakers who choose to fulfill the language requirement by taking Spanish. Students may fulfill the language requirement from the following: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese and Spanish.
C. People and Society (Social Sciences) B.A. and B.S. degree: 12 credits
B.A. and B.S. degree candidates must earn twelve credits in the following social science disciplines: Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology (except APY 203), Economics, Ecosystem Science and Policy – ECS 113, ECS 302 ONLY, Geography and Regional Studies (except GEG 120), History, International Studies, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Urban Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. No more than six credits may be earned in any one discipline.
One approved First Year seminar course (FSS) may be taken for the Social Sciences requirement.
D. Arts and Humanities B.A. and B.S. degree: 12 credits
B.A. and B.S. degree candidates must earn twelve credits in the three areas listed below. At least three credits must be earned in each area.
Fine Arts: any courses in the departments of Art and Art History, Dance (except DAN 101-104), Musicology, Music Theory, and Theatre Arts count toward this requirement.
Literature: Literature courses in the departments of English (200-level and higher) and Modern Languages and Literatures (300-level and higher) count toward this requirement.
Philosophy and Religious Studies: courses in the departments of Philosophy and Religious Studies count toward this requirement.
One approved First Year seminar course (FFA, FLT, FPR) may be taken for the Arts and Humanities requirement.
E. Mathematics B.A. degrees: 3-6 credits
B.S. degrees: 11-15 credits
B.A. degree candidates who do not place out of MTH 101 must take MTH 101 or MTH 107 during their first year in the College. In addition, all B.A. degree candidates must earn credit in one MTH course numbered 108 or above.
B.S. degree candidates must earn 11-15 credits, consisting of a Calculus sequence: MTH 161-162, MTH 171-172 or MTH 140-141-162 and either a) a computer course approved by the major department; or b) a statistics course approved by the major department.
F. Natural World (Natural Science) B.A. degrees: 9 credits
B.S. degrees: 4-8 credits
B.A. degree candidates must earn nine credits in two of the following disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Ecosystem Science and Policy – ECS 111, ECS 112, ECS 202 ONLY,) Geological Sciences, Marine Sciences (except MSC 313 and 314), Physical Sciences, and Physics. APY 203 and GEG 120 may also be taken for this requirement.
B.S. degree candidates minoring in one of the subjects approved as a B.S. major must earn 4 additional credits, and those minoring in other subjects must earn 8 additional credits in one of the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Geological Sciences or Physics. These credits must be taken in a department other than the major or the minor, and must be earned in courses that count toward a major in that department.
II. Writing
Every student must complete five (5) writing-oriented (W) courses beyond ENG 105 and 106. Students are required to write at least 4000 words in each W course. Writing assignments will be graded on both content and style. All literature and modern language literature courses receive writing credit. No more than 2 writing courses may be transferred and used toward the required writing intensive courses. The remaining 3 courses must be completed at the University of Miami.
III. Major
Every candidate for a degree must choose a major field. To find the requirements for the major, consult this Bulletin under the discipline concerned, and confer with the designated departmental representative. The candidate for the B.A. degree may choose a major from among the disciplines offering majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, and from the Department of Economics in the School of Business Administration. The candidate for the B.S. degree must choose a major from the following areas: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Ecosystem Science and Policy, Geological Sciences, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience, Physics, or Psychology. The choice of a major field should be made not later than the beginning of the junior year and must be approved by the major department. Any student making unsatisfactory progress in a major may be required to change his/her major or to relinquish candidacy for the degree.
IV. Minor
All students (except for those majoring in Ecosystem Science and Policy) must complete a minor. For information about the selection of an appropriate minor, please see an advisor in the department of your major.
If the candidate for the B.A. degree presents Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geological Sciences, or Mathematics as a major, the minor may not be selected from among these disciplines or from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Physics, or Engineering. Subject to the foregoing, students may select a minor from any discipline in the College of Arts and Sciences, or from any School or College within the University offering a minor: College of Engineering, Schools of Architecture, Business Administration, Communication, Education, Marine and Atmospheric Science, Music or Nursing. Courses taken for the minor may also be used to satisfy the Areas of Study requirements of the College up to the limit of each area. Students planning a minor in Music should contact the School of Music for information regarding placement examinations in theory and applied music requirements.
V. Other Requirements.
Credit Only. Only free electives may be taken under this option. Courses which satisfy the major, the minor, the distribution requirements of the College and the general education requirements of the University may not be taken for credit only.
Exemption. Exemption from a course or courses refers specifically to the following: a) credit by examination through the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs; b) advanced placement by proficiency examinations or test scores, with no credit earned; c) advanced standing and/or placement, with credit granted.
Transfer Credits. Credits transferred from other institutions may not count towards the completion of a major or minor without the written approval of the department or program.
General Electives. Sufficient for a total of 120 credits. Electives may be chosen from any courses offered by the University. The student should consult an advisor before selecting elective courses.
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE
I. The candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts must complete 120 credit hours with an overall quality point average of 2.0 or above as specified in departmental and program sections of this Bulletin.
II. The student must satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts by satisfactory completion of the General Education Requirements from the areas of study listed below:
III. Students must satisfy the requirements of a major as determined by the Department of Art and Art History or the Department of Theatre Arts. Students must maintain at least a 3.0 average in their major.
BACHELOR OF LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE
I. The candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Arts must complete 120 hours with an overall quality point average of 2.0 or above.
II. He/she must satisfy the General Education Requirements of the University as set forth elsewhere in this Bulletin.
III. At least 60 of the 120 credit hours required must be in 300, 400, or 500-level courses. Of these, 30 credits must be completed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
IV. No more than 40 hours in 300-level or higher courses may be taken in any one department. No more than 52 hours (in total credits) may be earned in any one department.
V. Up to 30 of the 120 hours may be courses from other schools and colleges of the University of Miami except for those courses expressly excluded from recognition by the College. These credits include both lower and upper division courses. Students who exceed this maximum will have the number of credits required to graduate increased by the number earned over 30 credits.
VI. The student may, but is not required to, elect a major in a department. If a student fulfills the departmental requirements for the major, it will be recorded on the official transcript. No minor may be elected.
Although no specific curriculum is required in preparation for Law School, the Pre-Law Committee of the American Bar Association strongly recommends that students considering a career in Law should have a well-balanced education. This education should include courses requiring intensive writing, logical reasoning and critical thinking and reading skills.
The Office of Prelaw Advising, located in Ashe 112, provides a variety of services to all students interested in attending Law School. These services include:
In order to take advantage of the services listed above a student should complete a Pre-Law registration card at the beginning of the academic year.
The Max and Peggy Kriloff Fund is a fund that provides travel support for students earning degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences. The fund provides support for students to present papers, or posters at professional conferences worldwide. Students will need to fill out an application form available in Ungar 333 and submit it, along with the necessary supporting documentation to the Office of Graduate and Administrative Services in the Ungar Building.