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Degree Requirements

The College awards three basic degrees, the Bachelor of Arts (AB), the Bachelor of Science (BS), and the Bachelor in General Studies (BGS).

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees require competent use of the modes of thought which characterize each major area of knowledge, and a deep understanding of at least one subject area. Each student is required also to achieve competency in the use of the English language, to acquire second-year college-level proficiency in a language other than English, must receive credit for an approved course addressing questions on race & ethnicity, and must fulfill the quantitative reasoning requirement. Beyond these general requirements, which serve not to limit but rather to enhance the value of the educational experience, students are free to choose elective courses to complete a minimum of 120 credits. The difference between the AB and BS degree is that the BS degree requires 60 credits of approved courses in the physical and natural sciences and/or mathematics.

The Bachelor in General Studies degree encourages students to take responsibility for structuring their own multidisciplinary academic program within guidelines emphasizing upper-level courses elected in three or more departments. This degree also requires a minimum of 120 credits, and includes the College Composition requirements, the Race & Ethnicity requirement, and the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

Common Requirements for the AB, BS, and BGS Degrees

Credits and Grade Point Average

A student must complete a minimum 120 credits with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) or better.

English Composition Requirements

Part I. Introductory Composition. All students entering the University must fulfill the Introductory Composition Requirement. They may do so by taking Writing Practicum and another first-year writing course, or by taking a first-year writing course alone. After meeting with an advisor or a Writing Workshop instructor, students decide which of these alternatives is better for them on the basis of a self-assessment. Because writing plays such a vital role in all academic disciplines at Michigan, your student's first writing course must meet his/her actual needs as a writer so that he/she can successfully make the transition to college writing.

The Introductory Composition Requirement should be completed in the first year.

Part II. Upper-Level Writing Requirement. Once a student has satisfied the Introductory Composition Requirement he/she may elect a course that meets the Upper-Level Writing Requirement. When a student feels ready to complete this requirement, he/she makes a selection from a special list of courses that have been approved for that particular term. While a few departments require that their students take a course in their concentration to satisfy this requirement, most allow students a free choice.

Race & Ethnicity Requirement

Students choose one course from a list of approved courses that cover issues relating to race & ethnicity, racial and ethnic intolerance and inequality. The goal is to prepare students to live and work in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial environment.

Quantitative Reasoning Requirement

Students are required to take one or two courses from an approved list which focus on the methodology of quantitative analysis. The goal is to ensure that students achieve a level of proficiency in using and analyzing quantitative information.

Requirements Particular to the AB and BS Degrees

The Language Requirement

Students are required to complete fourth-term proficiency in a language other than English, most often by earning credit for the fourth term of a University of Michigan language course. The goal is to offer a means of access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of the world's non-English speaking majority as well as to provide reflective understanding of the structure and complexity of English itself. LS&A offers over 30 different languages that meet this requirement.

Area Distribution

Students must complete 30 credits outside of their field of concentration distributed over the following five categories: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Mathematical and Symbolic Analysis, and Creative Expression. Through this requirement the student gains an understanding and appreciation of the major areas of learning and a coherent view of essential concepts, structures, and intellectual methods which typify these disciplines.

Concentration

The concentration requirement provides the opportunity for a student to pursue a thorough investigation of a particular subject or discipline. Course requirements of concentrations offered vary from 24 to 48 credits. In addition to the more than 60 concentration plans offered, a student has the option to develop his or her own Individual Concentration Plan (ICP).

Minors Option

Beginning with Fall Term 1999, AB/BS students have the opportunity of completing a minor as part of the degree program. Departments have the opportunity of offering a minor option and, although some departments will not offer any minor, others may develop several. As departmental minors are created and approved, students may choose to add a minor to their academic plan.

Requirements Particular to the BGS Degree

General LS&A Requirements

The BGS degree requires a minimum of 120 credits; the College Composition courses; a Race & Ethnicity course; and a Quantitative Reasoning course(s).

Upper-Level Coursework Requirement

A minimum number of 60 credits numbered 300 or above must be completed, with no more than 20 credits in any one department.

Non-LS&A Coursework

To qualify for a degree a student must complete a program of study which includes primarily coursework from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts or equivalent LS&A transfer credit.

Candidates for the AB or BS degree must complete a minimum of 108 credits of LS&A courses, thus allowing 12 credits of non LS&A coursework in the 120 required for the degree.

Candidates for a BGS degree must complete a minimum of 100 credits of LS&A courses, thus allowing 20 credits of non-LS&A coursework in the 120 required for the degree.