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During the first two years of college, students are expected to take courses to fulfill general education requirements. All CLAS degrees require general education courses, which include study in English, mathematics, humanities, social science, natural science, and in some cases, speech or logic, laboratory science, foreign language, Western civilization, and non-Western culture.
Study in these areas help students meet the undergraduate education goals set by the University of Kansas.
Check for current information on general education requirements including revised principal course and non Western culture course lists.
Students may use one course to fulfill more than one requirement in the following combinations only:
Students typically complete three ENGL courses to fulfill their English general education requirements unless they are exempt based on ACT English, SAT verbal scores, or AP scores.
B.A. and B.G.S. degrees require that students complete:
B.S. degrees require the following:
Non-Honors Students:
| ACT/SAT score | 1st Course | 2nd Course | 3rd Course |
| <= 30/590 | ENGL 101 | ENGL 102 | 200-Level |
| 31-33/600-640 | Exempt | ENGL 102 | 200-Level |
| 34-36/650-800 | Exempt | ENGL 105 | 200-Level |
Students Admitted to the University Honors Program:
| ACT/SAT score | 1st Course | 2nd Course | 3rd Course |
| 27-30/500-590* | Exempt | ENGL 102 | 200-Level |
| >= 31/600 | Exempt | ENGL 105 | 200-Level |
*Students are eligible to take the English Honors Placement Exam for possible admission to ENGL105.
English: Literature & Composition
| AP Score |
Credit Awarded |
Courses Required |
|
3 |
None (Exempt ENGL 101) |
ENGL 105 & ENGL 205 |
|
4 |
ENGL 105 (Exempt ENGL 101) |
ENGL 205 |
|
5 |
ENGL 105 & 205 (Exempt ENGL 101) |
None |
English: Language & Composition
| AP Score |
Credit Awarded |
Courses Required |
|
3 |
None (Exempt ENGL 101) |
ENGL 105 & ENGL 205 |
|
4 & 5 |
ENGL 105 (Exempt ENGL 101) |
ENGL 205 |
(Special program available in very few high schools. ) Students may receive credit or advanced standing placement for Higher-Level Pass only. Credit is not granted for Subsidiary Pass or Diploma Program.
| IB Score |
Credit Awarded |
Courses Required |
|
5 |
None (Exempt ENGL 101) |
ENGL 102 & 200-Level |
|
6 |
ENGL 101 & 102 |
200-Level |
|
7 |
ENGL 101 & 102 |
200-Level |
No exemption or credit is given for CLEP English.
Students fulfill the requirement for the B.A. and B.G.S. degrees by completing one of the following courses:
NOTE: COMS 130 and PHIL 148 are the most common choices used to fulfill the requirement. See exemption information below.
B.S. degrees: some require a speech or logic course, others do not. See the following (please consult the department if not specified):
Exemptions: Students may be exempt from this requirement if they meet one of the following conditions (the requirements will appear as "FULFILLED" on the ARTS form):
1. Completed two high school courses (totaling one full credit) in speech or debate with a grade of B or better in both are exempt. Students must deliver an official high school transcript to the Department of Communication Studies, 102 Bailey Hall. NOTE: The Office of Admissions and Scholarships, 1502 Iowa (864-3911), provides copies of high school transcripts within 24 hours of requests. Students receive a letter of verification, the exemption is noted on the transcript, and the Oral Communication/Logic requirement shows as fulfilled on the ARTS form.
2. Students who do not meet exemption criteria and who do not wish to complete an approved course listed above may choose to take the Oral Communication Exemption Examination, which consists of a written test on public speaking concepts and a public speaking performance evaluation. The examination is given in September in the fall semester and in February in the spring semester. Students need to register in the Department of Communication Studies, 102 Bailey Hall early in the semester.
