Frequently Asked Questions

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Introductory Composition

1. If I have transfer credit for an English Composition course, do I need to take a composition course in LS&A?

All students must satisfy the introductory composition requirement. Transfer students who have taken composition courses elsewhere will find that those credits will transfer as credit toward graduation; however, not all composition courses from other schools automatically satisfy the College's introductory composition requirement. The Sweetland Writing Center evaluates courses from other schools and decides whether or not those courses can be used toward our requirement. To find out if your composition courses have already been approved to satisfy this requirement, check the SWC website at: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/requirements/transfcourses.html

If your course has not yet been evaluated, please provide the Sweetland Writing Center with a course description (from the school catalog) and the syllabus. Submit it to the Sweetland Writing Center, Transfer Courses, 1139 Angell Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1003.

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Upper-Level (Junior/Senior) Writing

1. How many credits am I required to have before I can elect a course to meet the Upper-Level Writing Requirement?

Beginning Fall Term, 1999, students fulfill this requirement at any time after they have completed the Introductory Composition requirement. There is no longer a minimum number of credits required.

2. Can a transfer course meet the Upper-Level Writing Requirement?

No.

3. Can an Upper-Level Writing Requirement course also count in my concentration or toward distribution?

Yes, in one or the other, when applicable.

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Quantitative Reasoning

1. If I have taken a course at my previous institution which I have found listed in the LS&A Course Guide as a "Quantitative Reasoning" course, have I satisfied the requirement?

Only if the class is a Statistics course or the equivalent of Physics 125-7, 126-8 or 140-1 and 240-1. Otherwise you must petition Academic Standards for a substitution. Petition guidelines and instructions are available in 1255 Angell. Such requests are not automatically granted.

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Race & Ethnicity

1. If I have taken a course at my former institution that seems to meet the R&E requirement, then have I satisfied the requirement here?

No. You must petition Academic Standards. In your petition you must include a syllabus of the course and the reasons why you believe the course you took meets the criteria that constitute the requirement. These requests are not automatically granted, even if a class transfers in as the equivalent of one of the U of M courses that meets the requirement. Petition guidelines and instructions are available in 1255 Angell.

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Foreign Language

1. If I started a foreign language at my previous institution, can I go back and finish the LS&A language requirement there?

No. Once you enter the College of LS&A, you must complete the language requirement here.

2. If I test into one of the semesters of a language for which I was granted transfer credit, what should I do?

If you elect a course for which you already have credit, you will lose transfer credit. If you are confident in your language skills, you could elect the next course in the sequence and see how it goes. You have three weeks to change your mind. Language departments allow you to elect a course that is a higher level than your placement if you feel confident that this is a wise decision. However, if you elect a course that is a lower level than your placement, you will not receive graduation credit unless the department gives you prior permission to make this change.

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Distribution

1. How do I interpret departmental or interdivisional credit?

If any of your previous coursework has been transferred in to Michigan as departmental or interdivisional credit, you should talk with an academic advisor during Orientation or soon thereafter to get an explanation of how you may use these credits toward your LS&A degree.

2. Can I use a concentration (major) course for distribution?

No, not if you are completing one concentration only. If you are doing two concentrations, however, only one of the two concentrations must be independent of distribution.

3. Can my Race & Ethnicity (R&E) and/or my Quantitative Reasoning (QR) courses count toward my distribution?

Yes, when applicable.

4. Can I use foreign language courses for distribution?

Some third and fourth year language courses in each language department are designated for humanities (HU) distribution, but no course in the four semesters required for meeting the language requirement counts toward distribution.

5. How do I know which LS&A courses are natural science, social science, and humanities courses?

The LS&A Bulletin designates natural science courses as NS, social science as SS,
and humanities as HU. The LS&A Course Guide also designates distribution courses this same way.

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Concentration

1. Do any of my transfer credits count toward my concentration (major), and, if so, how many?

This is determined by your concentration advisor.

2. When should I declare my concentration?

Normally during the second term of the sophomore year, or as soon thereafter as you can.

3. What is a cognate?

A cognate is a required concentration course that exists in a department outside your concentration department but whose subject relates closely to your concentration.

4. Can I use a cognate course for distribution?

No, not if you are completing one concentration only. If you are doing two concentrations, however, only one of the two concentrations must be independent of distribution.

5. Can my Race & Ethnicity (R&E) and/or my Quantitative Reasoning (QR) courses count toward my concentration?

Yes, when applicable.

6. What are the requirements for my concentration?

They are spelled out in the LS&A Bulletin.

7. Does the College of LS&A have minors?

Beginning with Fall Term 1999, LS&A will begin to offer minors as an option to students; students will not be required to complete a minor as a condition of graduation. As individual departments design minors and have them approved by the College, they will become available for currently enrolled students. Not all departments will choose to offer minors. Minors will be phased in as departments complete the design and approval process, so it is possible that a minor you might want to have may not be available by the time you graduate.

8. Is the Bachelor in General Studies (BGS) a concentration?

No, it is a degree program, akin to but differing from the A.B. and B.S. BGS degree requirements are listed in the LS&A Bulletin.

