Dec 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

College of Arts and Sciences


Students in the College of Arts and Sciences discuss a project.


Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) emphasizes both the enduring value of a liberal arts education and the importance of cultivating new and emerging fields of knowledge and artistic representation. Our faculty are dedicated artists, scholars, scientists, and professionals, who teach, mentor, and advise while creating new knowledge. We foster excellence in scholarship, creative work, and public service as we educate students to be thoughtful, ethical, and engaged leaders. The College offers the Associate in Arts degree as well as major programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Music degrees.

Undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose from a number of degree programs and options designed to permit flexibility in the pursuit of their educational goals. In addition to the requirements for major and minor degree programs, all CAS students must fulfill breadth requirements that expose them to representative coursework in each of the major disciplinary groupings in the College: Creative Arts and Humanities; History and Cultural Change; Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology. The intent of these breadth requirements is to provide students with an appreciation for history, sensitivity to issues of national and global citizenship, and an understanding of the materials and methodologies of the academic disciplines that contribute to a liberal arts education. In the process, students develop scientific and quantitative literacy; higher-order critical thinking and research skills; oral, written and visual communication skills; and the cultural competencies that will assist them both in achieving a full and satisfying life and in competing effectively in a global job market.

In addition to the college’s requirements for various degrees, students must fulfill the general University requirements for baccalaureate degrees, which are listed in the Academic Regulations for Undergraduates .

For more information about the College of Arts and Sciences, please visit the College website.

Advisement

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences will be assigned an academic advisor in the CAS Student Success Center (SSC) until they reach junior status. First-semester transfer students at any level will also be assigned an advisor in the SSC. Students who are juniors and seniors will be assigned an advisor who is a faculty member in the appropriate department. All first-year students who have earned fewer than 28 credit hours are expected to seek advisement during pre-registration for the Spring and Fall semesters. All other students are strongly encouraged to meet at least once each semester with their academic advisors.

General Degree Requirements Information

Pass/Fail Grade Option. Courses to fulfill degree requirements may not be taken pass/fail unless they are offered only on a pass/fail basis. Students may elect to take one course per semester pass/fail. A total of no more than 24 credits may be taken pass/fail for a Bachelor’s degree and no more than 12 credits for an Associate degree. For more detailed information on the pass/fail grade option, see the section Academic Regulations for Undergraduates .

Physical Education. A maximum of two credits of HBNS 120  may be counted toward the required minimum credits of all degrees in the College.

Duplicate Credits. Credits may be counted only once toward a degree. Courses repeated to improve a passing grade may not be counted a second time toward the minimum total credit hours required.

Course of Study Options

Single Major: A departmental major consists of at least 30 credits with the specified and elective courses determined by the individual department.

  • Several departments have a number of internal options or specializations. To round out the departmental major, students may be required to take a designated number of credits of related work determined in consultation with an academic advisor.
  • The faculty of the college have ruled that for the Bachelor of Arts degree, a maximum of 45 credits with the same departmental prefix may be applied to the total number of credits required for the degree. A cross-listed course will be considered a part of the 45 credit total, regardless of which prefix a student used to register for the course.
  • Students who choose a single major will normally have a number of “free elective” credits. Considerable thought should be given to the best use of these elective credits.

Double Major: This involves fulfilling the major requirements, including all college requirements, of two Bachelor of Arts or two Bachelor of Science majors. The advantage of a double major is that the student is able to develop and demonstrate strength in each area covered in the undergraduate program. Admission to double major status requires the approval of both departments and the dean(s) of the college(s). The minimum grade necessary in all courses required for the double major is the same as that needed for a single major in that degree program.

