College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Tom Christensen, Dean
Columbine Hall, Room 2025
Telephone: (719) 262-4550
Fax: (719) 262-4200
web.uccs.edu/lasdean/

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at UCCS, established in 1972, is a community of teaching scholars whose mission is to advance an understanding of the human condition and the natural world and communicate this understanding to the people of Colorado and the world at large.

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences provides breadth of instruction for all students of the UCCS campus, including those in professional schools and colleges. This breadth exposes all students to the challenge, excitement and demands of clear self-expression, analysis, reasoning, comparison, experimentation, and awareness of alternative perspectives. The College also provides depth in specific academic disciplines for majors within the college. This specialization is important not only for skills, perspectives, and knowledge gained, but also as the key to success in subsequent education and careers.

The College offers Bachelor’s degrees in a full range of traditional liberal arts majors and minors, selected Master’s graduate programs, and a PhD in psychology. LAS also offers pre-professional programs, a certificate program in gerontology, and cooperative degree options (with the College of Education) for students seeking licensure in elementary teaching, secondary teaching or special education.

Mission

It is the mission of the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences to:

• Provide collaborative programs that enrich the community
• Promote the creation of a vibrant and creative cultural life
• Strengthen and sustain a productive and responsible economic sector
• Facilitate the solution of community and regional problems
• Increase the safety, health and welfare of individuals and groups
• Advance an understanding of the human condition and the natural world
• Sustain scientific and technological innovation
• Enhance the understanding and practice of civic duty and responsibility

Vision

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences affirms and accepts the ideal purposes and traditional goals of all great universities: the creation, interpretation, dissemination and application of knowledge. The College strives to maintain these goals while formulating and forging innovative and creative programs.

Advising

The Student Success Center will provide students with information on college requirements, course selections, study options, summary sheets of major requirements, and senior audit. Students can walk in or make an appointment at Main Hall, second floor, or by calling (719) 262-3260

Individual Department Chairs & Departmental Faculty are responsible for advising students on the requirements for their majors. Contact information is provided within each department information.

 The programs at the academic level that are available for completion through the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs are listed on the Programs of Study  table.

Preprofessional Programs

Preprofessional programs of two to four years which may be completed at UCCS are Pre-Dental Hygiene, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Education, Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Nursing, Pre- Pharmacy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Veterinary. For more information see page 182. Preprofessional programs are a group of courses which meet specified professional school requirements, but by themselves do not meet degree requirements for a major.

Extended Studies

The Extended Studies Program for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (LAS/ES) provides a variety of accessible educational opportunities in traditional and nontraditional formats with a focus on career preparation and advancement, enhancement of personal knowledge and experience, and the acquisition of additional university credit or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for licensure and certification purposes. Most LAS/ES credit classes are transferable to UCCS degree programs.

LAS/ES serves as an educational outreach arm to the community, with on-campus credit courses, professional test preparation courses (including LSAT and GRE), video and cable credit courses, online credit courses, certificate programs and individualized study programs. Students benefit from outstanding instruction and the experience of participating in a university environment, whatever their educational background or experience.

LAS/ES is a self-funded program and part of the Colorado Statewide Extended Campus. Contact by phone at (719) 262-4071 or by e-mail at lases@uccs.edu. Additional program information and a list of current courses may be found at http://www.uccs.edu/~lases/.

LAS Special Study Programs

Freshman Seminar

Freshman Seminar (I D 101) at UCCS helps prepare entering students for an exciting and successful college experience. I D 101 is an innovative, three credit, multidisciplinary course that helps students succeed in college by refining their speaking, writing, and technology skills; building relationships with faculty and other students; and integrating into academic life. Students choose one of the compelling course topics in ID 101, including such courses as “The Mating Game,” “Trial and Error,” “Driven,” “Food for Thought,” “Unreality,” “Circle of Life,” “Crime a nd Punishment,” “Be Your Own Boss,” “Head of the Class,” and “Colorado Living.” (Topics may rotate.) All entering freshmen are encouraged to enroll in Freshman Seminar. For more information, please call Dr. Constance Staley, Freshman Seminar Program Director, at (719) 262-4123; Nina Ellis, Assistant Director of Freshman Seminar at (719) 262-4222; or the Student Success Center at (719) 262-3260.

