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Overview

The College of Liberal Arts consists of the Departments of Anthropology; Art; Criminology and Criminal Justice; English; Geography; History; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religious Studies; Sociology; Theatre and Dance; and programs in African American Studies, Classical Studies, Contemporary European Studies, Film Studies, Latin American Studies, Southern Studies, and Women's Studies. Through departmental and interdepartmental programs in these areas, the college offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. It also offers an undergraduate degree program in Economics. The college additionally includes interdepartmental programs in Comparative Literature, which offers a major and minor in comparative literature and degrees at the graduate level, and Linguistics, which offers a minor in linguistics and degrees at the graduate level. The Departments of Aerospace Studies, Military Science, and Naval Science administer the University's ROTC programs.

In addition to serving students majoring in any of the established liberal arts disciplines, the constituent departments of the college offer courses included in the general degree requirements and elective options for all baccalaureate students at the University. The departments of the college also participate actively in South Carolina Honors College.

The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. In the Department of Psychology, the graduate degrees in clinical/community psychology are accredited by the American Psychological Association; graduate degrees in school psychology are accredited by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association of School Psychologists, with the doctoral program also being accredited by the American Psychological Association. The Master of Public Administration degree offered by the Department of Political Science is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The Department of Theatre and Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the University/Resident Theatre Association.

Entrance Requirements

New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Liberal Arts from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Liberal Arts from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:

1. Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
2. Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.

Some programs in the College of Liberal Arts have special admission requirements established by the department or committee which supervises the specific degree program. These requirements are listed below in the sections of this bulletin which describe department and special degree programs.

Progression Requirements

To remain in a degree program offered by the College of Liberal Arts, a student must make satisfactory academic progress toward the degree. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress may be placed on academic probation or removed from the college. In addition, all students in the college are subject to the regulations on probation, suspension, and readmission in the section of this bulletin entitled "Academic Standing."

The faculty of the College of Liberal Arts recognizes the importance of clear, precise, and correct writing as part of a liberal education. Therefore, the faculty encourages the assignment of written work and fully supports professors who refuse to accept written material which fails to meet reasonable standards of organization, development, coherence, and acceptable English usage.

Attendance Requirements

Enrollment in a course obligates the student not only for prompt completion of all work assigned but also for punctual and regular attendance and for participation in whatever class discussion may occur. It is the student's responsibility to keep informed concerning all assignments made. Absences, whether excused or unexcused, do not absolve the student from this responsibility.

Absence from more than 10 percent of the scheduled class sessions, whether excused or unexcused, is excessive, and the instructor may choose to exact a grade penalty for such absences.

Graduation

In order to be eligible for graduation, students in the College of Liberal Arts must meet all course requirements, be in good standing, meet any departmental or program requirements, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 on all work attempted at USC.

Department and program requirements appear under the appropriate departmental listing.

Curricula

The curricula established for all baccalaureate degrees awarded by the college include a set of courses that fulfill general education requirements, a set of courses that comprise a departmental major, a set of courses that comprise a cognate or minor, and several hours of free elective courses. A course may be used to fulfill only one requirement.

A student who chooses to major in one of the areas prescribed above is advised to read carefully the statement of the major department or program on the following pages and to consult frequently with the major advisor. No student will be permitted to change a major field of study during the final 30 hours of academic work.

General Education Requirements. Degree candidates in the College of Liberal Arts must satisfy the general education requirements. These requirements are designed to provide students with a broad experience in the liberal arts and sciences and opportunities to develop intellectual skills in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, as well as competence in written and oral communication. General education is not defined by subject matter alone, but rather by an attitude toward the world which emphasizes intelligent functioning as a human being.

