11-4-04
Headings given for the three main areas of requirements for a degree:
USP
Major
BA/BS
Core Req.
Concentration
College & Univ.
University-wide
Program Requirements
College-wide Req.
Univ. Gen. Ed.
Major & Upper Division
Univ. Grad. Req.
Gen. Educ.
Note: “A&S require.
is already set up so
that students automatically
complete Gen. Educ.”
Program of Study
Headings given for the areas describing parts of a major:
Supporting Courses
Basic Requirements
Preparatory Courses
Required Courses
Prerequisites
Major Track, Breadth w/in Major, Jr./Sr. Colloq.
Program Concentration
Major Electives (Grad. Req. = General Electives)
Free Electives
Electives
UK definition of a degree: “To be eligible for any degree, a student must have
completed the requirements as approved by the University Senate, except that curriculum
substitutions may be made by the college affected if not inconsistent with these rules.
Curriculum requirements must include, in addition to specified credits, a specified gradepoint average both overall and in the student's major which may in no case be less than
2.0. Every baccalaureate degree program must include four divisions or components: (1)
University Studies, (2) premajor or preprofessional, (3) general college requirements (if
any), (4) major or professional, and (5) free electives.
“Specified gpa overall and in major—no less than 2.0; 1) University
Studies; 2) premajor or preprofessional; 3) general college requirements; 4)
major or professional; and 5) free electives.”
UK Graduation Requirements: Inference, University Writing
Requirement, and Residence Requirement.
UK definition of a major: “A major is a primary area of study defined by a
set of course and/or credit –hour requirements within specified disciplines.
Within degreed programs, majors may be further defined by requirements in
an area of emphasis, also known as an option.”
UK – Arts & Sciences Degree Components:
Gen Ed.
36-51
Pre-Major
0-22
Major
42 hrs
24/300 level
18 req. major
14 outside
2.0
No 100
College
Graduation
For. Lang.
Inference
300+/60 hrs.
Writing
90 hrs. A&S
Disciplinary:
SS/NS/HU
Lab/Field Wk.
Coll. Elec.
I. Benchmark Comparisons: Pre-major comparisons
The following majors (only BS for Science majors) all have a:
A) “pre-major” requirement listed for only “within the department”
Anthropology: UK, Purdue, Michigan, Minnesota
Biology: UT/Austin, Virginia
Chemistry: Penn. State,
Classics: UK, OSU, UCLA, UNC, Washington, Wisc./Madison
English: UK, OSU, Penn. State, Purdue, UCLA, Michigan, Michigan, UNC, UVA
French: UK, OSU, Penn. State, UCLA, Michigan, UNC, Univ. of Washington
Geography: UK, Penn. State, UCLA, Univ. of FL
Geology: NC State
German: UK, OSU, Penn. State, UCLA, Michigan, UNC, UW-Madison
History: UK, OSU, Penn. State, Purdue, UCLA, Michigan, UW-Madison
Mathematics: NC State, OSU, Penn State, Florida, Virginia
Philosophy: UK, OSU, Penn. State, ULA, Michigan
Physics: NC State, Washington
Political Science: UK, OSU, Purdue, Michigan
Psychology: UK, OSU, Penn. State, Minn. Virginia
Sociology: UK, OSU, Michigan, UNC
Spanish: UK, OSU, Penn. State, UCLA, Michigan, UNC
B) “pre-major” requirement listed for only the “outside” the Department:
Biology: NC State, Texas A&M, Univ. of Arizona,
Chemistry: NC State, Arizona, UT @Austin, Washington
French: Purdue
Math: Univ. of Arizona
Physics: Maryland, UT Austin
C) “pre-major” requirement listed for “both—inside and outside” the Department:
Anthropology: Penn. State, UCLA, Univ. of Florida
Biology: UK, OSU, Penn. State, UCLA, Univ. of Florida, Michigan, North Carolina,
Washington
Chemistry: UK, OSU, UCLA, Florida, Michigan, UNC,
English: Univ. of Florida
Geology: UK, OSU, UCLA, UFLA, Univ. Michigan, UNC
Math: UK, UCLA, UNC
Physics: UK, OSU, UCLA, Florida, Michigan, UNC, UW-Madison
Political Science: UCLA, Florida, UNC
Psychology: UCLA, Florida, UNC, UW-Madison
Sociology: UCLA
D) “No pre-major” requirement listed:
Anthropology: N.C. State, Texas A& M, Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of Georgia, Illinois,
Iowa, Maryland, UNC, Univ. Texas, Univ. of Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin-Madison.
