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USF 2000-2001 Undergraduate Catalog - Pages 46 - 51

Liberal Arts Requirements

All new USF students and Former Students Returning are required to take 45 semester hours to satisfy the complete liberal arts requirements. Thirty-six (36) semester hours will satisfy the general education course requirements and 9 semester hours will satisfy the exit requirements. These requirements are distributed as follows:

General Education Requirements*Semester Hours
English Composition6
Quantitative Methods6
Natural Sciences6
Social Sciences6
Historical Perspectives6
Fine Arts3
African, Latin American, Middle Eastern or Asian Perspectives3
Total36
  
Exit Requirements*Semester Hours
Major Works and Major Issues6
Literature and Writing3
Total9

*Courses may be certified in more than one area, but students may use each course in only one (1) area.

Liberal Arts General Education Course Requirements (36 Semester Hours)

English Composition: This requirement consists of a minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved course work in English Composition. Students may satisfy this requirement during the second semester freshman level of composition in the following ways: by earning a letter grade of “C” or better at USF or another institution, by obtaining a sufficient score on the CLEP Freshman English test, or by receiving AP English credit. With the exception of the CLEP test, these courses will also allow students to meet a portion of their State of Florida rule 6A-10.30 Gordon Rule requirements. To satisfy the Gordon Rule, students must earn a letter grade of “C” or better in these courses.

Quantitative Methods: Competence in a minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved mathematics coursework (see the list below). These courses should include both a practical component-providing students with an appreciation of how course content relates to their everyday experiences, and a historical component-providing students with an understanding of the application of the material to other disciplines.

Only the courses in the list below may be used to satisfy the General Education Quantitative Methods requirement. At least one course must have either an MAC or an MGF prefix. The other course may be any course in the list.

While CGS 2060 is applicable to the Gordon Rule Computation requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy USF’s General Education Quantitative Methods requirement.

Natural Sciences: Students should successfully complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved coursework in the natural sciences. Students are encouraged to enroll in courses with a laboratory component. It is a goal that all students have at least one science course with a laboratory; however, facilities and personnel resources prohibit that requirement at this time. Courses may be interdisciplinary. The courses may deal with the content, theories, history, presuppositions, and methods of the discipline. They will include demonstrations and address problems, ambiguities, and different perspectives in the discipline. They will also provide students with an appreciation of how the discipline fits within the natural sciences and relates to their own lives and the broader human experience.

Social Sciences: Students must successfully complete a minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved coursework in the social sciences; the courses may be interdisciplinary and need not be sequential. Courses in the social sciences shall involve those disciplines considered to be social sciences in that they deal theoretically and empirically with individuals and their relationships to each other and to society. Courses must deal with the content, theories, history, presuppositions, and methods of the discipline. They should also address problems, ambiguities, and different perspectives in the discipline. These courses will provide students with an appreciation of how the discipline fits within the social sciences and relates to their own lives and the broader human experience.

Historical Perspectives: A minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved coursework in artistic, cultural, economic, intellectual, religious, social, and/or political history is required. At least three (3) semester hours will be in the history of Western Civilization. Courses are not limited to those in the discipline of history; however, the courses will have a historical perspective in that they provide students with a sense of the evolution of societies and peoples, including analysis of their history. A sense of chronology is necessary in these courses, but not sufficient. A historical perspective also entails analyses of various elements, such as the intellectual, cultural, artistic, economic, social, political, and religious characteristics of societies and peoples.

Fine Arts: Students are required to successfully complete a minimum of three (3) semester hours of approved coursework in the fine arts. Courses in the fine arts shall involve those disciplines considered to be fine arts in that they deal theoretically and experientially with the aesthetic dimensions of individuals and groups. Courses will concern the creative experience that takes into account the perspectives of both the artist and the public. They may be interdisciplinary and must involve the content, theories, history, presuppositions, and methods of the fine arts. They will address problems, ambiguities, and different perspectives in the disciplines of fine arts. These courses will also provide students with an appreciation of how the disciplines fit within fine arts and relate to their everyday experiences.

African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, or Asian Perspectives (ALAMEA): Students will take a minimum of three (3) semester hours of approved coursework in one of the above listed geographical areas. Course content may include social, political, and economic as well as artistic, cultural, and intellectual subject matter. The material will be presented within a geographical, chronological, and/or humanities background and will necessarily be selective.

All courses listed are certified as meeting the General Education requirement as of April, 2000. Additional courses may have been certified since that date. Please consult with an academic advisor for current and additional information.

