A degree program must be completed in four academic years and, under certain conditions, can be completed in three. The first two years are intended to be spent in developing the knowledge and skills associated with a broad range of basic academic disciplines, including natural science, history and social science, the humanities, foreign language, English composition, mathematics and fine arts. In the third and fourth years, students are expected to continue at a more advanced level in several of these fields and to concentrate in one of them (the major subject). Twelve or more transfer credits awarded in a single semester for work at another institution will constitute one of the eight semesters allotted for full-time registration in the College.
The minimum residence requirement for a degree is two academic years. The last year of candidacy must be spent in this University, and courses offered in the major for the degree must be completed in residence unless written exception is made by the dean of the College in consultation with the department or interdepartmental program concerned.
For graduation from the College the candidate must have satisfied the area requirements given below and a plan of major study. In addition, the candidate must have passed and offer for a degree a minimum of 120 credits of approved courses, of which at least 96 must be passed on a graded (A-B-C-D) basis. Among the 120 credits must be at least 102 College or College-equivalent credits. A candidate must have made a grade point average of at least 2.0 on all graded courses taken in the College or elsewhere in the University and offered for a degree. A student who has received a baccalaureate degree cannot submit any courses offered for that degree toward another degree in the University. Students are subject to the area requirements in effect during the academic year when they first enter the University. Students are subject to the requirements for the major in effect during the semester in which they declare the major.
Address
The College of Arts and Sciences
Garrett Hall
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 924-3351
Art and Sciences on-line site
| Fall Semester 1997 | |
| August 27-September 5 | Fall semester registration (via ISIS) |
| August 30-31 | Orientation for new students |
| September 1-3 | Advising |
| September 3 | Classes begin |
| September 17 | Last day to drop a course |
| September 19 | Last day to add a course; change to or from credit/no credit; elect AU (audit) option |
| October 11-14 | Reading holiday |
| October 29 | Last day to withdraw from a course |
| October 31 | Fall Convocation and Family Weekend |
| November 3-14 | Advising, selection of spring courses |
| November 26-November 30 | Thanksgiving recess |
| December 8 | Last day to request change in examination schedule |
| December 12 | Classes end |
| December 13-14 | Reading days |
| December 15-22 | Course examinations |
| Spring Semester 1998 | |
| January 7-16 | Spring semester registration (via ISIS) |
| January 12 | Deadline for completing authorized incompletes from fall semester |
| January 14 | Classes begin |
| January 28 | Last day to drop a course |
| January 30 | Last day to add a course; change to or from credit/no credit; elect AU (audit) option |
| March 7-15 | Spring recess |
| March 11 | Last day to withdraw from a course |
| March 30 - April 10 | Advising, selection of fall courses |
| April 24 | Last day to request change in examination schedule |
| April 28 | Classes end |
| April 29 - April 30 | Reading days |
| May 1-8 | Course examinations |
| May 17 | Final exercises |
| June 5 | Deadline for completing authorized incompletes from spring semester |
Requests for Exceptions to the Rules and Appeals Students who believe there is a valid reason for asking for an exception to any of the rules may file a petition to the Dean of the College. In most cases the recommendation of a course instructor or advisor is required on the petition before it is filed. An unfavorable response from the dean may be appealed to the Committee on Faculty Rules. The College has established procedures to deal with requests for exceptions to rules in cases involving psychological issues. College students should contact the dean's office for information about such procedures.
Accuracy of Students' Records Students are responsible for verifying the accuracy of their academic records by the drop deadline and each time thereafter that they make a change in their schedule. Students who fail to do so are subject to various penalities as determined by the dean. Changes to the transcript are permitted only during the current and immediately following semester. Transcripts may be requested, upon payment of a nominal fee, from the Office of the Registrar in Carruthers Hall. PACE reports are mailed once a semester by the Registrar, and grade reports are mailed to students at the end of each semester. Errors must be reported to the dean's office within the stated deadlines. After one semester has lapsed the student's record is considered permanent.
