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Frequently Asked Questions

If the instructor or departmental course coordinator of the course in which you have been placed feels that a change of level is advisable, this can be arranged during the first week or two of classes. You can not take a course lower than that indicated from your placement test and still receive credit toward graduation without the written approval of the coordinator of the language course in which you are originally placed.

2. Do I have to take a Math or Statistics course?

You do not have to take a math course, although several of them may be used to meet the Quantitative Reasoning requirement to advance your mathematical/quantitative skills, and they may be used, when designated (MSA), toward area distribution. All the concentration programs in the natural sciences and some of those in the social sciences require at least one term of calculus or encourage course work in this area. Engineering, Business Administration, and Architecture, for example, also require at least one term of calculus. Many of the social science concentrations have a statistics requirement.

3. Do I have to take physical education courses?

There is no physical education requirement for LS&A students, and no degree credit is granted for taking physical activity courses (UMove Program) or most other courses in the Division of Kinesiology. (See Chapter III of the LS&A Bulletin.)

4. How do I know if I received "Advanced Placement" credits? If I did, can I use these credits to meet area distribution requirements?

Because scores are often not reported until late summer, you may not know your Advanced Placement test scores when you come to Orientation. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will notify you when your AP scores have arrived, but in the meantime, you should inform your academic advisor if you have taken any AP exams. Your advisor can tell you what score you will need in order to receive degree credit, and together you should make your "best guess" about what related course (if any) to enroll in. If you sign up for a course and later learn that you have received Advanced Placement credit for the same course, you will have to make a Drop/Add decision (since you cannot receive credit for the same course twice). It also is true that once you receive Advanced Placement credit in a language, you may not take a lower-level course in that same language without losing the AP credit.

Advanced Placement credits may NOT be included as part of your Area Distribution, Race and Ethnicity, English Composition, or Quantitative Reasoning requirements; they may, however, be used as free electives or as concentration prerequisites.

5. Will I receive credit for a course I take at the University if I already have Advanced Placement credits for it, or if I have been exempted without credits?

If you take such a course here, you will lose the AP credit. If you have placed out of a course without having received credit hours, you may not take that course for degree credit. See an academic advisor or a member of the Academic Standards Board if you believe there are special circumstances in your case.

6. There are so many courses. How do I decide?

First, you may need one or more courses to meet the Introductory Composition and Language Requirements. And of course you may want to continue study of a subject you already know something about and are interested in. This may or may not include exploration in courses related to a possible concentration. (You can see it is important to begin to familiarize yourself with the prerequisites to possible areas of concentration.)

Try to take at least one course each term of your first year in a field about which you know nothing. Stretch yourself. Study anthropology or religion or philosophy (just to name three areas often not offered in high school), or learn something about Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the Near East. Such courses need have no obvious connection to your prospective concentration or to your career plans. They may open up entirely new areas of interest for you.

7. What if I don't get any of the courses I really want?

First, you should be able to get into courses necessary to begin sequences you may need, such as language, mathematics, and chemistry. Honors Program students should also have no trouble getting into Great Books 191 or Classical Civilization 101. The section meeting time may not be the hour you would prefer, but generally all students who need these courses are able to get into them. However, it is true that popular courses tend to close early; and if you restrict your options only to these classes, you are likely to become disappointed and frustrated. Keep in mind that the fact that a course is popular does not necessarily make it the right first-term course for you; and be aware there are always excellent courses open that are suitable for first-year students and can help meet area distribution or other requirements. Also, you are free to visit any closed courses at the beginning of the term and talk with the professor about the possibility of getting an Override into the course.

8. I'm concerned about being overburdened by the college workload. How can I cope? How many credits should I take?

Early in your college career it is probably unwise to take courses that require the same study habits or patterns. Don't take five courses with heavy reading requirements, for example. Take a variety of courses so that you can try lab courses and discussions, lectures and heavy reading courses; language, writing, and theatre and drama courses all require different styles of learning and studying. A mixture of learning styles will probably make your first year more enjoyable.

Most students find that even in their first term they can comfortably manage four courses (after making some initial adjustment to their work habits). Don't worry if your four courses add up to only 13 or 14 credits. Be aware that credit hours are not a good indicator of a course's level of difficulty - there are any number of 3-credit courses in the College that are considerably more demanding than the average 4-credit course. If you fear that you are not as well prepared for college as most of your peers, consider taking fewer than 15 credit hours (perhaps12) in your first term. In any case, talk with your advisor before making this decision.

9. What is the Time Schedule and when is it available?

The University's Time Schedule, published by the Scheduling Office and the Office of the Registrar, provides a listing of all course offerings for a given term, including, of course, all LS&A courses. It also contains Registration and Drop/Add Information, Fee Regulations, and an Examination Schedule.

A Final Edition of the Fall Term Time Schedule is published and distributed in the last week of August. The Winter Term Time Schedule is distributed in mid-November. In mid to late March two Time Schedules are distributed, one for the Fall Term and the other for the Spring, Spring-Summer, and Summer Terms.

The Time Schedule may be obtained on-line at:

http://waccess.umich.edu/useful.html

10. How is class standing determined?

Class standing is determined by the number of credits earned toward a degree.

