Degree Requirements
Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor's degree:
Core Requirements
The university Core Curriculum is designed to be spread out over four years to develop specified knowledge areas, values, and skills. Students with a declared major should integrate the Core requirements alongside their major(s) to create a balanced schedule. Undeclared students should not approach the Core as something to "get out of the way" in the first two years. Instead, students should choose courses in their first two years that they think will aid in developing their interests in a major/minor area.
Note: As of Fall 2005, students must earn a 2.00 overall cumulative GPA in Core Knowledge and Core Values courses. To calculate your cumulative Core GPA, use the GPA calculator posted at http://www.luc.edu/las/gpa_calculator.html.
Click on the links below to view the guides and worksheets about Loyola's Core Curriculum and Values Across the Curriculum requirements.
- Core Curriculum
- Core Transition Guide
- Knowledge Areas Guide
- Student Resources
- Values Across the Curriculum Guide
- Worksheets for Knowledge Areas and Values (PDF)
Major and Minor Requirements
Major Field of Study
Each student must select a department of instruction in which he/she will take extensive and specialized study. The student should make this selection no later than the fourth semester of attendance or at the end of the sophomore year. In selecting a major, the student is encouraged to consult the appropriate chairperson or departmental advisor. The dean, in consultation with the chairperson of a department, may refuse the application of a student for or the continuation of a student in a given major if the student has not shown sufficient progress in that particular subject.
The major field of study is ordinarily a group of 10 or more courses in a single department of instruction. The total number of courses and credit hours required for the major, the specifically prescribed courses, and the order in which they are to be taken may vary among departments. The specific information and requirements for the major are provided separately by each department.
A student who receives a "D+" or lower grade in a course in his/her major must seek the advice of the department and/or academic dean, regarding a decision either to repeat the course or replace it with another course. In either event, the original grade remains on the record. Earned hours for a repeated course will not count toward the graduation requirements. In some departments, students may be dropped from the major if they receive more than one grade below a "C."
A student in CAS must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 in his/her major or minor in order to be certified at graduation. No course in which a student earned credit points of 1.33 or below may count toward fulfillment of the major or minor. A course in which a student earned 1.33, 1.00, or 0.00 credit points does not count toward the major or minor, and therefore may be retaken to count toward the major/minor.
All students are assigned a faculty advisor to guide them through the major. Declared students are encouraged to consult their faculty advisor for major-specific course selection and schedule planning. Generally, all students should pace their major and plan to enroll in some major electives during senior year. This strategy allows greater flexibility in scheduling required major and minor classes and avoids conflict with the pursuit of other courses. Undeclared students should research majors and minors they are interested in prior to visiting a department faculty advisor for advice. Academic advisors can assist in this process.
If you have already declared your major(s) and/or minor(s), or are simply exploring a possible course of study, you may view each department's academic pogram brochure for additional information about the majors/minors in CAS.
Transfer Credit in the Major
At the discretion of the department chairperson, courses in the student's major field that are transferred into Loyola may or may not fulfill the major requirements. Departments limit the transfer credit given for the major and/or have specified a minimum number of Loyola hours in the major. Students should consult the department chairperson or seek guidance from their academic advisor.
Minor Field of Study
A minor field of study option ordinarily consists of six courses selected from a department or interdisciplinary program. Consult individual departments for specific information and requirements. Grades of "D+" or lower are not counted toward fulfillment of minor requirements. Most departments and programs limit the number of hours allowed in transfer. Students should consult with the department chairperson or program director, or seek guidance from their academic advisor. In those departments within the College of Arts and Sciences that offer more than one major field of study (i.e., classical studies, mathematics, computer science, modern languages and literatures), students may choose to major and minor within the same department with approval of the department chairperson. Note: With the exception of journalism majors, students do not need to complete a minor in order to graduate.
For a complete list of available majors and minors, see degree programs.
College Requirements
All CAS students are required to complete a foreign language proficiency requirement and two writing-intensive sections of courses. These courses must be completed with a C- or better.
The language proficiency requirement is fulfilled in one of two ways:
1) earning college credit at the 102-level or above in a foreign language at Loyola (or the equivalent in transfer or via Advanced Placement examination), with a minimum grade of C-; or
2) demonstrating proficiency by passing the Loyola foreign language proficiency examination.
Note: The language proficiency exams, based on reading, writing, and speaking, may be taken in almost any language. Please contact the CAS dean's office for available languages. Students are permitted to take only one proficiency exam, and the exam may only be taken once. Multi-lingual students who wish to take a proficiency exam should request to take a language proficiency exam in the language they know best.
Note: For students enrolling at Loyola before Fall 2005: The requirement may also be met with two years of high-school language instruction in the same language, with a minimum "C-" average.
The writing-intensive requirement is fulfilled by successfully completing two Loyola writing-intensive course sections (maximum of one per semester). Check the course schedule or the class section number (which includes a "W" in the section code) for designated writing-intensive sections.
Elective Courses
Students must complete at least 128 credit hours to graduate from Loyola. By definition, electives are courses not used toward completing the major, minor, or Core requirements, which students take to complete the graduation requirement of 128 credits. We encourage students, when choosing electives, to think of the knowledge, values, and skills you hope to gain in exploring a particular academic interest or in anticipation of a career after graduation. For undeclared students, elective courses present an excellent opportunity to develop academic interests leading toward a major or minor. General electives also present an opportunity to broaden your liberal arts education, add to your skill-set, or simply try a new subject for the joy of it.