Intra-University Transfers -- Students who register as first years in any School of the University in the fall 1994 semester or thereafter are subject to the new curriculum in the event they transfer into the College.
Lists of courses meeting the second writing requirement, historical studies and non-Western studies requirements are available in Garrett Hall, the annually revised College of Arts and Sciences Student Handbook, and other advising information distributed by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Following matriculation all area requirements must be completed at the University of Virginia. AP credits from secondary school and transfer credits before enrollment for the first time may count as area requirements. Test scores cited in this section are the ones from the SAT II Subject Tests re-centered in April, 1995.
Intermediate Honors Students who enter the University directly from high school or preparatory school and who, after four regular semesters have completed 59 credits of course work and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.4, are awarded a Certificate of Intermediate Honors. The notation "intermediate honors" is also placed on each student's official academic record. In the College, no more than twelve of the 59 required credits may be earned on a CR/NC basis. Further, students need to have remained in good standing. Advanced Placement, Summer Session, and transfer credits do not count toward the required credits.
Theses and Commencement Honors Degrees with distinction, high distinction, and highest distinction are awarded by the Committee on Special Programs to students who have a grade point average of 3.4 or higher and have been recommended by the departments or interdepartmental programs in which they have completed a Distinguished Majors Program or the equivalent. Distinguished majors programs require that students submit a written thesis. All degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences offer a distinguished majors program except Astronomy, Cognitive Sciences, Drama, and Medieval Studies. In departments offering thesis courses, non-DMP students may have an opportunity to write a thesis; contact the specific departments for more information. The committee also awards distinction, but not high or highest distinction, to students who have not enrolled in (or who have discontinued) a DMP but who complete their degree with a grade point average of at least 3.6.
Phi Beta Kappa To be eligible for election to Phi Beta Kappa, students must have done distinguished work in advanced courses in several Arts and Sciences departments. While no set grade point average is established for election, successful nominees have usually earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7, taken upper-level work in several departments in the College, and carried a course load greater than 12 credits in each semester.
Second Writing Requirement -- typically a 3-credit course. Students must complete in any Department in the College an additional course whose written work meets the criteria for this requirement. The course may carry one or more credits. There are no exceptions to the second writing requirement. Courses elected under this heading may also be counted toward completion of other segments of the area requirements, as well as toward a major or minor. A course offered for the second writing requirement must carry a grade of C- or better and must be taken in the College. The second writing requirement must be completed by the end of the sixth semester, with the necessary form filed by the same deadline in the Office of the Dean.
Foreign Language -- 0-14 credits, (through the 202 level; 201 for B.S. in Chemistry) or exemption, depending on previous work. Place in a language sequence is by SAT II Subject Test score and departmental recommendation. Students are exempt who scored 660 or above on an SAT II Subject Test in French; scored 650 or above on an SAT II Subject Test in German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish; scored 640 or above on an SAT II Subject Test in Chinese or Japanese; scored 560 or above on an SAT II Subject Test in Hebrew. Students are obliged to follow the Department's recommendations in the completion of the foreign language requirement. Once placement occurs, the foreign language requirement is fulfilled by the completion of each course in sequence (no skipping). Credit for introductory language courses is disallowed if it duplicates foreign language credits offered for admission to the College.
Social Sciences -- 6 credits
A student must pass a minimum of two courses (three or more credits
each) from the departments of
Anthropology,
Economics,
Government and Foreign Affairs (except GFPT),
Psychology, and
Sociology,
or from the programs in
Afro-American and African Studies (AAS),
Linguistics (200-level or above), and
Women's Studies (WMST).
Some foreign language courses taught under ANTH do not fulfill
this requirement, nor do literature courses under AAS. Courses
taken for this requirement may count also toward one other area
requirement.
Humanities -- 6 credits
A student must pass a minimum of one course (three or more credits
each) from two of the following three groups of departments and
programs:
Literature -- Classics, Comparative Literature, English (except ENWR 100 and 101), and foreign literature (Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, French, German, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese courses in translation and all courses above the 202 level).Fine Arts -- Art (and Art History), Drama, Music, and Architectural History courses AR H 100, AR H 101, AR H102, AR H 150, and AR H 203.
