DEGREES
Bachelor's Degrees
Ball State University offers the following baccalaureate degrees: bachelor of architecture, bachelor of arts,
bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of general studies, bachelor of landscape architecture, bachelor of music,
bachelor of science, bachelor of social work, and bachelor of urban planning and development. The
requirements for these degrees follow.
Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.)
University Core Curriculum:
Courses in the University Core Curriculum, 41 hrs
Computer science: One course emphasizing computer literacy 3 hrs
Concentration areas:
A single area of emphasis of at least 32 hours
or Two separate areas of emphasis of at least 16 hours each
or Two departmental minors of at least 16 hours each
Students must obtain the approval of each area of emphasis or minor before the completion of the last 30
hours.
Electives: As many hours of credit as needed to bring the total to 126 hours
UNIVERSITY CORE CURRICULUM
The University Core Curriculum is designed to help students develop knowledge, skills, and values.
Students will acquire the ability to
* engage in lifelong education by learning to acquire
knowledge and to use it for intelligent ends.
* communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates.
* clarify their personal values and be sensitive to those held
by others.
* recognize and seek solutions for the common problems of
living by drawing on a knowledge of historical and
contemporary events and elements of the cultural heritage
surrounding those events.
* work with others to solve life's common problems.
* assess their unique interests, talents, and goals and
choose specialized learning experiences that will foster
their fulfillment.
This program is made up of core requirements and distribution requirements, which are groups of courses
from which students can choose. All students graduating with baccalaureate degrees must complete the
41-hour University Core Curriculum requirement.
Foundation courses, 15 hours
PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE
ENG
103 Eng Comp 1
104 Eng Comp 2
HIST
150 West World
MATHS 125 Math Applic
SPCH 210 Fund Pub Com
CR HRS
3
3
3
3
3
Students who have not completed the
equivalent of ENG 104 when entering
Ball State will be placed in one of the
following sequences based on high
school rank and their scores on the
standardized entrance examinations.
These examinations include the
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the SAT
II, or the American College Testing
Program (ACT), or another examination
acceptable to the English
department.
ENG
101 Fund Comp 1 (2)
ENG
102 Fund Comp 2 (2)
or
ENG
103 Eng Comp 1 (3)
Completion of either ENG 101 and 102
or ENG 103 with a grade of C or better is
required before enrollment in ENG 104.
Students must earn a grade of C or
better in all required University Core
Curriculum composition courses, and
they can withdraw only once from these
courses.
Students must complete the University
Core Curriculum foundation courses in
English before completing 63 credit
hours.
Placement for Mathematics. All students must complete MATHS 125 or an approved equivalent or
receive exemption by examination. If a student tests out of MATHS 125, the student will not have to take
the course but will not get credit.
Exemption in Speech Communication. For students not planning to pursue a teaching major, there is
an exemption from SPCH 210 by meeting one of the following requirements:
* admission to Ball State with distinction (i.e., an SAT
score of 1120 or an ACT composite score of 24) and a
grade of at least B in a public speaking course in high
school, or;
* admission to Ball State University with an SAT-Verbal
score of at least 530 and a grade of at least B in a public
speaking course in high school.
Students who have completed a full year of appropriate speech courses in high school with grades of at
least B may apply to the Department of Speech Communication to be considered for exemption from
SPCH 210.
Writing Competency Examination. All students must take the Writing Competency Examination before
graduation. Students take the examination, which is designated as ENG 392, after completion of 60
hours, but before completing 90 semester hours. Students who fail to pass the examination after two
attempts will be required to take ENG 393, the writing competency course. They will satisfy the writing
competency requirement by successfully completing ENG 393, but the credit hours in the course will not
apply toward any graduation requirement.
Students with baccalaureate degrees from accredited institutions who are pursuing a second degree are
exempt from the Writing Competency Examination.
