General Information
General Information
Lower-Division/Upper-Division Coursework
Students are required to take a certain number of courses in specific categories to meet University and College General Requirements. These requirements vary according to the degree sought; they are described in the section titled General Requirements for each degree. During the freshman and sophomore years, most of the courses students take will be at the lower-division level. Lower-division courses are numbered 10000-29999 and generally presume that the students have little or no specific background in the discipline. The principle purpose of the lower-division coursework is to lay the foundation of the students’ general education and to introduce students to the field of specialization. Transfer students admitted to the college with 64 or more semester hours of credit should complete all remaining freshman and sophomore requirements within one academic year following their first registration.
Most undergraduate specialization is pursued through upper-division coursework. Upper-division courses are numbered 30000-49999. These courses require both greater familiarity with the subject matter and greater intellectual sophistication. Students are required to have completed the appropriate prerequisites in specified lower-division courses before entering upper-division courses. All degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences require the successful completion of at least 42 upper-division hours of coursework.
Double Majors/Dual Degrees
A program that combines two major fields of study in the same degree program is referred to as a double major program. An example of a double major program would be the combination of the English and history majors in the B.A. program in arts and sciences. Completion of a double major requires that students complete a minimum of 121 hours.
A program combining two majors in distinct degree programs is referred to as a dual degree program. An example of a dual degree program would be the combination of a philosophy major in the B.A. program with a chemistry major in the B.S. program in arts and sciences. Any combination involving degree programs in more than one college is considered to be a dual degree program even if both degrees bear the same title. For example, the combination of an English major in the B.A. program in arts and sciences with an art history major in the B.A. program in the arts is considered a dual degree program. Completion of a dual degree program requires that students complete a minimum of 140 total hours.
The College of Arts and Sciences generally will approve double majors and dual degrees within the college as long as there are at least 21 hours of coursework exclusively applied to each major or field of concentration. Certain major and degree combinations are specifically prohibited based upon departmental recommendations.
The option to pursue double majors and dual degrees continues subsequent to earning a B.A. or B.S. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. For example, students who have earned a B.A. degree with an English major at Kent State University can have the completion of a second major such as sociology added to their transcript at a later time.
Requests for dual degrees between arts and sciences programs and programs in other colleges are considered on a case-by-case basis by the college office in consultation with the departmental units involved. Combinations involving programs in arts and sciences with related programs in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services generally are restricted.
Elective Credits
For most programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, general requirements plus field of specialization requirements will not exhaust the 121 hours required for graduation. The remaining hours are elective credits and may be chosen at will, including courses in other colleges of the university, provided students possess the necessary prerequisites for the courses selected. Students may, of course, elect to take more than the minimum 121 hours required.
Electives should be carefully chosen to satisfy the students’ intellectual interests or to complement and enhance the field or fields of specialization. Students are urged to seek faculty advice in selecting elective courses.
IP Grades
The grade of IP (“In Progress”) indicates that work for the course will be completed after the end of the term, and that the final grade will be entered when the work is completed. This grade may be awarded only in specified courses (such as continuing research, honors or individual investigation projects or field placement/internships that do not correspond to the university calendar), which by their nature are such that students may not be expected to complete course requirements within the term of registration. The grade of IP is given at the discretion of the instructor; students desiring an IP grade should make arrangements with the instructor before the end of the term.
Study Abroad
Study in a foreign country can provide a breadth of experience and understanding that reflects the most central purpose of a liberal arts education. For this reason, the college encourages qualified students to incorporate foreign study in their undergraduate programs. Such study may be pursued through the university’s own semester programs in England, Italy and Switzerland. Additionally, there are exchange programs available in France, Israel, Japan, Northern Ireland, Nova Scotia, Spain and Russia. Students may also study through similar programs offered by other institutions. Information about study abroad may be obtained from the Office of International Affairs.
Students may also study in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, through the Department of Political Science. Field study at locations outside the university also is available through several other departments. Information about such programs is available in the offices of the departments concerned.
Prerequisites
In areas where learning is sequential, courses often have required prerequisites. These prerequisites exist to protect students from attempting coursework for which they are not properly prepared. It is the responsibility of the individual students to make certain that they have met all prerequisites before entering any course. Students who enroll in courses without the specified prerequisites are subject to being deregistered.
On occasion, exceptionally well-prepared students may be given special permission to take a course without having met the prerequisites. In such a case, the students should be prepared to face possible difficulties in the course.
Sequential Coursework
In certain subject fields, such as mathematical sciences, foreign languages, English composition and some of the basic natural sciences, knowledge is sequential or cumulative at the lower levels of study, and courses are structured in clear sequences. Students who already have received credit for, or established proficiency at, one level in such a sequence of courses may not receive academic credit counting toward graduation for a prior course in the sequence or for a course in a lower sequence.