Moral, Philosophical, and Religious Perspectives -- GFPT, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Courses taken for this requirement may count also toward one other area requirement.
Historical Studies -- 3 credits
A student must pass a minimum of one course (of at least three credits) from the Department of History or a course from another department that is substantially historical, as recognized by the faculty. Courses taken for this requirement may count also toward one other area requirement.Non-Western Perspectives
A student must pass a minimum of one course (of at least three credits), from any department, among those recognized by the faculty as dealing substantively with a culture other than the Western cultural heritage, including minority sub-cultures in the West. Courses taken for this requirement may count also toward one other area requirement.
Note: Liberal Arts Seminars (LASE), University Seminars (USEM 170, 171), and other courses numbered 170 and 171 may not be counted toward the area requirements. Seminars numbered 170 and 171 may be counted as electives. No course counted toward these degree requirements may be taken under the Credit/No Credit option.
Students may major in two subjects, in which case the application for a degree must be approved by both departments or interdepartmental programs. Students who double major must submit at least 18 credits in each major that are not duplicated in the other major. There is no triple major.
The credit/no credit option may not be elected for the courses offered in the major program. Beyond the courses required for the major, however, a student may register for other courses in their major field on a credit/no credit basis.
Courses taken during a student's first and second years may count toward the major program with the permission of the department or interdepartmental program concerned. Courses applied toward the major may not be transferred from another institution to the University except with special permission of the Department. Courses (other than foreign language through 202) may count simultaneously toward fulfillment of a second major. Students beyond the second year must remain in good standing as a major or have their enrollment in the College cancelled.
The following major programs are offered:
Afro-American and African StudiesInterdepartmental Programs A number of degree programs are administered by committees rather than by departments. These include Afro-American and African Studies, American Studies, Comparative Literature, Russian Studies, all the Area Studies Programs -- Asian Studies, Latin-American Studies and Middle East Studies; and all the organized Interdisciplinary Studies Programs -- Archaeology, Cognitive Science, the Echols Scholars Program, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Political and Social Thought, and Women's Studies.
American Studies
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art History
Art Studio
Asian Studies
Astronomy
Astronomy-Physics
Biology
Chemistry, B.A. or B.S.
Classics
Cognitive Science
Comparative Literature
Drama
Economics
English
Environmental Sciences
Foreign Affairs
French
German
Government
History
Interdisciplinary Major
Italian
Latin American Studies
Linguistics
Mathematics
Medieval Studies
Middle Eastern Studies
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political and Social Thought
Psychology
Religious Studies
Russian Studies
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Sociology
Spanish
Women's Studies
Interdisciplinary Major A student desiring to concentrate in an area for which there is no departmental or interdepartmental major program may apply to the Chair for acceptance in the Interdisciplinary Major Program. Such a plan of study must include at least 30 credits of courses, in addition to a 6-credit thesis, and be approved by three faculty sponsors, who will serve as the student's major committee. Details are available in Garrett Hall.
Distinguished Major Students who show exceptional promise in their major field of study may be eligible for admission to the Distinguished Majors Program within their department. The Distinguished Major consists of at least twelve credits of advanced work and a thesis, special project, experiment, or exhibit based on at least six credits of supervised research, advanced laboratory work, or advanced study, as determined by the department. Successful completion of the program with a University cumulative grade point average of at least 3.40 will qualify a student for graduation with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction.
Teacher Education Students in the College may also apply to the five-year Education Program sponsored jointly with the Curry School of Education, which leads to the simultaneous receipt of both a B.A. degree from the College and a Master's in Teaching degree from the School of Education. Students will also be certified to teach on the elementary or secondary levels. Students wishing to pursue careers as teachers will major in an academic discipline in the College and simultaneously begin professional courses leading to teacher certification.