Students fulfill the requirement for the B.A. or B.G.S. by completing the following:
1. MATH 101, Algebra or MATH 104, Precalculus Math or demonstrate eligibility for second-level math courses and
2. One of the following second-level courses (information about each of these courses follows the placement information):
Students who begin with MATH 116 or 122, Calculus II may qualify for retroactive credit in calculus; please consult the Mathematics Department for more information (864-3651, 405 Snow Hall).
| Major | B.S. | B.A. | B.G.S. |
| Astronomy | 121, 122, 123, 320 + | 121, 122 | |
| Atmospheric Science | 121, 122, 123, 320 | ||
| Biological Sciences | |||
|
121,122 | 115 & 116 or 121 & 122 | |
|
115 & 116 or 121 | ||
|
115 & 116 or 121 | ||
|
115 & 116 or 121 | ||
|
115 & 116 or 121 | ||
|
115 or 121 | 115 or 121 | |
|
115 & 116 or 121 | ||
| Chemistry | 121, 122 | 115 or 121, 116 or 122 | |
| Economics | 115 & 116 & 122 or 121 & 122 MATH 526 or DSCI 368 |
MATH 365 or DSCI 368 or MATH 526 | 36 5 or 526 or DSCI 368 |
| Environmental Std | |||
|
115 or 121 & 116 or 122 | 115 or 121 | 115 or 121 |
|
365 | 365 | |
|
115 or 121 & 116 or 122 | ||
| Geography | 115 & 116 & 122 or 121 & 122 |
101 or 104 & 115 | |
| Geology | |||
| General | 121 & 122 or 115 & 116 + 122 or 526 or BIOL 570 |
||
| Engineering | 121, 122, 250 + | ||
| Environmental | 115 & 116 & 122 or 121 & 122 |
||
| Geophysics | 121, 122, 123, 320 | ||
| Mathematics | 123 or 124 or 143 | ||
| Microbiology | 115 & 116 or 121 | 115 & 116 or 121 | |
| Physics | 121, 122, 123, 320 + | 121, 123, 320 | |
|
121, 122, 123, 320 | ||
|
115 & 116 & 122 or 121 & 122 |
The following information has been provided by the Department of Mathematics to clarify placement in elementary mathematics courses.
Guide to Initial Enrollment in Mathematics: The following table shows the matrix used in determining appropriate mathematics placement.
| ACT: 0-15 SAT: 200-410 |
16-21 420-530 |
22-25 540-590 |
26-27 600-630 |
28-36 640-800 |
| CLAS recommends that students in this category contact community colleges to take preparatory courses |
MATH 002 |
MATH 101 or MATH 104 |
MATH 105 or MATH 106 or MATH 111 or MATH 115 |
MATH 105 or MATH 106 or MATH 111 or MATH 115 or MATH 121 |
MATH 002 is a developmental course and does not count toward the minimum required hours for graduation. Students with an ACT score of 15 or lower or an SAT score of 410 or lower may not be adequately prepared for this course. KU does not offer a course below the level of MATH 002. Students will be permitted to enroll in MATH 002 even if their scores indicate a lack of preparation. Such students should be urged to seek remediation through community college coursework before enrolling in a KU course.
A student will not be permitted to enroll in a math class higher than that suggested on the ARTS form without written permission of the mathematics placement officers or proof of ACT or SAT scores or completion of college-level mathematics courses. Should a student erroneously enroll in a higher mathematics course than placement states, the student will be disenrolled from that course and will have to modify enrollment during the add/drop period of the semester. However, students may elect to begin a math course at a lower level than that suggested by the above table. If a student wishes to begin at a higher level, they must meet with the mathematics placement officer (405 Snow Hall, 864-3651).
Mathematics Placement Examinations: Students may take a math placement exam to determine eligibility for mathematics courses. Exams are also given over the summer, at the beginning of each semester, and during main enrollment. There is no fee; students should call the Mathematics Department at 864-3651 for times and locations of the math exam. Students must sign up before the date of an exam. Students who did not perform as well as expected on the ACT are encouraged to take this placement exam (especially if their high school background is sufficient), however, placement exam results correlate very highly with those recommended from ACT scores.
Transfer Mathematics Courses: Students who transfer course work in math must earn a grade of "C" or better to continue to the next course level. A student who earns a grade of "D" in a transfer-equivalent course of MATH 002 or MATH 101 should retake that course at KU. Courses that transfer without an exact equivalent will generally be coded as "MATH U" on the ARTS form. These courses do not substitute for MATH 101 without review by the mathematics department. Students with this credit should enroll in MATH 101 before proceeding to a higher level math course. A student who feels the transfer course is at the same level as MATH 101 should check with the mathematics department and be prepared to provide a course syllabus. Courses without an exact substitute that are considered second-level mathematics courses are coded "MATH N M"or "MATH NMM" on the ARTS form.
