Nov 23, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25
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OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25

B.A. Degree and Requirements

General requirements for a B.A. are

  1. a minimum of 120 semester hours;
  2. 57 hours of coursework above the 1999 level;
  3. the equivalent of two years of college-level foreign language;
  4. at least 9 hours each of humanities, social sciences, and 6 hours of natural sciences coursework;
  5. OHIO BRICKS ; and
  6. all requirements stipulated by the school for the chosen major.

Minors are optional.

B.A. Degree Language Options

B.A. students must complete a foreign language to the 2120-level (or its equivalent). Students taking the Spanish, French, or German placement test and who test into 3110 will have fulfilled their foreign language requirement. The placement exam does not count as college credit. Students who test into 3110 are encouraged to take the course they placed into for college credit. These higher-level courses will count as humanities courses (and A&S 2000-level or higher) as well as towards a minor or major in the field.

Students who have prior knowledge of one of the following foreign languages should contact the academic departments listed below for test-out and placement information:

American Sign Language - Hearing, Speech and Language Studies - Grover Center W218 - contact: hsls@ohio.edu - 740.593.1407

French, German, Italian, or Spanish  - Modern Languages - Gordy Hall 283 - contact: modern.languages@ohio.edu - 740.593.2765

Akan, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Indonesian, Swahili, Thai, or Wolof  - Linguistics - Gordy Hall 383 - 740.593.0297

Greek or Latin - Classics and Religious Studies - contact: classics@ohio.edu  - Ellis 210

Students who have prior knowledge of a foreign language not offered at Ohio University can opt to take the NYU Foreign 12-Point exam (approximate cost $350) to complete their foreign language requirement: www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/center-for-publishing-and-applied-liberal-arts/proficiency-testing.html .

International Students

For international students whose first or native language is not English, and who completed high school where the first or native language was the one primarily used for instruction, the foreign language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating competence in English. This must be approved by the assistant dean in the College of Fine Arts, and it generally requires the successful completion of at least one or more courses in English as a foreign language.

You may also satisfy the foreign language requirement by taking a foreign language other than your own first language at Ohio University, or by successfully completing the NYU foreign language exam.

Enrollment in the beginning or intermediate level (under 3000) of your own first language(s) will be considered a noncredit course.

Please contact the Fine Arts Undergraduate Student Affairs office at 740.593.0587 for additional information.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements

Humanities Area Requirement *

The humanities requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. African American Studies:  AAS 1060 ,  1100 ,  1500 ,  2100 ,  2110 ,  2500 ,  3100 ,  3170 ,  3500 ,  3520 ,  3530 ,  3550 ,  3560 , 3570
  2. Academic and Global Communication:  AGC 1300
  3. Art: ART 1100 , 1200 , 1210 , 1220 , 1230 , 1240 , 1600 , 2640 , 3660
  4. Art History: AH****
  5. Classics and Religious Studies:  except CARS 2010 , 2020 ,  3040 , 3410
  6. College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 1110 , 2300
  7. Communication Studies:  COMS 3601 ,  3602 ,  3603
  8. Dance:  DANC 1010 , 1020 , 1040 , 1050 , 1700 , 2235 , 2550 ,  2700 , 2710 , 3150 , 4550 ,  4710 , 4711 , 4750
  9. English:  except ENG D150 ,  1510 , 1510L ,  1610 ,  4510 ,  4520 ,  4911 ,  4912
  10. Fine Arts:  FAR 1500
  11. Film: FILM 2010 , 2020 , 2030 , 3400 , 3430 , 4440 , 4710 , 4720
  12. Foreign language courses other than those used to complete the foreign language requirement and  except FR 1199 ,  FR 2930 ,  FR 4640 , GER 2930 ,  ITAL 2930 ,  JPN 3410 ,  RUS 2930 ,  SPAN 1199 , and  SPAN 2930
  13. History:  HIST 1210 ,  1220 ,  2530 ,  2600 , 2755 ,  2950 ,  3111J ,  3140 ,  3141 ,  3144 ,  3146 ,  3147 ,  3148 ,  3224 ,  3290 ,  3291 ,  3292 ,  3293 ,  3390 , 3465 ,  3520 ,  3521 ,  3531 ,  3532 ,  3533 ,  3540 ,  3541 ,  3542 ,  3550 ,  3560 ,  3562 ,  3600 , 3792 ,  3840 ,  3860 ,  3861 ,  3864 ,  3900 ,  4536
  14. Humanities: HUM****
  15. Interdisciplinary Arts: IART****
  16. International Literatures in English, International Literature: Linguistics  andInternational Literature: Modern Languages  except ILL 3890
  17. Jewish Studies:  JS 1000 ,  2100 ,  2900
  18. Modern Languages:  ML 2300 ,  2950 ,  3210J ,  3270J , 3280J
  19. Music/Music Literature: MUS 1220 ,  1240 , 1250 ,  2240 ,  3210 ,  4210 ,  4211 ,  4212 ,  4213 ,  4214 ,  4215 ,  4216 ,  4270
  20. Philosophy:  except PHIL 1200
  21. Theater: THAR 1710 , 1730 , 2130 , 2390 ,  2710 ,  2711 , 3396 , 3397 , 3398 , 4710
  22. University Professor:  UP 1901 , 1901U , 4901U  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
  23. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:  except WGSS 3910