Academic Fitness

ID 111 is a one-credit course to help students refine their academic skills. Students will meet with an academic coach on a weekly basis to discuss practical topics that apply to academic success in all their courses: goal-setting, learning styles, time management, note-taking, reading and study skills, test-taking, speaking and writing, and wellness.

Study Abroad Programs

Opportunities for study abroad are offered for selected students in the college, usually in formal programs in foreign universities under the direction of faculty members from this university or institutions cooperating with the University of Colorado. Normally, these programs accept students for the junior year. They carry full credit toward graduation from the University of Colorado. Inquiries may be addressed to the university’s Language Technology Center on the second floor of Dwire.

 Center for Colorado Policy Studies

The Center for Colorado Policy Studies, founded in 1999, addresses issues such as:

• How can economic development strategies be restructured to be more cost effective and to create more broadly based benefits?
• Is population growth paying for itself in Colorado? What groups does it benefit?
• Does tax policy affect our ability to practice “smart growth”?
• How can indicators be used by communities to measure quality of life and sustainability?
• Do Colorado children receive equal funding in their schools?
• How do schools fit into urban redevelopment and revitalization plans?
• Are there better ways to deal with our local water shortage than our current plans?
• How do TABOR and other aspects of Colorado tax policy affect revenues and services?

Publications on these and other questions are available at http://web.uccs.edu/ccps. The Center also sponsors public talks and meetings including the Colorado’s Future conferences. For notification of future conferences, other community meetings and publications, contact Professor Daphne Greenwood in Dwire Hall, Room 255, at (719) 262-4031, or dgreenwo@uccs.edu.

Center for Economic Education

This Center, established in 1978, is sponsored by and affiliated with the National Council on Economic Education (New York City) and the statewide Colorado Council on Economic Education (Denver). The Center engages in programs and activities designed to raise the general level of economic understanding, with special emphasis given to K-12 school teachers and school districts in Colorado, including international economics study tour travel opportunities for teachers. The Center also conducts additional economic education programs that involve the community. The National Council on Economic Education is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization incorporated in 1949 to encourage, improve, coordinate and service the economic education efforts in the United States and many other countries around the world. There are approximately 47 state councils and 250 Centers for Economic Education in the U.S. The Center is located in Dwire Hall, Room 259. For more information, contact (719) 262-4033 or jbrock@uccs.edu

Center for the Study of Government and the Individual

The Center for the Study of Government and the Individual was established in 2000. Its purpose is two-fold:

• To provide a vehicle for the candid, open, diverse and multi-faceted exploration of all the issues in this topic area in all of their dimensions
• To stimulate the confrontation of perspectives in regard to the role of government in American social and economic systems

The general public and any of the faculty and students of the schools and colleges at UCCS interested in research and teaching activities related to government and the individual may participate in its activities. Dr. James A. Null is the Executive Director and is administratively responsible for the oversight of the Center. Among its activities are the following:

• Public Forums: designed to bring the academic and public community together
• Seminars: by specialists in the subject areas
• Publications: of the proceedings of public forums, papers, books
• Research: funded to provide in-depth analysis of Center’s areas of interest
• Faculty Fellows: participate in the Center Roundtable, act as editors for publications, serve as mentors to students and take on special roles in the Center’s program development
• Funded development courses: focused on the role of government and the individual
• Student Fellows: attached to the Center who will receive scholarships; will be in a field relevant to the topic of the Center; and will work with faculty mentor and participate in Center activities
• Student Interns: work with faculty mentors on projects in the community directly related to the Center

The Matrix: Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion

The mission of the Matrix Center is to foster an intellectual climate that supports inclusion and collaboration among faculty, students, and the community.

The Matrix advances research, curriculum, and faculty development by examining the intersections of privilege and oppression and the dynamics of oppression and privilege in the United States and around the globe. Our central focus is on the relationships among gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality as they interact with each other and with other dimensions of inequality. Our aim is to promote solutions to inequality.