Students may select a major in any area of the College and combine it with a teaching specialization in one of the following areas:
Students intending to minor must complete the appropriate forms in the department no later than the ADD period of their next to last semester in the College, normally the seventh semester. A minor consists of no fewer than 15 or more than 24 credits of graded work in a program or studies approved by the sponsoring department. Students may not declare two minors, but they may declare two majors and a minor. As with the major, courses taken credit/no credit may not be included in the minor program. Echols scholars declaring "no major" may not declare a minor. Courses used to meet area requirements in the College and the second writing requirement may simultaneously be offered in fulfillment of a minor, except that foreign language courses through level 202 may not be included as part of a minor.
The School of Architecture offers a minor in Architecture, Architectural History and a minor in City Planning and Preservation which are open to students in the College. The courses required for these two minors are exempt from the limitations on electives stated in the paragraph below only if requirements for the minor are completed. Requirements for these minors are described in Chapter 7: School of Architecture.
The School of Engineering offers a minor in Computer Science for College students consisting of 18 credits, including CS 101, CS 201, CS 202, CS 216, CS 308, and CS 340. Additional details are available at the Department of Computer Science on-line site.
These courses may not count as area requirements, but are considered to be College-equivalent: ARCH 101; ARCH 102; ARCH 232; AR H courses (other than those noted above); COMM 320; CS courses; EDLF 545; EDLF 546; EDLF 564; EDHS 450; ENGR 207; L AR 312; L AR 313; MS 201; TCC 300; TCC 310; and PLAN courses under 500, only if the Minor in Planning is completed.
Students in the Special Education part of the B.A./M.T. program are permitted to count these additional six credits of Education School courses as College-equivalent: EDIS 302 (or EDIS 500) and one of EDIS 510; EDIS 511; EDIS 512; or EDIS 515.
These courses are considered non-College, counting among the 18 credits that may apply to the B.A. or B.S.: EDHS (other than 450 noted above and 341, 344, 350, and 351; see below); Physical Education (PHYE and EDHS 341, 344, 350, and 351, two credits maximum); LASE; USEM; PLSK (2 credits maximum); and ROTC (12 credits maximum).
Subject to the above, work completed elsewhere with a grade of "C" or better is transferred in credits only. The courses thus completed reduce the number of credits and grade points that must be earned at the University for a degree. For example, students earning 10 credits at another institution are required to earn only 110 credits at the University (instead of 120) and 220 grade points. Please note that the credits transfer to the University, but the letter grades do not appear on the University's official records. Students will receive no more than the number of credits earned at the host institution.
Transfer credit is allowed only for those courses in which a grade of C or better has been earned. In the College, courses in which a grade of CR is received must be certified to be the equivalent of a grade of C or higher to be accepted. Only credits are accepted in transfer. Grades do not transfer and do not effect the student's cumulative grade point average at the University of Virginia.
Transfer credit is evaluated only for the degree program to which students are admitted, and the amount of credit awarded is subject to change if students change degree programs. In the College, the amount of transfer credit awarded and the number of full-time semesters previously completed determines class standing. A maximum of sixty-six credits may be transferred to the University from a combination of testing programs and academic institutions
For more information, see the "Transfer Credit" section of the chapter entitled "University Regulations."
Each department and interdepartmental program has a faculty member who is charged with organizing undergraduate advising in its major. These are usually designated Directors of Undergraduate Studies or Undergraduate Chairs and are thoroughly informed about every course offered for undergraduates in that field. Mid-way through each semester, the departments and interdepartmental programs in the College issue a complete description of courses to be offered in the following semester. These are available separately in the departmental offices and as bound volumes in the dean's office and in Clemons Library.
In order to provide every entering student with individual academic counselling, the College has developed the Association System. The student body of the College is partitioned into ten "associations" representing first-year residences. Each association has an association dean, several faculty associates, and a graduate advisor who lives in the first-year dormitory. The faculty associates serve as academic advisors to first- and second-year students. The association dean and the graduate advisor assist in matching students with their faculty associates and have a general responsibility for the intellectual life of the Association.
