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Curriculum Requirements

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The BIS degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, 45 of which must be upper level. Out of the last 45 credits, 30 must be from VCU, and 15 may be from another institution. Regardless of the number of hours earned before admission to BIS, a student must take at least 24 hours after acceptance including 12 hours in the focus area.

  • 15 hours of Communicating (6 hours of English Composition; 6 hours of Writing Intensive; 3 hours of Speech or Communications)
  • 3 hours in Ethics (e.g., PHIL 211, 212, 213, RELS 340, MASC 290, SOCY 445, POLI 341)
  • 6 Hours in Quantity and Form which must include College Algebra or its equivalent (e.g., MAT 131) plus 3 hours of calculus, critical thinking or logic, statistics, or computer science
  • 3-4 hours in Science and Technology which includes a lab experience (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Geography, Astronomy, Geology)
  • 2-3 credits in the Visual and Performing Arts
  • 9 credits in Humanities and Social Sciences and Interdependence dispersed as follows:
  • 3 credits in Humanities
    (e.g., Literature, RELS, HIST, PHIL, Foreign Language) plus 3 hours in American, European, or Non-Western Culture plus three hours in Social Sciences (e.g., PSYC, SOCY, SOCS, ECON, POLI, AFAM, ANTH, GEOG, SLWK) plus one of these 3 courses must have an international or global emphasis
  • a 36 hour interdisciplinary focus area which will be defined with the help of faculty

 

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Course requirements
Minimum semester credits required Suggested courses to meet requirements
Community college
VCU
 
Communicating

    English Composition and Rhetoric

6 ENGL 111 and 112 UNIV 112 and ENGL 200

    Upper Level Expository

6 None Any course designated as Writing Intensive (WI)

    Speech or Communications

3 SPD 105, 110 SPCH 321 or 121
Quantity and Form
6
(must include college algebra or its equivalent, e.g., VCU's MATH 131)

    Math

  MTH 163, 166, 151 and 152 MATH 131, 151

    and

     

    Statistics

  MTH 240 or 241 STAT 208 or 210

    or

     

    Logic

  PHI 115 or 112 PHIL 221 or 222

    or

     

    Computer Science

  CSC 110, IST 110 or 114 INFO 160, 161 or 162
Ethics
  3 PHI 220 PHIL 211, 212, 213 or RELS 340
Science and Technology
  4 BIO 102
GOL 105 or 106
CHM 111, PHY 121
BIOL 101, 103
CHEM 110, PHYS 107 and lab
Visual and Performing Arts
  2-3 MUS, ART, PHT ARTF, ARTH, CRAF, PAPR, PHTO, MHTS, APPM
Humanities and Social Sciences and Interdependence
9 Choose 1 course from each of the following 3 areas:

    Social Science

  A:
PSY 201-202
SOC 201-202
PLS 211-212
ECO 201-202
A:
3 hours in Social Sciences: PSYC, SOCY, SOCS, ECON, POCI, AFAM, ANTH, GEOG, SLWK

    Culture

  B:
HIS 101-102
HIS 121-122
HIS 141-142
B:
3 hours in American European, Nonwestern Culture

    Humanities and Interdependence

  C:
a semester of a Foreign Language
PLS 241
REL 231
C:
3 hours in
Humanities, Literature
RELS, HIST, PHIL,
Foreign Language
One course from A-C must include a global or international emphasis
Focus Area
  Academic concentration consisting of courses from 2 or more goal-related disciplines. Minimum of 36 hours; 24 must be upper level. A minimum of 12 hours in the focus area is required AFTER admission.

 

 

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Virginia Commonwealth University | University College

Hibbs Hall | 900 Park Avenue | P.O. Box 842507 | Richmond, Virginia 23284-9079

Phone: (804) 827-UNIV (8648) | Email: ucollege@vcu.edu

Last Revised: 23.05.2008

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