Chapter III: Degree Requirements and Graduation Procedures Requirements Particular to the A.B. and B.S. Degrees By the end of the sophomore year, students should have met the language requirement, made substantial progress toward completing an area distribution plan, and completed prerequisites for a concentration. Area Distribution By means of this requirement the College seeks to instill an understanding and an appreciation of the major areas of learning. Students are not expected to master all areas in detail, but should develop a coherent view of essential concepts, structures, and intellectual methods that typify these disciplines. Courses offered by the academic departments and programs of the College are divided into five area categories: the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, mathematics and symbolic analysis, and creative expression. Each of these divisions represents a different perspective on human knowledge and learning; some departments and programs overlap these divisions while others may stand outside them. Interdisciplinary courses combine the approaches of more than one area category in order to examine the differences and similarities between disciplines and explore alternative ways of discovering and organizing knowledge. All candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the College must fulfill the 30-credit Distribution Requirement. This broad intellectual experience, which forms an essential part of a liberal arts education, is to be achieved in the following way: Students must complete 7 credits in each of the following three areas: Natural Science (NS), Social Science (SS), and Humanities (HU), for a total of 21 credits. Students must also complete 3 additional credits in three of the following five areas: (NS), (SS), (HU), Mathematical and Symbolic Analysis (MSA), and Creative Expression (CE), for a total of 9 credits. Credits in courses designated Interdisciplinary (ID) may be used to satisfy up to 9 credits of this part of the requirement. General Policies for Area Distribution Plans An area distribution plan may include: Prerequisites to a concentration elected outside the department of concentration Courses elected pass/fail, credit/no credit, or by any other non-graded pattern Courses elected to satisfy one of two concentration plans by students who elect a double concentration (see "Double Concentration" below in this chapter). Transfer credit from other schools and colleges of the University of Michigan and from other academic institutions A course elected outside the department of concentration or concentration requirements used to meet the Upper-Level Writing Requirement, the Race & Ethnicity Requirement, or the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement Courses in Non-LS&A Units offering courses with Creative Expression designation (Credits are counted as Non-LS&A): Art and Design (ARTDES) 100. Drawing Studio I: Line 101. Drawing Studio II: Form 110. Digital Studio I: Image 111. Digital Studio II: Document 120. Tools, Materials, and Processes I: Paint 121. Tools, Materials, and Processes II: Clay 122. Tools, Materials, and Processes III: Photo 123. Tools, Materials, and Processes IV: Wood Architecture (ARCH) 201. Introduction to Communication Skills 202. Graphic Communication 218. Visual Studies Performance -- Piano (PIANO) 110. Performance 111. Performance Dance (DANCE) 101. Introduction to Modern Dance 102. Introduction to Modern Dance 111. Introduction to Ballet 112. Introduction to Ballet 121. Introduction to Jazz Dance 122. Introduction to Jazz Dance 241. Afro-American Dance Ensemble (ENS): All Courses 100-399 Courses (100-399) in Music Performance SUBJECTS other than Piano Performance, may also be used for Creative Expression, but enrollment is restricted to students of advanced ability. An area distribution plan may not include: Any course from the department of concentration Required cognates in a concentration plan Courses at the 400-level and above. Experiential courses, Independent Study, and University (UC) mini-courses Advanced Placement credits. University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index This page maintained by LS&A Academic Information and Publications, 1228 Angell Hall Copyright © 2002 The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA +1 734 764-1817 Trademarks of the University of Michigan may not be electronically or otherwise altered or separated from this document or used for any non-University purpose.