The Matrix collaborates with the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program to prepare students to enter a diverse society and workplace. Diversity is central to the mission of the University of Colorado system and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

The Matrix Center affirms the importance of understanding our diverse experiences, traditions, and heritages. The Matrix Center is the home of the Annual White Privilege Conference, an award-winning national diversity conference which is hosted in a different location each year.

The Matrix Center sponsors curricular transformation projects across the campus, including the Knapsack Institute: Transforming the Curriculum. The Institute supports faculty at UCCS as well as across the nation as they create or revise courses to integrate subject matter pertaining to race/ethnicity, gender, and social inequality. The Center also promotes the development of a more inclusive pedagogy by offering brownbag workshops for faculty throughout the school year. The Center sponsors a range of extra-curricular programming, including workshops, a film series, visiting speakers, and the Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez Student Scholarship Competitions. The Center encourages community outreach, programming, and communication through its community Advisory Board.

The Matrix Director is Abby Ferber.

Gallery of Contemporary Art

The Gallery of Contemporary Art, located in the Science Building on the campus of UCCS, was created in 1981 as a service to the university and the Pikes Peak region. The mission of the Gallery of Contemporary Art is to provide significant art exhibitions and related programs to the university community and state populace. Gallery exhibitions and programs are offered both as a community service and as a resource to university classes.

The Gallery displays approximately five exhibitions a year that contain works by artists of regional, national and international reputation. Gallery programming includes lectures, workshops, films, and tours for both children and adults. The gallery is also available on a rental basis for community and campus events.

A nonprofit organization, the Gallery receives its funding through the university, memberships, corporate and private donations, and state and federal grants. Volunteers and students participate in gallery activities as gallery assistants, docents and as members of the Gallery of Contemporary Art Advisory Council.

For further information contact the Gallery: UCCS, P.O. Box 7150, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150; (719) 262-3567.

Gerontology Center

Older adults comprise a growing segment of the population, and estimates are that the percentage of older adults will rise to 18 to 20 percent by the year 2020. Increasing national awareness of this trend is changing the scope of social planning and policy-making. Despite the public’s increased awareness of the aging of our population, much myth and mystery still surround the aging process. The Gerontology Center (formerly Center on Aging) has a three-fold purpose:

• To foster research in gerontology and about the aging process
• To provide students an opportunity to study the processes of aging and the problems of the aged
• To be a community resource for dealing with social policy issues and programs for the aged.

Students may earn a minor or certificate in gerontology, or take courses as a way of understanding both their own future and that of an aging society. The study of Gerontology is also a way of preparing for careers in working for or with the elderly. Students gain an understanding about aging as a process, about problems of the elderly, and about ways to address these problems in meaningful and effective ways. Studies include classroom-based instruction in a variety of academic disciplines and work in the field with the elderly.

Many students are taking advantage of learning and research opportunities offered by Palisades at Broadmoor Park, a retirement residential community. Students from many majors are participating onsite. For more information see the Web site (www.palisadesatbroadmoorpark.com) and contact the Gerontology Center.

Students will become informed about the network of social agencies providing services to older persons and will also become familiar with basic research in the field of aging. Continuing education offerings are also available through the Gerontology Center, including the Professional Advancement Certificate in Gerontology and the annual National Clinical Geropsychology conference. The Center is located in Columbine Hall, Room 4028. Contact (719) 262-4179 or geron@uccs.edu. See Web site at http://web. uccs.edu/geron/ for more information.

The Heller Center for Arts & Humanities

The Heller Center for Arts & Humanities was founded in 2003, at the bequest of Mrs. Dorothy Heller, as an interdisciplinary center combining educational, research, and creative activities in the fields of arts and humanities. As a place where artists gathered for weekend retreats throughout the nineteen thirties, forties, and fifties, the Center preserves and extends an important part of the rich cultural heritage of Colorado Springs.

The Heller Center will, upon renovation, provide an opportunity for the university to host events for members of the community at a spectacular and peaceful location three minutes from the main campus. The ranch itself is located on 34 beautifully secluded acres surrounded by an additional 900 acres of open space, providing an open-air studio for photography, painting, and other creative endeavors, as well as an outdoor laboratory for environmental studies. The Heller Center’s facilities—including the main house, guest house, greenhouse, studios, workshops, and a foundry— will provide spaces for working artists, small meetings, classes, exhibitions and performances. The extensive hiking and biking trails provide outstanding recreational opportunities with unsurpassed views of the Pikes Peak region.

