2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

General Requirements

Academic Guidance

A counselor provides guidance for each General Studies Degree Program candidate. Note: Although students are encouraged to seek the advice of a General Studies Degree Program counselor, students are responsible for planning their own programs and meeting the degree requirements for graduation.

General Requirements for the A.A.G.S.*

1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours to graduate.
   
2. No more than 15 credit hours—including credits earned on the basis of a Self-Acquired Competency (SAC) portfolio—in any one academic department may be applied toward the 60 required credit hours.
   
3. Students must successfully complete at least 15 of the 60 required credit hours at Indiana University or through the Independent Study Program. Earning credit through an academic department examination at Indiana University is equivalent to having completed that course at Indiana University. Credits earned by self-acquired competency, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), and College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP) may not be applied to this 15 credit hour requirement.
   
4. Students must complete at least 10 credit hours after admission to the General Studies Degree Program. This must be Indiana University course work. Credits earned by self-acquired competency, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), and College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP) may not be applied to this 10 credit hour requirement.

* Students must check with their home campus regarding how courses apply to their degree.

5. Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all courses considered for the A.A.G.S. and on all courses completed after admission to the School of Continuing Studies. C– is the minimum grade accepted for any course completed to satisfy course distribution requirements.
   
6. Students must also fulfill the fundamental skills and course distribution requirements (see “Fundamental Skills Competency Requirements” and “Course Distribution Requirements”).

General Requirements for the B.G.S.*

1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.
2. Students must successfully complete at least 69 of the 120 required credit hours in the arts and sciences. No more than 21 of these 69 credit hours—including credits earned on the basis of a Self-Acquired Competency (SAC) portfolio—may be taken in a single arts and sciences department or subject area. In addition, no more than 30 of the 51 credit hours allowed outside the arts and sciences—including credits earned on the basis of a SAC portfolio—may be taken in any one professional school or technical program.
3. Students must successfully complete at least 30 of the 120 required credit hours at Indiana University or through the Independent Study Program. Earning credit through an academic department examination at Indiana University is equivalent to having completed that course at Indiana University. Credits earned by self-acquired competency, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), and College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP) may not be applied to this 30 credit hour requirement.
4. Students must complete at least 20 credit hours after admission to the General Studies Degree Program. This should be Indiana University course work. Credits earned by self-acquired competency, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), and College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP) may not be applied to this 20 credit hour requirement.
5. Students must successfully complete at least 30 of the 120 required credit hours at the 300 and 400 upper-division level.
6. Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on all courses considered for the B.G.S. and on all courses completed after admission to the School of Continuing Studies. C– is the minimum grade accepted for any course completed to satisfy course distribution requirements.
7. Students who pursue the B.G.S. after completing the A.A.G.S. must fulfill the B.G.S requirements in effect at the time of admission to the bachelor’s program.
8. Students may be awarded the A.A.G.S. and B.G.S. within the same academic year.
9. Students must also fulfill the fundamental skills and course distribution requirements (see “Fundamental Skills Competency Requirements” and “Course Distribution Requirements”).

* You must check with your home campus regarding how courses apply to your degree.

Competency and Course Requirements

The fundamental skills competency and course distribution requirements for the A.A.G.S. and B.G.S. are summarized in this section. Students must also complete the general requirements for the A.A.G.S. or B.G.S.

Fundamental Skills Competency Requirements

For both the A.A.G.S and B.G.S., students must meet fundamental skills competency requirements that demonstrate college-level competency in four areas: written communication, oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and computer literacy. Students may demonstrate competency by completing an appropriate college-level nonremedial course or its transfer equivalent in English composition/writing, speech/communication, quantitative reasoning, and computer science; by earning a grade of C or better in a 3 credit hour course.

A course that fulfills one of the four competency requirements at any Indiana University campus fulfills that requirement for the General Studies Degree Program at any other Indiana University campus. Acceptable grades for courses meeting competency requirements must be consistent with the campus’s requirements.

Many courses in the Independent Study Program are available to fulfill competency requirements. Note: Students should consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselors to determine which independent study courses fulfill competency requirements on their campuses.

Course Distribution Requirements for the A.A.G.S.

Twelve (12) credit hours are required in each of three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. The 12 credit hours required in each learning area must include courses from at least two academic departments.

An additional 24 hours of elective credit must also be completed to fulfill A.A.G.S. requirements.

Arts and Humanities	12 credit hours
Science and Mathematics	12 credit hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences	12 credit hours
Electives	24 credit hours
Total Credit Hours Required for the A.A.G.S	60 credit hours

Course Distribution Requirements for the B.G.S.

Twelve (12) credit hours are required in each of three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. Students must also complete an 18 credit hour concentration in one of these three learning areas. The 12 credit hours required in each learning area, as well as the 18 credit hour concentration, must include courses from at least two academic departments.

An additional 66 hours of elective credit—including a minimum of 15 additional credit hours in the arts and sciences and no more than 30 credit hours in any one professional school or technical program—must also be completed to fulfill B.G.S. requirements.

Arts and Humanities	12 credit hours
Science and Mathematics	12 credit hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences	12 credit hours
Concentration	18 credit hours
Arts and Sciences Electives	15 credit hours
General Electives	51 credit hours
Total Credit Hours Required for the B.G.S.	120 credit hours

Completing Course Distribution Requirements

Each general studies degree requires completion of course work in three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. These requirements provide students with a broad exposure to the humanities and sciences. To fulfill the requirements, students may choose from a wide variety of subject fields within each learning area. These subject fields are described below. Note: The subject fields grouped under the three learning areas may vary among Indiana University campuses. Students should consult their General Studies Degree Program counselors for their campuses’ specific requirements.

Arts and Humanities  The distribution courses in this learning area provide knowledge and interpretive frameworks through which students may reflect on the complexity of human history, assess the difficulties of determining moral values, appreciate the range and value of human emotion and thought, and be sensitive to the varieties of aesthetic expression. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the arts and humanities distribution requirement:

• Afro-American Studies
• American Studies
• Classical Studies
• Comparative Literature
• English
• Fine Arts
• Folklore
• Foreign Language Courses
• History
• History and Philosophy of Science
• Musicology and Music History
• Philosophy
• Religious Studies
• Speech
• Theatre and Drama

Science and Mathematics  The distribution courses in this learning area provide an appreciation of the physical and biological environment, introduce students to the discipline of systematic inquiry, provide insight into experimental methods and results, and illustrate the role and methods of the mathematical sciences. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the science and mathematics distribution requirement:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Astronomy
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Geology
• Mathematics
• Microbiology
• Physics
• Plant Sciences
• Zoology

Social and Behavioral Sciences  The distribution courses in this learning area provide students with the means to analyze and understand the social institutions in which they live, as well as the behavior of individuals in relation to one another and the world. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the social and behavioral science distribution requirement:

• Anthropology
• Economics
• Geography
• Linguistics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Completing B.G.S. Concentration Requirements

B.G.S. students must complete a concentration area by adhering to the following guidelines:

1. Students must complete an additional 18 credit hours in one of three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, or social and behavioral sciences.
2. Students must complete courses from at least two departments in the learning area they select for their concentration area.
3. Students must earn a minimum grade of C– in courses used to fulfill the concentration requirement. Passing grades below C– may be used only as elective credit.

Completing Elective Requirements

A.A.G.S. and B.G.S. students may select any of the nonremedial, nondevelopmental courses offered by Indiana University to fulfill elective requirements. These electives enable students to explore diverse academic areas of interest and to tailor their general studies degree to their individual needs. Students are encouraged to consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselors and to choose courses in subjects related to their academic, professional, and personal interests.