9. Can I take any of the courses in my concentration pass/fail?

No.

10. Is there a pre-med major?

In LS&A there is no specific "pre-med" major as such. Students who are interested in the health professions study a traditional major or pursue a BGS degree. Within the degree, however, students take the courses required in order to take the MCAT and to apply to medical school or other health professions programs. Although your general advisor can provide you with general information and advice as you begin working on pre-med requirements, the Academic Advising Center also has available several advisors who specialize in talking with students about health profession options and the application process. Consult our Pre-Health Professions web-site at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/prehealth/.

11. Is there a pre-law major?

In LS&A there is no specific pre-law major. Law schools generally do not have a preference as to what undergraduate major you study. Your general advisor can assist you in shaping your degree so that you include courses that hone the skills and general knowledge that will contribute to your success in law school. In addition to talking with your general advisor, the Advising Center provides a pre-law advisor to assist you in exploring options and in the application process. Consult our Pre-Law web-site at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/advising/preprof/prelaw/

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Deadlines, Policies, Procedures

1. How long do I have to drop or add a class once the term starts?

You have until the end of the third week of class to drop or add a class by simply using the phone registration. From the end of the third week to the end of the 9th week of class, you can drop or add a class with permission of the Academic Advising Office. Courses dropped after the third week are marked on the transcript with a "W" simply to indicate that the drop was made later in the term. After that date, changes in your course elections are made only for truly unusual situations. Drop/add deadlines for the Spring and Summer half-terms are shorter; drops via phone registration can be processed until the end of the second week of class and late drop/add changes with permission can be processed until the end of the fourth week.

2. What is an override and how do I get one?

An override is permission from the instructor for you to register for a class that is already full or for which prior approval from the instructor is needed. Overrides are obtained from the course instructor or the department that is offering the course. Most overrides are "electronic," which means that the permission is entered in the computer so that when you use phone registration to add the class, the transaction will actually go through. Some departments issue overrides in paper form; those must to be processed in person in the Registrar's Office, G255 Angell. Remember, an override is simply permission to register for the course, not an automatic addition to your schedule.

3. What is the pass/fail grading option and how does it work?

You may "modify" a class through the registration process to receive a pass "P" or a fail "F" on your transcript instead of a grade. Any course you take pass/fail will not alter your gpa in any way. The instructor turns in an actual grade for you and the Registrar's Office, seeing the P/F modification will translate the letter grade into a P or F as appropriate. You must earn at least a C- in order to receive a pass. You have until the end of the first three weeks of class (first two weeks in a half-term) to change a class to pass/fail grading status. After that deadline, you cannot make any change in the grading status of a class. There are limitations on what courses you can take pass/fail. You cannot use the pass/fail option with any courses in your concentration or for the fourth term of a language used to meet the language requirement. You may not count more than 30 ungraded credits toward graduation. If you need to show the actual grade which is under the "P" or "F" for these classes, you can have the Registrar's Office attach to your transcript a list of your pass/fail classes and the actual grade. Note: You should ALWAYS get a printed copy of your schedule each time you make a change to your schedule.

4. How do I register for the next term?

You will receive an e-mail message from the Registrar's Office informing you of your CRISP date. Between that time and the term's first day of class you may register via phone CRISP. The instructions on exactly how to use the touch tone registration system are found in the front of the printed Time Schedule each term. Note that there is a touch tone help number listed that you can call if you experience difficulty in registering. You can also consult the Registrar's staff in person in G255 Angell should you experience any difficulty. Early registration is spread out over a period of time; students with the most credits toward graduation go first and those with the least register in the last group.

5. How can I get a copy of my schedule or see my grades easily?

You can see your grades as they are posted, see your current schedule, or look at an unofficial transcript through the undergraduate student business portion of Wolverine Access. The URL address is: http://waccess.umich.edu/

6. How do I find out when a specific final exam will be given?

You can check the final exam schedule for a particular course on-line through the Registrar's homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~regoff/. The exam schedule is also published in the front section of each term's printed Time Schedule.

7. How do I find out when classes begin for a future term?

You can check the academic calendar for present and future terms on-line through the Registrar's homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~regoff/. Academic calendars are also published in the LS&A Bulletin and on the LS&A Student Academic Affairs homepage: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/saa/

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Other U of M Undergraduate Programs

1. How do I transfer to the School of Business?

The undergraduate business program at the U of M is a two year program – junior and senior year. Students apply to the School of Business in their sophomore year and, if accepted, leave LS&A to complete their BBA in the Business School. Admissions are highly competitive. Your general advisor and pre-Business advisors are available for consultation as you consider application to this unit or are weighing other options.

2. How do I transfer to the School or Engineering or any other undergraduate school on campus?

Students who want to do a cross-campus transfer from LS&A to another undergraduate unit must apply and be accepted to that school. Admissions are often highly competitive and you are urged to consult you advisor in LS&A as well as an advisor from the unit to which you wish to transfer.

3. Can I get a teaching certificate?

Yes, you can earn a teaching certificate while you complete your LS&A degree. Consult the LS&A Bulletin for information on requirements. You should also talk with a School of Education Advisor in the Advising Center.