Given the nature of the facility and its historical importance, the Heller Center offers a unique venue for programs that engage significant constituencies of the Pikes Peak region. The Center also provides an opportunity to combine arts and humanities programming with UCCS areas of expertise in gero-psychology, bioenergetics, geographic information systems, and the health professions in community outreach programs. The Heller Center is operated as a self-sustaining enterprise. For further information, contact Perrin Cunningham, Director, Heller Center for Arts & Humanities, (719) 330-3463 or at pcunning@uccs.edu.

THEATREWORKS

THEATREWORKS is the region’s leading professional theatre. Founded in 1975, it has produced more than 200 different plays over the last 30 years, winning a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1994. Theatreworks normally produces 6-8 productions each year, including the nationally-recognized summer Shakespeare festival.

THEATREWORKS productions are often directly linked to the university curriculum, and students may attend productions at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater free of charge. In addition, university students regularly participate in THEATREWORKS productions either backstage or in the cast and have the opportunity to work with national guest artists.

THEATREWORKS works directly with the academic theatre program by providing artistic and technical support and frequently mounts co-productions either in the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant or the new Osborne Studio. For further information, visit www.uccs.theatreworksCS.org or e-mail THEATREWORKS at theatreworks@uccstheatreworks.org.
 

 Academic Advising

Students are expected to assume responsibility for planning their academic programs in accordance with college rules, policies and major requirements. Advisors in the Student Success Center can answer questions about college policies and graduation requirements, and will assist students in course selection. Students expecting to graduate within one or two semesters should schedule a senior advising appointment by calling (719) 262-3260 or by going to the Student Success Center. Although the advisors provide summary sheets of major requirements, it is the faculty who are responsible for major advising. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange such faculty consultation for questions involving major requirements and graduate school applications. Students should schedule appointments to discuss their questions well in advance of registration.

Academic Progress

Grading Policies

Students should familiarize themselves with the General Information section of this Bulletin, as well as with the introductory pages of each semester’s official Schedule of Courses, for information about the university grading system, and current procedures for registering on a pass/fail basis, for dropping and adding classes, and for withdrawing from the university.

Pass/Fail Option

Students in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences may not use the pass/fail option for courses taken to fulfill the area requirements, the composition requirement, the quantitative and qualitative reasoning requirement, or the major requirements. Students may take up to 15 hours of elective credit on a pass/fail basis. Transfer students may take one hour of pass/fail credit for every eight hours of credit attempted at the University of Colorado. For full-time students, maximum pass/fail hours per semester are as follows:

• Fall—6 credit hours
• Spring—6 credit hours
• Summer—3 credit hours

For part-time students, no more than 50 percent of total credit hours may be taken pass/fail in a given semester. If only one course is taken in a semester, it may be taken pass/fail. The P grade is not included in the student’s grade point average; the F grade is included. A pass/fail designation may not be reversed. For further information concerning the pass/fail option, see the General Information section of this Bulletin.

Repetition of Course

When a student takes a credit course more than once, all grades are used in determining the grade point average. However, if a student has passed the same course more than one time, the College will count that course only once when calculating the student’s credit hours earned toward graduation. The only exception to this rule will be in cases where a course is designated in this Bulletin as “may be repeated for credit.”

Latin Honors

In order to graduate with Latin honors, a student must complete a minimum of 45 semester hours on the Colorado Springs campus and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 for cum laude; 3.7 for magna cum laude; 3.9 for summa cum laude. ALL post-secondary work (including transfer work) is included in this cumulative grade point average.

President’s and Dean’s List Criteria

• The criteria for the president’s and dean’s lists are as follows:
• President’s list: 4.0 grade point average.
• Dean’s list: 3.75- 3.99 grade point average.
• Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 graded hours during a regular semester (fall or spring).

The dean notifies awarded students by letter.