Interdepartmental Major: Students whose goals and interests heavily involve materials from two departments but do not extend to all aspects of each subject area may work out and submit for the approval of both departments and the dean of the college an interdepartmental proposal. More detailed instructions on the Interdepartmental Major are available in the Dean’s Office, but basically this major involves a minimum of 21 credits from each department with another nine credits that may be distributed in a number of ways. Examples of departments frequently combined in such programs are Communication and English or Political Science and Economics. With the approval of the other college or department, one area of the interdepartmental major may be from outside the College of Arts and Sciences. The interdepartmental major always leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree.

  • A minimum grade of C- is normally required in all courses constituting the 21 credits of each area, and a C average is necessary for all the 51 credits in the interdepartmental major.

Minors: In addition to the major, students may also elect to complete one or more minor programs. Departments offering a minor set their own requirements, but these always include at least 15 credits of course work. A minimum grade of C- is required in all courses for a minor.

Degree Options

Bachelor of Arts

This degree, offered by all departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, is awarded to those students who follow a broad course of study and is designed to provide a liberal education. For this degree, students must complete a minimum of 124 credits composed of requirements for general education, college skills and breadth requirements, required courses in a major, and elective courses. A grade of C- is required in all major courses. No more than 45 credits with the same departmental prefix (including cross-listed courses) may be counted toward the total required for the degree.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Click to view the Bachelor of Arts  degree requirements.

Second Writing Requirement

A second writing course must involve significant expository writing experience, including two papers with a combined minimum of 3,000 words to be submitted for extended faculty critique of both composition and content.  This critique must be applied to a revision of the original essay or to subsequent essays within the course. This course must be taken after completion of 60 credit hours. Appropriate writing courses are designated in the semester’s course offerings. Only the specific sections designated within each academic term will satisfy the second writing requirement. Please check the UDSIS registration system to ascertain whether a particular course section will be offered as a second writing course. These credits may also fulfill some of the breadth requirements. Whereas the second writing courses demand significant interaction between faculty and students, enrollment in a second writing section must not exceed 30 students. To fulfill this requirement, students must earn a minimum grade of “C-“.

The intention of the second writing requirement is to:

  1. Provide students with a significant expository writing experience in English prose.
  2. Provide students the opportunity to practice and improve written communication skills that will be applicable to their academic and professional goals.

Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music

Students whose goals indicate a high level of concentration or specialization may elect to fulfill requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree offered in a number of majors. Similar degrees are the Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a heavy concentration on studio work, and the Bachelor of Music, with its own areas of specialization. Curricular details for all of these degree programs can be found in the sections devoted to the individual departments.

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies

An option that offers a great deal of flexibility is the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies  (BALS). The degree is designed for students who have need and justification for developing their own undergraduate major program within the 124-credit minimum. For requirements, see more information here.

Associate Degrees

The Associate in Arts (AA) represents completion of the first half of a Bachelor of Arts program; the Associate in Science (AS), the first half of a Bachelor of Science program. Specific requirements follow: 

Eligible students may apply for the non-terminal degrees of Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) before completing 75 credit hours. Information regarding admission requirements and eligibility for the associate degree programs may be found in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog. Academic advisement is coordinated by the College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center. More information can be found here:  https://www.aap.udel.edu/

Special Programs

Dean’s Scholar Program

The Dean’s Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of students whose clearly defined educational goals cannot effectively be achieved by pursuing the standard curricula for all existing majors, minors, and interdepartmental majors sponsored by the University. Driven by an overarching passion or curiosity that transcends typical disciplinary bounds and curricula, a Dean’s Scholar’s intellectual interests may lead to broad interdisciplinary explorations of an issue or to more intense, in-depth studies in a single field at a level akin to graduate work. The Dean’s Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of these extraordinary students by allowing them to design, in consultation with faculty advisors, imaginative and rigorous individual plans of study to meet the total credit hours required for graduation. It is expected that the course of study outlined by the Dean’s Scholar candidate will represent a program that cannot be effectively achieved using other options already available within the University. For more information, please see Dean’s Scholar Program.