Through the general education requirements, students are provided with opportunities to learn and apply the modes of inquiry essential to each discipline and to develop the following skills, perspectives, and attitudes. Writing: Fluency in writing is essential for success in college work and for effectiveness as an educated person. Foreign language: The study of a foreign language enables students both to develop an important skill and to gain an appreciation of the uniqueness of a foreign culture as reflected in its language. History and cultural awareness: Students must be informed about the traditions that are part of our cultural heritage and must have some understanding of the forces, figures, and events that shaped American history, as well as basic knowledge of other cultures. Mathematics and analytical reasoning: Students must be able to reason logically and understand analytical and quantitative ideas. Natural sciences: Direct experience in science through both the lecture and the laboratory is essential for students to function as informed citizens in matters of science and technology and to understand the complexities of science and the risks and benefits of its applications. Philosophy: The study of philosophy provides students with a formal introduction to issues of fundamental human importance, such as the nature of humankind and the criteria for knowledge and moral decisions, and fosters the development of skills in clear thinking, rational evaluations, and critical self-reflection. Fine arts, literature, and the humanities: These disciplines provide students with an understanding and appreciation of aesthetic, cultural, and ethical values. Social sciences: The study of human behavior and questions regarding the possibilities and the limitations of the human condition are essential parts of general education.

Each student must complete the specified number of hours or attain the desired level of achievement in the groups of courses outlined below. Note that the credit hours required in these groups vary somewhat between the B.A. and B.S. degrees. In planning the course of study during the first two years, a student should give precedence to courses that satisfy the general education requirements. Students must complete English 101 and 102 within the first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation.

Majors. Every degree candidate in the college must successfully complete a major program of study, approved by a major advisor, that meets the major requirements of the department or program. A general major consists of at least 24 hours of approved advanced study in the student's field of interest. An intensive major requires 36 to 48 hours of approved advanced study; no special notation will appear on the student’s transcript or diploma. The intensive major is often conceived specifically as preparation for professional or graduate study. A minimum grade of C is required for any course submitted for fulfillment of general or intensive major requirements. At least half of the major courses must be taken in residence in the College of Liberal Arts in order to apply to the degree.

Interdisciplinary Studies. The College of Liberal Arts offers the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies for students who want a program of interdisciplinary studies without a major in a single department or in a structured interdepartmental degree program (e.g., African American Studies). For details see the section entitled "Interdisciplinary Studies."

Second Major. In some degree programs, a student may elect a second major. Normally, second majors are possible only in degree programs with similar general requirements. The second major option is not available in all colleges.

The following specifications for a second major apply:

1. The student must meet admission and progression requirements for the second major.
2. The student must have received approval from both deans for a second major.
3. All requirements for the second major must be fulfilled.
4. All general education and special departmental requirements normally associated with the second major must be fulfilled.
5. In cases where the first major and the second major lead to different degrees, the student must designate one as the official degree of record.

A second major eliminates the cognate requirement; however, special departmental requirements normally completed as part of the cognate are not waived. Fulfillment of the requirements for a second major are indicated on the student's official transcript upon graduation. No notation for a second major is placed on the official transcript for course work completed after graduation.

For information on second degrees, see "Graduation" in the Academic Regulations chapter of this bulletin.

Cognates. In addition to satisfactorily completing all courses in the major field of study, a student must also satisfactorily complete a minimum of 12 hours in advanced courses related to the major, but outside the major, as prescribed by the major department.

The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. Cognate courses may be drawn from one or more departments, depending on the individual interests and requirements of the student as judged by the departmental advisor. A cognate differs from a minor in that the courses must be above prerequisite level and may be distributed over more than one subject area. All cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

Courses offered by departments and programs in the College of Liberal Arts which are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined below; for cognate course offerings in other departments or colleges, consult the appropriate section of this bulletin.