Statement of Academic Standards—Undergraduate

Students are held to basic standards of performance established for their classes with respect to attendance, active participation in course work, promptness in completion of assignments, correct English usage both in writing and in speaking, accuracy in calculation, and general quality of scholastic workmanship. In general, examinations are required in all courses and for all students including seniors. To be in academic good standing, students must have a cumulative CU grade point average of not less than 2.0 (C=2.0) for all course work attempted. This applies to work taken at all University of Colorado campuses.

Academic Probation

Students who have attempted at least 12 hours at UCCS and whose University of Colorado cumulative grade point averages fall below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. While on probation, students will be required to achieve a minimum acceptable grade point average each term (determined by the individual academic record) or be subject to academic suspension. Students placed on probation will be informed in writing concerning their academic status and the conditions of continued attendance. A more comprehensive statement on the academic probation policy is available in the Student Success Center in Main Hall.

Academic Suspension

The normal suspension period in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences is one academic year, excluding the summer semester. Students suspended for the first time will be reinstated after the normal suspension period has been served, upon reapplying for admission to the university. Students suspended for the first time may be reinstated before the end of the normal suspension period by the following measures:

• Achieving a 2.5 grade point average on all summer, extended studies, or correspondence work attempted at the University of Colorado since suspension. Six hours minimum must be completed.
• Raising the cumulative University of Colorado grade point average to at least 2.0 by completing summer, correspondence, or extended studies course work at the University of Colorado.
• Achieving a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 by attending another institution. The cumulative grade point average in this instance is the grade point average at the University of Colorado combined with course work taken at all other institutions.
• Successfully appealing the suspension in writing to the dean.
• Being recommended for reinstatement by the coordinator of academic probation and suspension for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences in the Student Success Center, Main Hall.

Students eligible for reinstatement before serving the normal suspension period must notify the Student Success Center. Reinstated students absent for either fall or spring semesters or who complete 12 or more hours at another institution must reapply for admission to the university. Students suspended for the first time will be reinstated on probation and will be informed in writing of their academic status and the conditions of continued attendance. Students not meeting conditions of continued attendance will again be subject to academic suspension. Reinstatement after a second suspension requires approval of the dean of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Requests for reinstatement must be made in writing. A more comprehensive statement on the academic suspension policy is available in the Student Success Center, Main Hall.

Committee on Academic Progress

The Committee on Academic Progress (CAP) is a review board that handles student petitions for exceptions to the academic policies and requirements of the College. The committee is made up of faculty of the college and makes recommendations to the dean. The committee evaluates, for example, petitions for exceptions to the residency requirement, acceptance of more than the maximum number of major hours, and substitution of courses fulfilling the area requirement. It also considers certain requests for reinstatement from suspension and matters of academic honesty. Petition forms may be obtained from the Student Success Center in Main Hall.

Course Credit

Correspondence Study and the Division of Extended Studies

A maximum of 30 semester hours may be taken through the Colorado Consortium for Independent Study via correspondence. Those courses indicated as CU-Boulder and UC Denver carry resident credit. No more than nine semester hours of regular course work may be taken from the Division of Extended Studies and applied towards the degree. ENGL 099 (formerly ENGL 121) and courses numbered below 100 will not count towards the required 120 hours for graduation, nor will they count in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences grade point average.

Electives from the UCCS Professional Colleges

Students may apply a maximum of 30 credits toward the Bachelor’s degree from course work taken outside the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Course work taken from the professional colleges at UCCS and transfer course work labeled “non-LAS electives” will be included in the 30 hour maximum.

Independent Study

Students who have completed a considerable portion of their undergraduate studies with distinction may register for independent study with the approval of the appropriate department. The amount of credit to be given for an independent study project shall be arranged with the instructor. Not more than eight hours of independent study may be credited toward the major, and not more than 16 hours toward the bachelor’s degree. No student may register for more than eight hours of independent study in any one term (summer, fall, or spring).

Military Science/ROTC Credit

Students may apply a maximum of 21 semester hours of ROTC credit toward elective requirements and toward the 120 semester hour total degree requirements for the BA degree in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.

Special Sources of Credit

For Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and International Baccalaureate (IB), see the General Information section of this Bulletin for placement score requirements, course equivalencies and credit hour values. See an academic advisor for information on how these exams might apply to a major.