Any additional questions concerning math placement, testing or current teaching format should be directed to the Department of Mathematics: www.math.ku.edu, 405 Snow Hall, 864-3651.
MATH 101 and MATH 104
MATH 101 Algebra (3 credits) is taught in the Kansas Algebra Program (along with MATH 002 Intermediate Mathematics). See http://www.math.ku.edu/kap/. These courses are taught in small sections of 20 - 25 students. All students have a common syllabus, common homework assignments, and common exams. Exams are taken outside of class, at the KAP testing room. A Help Room is available for all MATH 002 and MATH 101 students from 7:30 am to 9 pm Monday through Thursday and from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Friday.
MATH 104 Precalculus Mathematics (5 credits) combines the material of MATH 101 Algebra and MATH 103 Trigonometry. It is taught in small sections of 30 to 35 students. All sections have a common syllabus, and common midterm and final exams.
Advise students to enroll in MATH 104, rather than MATH 101, in these circumstances:
Students who feel they are not academically strong in mathematics may have difficulty choosing a 2nd level math course. Students are encouraged to consult with a mathematics instructor (405 Snow) for more discussion on the appropriate course for them. The following are facts concerning each course for consideration:
MATH 105, Introduction to Topics in Mathematics and MATH 106, Introduction to Finite Math:
MATH 115, Calculus I:
MATH 121, Calculus I and Math 141, Calculus I (Honors):
MATH 365, Elementary Statistics:
MATH 105, 106, 111, and 365 are not prerequisites for any other courses. MATH 115 or 121 can be taken as a one-semester introduction to calculus, or can lead to more mathematics courses. The six-credit hour sequence MATH 115 - 116 can substitute for MATH 121 as the prerequisite for MATH 122, but MATH 121 is better preparation for MATH 122. Students who think they might continue in mathematics courses should start in MATH 121 instead of MATH 115.
Students pursuing the B.A. or B.G.S. must complete the two-course sequence:
Before enrolling in the courses, students should have 1) attained at least sophomore status and 2) completed ENGL 102, Composition and Literature to gain the writing experience needed. It is recommended that Western Civilization I be taken before Western Civilization II.
Students in the University Honors Program and those with outstanding backgrounds in the humanities are encouraged to enroll in the honors sequence:
Students having difficulty finding open sections may consider the following:
Students pursuing the following B.S. degrees also must complete the Western Civilization requirement:
Students pursuing the B.A. or B.G.S. must complete an approved non-Western culture course.
Current course list can be found at www.collegesas.ku.edu/advising/Non Western Culture Courses.pdf. Also, currently offered non-Western culture courses are listed each semester at www.opensections.ku.edu.
No B.S. degrees require non-Western culture.
Students pursuing a B.A. degree must complete three courses in each division (humanities, natural science, and social science), one from each topical group. These topical groups are historical studies, literature and the arts, and philosophy and religion in the humanities; biological science, earth science, mathematical science, and physical science in the natural sciences; and culture and society, individual behavior, and public affairs in the social sciences. Students pursuing a B.G.S. degree must complete two courses in each division, each from a different topical group.
A current listing of principal courses can be found at www.collegesas.ku.edu/advising/Principal Courses.pdf. Also, currently offered principal courses are listed each semester at www.opensections.ku.edu.
Students pursuing the following B.S. degrees also must take Principal Courses:
Students pursuing a B.A. degree must complete one course in the natural sciences that includes a lab or a natural science lecture course with an associated lab that constitutes 4 to 5 hours of academic credit.
The lab science course (or combined lecture and lab course) may fulfill both the lab science requirement and one of the natural science principal course distribution requirements if the course is designated a principal course. NOTE: a free-standing lab course does not by itself fulfill either the lab science requirement or a principal course requirement.
Students pursuing a B.G.S. are not required to complete a laboratory science course.
Because most B.S. degrees are offered within the science departments and programs, students pursuing those degrees take laboratory science courses as part of the requirements for the major. The following B.S. degrees also require their students to complete a laboratory science course:
Foreign Language Requirements available at KU.