Freshman: fewer than 25 credits Sophomore: 25 through 54 credits Junior: 55 through 84 credits Senior: 85 credits or more

11. Are there opportunities at Michigan for studying abroad?

Yes, the University of Michigan sponsors several academic programs abroad, in Australia, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Quebec, Russia, Spain, and Sweden. These programs are considered as credits taken in-residence. Some of these programs run during the regular academic year; others are given during the Spring or Summer Half-Terms. Many LS&A students take advantage of the University's programs to study abroad (typically in the junior year). In addition, you can arrange to receive transfer credit for study-abroad programs sponsored by other American colleges or universities though you will have to be careful not to exceed the sixty credit transfer limit. Talk with your academic advisor for details, or visit the Office of International Programs (G513 Michigan Union).

12. Is there a Dean's List in LS&A?

The easy answer is no, LS&A has no Dean's List that is posted or released to the public.

The more complicated answer is that the College does have several awards for academic achievement. "Class Honors" are awarded once every calendar year to LS&A students who have maintained an average GPA of 3.5 or better. A notation designating Class Honors is placed on each student's transcript. In addition, students with outstanding academic records are eligible for the Branstrom and James B. Angell Scholar Awards.

The College also has two types of graduation awards. Degrees are granted with the notations with distinction, with high distinction, and with highest distinction. This is roughly equivalent to cum laude (etc.) notations given at other colleges and universities. Distinction awards are granted on the basis of class rank.

Moreover, students who have pursued Honors concentration programs are eligible to receive an additional degree citation with honors, with high honors, or with highest honors in their field of concentration. For more detailed descriptions of these awards and the criteria for each, see Chapter IV of the LS&A Bulletin.

13. How much time should I expect to spend studying?

Experience teaches that a weekly time commitment of 3-4 study hours per credit works well. This includes time for reading, reviewing, researching, study-groups, etc.

14. There's a subject I really like, but I'm concerned that it's not marketable. What should I do?

The important thing to remember is that you are pursuing a liberal arts degree. Liberal arts degrees are not designed to prepare student for particular jobs. More often than not, graduates pursue careers that have no obvious connection to the subjects in which they concentrate as undergraduates. What people gain from a liberal arts education is exposure to and the ability to grasp information from a broad range of subjects, as well as finely honed critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills. As well as contributing hugely to the richness of student's lives, these abilities are eminently marketable. Given all this, if you have found the subject you love, the best thing to do is to study it!

15. It seems as if nearly everyone already knows what they want to study. I don't have a clue. What should I do?

Admittedly a certain amount of security comes from entering college believing that you know what you want to study. However, the vast majority of students who enter college "sure" of what they want to pursue change their minds at least once. The degrees offered through LS&A are designed to help students explore and discover their interests and strengths. Students are not expected to declare a concentration until fall of their junior year. Accordingly, if you don't know what you want to study here at UM, no problem. Take courses that strike you as interesting and you will, eventually, figure out what you'd like to pursue in more depth. Discuss your interests, hobbies, and career idea with your academic advisors, instructors, friends, the counselors in the Office of Career Planning and Placement, etc. College is a process of discovery and maturation; it works best when you work at it, but don't rush it.

16. What is a good pre-law curriculum?

There are no required classes or preferred majors for law school. People enter law school with undergraduate degrees in Music, Engineering, or Business, as well as liberal arts concentrations as diverse as English, computer science, languages, chemistry, philosophy, and any of the social sciences. So do not try to choose a concentration that will please the law school's admissions committee. Instead, you should explore your own interests, and seek out a program that will improve your reading, writing, speaking, and analytical skills. In applying to law school, more important than any one course or concentration is a strong grade point average in substantial courses, a degree from a good college, and a high score on the Law School Admissions Test (LS&AT). For further information, see the section on Pre-Law Studies in Chapter V of the LS&A Bulletin. You can also meet with a pre-law advisor in the Academic Advising Center.

17. I'm thinking about pre-medical studies. What are the course requirements for entrance into medical school? When should I take these courses?

The required or recommended courses are not identical for all medical schools, but they generally include one year of inorganic chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, biochemistry, one year of physics, one year of biology (all with laboratory work), and one year of English. Some schools require mathematics, usually calculus, and others strongly recommend it. See Chapter V of the LS&A Bulletin for more information. You can also meet with a pre-med advisor in the Academic Advising Center to discuss the requirements in detail.

If you enter the College convinced that medicine is your career goal, the common program of study includes: completion of the basic science course sequences (chemistry, biology, and physics) during your first and second years; concentration in whichever academic department or program best meets your interests; and completion of one or two advanced science courses during your junior and senior years. For the very well prepared student, this program is a reasonable one. If you feel uncertain about your prior preparation, talk with your academic advisor about limiting yourself to perhaps one science course during your freshman year. Introductory chemistry is the usual selection because it is a prerequisite for the organic chemistry course, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for concentration in certain science departments and programs.

Please note that there is no concentration program expressly labelled "pre-med." Any concentration program in liberal arts (including science) is suitable. Many medical schools state that they look with equal favor upon applicants who do not concentrate in science. Note also that you do not have to make your mind up on concentration, or on being a pre-med, before you arrive in college. But in order to schedule the Medical College Admissions Test in the junior year, you are well advised to start science courses in the first year.