Aerospace Studies: all numbered 300 and above
African American Studies: all
Anthropology: all numbered 200 and above
Art: Art Studio, Art History, and Art Education; all numbered 200 and above, except ARTE 465
Classics: all numbered 300 and above
Comparative Literature: all numbered 300 and above
Criminology and Criminal Justice: all numbered 211 and above
Economics: all numbered 300 and above
English: all numbered 300 and above
Film Studies: all numbered 300 and above
Geography: all numbered 200 and above
History: all numbered 300 and above
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures: all numbered 300 and above, except 315
Latin American Studies: all
Linguistics: all numbered 300 and above
Media Arts: all numbered 200 and above
Military Science: all numbered 300 and above
Naval Science: all numbered 300 and above
Philosophy: all numbered 200 and above
Political Science: all numbered 300 and above
Psychology: all numbered 300 and above
Religious Studies: all numbered 300 and above
Sociology: all numbered 300 and above
Southern Studies: all numbered 300 and above
Speech: all numbered 200 and above
Theatre and Dance: all numbered 200 and above
Women's Studies: all numbered 300 and above

Minors. In place of the cognate a student in the College of Liberal Arts may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. The subject area of the minor may be related to the major.

The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the dean.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or better. At least half of the hours in the student's minor must be taken at the University.

Minors are available in participating departments of the College of Liberal Arts and in other colleges. For descriptions of specific minors, students should see their academic advisors and the College of Liberal Arts Web page.

Areas from Liberal Arts

Aerospace Studies; African Studies; African American Studies; Ancient Greek Literature; Anthropology; Art History; Art Studio; Asian Studies; Classical Studies; Comparative Literature; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Economics; English; Film Studies; French; Geography; German; History; Italian; Japanese; Latin; Latin American Studies; Linguistics; Media Arts; Medical Humanities; Military Science; Naval Science; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religious Studies; Renaissance Studies; Russian; Sociology; South Carolina Studies; Southern Studies; Spanish; Speech; Theatre and Dance; and Women's Studies.

Other Colleges and Departments

Computer Science and Engineering; Moore School of Business; Education (General, Early Childhood, and Secondary Education for French, Latin, and Spanish only); Environmental Studies; Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management; Journalism and Mass Communications; Music; Physical Education/Coaching; Science and Mathematics; Social Work; and S.C. Honors College (minor in inquiry).

Electives. The B.A. and B.S. degrees require the successful completion of at least 120 credit hours in academic subjects. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may be applied as credit toward a degree in the College of Liberal Arts. To encourage the student to select electives that will broaden the educational background and to strike out into areas that might otherwise be neglected, the College of Liberal Arts allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses.

Basic Degree Requirements in Liberal Arts

(120 total hours required)

(53-62 hours B.A.) (56-65 hours B.S.)

1. College Core¹

Writing (B.A.) (B.S.)
ENGL 101, 102 (6) (6) Must be passed with grade of C or higher

Foreign Languages
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required for all baccalaureate degrees.² (0-9) (0-9)

History
European: HIST 101 or 102 (3) (3)
American: HIST 111 or 112 (3) (3)
History other than American or European (3) (3)

Mathematics/Analytical Reasoning
MATH 122 or 141, plus an additional course from mathematics (at a higher level), PHIL 110, 111, statistics, computer science; or two courses from one of the following fields: PHIL 110, 111, statistics, computer science³ (6) (6)

Mathematics/Statistics
B.S. candidates only, mathematics and statistics as specified by the major department (-) (9)

Laboratory Sciences
Two laboratory courses selected from the following fields: astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, marine science, physics (8) (8)

Philosophical Reasoning
Course in philosophy, excluding 110, 111 (3) (3)

2. Distribution Requirements

Humanities⁴
Fine Arts (3) (3)
Literature (200 or higher) (3) (3)
Courses selected from African American Studies, English (282 or higher), fine arts, foreign languages and literatures, history, WOST 111, philosophy (except 110, 111, 511), religious studies (6) (3)

Social Sciences⁴
Courses selected from anthropology, economics, geography, government and international studies, WOST 112, psychology, sociology⁵ (9) (6)

3. Cultural Awareness and Writing Emphasis Requirements

Students must complete the specified number of courses in each of these areas, but may use these courses to satisfy other degree requirements except where specifically restricted.

