Bachelor of Science and Arts

The requirements for the bachelor of science and arts degree are designed to give each student an opportunity to combine a core mathematics or science experience with an interdisciplinary curriculum which complements his or her major. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science and Arts will major in a discipline within the College of Natural Sciences as well as minor in a field of study which allows the student to explore applications of his or her major in the broader society, allows the student to see the impacts of the sciences in other fields of study, and develops a complementary expertise, which supports multidisciplinary study.

All students pursuing an undergraduate degree must complete the University’s Core Curriculum . The prescribed work requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Arts consist of the language, arts, and culture requirement, major requirements, minor or transcript-recognized certificate requirements, and electives. Students may not use a course in one area of prescribed work to fulfill the requirements of another area of prescribed work; the only exception to this rule is that a course that fulfills one requirement may also be used to fulfill a flag requirement. Courses used to fulfill prescribed work requirements may be used to fulfill the University core curriculum requirements except where expressly prohibited.

In the process of fulfilling the core curriculum and other degree requirements, all students must complete courses with content in the following areas:

1. Writing: two flagged courses, including one at the upper-division level, beyond Rhetoric and Writing 306 or its equivalent
2. Ethics and leadership: one flagged course
3. Independent inquiry: one flagged course
4. Quantitative reasoning: one flagged course

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science and Arts must fulfill both the University general requirements for graduation and the requirements of the College of Natural Sciences. These include a University grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses taken at the University (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension), and a grade of at least C- in all math and science courses required in the major. Students completing a transcript-recognized certificate program must meet the minimum grade requirements and grade point average requirements of the program. Students must also complete a minimum of sixty hours in residence at the University, including at least eighteen hours of the major in residence.

Students may earn an honors major in their fields of study upon graduation by completing the following requirements:

1. Good standing in the Health Science Honors Program or the University Fellows Program.
2. A section of Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303 that is approved by the departmental honors adviser.
3. Six hours of coursework in the major must be at the honors-level.
4. Natural Sciences 371.
5. A University grade point average of at least 3.50.

Prescribed Work Common to All Majors

1. Language, Arts, and Culture Requirement
   Twelve hours selected from at least two of the following four areas:
   1. Fine arts: courses chosen from design, ensemble, fine arts, music, studio art, performance, visual art studies, and theatre and dance.
   2. Humanities: courses chosen from American studies, ancient history and classical civilization, art history, classical civilization, comparative literature, English, humanities, philosophy, religious studies, and rhetoric and writing.
   3. Social and behavioral sciences: courses chosen from anthropology, economics, geography, government, history, linguistics, psychology, and sociology.
   4. Foreign language and culture: foreign language courses or culture courses chosen from an approved list available in the college advising centers. Students who elect to pursue a foreign language must minimally complete a one-year competency.

Courses used to satisfy the University core curriculum, or credit earned by examination, may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

1. Major Requirements 
   The specific courses required for the major vary with the major selected and are described in the links to the right. Unless the requirements of the major state otherwise, a major consists of at least thirty-six but no more than forty-nine semester hours.
2. Minor or Certificate Requirement
   The Bachelor of Science and Arts requires the completion of all requirements for one transcript-recognized certificate program or a minor. A minor consists of at least fifteen hours in a single field of study that is outside the College of Natural Sciences, Cockrell School of Engineering, and Jackson School of Geosciences. A student may not pursue a certificate that requires more than three hours of coursework required in the major, or more than six hours of coursework in their major field of study.
3. Electives 
   Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.