English Language Institute (ELI)

The University of Delaware English Language Institute (ELI) is an academic unit of the College of Arts and Sciences, whose mission is to support multilingual students, promoting their academic success as they transition to UD and fostering cross-cultural engagement in fulfillment of the University’s goal to graduate global citizens. The ELI meets the academic, professional, and cultural needs of learners whose first language is not English through pre-matriculated, matriculated, and community courses and programs.

Classes are offered in face-to-face, online, and hybrid modes. The ELI intensive language program is fully accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation and is ranked among the top English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the United States.

Academic Transitions (AT) is the University’s conditional admissions program that delivers credit-bearing English language courses and content courses in collaboration with departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and additional colleges. Students can earn 16-28 credits in a scaffolded environment that provides extensive academic and career advising. Students participate in the cohort experience, working with undergraduate mentors to familiarize themselves with University resources, develop friendships, and enhance their leadership skills.

The ELI collaborates with Undergraduate Admissions to offer Accelerate-U Delaware (A-UD), a direct-admission, credit-bearing program enabling first-semester matriculating students to earn 12-16 credits of English and major content courses with extensive academic support. 

For all these programs, and for those customized for special groups of learners, the ELI provides wrap-around services, supporting all facets of our students’ experiences, including university and college advising, placement, housing, host family programs, language partners, and cultural activities.

For more information, please see https://sites.udel.edu/eli/.

Military Science - Army ROTC

Telephone: (302) 831-8213
http://www.udel.edu/armyrotc/

The mission of the Military Science - Army ROTC program is to produce leaders of character to serve in the nation’s defense. The cornerstone of the leadership program is developing self-confidence, teamwork, responsibility, professional ethics, and the development of all aspects of leadership.

Students at the University of Delaware can earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon completion of the military science program and a baccalaureate degree. The normal four-year ROTC program requires the completion of eight 1-semester courses, a military history course, and successful completion of a five-week leadership camp during the summer prior to the senior year. Both full-time and part-time Army jobs are available after college graduation.

ROTC Program - The ROTC program consists of two major subsets - the Basic Course and the Advanced Course. Both courses are straightforward rather than conceptual and tend to be small (25 or less) with much personal interaction between the cadre and the students.

  • Basic Course - for freshmen and sophomores. A series of four 2-credit classes that are open to all students with no military obligation. Student instruction includes basic leadership skills, orientation to the US Army, time management and other academic skills, decision making, and adventure training opportunities (rappelling, land navigation, etc.).
    • Faculty and the advanced course Cadets form support groups and act as mentors to the basic course students providing assistance and a positive environment in which to learn. Students enrolled in the basic course can compete for two and three-year scholarships that will pay full tuition/fees and provide stipends.
    • While the Army may not be for everyone (and some of the Basic Course students decide not to continue in the Advanced program), they all unequivocally state that the ROTC Basic Course instruction provided them with excellent life skills, abilities, and confidence.
  • Advanced Course - for juniors, seniors, and graduate students leading to a commission as a Second Lieutenant. This series of four 3-credit classes involves advanced practical leadership and military skills training as well as a summer training course (Advanced Camp) conducted at Fort Knox, in Kentucky. Students are paid and all travel, medical needs, lodging, and meals are provided while attending the Leadership Development and Advanced Course.
    • No military obligation is incurred until the beginning of this phase. Once the student satisfactorily completes all ROTC requirements and graduates from the University, they receive a commission in the US Army in a full-time (Active Duty) or part-time (Guard/Reserve) status.

Army ROTC Benefits

  • Four, three, and two-year scholarships are awarded to deserving ROTC students each year. Scholarships provide for total tuition costs (in- or out-of-state rates) plus a $1,200 book allowance and a $420 per month stipend. All these benefits may be combined with other scholarship benefits. Typically, 50% of all UD ROTC students are on some type of scholarship incentive.
  • Many of the graduating cadets elect to go on Active Duty to put their ROTC leadership training into practice. The annual salary for a new Second Lieutenant on active duty exceeds $60,000. After 4 years of active service, annual salary is approximately $100,000.
  • For those Cadets who request and receive Reserve Forces duty, many receive better civilian jobs (increased pay and responsibility) because of the practical leadership training and experience they gained in the ROTC program.
  • Most UD degree programs accept all 12-25 military science credits toward graduation. Exceptions are those in the College of Engineering (3 credits) and in the Departments of Medical Technology (four credits), Nursing (six credits), and Nutrition and Dietetics (four credits), each of which accepts four credits.