Students are required to take a certain number of courses in specific categories to meet University and College General Requirements. These requirements vary according to the degree sought; they are described in the section titled General Requirements for each degree. During the freshman and sophomore years, most of the courses students take will be at the lower-division level. Lower-division courses are numbered 10000-29999 and generally presume that the students have little or no specific background in the discipline. The principle purpose of the lower-division coursework is to lay the foundation of the students’ general education and to introduce students to the field of specialization. Transfer students admitted to the college with 64 or more semester hours of credit should complete all remaining freshman and sophomore requirements within one academic year following their first registration.
Most undergraduate specialization is pursued through upper-division coursework. Upper-division courses are numbered 30000-49999. These courses require both greater familiarity with the subject matter and greater intellectual sophistication. Students are required to have completed the appropriate prerequisites in specified lower-division courses before entering upper-division courses. All degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences require the successful completion of at least 42 upper-division hours of coursework.
Double Majors/Dual Degrees
A program that combines two major fields of study in the same degree program is referred to as a double major program. An example of a double major program would be the combination of the English and history majors in the B.A. program in arts and sciences. Completion of a double major requires that students complete a minimum of 121 hours.
A program combining two majors in distinct degree programs is referred to as a dual degree program. An example of a dual degree program would be the combination of a philosophy major in the B.A. program with a chemistry major in the B.S. program in arts and sciences. Any combination involving degree programs in more than one college is considered to be a dual degree program even if both degrees bear the same title. For example, the combination of an English major in the B.A. program in arts and sciences with an art history major in the B.A. program in the arts is considered a dual degree program. Completion of a dual degree program requires that students complete a minimum of 140 total hours.
The College of Arts and Sciences generally will approve double majors and dual degrees within the college as long as there are at least 21 hours of coursework exclusively applied to each major or field of concentration. Certain major and degree combinations are specifically prohibited based upon departmental recommendations.
The option to pursue double majors and dual degrees continues subsequent to earning a B.A. or B.S. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. For example, students who have earned a B.A. degree with an English major at Kent State University can have the completion of a second major such as sociology added to their transcript at a later time.
Requests for dual degrees between arts and sciences programs and programs in other colleges are considered on a case-by-case basis by the college office in consultation with the departmental units involved. Combinations involving programs in arts and sciences with related programs in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services generally are restricted.
Elective Credits
For most programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, general requirements plus field of specialization requirements will not exhaust the 121 hours required for graduation. The remaining hours are elective credits and may be chosen at will, including courses in other colleges of the university, provided students possess the necessary prerequisites for the courses selected. Students may, of course, elect to take more than the minimum 121 hours required.
Electives should be carefully chosen to satisfy the students’ intellectual interests or to complement and enhance the field or fields of specialization. Students are urged to seek faculty advice in selecting elective courses.
IP Grades
The grade of IP (“In Progress”) indicates that work for the course will be completed after the end of the term, and that the final grade will be entered when the work is completed. This grade may be awarded only in specified courses (such as continuing research, honors or individual investigation projects or field placement/internships that do not correspond to the university calendar), which by their nature are such that students may not be expected to complete course requirements within the term of registration. The grade of IP is given at the discretion of the instructor; students desiring an IP grade should make arrangements with the instructor before the end of the term.
Study Abroad
Study in a foreign country can provide a breadth of experience and understanding that reflects the most central purpose of a liberal arts education. For this reason, the college encourages qualified students to incorporate foreign study in their undergraduate programs. Such study may be pursued through the university’s own semester programs in England, Italy and Switzerland. Additionally, there are exchange programs available in France, Israel, Japan, Northern Ireland, Nova Scotia, Spain and Russia. Students may also study through similar programs offered by other institutions. Information about study abroad may be obtained from the Office of International Affairs.
Students may also study in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, through the Department of Political Science. Field study at locations outside the university also is available through several other departments. Information about such programs is available in the offices of the departments concerned.
Prerequisites
In areas where learning is sequential, courses often have required prerequisites. These prerequisites exist to protect students from attempting coursework for which they are not properly prepared. It is the responsibility of the individual students to make certain that they have met all prerequisites before entering any course. Students who enroll in courses without the specified prerequisites are subject to being deregistered.
On occasion, exceptionally well-prepared students may be given special permission to take a course without having met the prerequisites. In such a case, the students should be prepared to face possible difficulties in the course.
Sequential Coursework
In certain subject fields, such as mathematical sciences, foreign languages, English composition and some of the basic natural sciences, knowledge is sequential or cumulative at the lower levels of study, and courses are structured in clear sequences. Students who already have received credit for, or established proficiency at, one level in such a sequence of courses may not receive academic credit counting toward graduation for a prior course in the sequence or for a course in a lower sequence.