Cultural Awareness⁶ (9) (9) hours
A minimum of three courses, with at least one course from each of the following:

1. a course treating in some specific way the culture of the student's foreign language
2. a course in North American studies (excluding HIST 111, 112)
3. a course in a culture other than American or Western European

Writing Emphasis* (6) (6) hours
Six hours of courses with substantial writing and revision components. These courses are designated by a W suffix. W courses may be used to satisfy other requirements with the exception of freshman English.

4. Major Requirements⁷ (24-60) (24-60) hours

One of the following options (at least half of the major courses must be taken in residence at the College of Liberal Arts in order to apply to the degree):
General major (24-30) (24-30)
Intensive major (36-48) (36-48)
Double major (48-60) (48-60)

5. Cognate or Minor (12-18) (12-18) hours

6. Electives

¹Students are encouraged to demonstrate the level of accomplishment represented by core courses by means of advanced examinations. See the section on advanced placement in the "Admissions" section.
²It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
³CSCE 101 and 102 or any other sequence of computer science courses involving substantial problem-solving components may be applied. Note that MATH 100, 101, 102 may not be applied in any way toward degrees in the College of Liberal Arts.
⁴Major prerequisites may be used for no more than three hours of this requirement.
⁵At least two fields must be represented for the B.A.; only one field need be represented for the B.S.
⁶A wide variety of courses can be considered under the general category of "Cultural Awareness." Students are directed to consult the Guidelines for Advisement and their major advisors for specific courses.
⁷See individual departmental listings for further details.
*The W course requirement is not currently in effect; to be implemented with final approval of the dean.

Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art are outlined in the departmental section for art, for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education in the departmental section for art, and for the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in the "Interdisciplinary Studies" section.

Advising

Students who wish to pursue a degree program in the College of Liberal Arts must be admitted to the college and advised within the college. Freshmen are normally advised by the college's advisors in the Office of the Dean. Upon the completion of the first 30 hours, students are sent to the major department where they are assigned a major program advisor who is responsible for planning and approving the program of study. Students must see their academic advisors at least once each semester for assistance in planning their academic program. No student will be allowed to complete the registration process without an advisement form approved by an assigned faculty advisor.

Each student must arrange for a senior records check in the dean's office during the next to last semester before graduation. Any deficiencies in general education, major, minor, or cognate requirements will be noted. This information should form the basis for the student's final academic advising.

It is the responsibility of each student to understand and complete all requirements for the degree. Each student should obtain a copy of the Guidelines for Advising from the dean's office. The student's major department and major advisor are responsible for interpreting and applying major, minor, and cognate requirements. When special problems arise, the student may consult Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office of the college.

Career Development

The Career Development Program in the College of Liberal Arts aims to complement academic advising by assisting liberal arts students in clarifying career directions. Students are encouraged to begin the process of career planning as early as possible, normally in the freshman year. Career counselors are available in the University Career Center to assist students in gaining an understanding of the student's own interests, values, abilities, and personality, the nature of a liberal arts education and the related marketable skills, and the numerous career opportunities available for liberal arts students. The University Career Center provides individual career counseling, testing, workshops, networking and job shadowing opportunities, job search seminars, and a career planning library. In addition, students are encouraged to complement their academic studies with career-related work experience such as internships, cooperative education, part-time work experience, or volunteer work. The University Career Center provides advisors with career resource listings to assist them in referring students to the center.

Right of Petition

A student may seek relief from academic standards and regulations by appealing to the Scholastic Standards and Petitions Committee of the College of Liberal Arts. Information on procedures may be obtained from the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office of the college.

Special Opportunities

The college endorses the use of departmental independent study courses to further students' intellectual pursuits in alternative ways. Before students may register for an independent study course, they must present a completed independent study contract which has been approved by the instructor selected for the independent study project, the major advisor, and the dean. No student may apply more than 15 hours of independent study credits toward the degree. Unless approved as a part of the major, minor, or cognate, independent study courses will be graded only on a Pass-Fail basis. A grade point average of 2.50 or greater is required to enroll in independent study courses.