Course Load

The minimum full-time course load is 12 hours. The normal maximum is 18 hours. If a student wishes to take more than 18 hours per semester, special permission must be obtained from the dean of the college, through the Student Success Center. These totals include all courses taken for credit at any of the university’s three campuses, but do not include correspondence courses, noncredit courses, or courses taken at other institutions To receive credit, the student must be officially registered for each course. Students who hold or expect to hold full or part-time employment while enrolled in the college must register for course loads they can expect to complete without unusual difficulty. Recommended course loads are given below, but students must weigh their own abilities and assess the demands of each course in determining an appropriate schedule.

 Course Numbering

Course numbers are an approximate reflection of academic level. Freshman courses are indicated as 100-199, sophomore courses as 200-299, etc. Students are strongly urged to consult with the department prior to registration before signing up for any upper-division course (300 or 400 level) in a field in which they have not had lower-division (100 or 200 level) preparation.

Graduation Requirements

Senior Audit

Early in the first semester of the senior year or, preferably, toward the end of the junior year, each student must schedule a senior audit with the academic advisors or the college to determine status with respect to the curricular requirements.

Diploma Card

No fewer than 90 days prior to the date of commencement, seniors are required to file a diploma card with the academic advisors in the Student Success Center that gives notice of intention to complete graduation requirements. Failure to complete the diploma card in time may delay a student’s graduation.

Residency Requirements

A candidate for a degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences must earn the last 30 hours in residence in the College. During these 30 hours, the student must be registered in Letters, Arts and Sciences. All 30 hours must be taken on the Colorado Springs campus. Students wishing to attend another university or college simultaneously with UCCS during the last 30 hours must have prior approval of the dean of Letters, Arts and Sciences in order to count these transfer hours as part of the last 30 hours.

Candidates for regular admission to the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences are expected to meet the general requirements for admission to the university as described in the General Information section. The Bulletin that governs a student’s graduation requirements is the one in effect at the time of a student’s most recent admission into the college of the student’s degree program.

Freshmen

Test Scores

Freshmen must rank in the upper 40 percent of their high school graduating class, must have 15 units of acceptable high school work (referred to as the Minimum Academic Preparation Standards, or MAPS), and have the following minimum test scores: American College Test (ACT) 24 or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) 1,080

High School Course Work

Freshman applicants for admission will normally be required to present the following high school units:

Acceptable high school courses in each academic field are as follows:

English: courses in the history and appreciation of literature, composition (including all composition given as part of a basic English course), grammar, speech, and journalism are acceptable as English units.
Mathematics: courses in algebra, plane and solid geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, calculus, and other courses designed for college preparation and emphasizing basic concepts and principles of deductive reasoning are acceptable as mathematical units. Courses designed for other purposes (e.g., consumer mathematics, business mathematics, many courses entitled general mathematics) are not acceptable as mathematics units.
Natural Science: courses in physics, chemistry, biology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, general science, astronomy and geology are acceptable as natural science units.
Social Science: courses in American government, civics, economics, general sociology, geography, history, problems of democracy, psychology, social science and social problems are acceptable units.

Students seeking admission who do not meet the normal admission requirements may receive consideration for admission by the dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Inquiries concerning such admissions should be made to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Community/Junior College Transfer Students

Effective for students who enter UCCS from the fall 2003 semester forward, Colorado public four-year higher education institutions will honor the transfer of an associate of science (AS) degree and the associate of arts (AA) degree earned at a Colorado community college. A student who earns an AA or AS degree at a Colorado public community college, with a C or better in each course, and completes the state guaranteed general education courses will transfer with junior standing into any arts and sciences degree program offered by a Colorado public four-year college.

The credits earned in the associate degree program will apply at minimum to 35 credit hours of lower division general education and 25 credit hours elective credit graduation requirements. This two-plus-two agreement ensures that the transfer student will be able to complete a baccalaureate degree in no more than 60 additional credit hours unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

Students who have not completed an AS or AA degree, or students who transfer from outside of Colorado, will have their transfer work evaluated on a course-by-course basis.

Transfer students from two-year institutions must also meet additional graduation requirements, such as English and reasoning skills competency testing.