LIBERAL ARTS GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

ENGLISH COMPOSITION (6 hours minimum)

QUANTITATIVE METHODS (6 hours minimum)

NATURAL SCIENCES (6 hours minimum)

SOCIAL SCIENCES (6 hours minimum)

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (6 hours minimum)

FINE ARTS (3 hours minimum)

ALMEA PERSPECTIVES (3 hours minimum)

Liberal Arts Exit Requirements for Undergraduates in all Disciplines (9 Semester Hours)

A student’s liberal arts education will continue throughout the college years and not be limited to a relatively small number of required courses in the first two years of college. Exit requirements will provide students with an opportunity during their junior and senior years at USF to integrate their knowledge within the context of liberal arts. Courses that satisfy the exit requirements will, where appropriate, incorporate considerations of values and ethics; international and environmental perspectives; race and ethnicity; and gender. By their junior and senior years, students will have a foundation in liberal arts and be better able to reflect upon ethical issues in a constructive way. Students graduating from the College of Education or the College of Engineering may be required to complete only six hours (two exit courses)and should consult with their advisors regarding exceptions to this requirement.

Students will take at least one of the Liberal Arts Exit courses outside their discipline(s). For purposes of this policy, the term “discipline” refers to the following fields: business, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, letters, natural sciences, and social sciences (See list below of “Outside the Discipline” Liberal Arts Exit Courses). One of the Major Works and Major Issues courses, if taken outside the student’s major discipline(s), may be taken for S/U credit with the consent of the instructor. Only courses numbered 3000 or above may be used to satisfy the exit requirements. Exit requirements must be taken at USF.

All exit requirement courses will be seminar-size courses in which enrollment will be targeted at approximately 20 to 25 students. These courses will be taught by regular faculty.

Major Works and Major Issues (6 credit hours required): A portion of the exit requirements consists of a minimum of six (6) semester hours of approved coursework concerning major works and major issues. Courses will focus on major issues, documents, or works, and will allow students to read primary texts. These courses may allow students to delve into topics on an interdisciplinary basis. Students will be encouraged to write enough to fulfill Gordon Rule requirements. One of the Major Works and Major Issues courses, if taken outside the student’s major discipline(s), may be taken for S/U credit with the consent of the instructor.

Major Works and Major Issues courses must offer the opportunity for integration of content. These courses will have a liberal arts content and, when appropriate, will contain in-depth discussions of values and ethics, international and environmental perspectives, race and ethnicity, and gender. Courses may be interdisciplinary and may be team taught. This will provide students with an opportunity to explore, in-depth and on an interdisciplinary basis, major topics that are important but outside of the major field of study.

Literature and Writing (3 credit hours required): In addition, students will take three (3) semester hours of approved exit requirement coursework in literature and writing. These courses will allow students to read significant literature of the world and write at least 6,000 words. The 6,000-word requirement meets Gordon Rule requirements and is for students who may wish to satisfy some of this requirement with upper-level courses. The writing requirement may be satisfied with assignments that include, for instance, revision and process writing. The course may be taken within the major if appropriate. The courses will focus on the dimensions of values and ethics, international and environmental perspectives, race and ethnicity, and gender.

All students must achieve an overall average of “C” (2.0GPA) in the lower level requirements and a grade of “C” or better in each of the exit requirement courses.

Although post-secondary foreign language courses may not be required for all graduates, students are encouraged to become competent in at least one foreign language. Foreign language study enriches the command of English, enlarges cultural perspective, and enhances learning skills.

All courses listed are certified as meeting the Exit requirement as of April, 1999. Additional courses may have been certified since that date. Please consult with an academic advisor for current and additional information.

LIBERAL ARTS EXIT REQUIREMENT COURSES

MAJOR WORKS AND MAJOR ISSUES

LITERATURE AND WRITING

“Outside the Discipline” Liberal Arts Exit Courses

“Outside the discipline” in Liberal Arts Exit courses is defined as outside a cluster of departments or programs. Students with majors from one cluster, must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course from any of the other clusters identified below.

Cluster 1: Arts & Letters - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 2-8.

Cluster 2: Natural Sciences - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit courses in Clusters 1 or 3-8.

Cluster 3: Social Sciences - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 1 or 2 or 4-8.

Cluster 4: Business - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 1-3 or 5-8.

Cluster 5: Engineering - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 1-4 or 6-8.

Cluster 6: Fine Arts - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 1-5 or 7-8.

Cluster 7: Education - Students with majors in these programs must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Clusters 1-6 or 8. (See exceptions below for students in Art Education, Drama Education, Dance Education or Music Education.)

Cluster 8: Nursing - Nursing majors must take at least one certified Liberal Arts Exit course in Cluster 1-7.

Exceptions to the Cluster Rule—

For the degree programs below, the “outside the discipline” criterion is met differently.

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Effective Date: Semester I, 2000

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