Biology: Purdue, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Wisconsin-Madison
Chemistry: Purdue, Texas A&M, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota,
Virginia, Wisconsin@Madison
Classics: Purdue, U. of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, UT/Austin, UVA
English: NC State, Texas A&M, U. Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland,
UT/Austin, Washington, Wisconsin-Madison
French: NC State, Texas A&M, Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of FL, UGA, Illinois, Iowa,
Minnesota, UT-Austin, UWMadison
Geography: OSU, Texas A&M, Univ. of Arizona, UGA, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland,
Minn., UNC, UT-Austin, Univ. of Washington, UW @ Madison
Geology: Purdue, Texas A&M, UGA, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Minn. UTAustin,
UWMadison
German: Purdue, Texas A&M, UGA, Illinois, Iowa, Minn.UT Austin, Washington
History: NC State, Texas A&M, Univ. of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Minn. UNC, UTAustin, Virginia, Washington
Math: Purdue, Texas A&M, UGA, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minn., UTAustin,
Washington
Philosophy: NC State, Purdue, Texas A&M, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Minn. UNC, UTAustin, Virginia, Washington, UW-Madison
Physics: Penn. State, Purdue, Texas A&M, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minn.
Political Science: NC State, Penn. State, Texas A&M, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Minn., UTAustin, Virginia, Washington, UW-Madison
Psychology: NC State, Purdue, Texas A&M, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Michigan, UTAustin, Washington
Sociology: NC State, Purdue, Texas A&M Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland,
Minn., UT-Austin, Virginia, Washington, UW-Madison
Spanish: NC State, Purdue, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minn., UT
Austin
Notes:
1) Rarely is the phrase, "pre-major” used within the benchmarks. Most of them either build the
prerequisites into the major requirements or they give a list of "preparatory courses" at the
beginning of each major requirement.
II. Benchmark Comparisons: Major comparisons
A)
UK TOTAL Major Hours (including pre-major): The range is from 42 – 85 hours
SPAN: 42
ENG: 46; PHIL/SOC: 48; GER: 49
CLAS/HIST/LAS/LING/: 50
ANT/FRE/GEOG/PSY: 51
PS: 52
MATH: 53
RUSS: 59
PHY: 71
BIO: 72
CHE: 77
GEOL: 69-85
Benchmarks Total Major Hours (including pre-major & excluding UK ): The range is from 27- 84
hours.
Benchmarks Total Major Hours (incl. pre-major, excluding UK, excluding UCLA 48-84 hours, and
Univ. of Georgia, 78 hours): The range is 27- 62 hours.
B) Total number of Department hours required for the major (Courses taught by the
department hosting the major.)
The range for UK:
26- 52 hours
Science/Math majors:
26 -52
Social Science/Humanities/Languages: 27 -41
Benchmarks range (excluding UK):
16-60 hours.
Science/Math majors:
16-60
Social Science/Humanities/Languages: 21-56
*Univ. of Georgia
15-39
31-50 (Science/Math Majors)
*College requirements are built into major requirements.
C) List the institutions which “required” courses to be taken outside of the department
but as part of the major requirements.
----Most alike:
1) All A&S UK Majors
Range is from 15 -28 (excluding LAS) and 18-34 (science/math majors)
2) *All A&S University of Georgia Majors
Range is 39-63
*College requirements are built into major requirements.
3) University of Texas @ Austin: Every major has 12 hours outside except Biology and Physics
which have 15 and 18 respectively.