These academic advisory services are coordinated with the residence-life system, in which selected upper-class students reside in the dormitory as resident assistants and help first-year students with their adjustment to the University. The graduate advisor and the association dean are the principal links between academic advising and the more general concerns of residence life.
Students pursuing Teacher Education and the combined programs with the Curry School of Education will have two advisors, one from their College major, and one from the parallel teacher education program in the Curry School. Though B.A. students are primarily responsible for the following rules and policies of the College, there are additional regulations regarding the teacher education program (similar to the rules for any major). Students should therefore consult both advisors before making any decisions regarding academic programs or course selections.
Pre-Law Advising A Law School Advisory program is offered by the Office of Career Planning and Placement in Garrett Hall. Qualified students from the University of Virginia School of Law have been designated pre-law advisors. Available to all University students who are considering the study of law, their services are designed to provide first- and second-year students with sound advice on the admission practices and procedures of law schools throughout the country.
Pre-Medical Advising While there is no prescribed pre-medical curriculum at the University of Virginia, students planning to apply to medical or dental school should bear in mind the following while planning their undergraduate programs.
Foreign Study Advising Both foreign languages and international studies are especially strong academic programs in the College. Many opportunities exist, some of them unique to this University, for studying abroad. About ten percent of the students graduating from the College offer some credit from study abroad toward their degrees. Plans for foreign study should be made well in advance, normally during the first semester of the second year. Students contemplating foreign study should consult an advisor in the Office of International Studies in Minor Hall. A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5, after the student's most recent enrollment in Charlottesville, is required to receive credits from studying abroad.
No more than two courses may be taken on a CR/NC basis in any semester or in Summer Session exclusive of physical education courses. A maximum of 24 credits of CR/NC courses may be used toward a degree. Second-year transfer students are permitted to submit up to 18 credits of CR/NC work toward a degree; for third-year transfer students, a maximum 12 credits of CR/NC work are allowed. Courses in interdisciplinary programs cannot be taken on a CR/NC basis. Students may not use a CR/NC course to repeat a course in which a grade has already been given. If this should occur, the credits in the CR/NC course would not count toward graduation. The deadline for selecting the CR/NC option is the same as the add deadline, and requests for exceptions to the deadline are seldom granted.
Students are not permitted to take a final examination before the regularly scheduled examination. When genuinely serious conditions exist, students, with the consent of the course instructor, may be allowed to postpone a final examination until after the regular examination period. When the instructor concurs, a student must submit a postponement request on a form provided by the dean's office of the school in which the student is registered. Students will then take the examination at the instructor's convenience, usually within four weeks of the last day of the examination period.
Unexcused absence from a final examination results in an automatic grade of F in the course.
The College limits the time in which a grade change is approved to the following semester.
The Dean of the College has assured the faculty that he or she will follow their request to confer with students who are absent from classes too often and, when necessary, impose academic discipline upon these students, either when recommended by instructors or deemed necessary by his or her office. Absences traditionally excused are those that occur because of hospitalization, serious illness, death in a student's family, important religious holidays, or authorized University activities (field trips, University-sponsored athletic events, or the like). The instructor is not obligated to allow students to make up missed work; it is the instructor's decision, not the dean's, whether students can be allowed such a privilege. Neither the department of Student Health nor the dean's office issues excuses for class absence or for missed quizzes. Only when students are unable to contact instructors themselves (e.g., debilitating illness, leaving town suddenly for family emergencies, protracted absences) do the association deans send notification to instructors; otherwise it is the student's responsibility to consult directly with the instructor regarding absence from class. Excuses for absences from final examinations must come only from the dean's office.
Transfer Credit If a course taken elsewhere and transferred to the University is repeated and passed at the University, only the credits awarded for the transferred course count toward the 120 credits required for graduation. The course repeated at the University does appear on the student's transcript, but the grade earned does not enter into computation of the grade point average, nor do the credits earned count toward the 120 required for graduation.