The college operates a cooperative computer assistance program through its Computing and Information Technology Center and encourages students to use its facilities.

Minor in Medical Humanities

George Khushf, Director

This minor is designed primarily for students intending to go into medicine. It will provide an understanding of the ethical issues as well as a selective examination of sociocultural, legal, economic, and political factors that condition medical knowledge and practice. The minor will also be valuable for students interested in health law or other areas directly related to the health professions.

Application. Students must complete an application and qualify for the medical humanities minor. Applications can be submitted any time after the freshman year (30 credit hours completed). Normally, students will be expected to have at least a 3.30 grade point average. Applications will be evaluated by a Medical Humanities Education Committee, and they will be judged on overall academic merit. Application forms can be obtained from the Department of Philosophy, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the Honors College.

Opportunity to Participate in Honors College Courses. Several courses in the medical humanities minor will be offered as honors courses. Students minoring in medical humanities will be able to take these courses, and they will have priority in registration, even over Honors College students who are not minoring in medical humanities. This will provide students outside of the Honors College with the opportunity to do extensive course work in the Honors College.

Requirements. Eighteen credit hours are required to satisfy the minor. There is one required course (3 credit hours). Three additional courses (9 credit hours) must be chosen from offerings in Group A. Remaining courses (6 credit hours) can be chosen from either Group A or Group B. Additional honors proseminars in the medical humanities may satisfy minor requirements in either Group A or B, provided the course substitutions are approved by the Medical Humanities Education Committee.

Required Courses

PHIL 312 Medical Ethics

Group A. Choose at least three of the following courses:
ANTH 551 {=HPRE 551} Medical Anthropology: Fieldwork
ANTH 552 {=HPRE 552} Medical Anthropology
ANTH 565 Health and Disease in the Past
ANTH 568 Nutritional Anthropology
ECON 531 Health Economics
POLI 374 Public Policy
HIST 451 The History of American Medicine
HIST 452 The History of Science in America
PHIL 211 Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 315 History and Philosophy of Science
PHIL 317 Ethics of Science and Technology
PHIL 512 Philosophy of Science (Prereq: 3 hours in philosophy beyond the 100 level or consent of instructor)
PHIL 514 Recent Ethical Theory (Prereq: PHIL 312 or consent of instructor)
PHIL 550 Health Care Ethics (Prereq: 3 hours in philosophy beyond the 100 level or consent of instructor)
PSYC 410 Survey of Abnormal Psychology (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130)
PSYC 465 Health Psychology (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130)
SCCC 430K Behavioral Medicine
SCCC 457F Literature and AIDS
SOCY 313 Sociology of Aging (Prereq: SOCY 101)
SOCY 322 Sociology of Suicide (Prereq: SOCY 101)
SOCY 341 Sociology of Death and Dying (Prereq: SOCY 101)
SOCY 360 Sociology of Medicine and Health (Prereq: SOCY 101)
SOCY 460 Sociology of Mental Health (Prereq: SOCY 101)
WOST 113 Women and Their Bodies in Health and Disease
WOST 541 {=NURS 541} Issues in Women's Health

Group B: One or two courses may be selected from the following:
ANTH 364 Human Variation
ANTH 557 Psychological Anthropology
CLAS 230 Medical and Scientific Terminology
PHRM 446 Pharmaceutical Law (Prereq: second semester standing)
CRJU 543 Criminal Justice and Mental Health
FINA 341 Management of Risk and Insurance
NURS 302 Community as Client
NURS 403 Policies and Politics
SOWK 302 Foundations of Social Welfare

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Special College Courses (COLA)

• 298 -- Topics in the Liberal Arts. (3) Reading and research on selected interdisciplinary topics in the liberal arts. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title.
  
• 398 -- Interdisciplinary Seminar in the Liberal Arts. (3) Advanced reading and research on selected interdisciplinary topics in the liberal arts. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title. Open only to juniors and seniors with consent of instructor.
  
• 500 -- Selected Topics in Civilization and Culture. (3)