4) University of Illinois: 18 majors: (Anthropology = 18/ Classics = 26/ English = 6/ French = 6/
Geography = 2-17/ German = 18/ History = 18/ LAS = 39/ Ling. = 20/
Philosophy = 6/ Pol. Sci. = 20/ Psy. = 12/ Russian = 20)
(Biology = 32/ Chemistry = 35/ Geology = 18/ Math = 15/ Physics = 28)
5) UCLA (Only these 11 majors: Anthropology = 3-5/ Classics = 5/ French/German = 0-5/
(LAS = 16/ Ling. = 0-3/ Pol. Sci. = 11/ Sociology = 11)
(Biology = 13/ Math = 0-13/ Physics = 8)
6) Maryland (Only these 11 majors: Anthropology = 9/ Classics = 12-14/ English = 9/
Geography = 18/ History = 9/ Ling. = 12/ Philosophy = 15/ Pol. Sci. = 15/
Sociology = 12)
(Biology = 32/ Geology = 24/ Math = 12)
7) Texas A&M (Only these 10 majors: Anthropology = 9/ English = 0-21/ French/German = 18
Sociology = 15/ Spanish = 18) and
(Biology = 12-20 / Chemistry = 15/ Math = 65 / Physics = 14)
8) Penn State University (Only these 8 majors: Anthropology = 4 hrs/ History = 0-15
Psychology = 0-6 / Sociology = 4) and
(Biology = 34-45/ Chemistry = 45/ Math = 37/ Physics = 57)
9) North Carolina State (Only these 9 majors: French = 12/ History/Phil./Pol. Sci. 0-15/
Psy/Span. = 15/ Chemistry = 15/ Geology = 6/ Math = 12)
10) Ohio State University (Only these 10 majors: Classics = 0-7/ Geog. = 0-2/ German = 7/
History = 0-7 /Ling. = 0-10/ Psy. = 3) &
(Chem. = 17/ Geology = 20/ Math = 2/ Phy. = 6)
Benchmarks requiring NO courses to be taken outside the major course offerings:
Purdue (except Biology = 42/ Chemistry = 29/ Geology = 44/ Math = 9/ Phys.= 9)
University of Arizona (except Psy. BS only 0-19/ Span. = 6/ Geol 0-33)
(A minor is required along with the degree program)
University of Florida (except Classics 0-9/ English 9/ Ling. 0-6/ Psy. 3/ Math 6/ Phy 9)
University of Iowa (except Bio 32-33/ Che. 20/ Geol. 16/ Math 6-9/ Geog 15-20/Span 12)
University of Michigan (PS 6/ Psy. 4/ Geol. 6/ Math 3)
University of Minnesota (Classics 12/ German 15/ Bio 34/ Che 30/ Geol 35/ Phys 21)
University of North Carolina (Classics 3/ PSY BS 12/ Bio 6-12/ Che 9/ Geol 0-26/
Math 0-12)
University of Virginia (Classics 12/ LAS 30/ Pol. Sci. 12/ Bio 8-23/ Che 13-23/
(Math 3/ Physics 14)
University of Washington (Phil. 30/ Physics 6)
University of Wisconsin @ Madison (Ling. 6/ Bio 32-38/ Chem. 15/ Geol 25/
III. Benchmark Comparisons: College Comparisons
College Requirements:
UK: 22-39
Benchmarks: Ranged from: 12- 60
Note:
---Benchmarks which have no College requirements: Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas A&M &
University of Georgia (At Georgia, College requirements are built into the major).
---Texas A&M has no General Education or College requirements. The core is built into
major/minor electives.
---Benchmarks with General Education, College and Major requirements: Penn. State, OSU,
Wisconsin@Madison, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Univ. of Texas at Austin (graduation
requirement), & Minnesota.
----The College required hours at Illinois are designed to complete the general education
requirements in addition to College requirements.
IV. Benchmark Comparisons: Final Comparisons
NOTES:
The most significant difference was the large number of electives that students take just
to fill in towards the 120 that are totally unrestrictive. The benchmarks have built in a larger
number of "free" electives than any A&S majors at UK. A specific number of hours required for
the electives wasn’t given but the hours for all required courses of the degree fell short of the total
hours required (120) for the degree (with the exceptions of the science majors). Our majors have
6 electives for the College and 6 in USP. Our programs identify specifically where elective areas
outside the major must be taken. However, since APEX, some majors have chosen to allow
students to count “any” 200 level or above courses after completing the major requirements. This
is more like the “free electives” approach at our benchmarks.
--- No General Education: Purdue, UCLA, University of Virginia, & Illinois, Texas A&M.
----Some institutions that had the general education requirements built into the college
requirements:
---NC State had General Education built into the pre-major hours
---14 out of the 19 benchmarks required 120 hours minimum for the degree.
----Not all institutions offered a BA/BS in every major.
----Some offered a separate BA degree program for specific majors and a separate BS degree
program other majors.
----Some offered specialized degrees like BS Chemistry and BS Geology
Minnesota:
Satisfying Liberal Education Requirements
The Diversified Core Curriculum: Physical & Biological Sciences, History
and Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Mathematical Thinking
The Designated Themes of Liberal Education: Environment, Cultural
Diversity, International Perspectives, Citizenship & Public Ethics
Writing Intensive Requirement
Freshmen Seminars
Anthropology: BA description; Preparatory Coursework; Degree
Requirements: Required: Introductory, Basic Method & Theory, Senior
Seminar/Project, Anthropology Electives, Final Project.