Students pursuing a B.A. degree must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language through the fourth-semester level. This may be done in any of the following ways:
1. Pass the proficiency exam in one foreign language, or
2. Complete a fourth-semester-level course in one foreign language, or
3. Complete any foreign language course that has a fourth-semester-level course as a prerequisite.
Students whose native language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement if they can show that the high school they attended was taught in a language other than English and they have passed the Applied English Center's proficiency examination. Contact The College Student Academic Services Office (864-3500) for more information.
Students pursuing a B.G.S. are not required to complete a foreign language requirement.
Students pursuing the following B.S. degrees must complete a foreign language requirement, may use language courses to fulfill general education requirements, or are encouraged to take language courses as electives:
Proficiency exams: Offered for French, German, Italian, Latin, Modern Hebrew and Spanish. These exams are offered at any time but the student must contact the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center (EGARC) (864-4759), 4069 Wescoe to register. A $20 nonrefundable registration fee is charged for the exam. Check their web site at www.ku.edu/~egarc .
EGARC works closely with the language departments and programs on campus and provides support for students engaged in language study.
Less Commonly Taught Languages at KU: For information on Arabic, Czech, Croatian, Hausa, Kaqchikel, Mayan, Kechwa, Korean, Polish, Serbian, and Slovenian check the web site at www.ku.edu/~lctls. Another valuable web site is www.ku.edu/~language/. Not all languages are taught through the fourth-level and, therefore, cannot be used to fulfill the B.A. language requirement.
Languages Not Offered at KU: Students may be exempted based on languages not offered at KU, provided that we have some way of verifying reading, writing and speaking proficiency in that language. These exemptions are worked out on a case by case basis in which the student is examined by a KU faculty member fluent in the language or another approved examiner. Please call The College Student Academic Services Office (864-3500) for information. One language, Cherokee, is offered infrequently through KU at Haskell Indian Nations University. Completion of fourth-semester-level course work in a language at another institution fulfill the language requirement.
American Sign Language (ASL) as Foreign Language Requirement: Although CLAS accepts ASL to fulfill the foreign language requirement, Introduction to Sign Language is the only KU ASL course available to the majority of CLAS students. The School of Education will give permission for ASL I-IV to students majoring in Speech-Language-Hearing but not other non-school of education students. The following KU courses fulfill the requirement:
Students with prior non-college-level ASL course work should meet with the School of Education to determine proper placement.
Most college-level ASL courses do not automatically transfer to KU, with the exception of the following Johnson County Community College (JCCC) courses:
FL 180 - Elementary American Sign Language I
FL 181 - Elementary American Sign Language II
FL 270 - American Sign Language III
FL 271 - American Sign Language IV
INTR 120 - Elementary American Sign Language I
INTR 121 - Elementary American Sign Language II
INTR 122 - Intermediate American Sign Language I
INTR 123 - Intermediate American Sign Language II
The following require admission to the JCCC Interpreter Training Program prior to enrollment.
INTR 125 - American Sign Language I
INTR 132 - American Sign Language II
INTR 140 - American Sign Language III
INTR 230 - American Sign Language IV
Students with college-level courses (except JCCC) should obtain a CLAS requirement substitution petition form (gray petition) from 109 Strong Hall. The completed petition and course syllabi should be taken to the School of Education for evaluation and recommendation before returning to The College Student Academic Services office.
Once ASL courses from other institutions have been approved for transfer to KU, they will be added to the students record as foreign language credit.
Retroactive Credit Policy: Some foreign language departments award retroactive KU credit for high school work in a foreign language. Some use the following policy, but others (i.e. EALC) do not. Please check with the department for the appropriate policy. Students with no prior college or university foreign language course credit are eligible for retroactive credit according to the following formula:
Important Note: To qualify, the initial university-level enrollment in the foreign language must be at KU. Please check with the appropriate foreign language department for guidelines. Initial enrollment in the wrong course may eliminate the opportunity for retroactive credit.
After completing the KU course with a grade of C or better, students must verify their high school records with the appropriate foreign language department. The KU transcript will show the number of credits awarded but no letter grade.
Students pursuing the B.G.S. degree must complete one of the following that requires taking courses in one department or program outside the major:
Students pursuing either the B.A. or B.S. degrees are not required to complete this requirement but may chose to complete both minor(s) and additional majors.
Each individual B.S. degree has a variety of general education and cognate course requirements. The individual department or program section of the Undergraduate Catalog or the department's web site should be consulted or, preferably, students should meet with an academic advisor in the department or program.