Distribution Electives, 26 hours
Physical, Earth, and Life Sciences, 6
hours
PREFI
NO SHORT TITLE
CR HRS
X
One course each from two of the three
categories:
Physical Sciences
ASTRO 100 Astronomy (3)
120 Star Systems (3)
CHEM 100 People Chem (3)
101 Biochem HSC (5)
111 Gen Chem 1 (4)
PHYCS 100 Cncept Phycs (3)
110 Gen Phycs 1 (4)
120 Gen Phycs 1 (5)
Earth Sciences
GEOG 101 Erth Sea Sky (3)
GEOL 101 Planet Earth (3)
NREM 101 Env and Socy (3)
Life Sciences
BIO
100 Life Sci (3)
111 Princ Bio 1 (4)
HSC
160 Human Health (3)
6
____
6 hrs
Social and Behavioral Sciences, 6
hours
CR
HRS
One course each from two subjects:
PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE
ANTH
101
103
105
ECON 116
201
GEOG 121
HIST
201
202
POLS 130
PSYSC 100
SOC
100
Intr Culturl (3)
Archaeology (3)
Evolution (3)
Survey Ideas (3)
Elem Micro (3)
Cultural Env (3)
US 14921876 (3)
US 1877Pres (3)
Amer Nat Gov (3)
General (3)
Principles (3)
6
____
6 hrs
Fine Arts and Humanities, 6 hours
CR
PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE
HRS
One course from each of two categories:
Fine Arts
3
AHS
DANCE
MUHIS
THEAT
100
100
100
100
Intro Art (3)
In Dnce Hist (3)
Intro Music (3)
Intro Theat (3)
Humanities
3
CC
101 Word Origins (3)
105 Classic Wrld (3)
CH, FR, GER, GRK, ITAL,
JAPAN, LAT, or SP (3--4)
ENG
205 Wrld Litertr (3)
PHIL
100 Introduction (3)
RELST 101 Rel Am Cult (3)
____
6 hrs
One additional course from
the distribution electives listed
above
3 hrs
International/Global Studies, 3 hours
PREFI
CR
NO SHORT TITLE
X
HRS
One course from the following:
11
ANTH
World Change (3)
1
20
Myths World (3)
5
27
ECON
Prob Em Nats (3)
9
15
GEOG
Global Geog (3)
0
20
GEOL
Oceans Natns (3)
6
19
HIST
Non West Civ (3)
8
20
NREM
Intl NR Cons (3)
5
28
POLS
Prob Em Nats (3)
1
29
Intl Relatns (3)
3
15
RELST
Rel of World (3)
1
32
SOC
Modernize (3)
8
or specifically approved
international travel course
sections
CC
3
_____
3 hrs
Physical Education, Fitness and
Wellness, 2 hours
PREFIX NO
SHORT TITLE
One course from the following:
PEFWL 100 Phys Cond (2)
103 Fit Walking (2)
104 Jogging (2)
117 Swimnastics (2)
130 Bicycling (2)
148 Rhy Aerobics (2)
217 Fit Swimming (2)
CR
HRS
2
_____
2 hrs
Special needs students, including
differently abled or elderly, may satisfy
the physical education requirement by
enrolling in PEFWL 105 and receiving
instruction through an individualized
program.
Credit by Examination. University Core Curriculum courses are available on a credit-by-examination
basis. Contact the appropriate department for more information.
Teaching Majors. Students who complete a major in elementary education, early childhood education,
or the all-grade major in special education will have satisfied all University Core Curriculum requirements
except for the writing competency examination. Students who are completing another teaching major will
choose the additional distribution elective course from the humanities or fine arts categories.
Honors Program. Those enrolled in the Honors College, may substitute ENG 114 for ENG 104; HONRS
199 for 3 of the 6 credits required in social and behavioral sciences; HONRS 298 or 299 for the 3 credits
in the life sciences; HONRS 201, 202, and 203 for the 6-credit requirement in humanities and fine arts;
and HONRS 189 for the 3 hours in international/global studies.
Art Majors. Those pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree program, must complete AHS 101 for 3 credits
of the fine arts requirement.
Music Majors. Majors in music may substitute MUHIS 200 for 3 credits of the fine arts requirement and
MUHIS 330 for 3 credits of the distribution elective.
Nursing Majors. A student majoring in nursing may substitute BIO 113 for the life sciences requirement.
Social Studies Teaching Majors with Areas in World Civilization. Students majoring in these areas
substitute HIST 151 and 152 for HIST 150.