Transfer and Former Students

Students who have attended another college or university are expected to meet the general requirements for admission of transfer students to the University of Colorado, as detailed in the General Information section of this Bulletin.

A grade of C- or better is required in any course for which credit may be granted in transfer from another institution to the university. However, grades received at another institution will not be used in computing the student’s grade point average at the University of Colorado, except for the averaging of all college work attempted by the time of graduation for possible special recognition, such as graduation with distinction and Latin honors.

Transfer students who graduated from high school in 1988 and later are subject to the Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS) previously described. Transfer course work will be applied to meet MAPS deficiencies as outlined in the college policy and in accordance with existing transfer agreements.

Former UCCS students who have attended another college or university where they have completed 12 or more semester hours must reapply as transfer students and must present a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all college work attempted to be eligible for readmission. Once readmitted, these students must fulfill the college requirements that are in effect at the time of readmission. This policy also applies to students in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences who transfer into another college on the UCCS campus and then transfer back into LAS to complete their undergraduate degrees.

A maximum of 72 semester hours taken at community/ junior colleges and/or a maximum of 90 semester hours taken at four-year institutions may be applied toward the baccalaureate degree in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.

Students should consult the General Information section of this Bulletin for the guidelines according to which transfer credits are evaluated. Because the initial evaluation of transfer credits is completed by the Office of Admissions, transfer students are encouraged to apply early and to have their transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible. Academic advisors will not be able to assess transfer credit applicability to graduation requirements until the admissions evaluation is complete.

Students receive a completed evaluation of their transfer work when they attend the mandatory orientation session, prior to their first registration.

Unclassified Students

Students admitted to the university in Unclassified Student status may enroll in courses offered by the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Application for this status should be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records.

A student may change from unclassified to degree status and apply appropriate course work taken as an unclassified student toward a degree. A maximum of 12 semester hours completed as an unclassified student may apply toward a degree in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.

No student may change from degree status to unclassified status. Students possessing a Bachelor’s degree who wish to register for classes are designated as unclassified students unless they have been accepted in the College for a second Bachelor’s degree or have been admitted to a graduate program.

Click here to view the General Education Requirements (LAS) 

Major Requirements for LAS Students

Specific requirements for the major are detailed within each departmental program description that follows in this Bulletin. While some departments may require more, all LAS major requirements will include at least these minimum standards:

• A total of 30-54 hours in major courses
• A total of 30 hours of C grade or better in major courses
•  A 2.0 grade point average in all required major courses
• A minimum of 16 hours of upper-division major courses

Not more than 54 hours in one discipline and not more than 30 hours outside the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences may be counted toward graduation requirements.

Students may also complete a second major concurrently or at a later time. To do so, the student will be required to take at least an additional 30 hours, of which a minimum of 16 hours must be upper division. All other major requirements apply.

Minor Opportunities and Requirements

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences has approved the opportunity for students to take optional minors in various disciplines, including business administration. Additional information is available from the academic advisors in either the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences or in the College of Business. For information about optional minors, please refer to the appropriate department and program sections in this Bulletin.

Requirements for a Minor

The following college guidelines have been established for minor programs:

• A minimum of 18 credit hours of C- grade or better must be taken in a minor area, including a minimum of nine upper-division credit hours.
• Minor requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
• Students will be allowed no more than nine credit hours, including six upper-division credit hours, of transfer work toward a minor.
• Course work applied toward a minor may also be applied toward general education requirements.
• Students may double count up to nine credit hours between a major and a stand-alone minor. Such double counting is permitted for at most one major and one stand-alone minor pair.

Program requirements other than those above may be established by departments and program directors. Departments will ensure that minor requirements are consistent with their major requirements. Upper-Division Requirement Students must complete at least 45 hours of upper-division work (courses numbered 300 and above) to be eligible for the bachelor’s degree. Students may register for upper-division courses if they have met prerequisites or obtained departmental approval. Courses transferred from a junior/community college carry lower-division credit.
 

Programs

Certificate

• •  Criminology and Justice Studies Certificate
• •  Sociology of Diversity Certificate

Master of Sciences

• •  Master of Sciences Degree Program (MSc)

Requirements

• •  General Education Requirements (LAS)