College of Arts and Sciences

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Faculty and Staff

Directors

Graduate Program Directors

Philosophy

The diverse programs in the College of Arts and Sciences enable students to interpret, evaluate, and alter their world by fostering an awareness of the laws of nature, along with the social, linguistic, and artistic media through which humanity inscribes its image on the world. Such programs develop a spirit of tolerance and rigorous intellectual honesty that helps students shape their destiny in a free society.

Mission

The College provides both the environment and the resources through which students develop the intellectual discipline needed for graduate school, professional school, or careers in many professions. Students develop skills in communication and critical thinking necessary to analyze the natural world and society’s interaction with that world, and to address both scientific and social issues in the objective and humane manner required by a democratic society.

General Information

Responsibilities of Students

Students are responsible for knowing degree requirements, for enrolling in courses that fit into the degree program, and for taking courses in the proper sequence to ensure the orderly progression of work. Students are also responsible for consulting with their advisors every semester.

Pass/No Credit Option

Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences who have achieved junior standing and have an overall average of 2.0 on all work taken at LSUS may take one course each semester on a pass/no credit basis, with work of C quality or better required for a grade of P. Credits earned in this manner may not exceed a total of 12 hours and all courses so taken must be electives within the degree program. Credits earned on a pass/no credit basis will count toward the total number of hours required for a degree but will not affect grade point average.

Students who wish to schedule a course on the pass/no credit basis must file an application form in the Dean’s office by the final date for adding courses for credit of the semester in which the course is taken. Once enrolled in a course on the pass/no credit basis, students may not change to another grading system. Detailed information may be obtained in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Additional Requirements for all Bachelor of Arts Programs: Given our interest in the Humanities, we require additional coursework in the Humanities/Fine Arts disciplines. Specifically, students pursuing the BA degree must take a Philosophy course, a second sophomore Literature course, an additional Fine Arts course, and two additional History courses. Finally, we require three courses in one Foreign Language: 101, 102, and 201.

Other Requirements: To be granted the Bachelor of Arts¹ degree by the College of Arts and Sciences, students must have successfully completed:

1. All general degree requirements of the University, of the College, and of the major.
2. ENGL 115  with a grade of C or better.
3. A minimum of 30 hours in courses numbered 300 or above.
4. A minimum of nine hours in residence courses above 300 in the subject of concentration².
5. The assessment procedures of their major.

¹A maximum of 12 hours of Military Science may be applied toward the degree; no more than four from the Basic Course.

²Transfer students must take at least 12 hours in residence in the subject of concentration, with a minimum of nine in courses numbered 300 or above.

Other Offerings

American Studies Program

The American Studies Program encourages innovative teaching and creative exploration of topics in the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts related to the general field of the American heritage. A sound knowledge of the history, culture, and values of the American experience is necessary for a sound civic education, and this privately endowed program attempts to meet this need for the students of LSUS and the citizens of northwest Louisiana.

The program sponsors forums, seminars, and fellowships on the LSUS campus, as well as travel and internship experiences that allow students to study each year in Washington, DC. In cooperation with Continuing Education and Public Service, the College of Arts and Sciences enables interested undergraduate students to develop a sequence of courses in American Studies.

Further information on the American Studies Program is available from the College of Arts and Sciences or from the Director of the American Studies Program.

Pre-Law Studies

Students interested in the legal profession should carefully select a degree program as soon as possible, preferably during their freshman year. They should keep abreast of all qualitative standards for admission to law schools and be aware that a BA degree is a minimum condition for admission to most law schools. Since lawyers must read, write, and speak effectively, and since words are the basic tools of the profession, students should select courses that emphasize the English language, human institutions and values, and the ability to think creatively, analytically, and logically. Although not required, French is recommended for those planning legal careers in Louisiana. The prelaw advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences can provide information concerning this program, the Law School Admission Test, and other matters concerning students interested in the legal profession.

Summer Programs Abroad

The College of Arts and Sciences cooperates with the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service in offering occasional summer programs abroad.

Students may earn six hours of academic credit through participation in lectures and tutorials presented while visiting Continental Europe and England. Credit courses are offered for undergraduate and graduate students; noncredit courses, for members of the community. Further information is available in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service.

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