COURSE PREFIXES AND NUMBERS
Course prefixes used at Ball State University, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
ACC Accounting
ACR Art: crafts
ADS Art: design
AED Art: education
AFA Art: fine arts
AHS Art: history
AHSC Allied health science
AMSTU American studies
ANAT Anatomy
ANTH Anthropology
APHYS Applied physics
ARCH Architecture
ART Art
ASIAN Asian studies
ASTRO Astronomy
BEOA Business Education and Office Administration
BIO Biology
BL Business law
BOT Botany
BUSAD Business administration
CANST Canadian studies
CAP College: architecture and planning
CC Classical culture
CFA College: fine arts
CH Chinese
CHEM Chemistry
CJC Criminal justice and criminology
CPSY Counseling psychology
CS Computer science
DANCE Dance
ECON Economics
EDAC Education: adult and community
EDAD Education: administration
EDALG Education: all-grade
EDCUR Education: curriculum
EDEL Education: elementary
EDFON Education: foundations
EDGEN Education: general
EDHI Education: higher
EDJHM Education: junior high/ middle
EDLIB Education: library
EDMUL Education: multicultural
EDPSY Education: psychology
EDRDG Education: reading
EDSEC Education: secondary
EDTEC Education: technology
ENEFL English as a foreign language
ENG English
EURO European Studies
EXSCI Exercise science and wellness
FCS Family and consumer sciences
FCSED Family and consumer sciences: education
FCSFN Family and consumer sciences: food and nutrition
FCSHS Family and consumer sciences: human services
FCSMR Family and consumer sciences: merchandising
FIN Finance
FL Modern languages and classics
FR French
GEOG Geography
GEOL Geology
GER German
GERON Gerontology
GRK Greek
HIST History
HONRS Honors
HSC Health Science
ID Interdepartmental
INS Insurance
INTBA International business administration
ITAL Italian
ITDPT Industrial technology: department
ITEDU Industrial technology: education
ITGRA Industrial technology: graphic arts/printing
ITMFG Industrial technology: manufacturing
JAPAN Japanese
JOURN Journalism
LA Landscape architecture
LAT Latin
MATHS Mathematical sciences
MEDTC Medical technology
MGT Management
MIL Military science
MKG Marketing
MUHIS Music history and musicology
MUMET Music engineering technology
MUSCH School of Music
MUSED Music: education
MUSPE Music performance
MUSTH Music: theory and composition
NREM Natural resources and environmental management
NUR Nursing
PEFWL Physical education: fitness and wellness
PEP Physical education: professional
PHIL Philosophy
PHYCS Physics
PHYSL Physiology
PLAN Urban and regional planning
POLS Political science
PS Performance studies
PSYSC Psychological science
PUMET Purdue: mechanical engineering technology
RE Real estate
RELST Religious studies
SCI Science
SNITP Sign language interpretation
SNLNG Sign language
SOC Sociology
SOCWK Social work
SP Spanish
SPAA Speech pathology and audiology
SPCED Special education
SPCH General speech
SPTAD Sport administration
SS Social studies
TCHED Teacher education
TCOM Telecommunications
THEAT Theatre
WELNS Wellness
WMNST Women's studies
ZOOL Zoology
Courses at Ball State are identified by prefix and course number. Course numbers are categorized as
follows:
Courses numbered below 100 are not offered for credit toward graduation.
Courses numbered from 100 to 199 are primarily freshman courses.
Courses numbered from 200 to 299 are primarily sophomore courses.
Courses numbered from 300 to 399 are primarily junior courses.
Courses numbered from 400 to 499 are primarily senior courses.
Courses numbered 500 and higher are graduate courses.
In course descriptions, the course number is immediately after the prefix. If a number in parentheses
follows, it is the most recent former number of the course.
A student who earns credit in a course under any other number may not earn credit in it under its current
number except under the terms of course repetition. It is the responsibility of the student to not duplicate
courses.
The number in parentheses after the descriptive title of the course is the credit-hour value of the course. It
shows the specific total number of credit hours that can be earned in the course unless another statement
in the description permits earning a greater number of credits. The hours may also be listed as a range
(for example, 1- 5, which means a student can earn up to 5 hours of credit in the course); or as two
possibilities (for example, 3 or 6, which means a student can earn either 3 or 6 hours of credit in the
course).
Prerequisite refers to a course or courses that must be taken before the described course.
Parallel indicates a course or courses that must be taken at the same time as the described course .
Prerequisite recommended indicates a course that is not required but would provide additional
preparation for the course described.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Details about programs, financial aid, or other rules are available in the following publications:
Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Ball Stater (the student handbook)
Competency Credit Alternatives
Student Advising Handbook
For additional information about admission, transfer credit, etc., contact the Office of Admissions, (765)
285-8300 or (800) 482-4BSU. TDD users only (765) 285-2206.
For more information about fees and residency, contact the Office of the Bursar, (765) 285-1731.