Pre-Law

Because no single major is preferred for entry to law school, the University provides advisement and information about law school admissions through the Legal Professional Preparatory Program (LP3). This program prepares students for law school and careers in related fields by emphasizing hands-on experience and skills development. Through the partnership and generosity of UD alumni and friends to the University, LP3 provides students with networking events, workshops, mentoring, internships, and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.cas.udel.edu/lp3.

Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Pharmacy

Preparation for admission to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and related fields must include specific course work in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Although many pre-professional students major in biology or chemistry because these disciplines include the science training required, non-science majors are acceptable and, in fact, encouraged by many professional schools.

The Center for Health Profession Studies is focused on helping students who are pursuing careers in the health professions. The center is focused on student outcomes - helping students achieve better success at the careers they have chosen in medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, pharmacy, physical/occupational therapy, and other health profession programs.

The Health Professions Evaluation Committee (HPEC) is a University Committee composed of University faculty and local physicians and dentists. HPEC evaluates students applying to dental, medical, optometry, and podiatry schools.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers the Medical Scholars Program, an eight-year (4+4) academic program sponsored by the University of Delaware in collaboration with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. To join the interest group, first-year students are encouraged to attend one of our interest group meetings offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students can learn the dates for these meetings by connecting with the Center for Health Professions Studies in the first few weeks after starting at UD. At the meeting, students will be given detailed information on the program application, requirements, and affiliated schools. After attending an interest meeting, students will be given access to a Canvas page with specific application dates.

More information about the Center for Health Profession Studies and these programs can be found here: https://sites.udel.edu/healthpro/

Teacher Education Programs

The College of Arts and Sciences offers teacher education programs for students who wish to prepare themselves to be certified teachers in Delaware or in other states and the overseas dependency schools. Secondary teacher education programs, preparing students to teach in middle and high schools, are offered in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. K-12 teacher education programs are offered in the School of Music (instrumental and choral/voice) and the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish).

Each degree program in teacher education requires a certain minimum GPA for enrollment in EDUC 400  Student Teaching, a course required for the degree. The appropriate teacher education program advisor  should be consulted for the exact GPA requirements and other policies concerning qualifications for student teaching.

See features and requirements for each program on the discipline-specific page. 

Middle and high school teacher education programs: 

English Education Major (udel.edu)

Secondary Math Education (udel.edu)

Social Studies Education (udel.edu)

Secondary Education Science (udel.edu)

K-12 teacher education programs:

Music Education (udel.edu)

World Languages Education (udel.edu)

Majors and Minors

Every attempt has been made to present an accurate description of curriculum requirements in programs. However, programs and policies may be changed during the academic year, and students are advised to check with the department concerned or the College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center for the most current information.

Departments and Programs

Department of Africana Studies

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Department of Anthropology

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Department of Art and Design

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Department of Art Conservation

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Department of Art History

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Department of Biological Sciences

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Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

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Department of Communication

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Department of English

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Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies

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Department of History

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Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures

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Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science

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Department of Mathematical Sciences

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School of Music

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Department of Philosophy

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Department of Physics and Astronomy

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Department of Political Science and International Relations

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Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

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Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

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Department of Theatre and Dance

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Department of Women and Gender Studies

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Center for Global and Area Studies

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Liberal Studies and Medical Scholars Program

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Medical Humanities Program

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Military Science - Army ROTC

Museum Studies and Public Engagement Program

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Interdisciplinary Science Learning Labs