AP Credit If a course for which AP credits have been awarded is repeated at the University, the AP credits are disallowed. The repeated course is posted, with its credits counting toward graduation and its grades included in the computation of the grade point average.
Discontinuing a Course Students who decide to discontinue a course in which they have enrolled must call ISIS to drop the course within the published deadlines. Students who fail to revise their list of current courses by calling ISIS within the well publicized deadlines become subject, after one written notice, to penalities determined by the dean.
With the instructor's permission, students in the College may withdraw from a course with a grade of W for a period of eight weeks from the semester's (not the course's) first day of instruction. After this cutoff, students must either complete the course or, with the instructor's endorsement, submit a request for an incomplete to the dean's office. Students who discontinue a course at any point without complying with the proper procedure receive a failing grade.
For year-long College courses, the deadlines to add and drop are those from the first semester, and the withdrawal deadline is that of the second semester.
In general the deadlines for graduation in May fall in November. For graduation in August the deadlines are in April, and for graduation in January the deadlines are in September. Students who miss a deadline may apply for the subsequent graduation and must register for the semester in which it occurs.
Admission as a special student does not imply or guarantee admission to a degree program in an undergraduate or graduate school of the University. Admission to undergraduate schools may be offered only by the Dean of Undergraduate Admission. Admission to graduate programs may be made only by Deans of Graduate Admission of each of the individual graduate schools. (special students in the Division of Continuing Education refer to Chapter 12.)
Academic Warning Students who fail to remain in good standing are placed on academic warning. The notations "less than 1.8 GPA," "low grades below C-," and "reduced courseload" are placed on the students' permanent academic records following the term in which they were placed on warning. Students on warning are expected to meet with their association dean no later than the ADD period of the ensuing semester. They are strongly urged to devote more time to their academic work and are referred to academic support service. Students on academic warning who withdraw or take a leave of absence are eligible to return upon application, but do so on academic warning and are subject to suspension if they do not attain good standing.
Suspension Students will be subject to suspension after two consecutive semesters on Warning. Students who fail to earn at least nine grade points in a semester are also subject to suspension. One full fall term and one full spring term must elapse before they may return to the College. Applications for readmission will be considered upon the presentation of evidence that the difficulties which led to suspension in the first place have been overcome (see below).
Voluntary Withdrawal Students may withdraw from the University before the conclusion of a semester if they meet the conditions stated in the chapter entitled "University Regulations."
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences who withdraw within 10 class days immediately preceding the final examination period, except for providential reasons, are not permitted to re-enter the College for the succeeding semester.
For information about educational leaves of absence, enforced withdrawal, and medical withdrawal, please see the chapter entitled "University Regulations."
Readmission application forms are available in Garrett Hall. For students in the College, the completed application must include a statement which (1) addresses their readiness to return to full-time study, in light of any serious difficulties during their most recent enrollment. (e.g. financial hardship, medical, personal), and (2) outlines over the remaining semesters the courses needed to fulfill their degree requirements.
Adds, Drops, and Course Enrollment Deadlines Students appealing penalties attached to missed deadlines must see their association deans. Further appeals go to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Garrett Hall 203.
Grading and Classroom Issues Students who desire to appeal a grade attempt first to resolve the issue with the instructor of the course. Absent a satisfactory outcome, the student consults with the faculty co-ordinator of the course, if appropriate, the Director of Undergraduate Studies and then the Chair of the Department. After this path has proven unsuccessful in the resolution of the matter, the student writes to the Associate Dean of the College for Academic Programs (Garrett Hall 203). The final level of appeal is to the Dean of the College.
College Policies and Rules Students whose petitions for relief from College rules have been denied by the association deans may appeal to the Committee on Faculty Rules (c/o Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Garrett Hall 203). The committee consists of faculty members who are not association deans. If the negative decision is upheld by the Committee on Faculty Rules, the student's route of appeal is to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs (Stephen Plog, Garrett Hall 203). The final level of appeal is to the Dean of the College. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs, who is in the line of appeals, does not vote in the periodic meetings held by the association deans to address the academic standing of students in the College.