Social Sciences Area Requirement*

The social sciences requirement may be met by a selection of 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. African American Studies:  AAS 1010 ,  1900 ,  2020 ,  2200 ,  2250 ,  2540 ,  3400 ,  3410 ,  3450 ,  3460 , 3650 ,  3680 , 3691 ,  4400 ,  4820
  2. Academic and Global Communication:  AGC 1300
  3. Anthropology:  except ANTH 2010 ,  3460 ,  3550 ,  3600 ,  4470 ,  4480 ,  4740 ,  3960
  4. Business Law:  BUSL 2000 ,  2550 ,  3400
  5. Classics and Religious Studies: CARS 2010 , 2020 , 3040 , 3410
  6. College of Arts and Sciences:  CAS 1120 ,  1415 ,  1425 ,  1605 ,  2300 ,  2350 ,  2411 ,  2600 ,  4410 ,  4911
  7. Economics: ECON**** except ECON 2890
  8. Environmental and Plant Biology:  PBIO 2170
  9. Environmental Studies: ES 3620 , 4500 , 4610 , 4710 , 4720 , 4730 , 4832 , 4910
  10. Geography: GEOG  except those listed under Natural Sciences (see below)
  11. History: HIST  except those listed under Humanities (see above) and except HIST 2270 , 2540 , 2700
  12. International Literature: ILL 3890
  13. International Studies: INST****
  14. Japanese:  JPN 3410
  15. Law, Justice, and Culture:  LJC 2000 ,  3915 ,  4945
  16. Linguistics: LING****
  17. Modern Languages:  ML 2400
  18. Political Science: POLS****
  19. Psychology:  except PSY 1110 , 1110L ,  2110 , 2111 ,  2112 ,  2210 ,  3110 ,  3230
  20. Social Work: SW****
  21. Sociology: SOC**** 
  22. University Professor:  UP 1901S ,  4901S  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
  23. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: WGSS 2300 ,  3910

Natural Sciences Area Requirement*

The natural sciences requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. Anthropology:  ANTH 2010 ,  3460 ,  3550 ,  3600 ,  4470 ,  4480 ,  4740 ,  3960
  2. Astronomy: ASTR****
  3. Biological Sciences: BIOL 1010 , BIOS**** except BIOS 1100 , 1500
  4. Chemistry:  except CHEM D015 ,  1100 ,  1150 ,  1151 ,  1152 ,  3005 ,  3006
  5. College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 1415 , 2000 , 2405 , 2411 , 2600
  6. Computer Science:  CS 3000 ,  4160
  7. Economics: ECON 2890
  8. Environmental and Plant Biology:  except PBIO 2170
  9. Environmental Studies: ES 4250 , 4300 , 4500 , 4710 , 4832
  10. Geography: GEOG 1100 , 2060 , 2680 , 2710 , 3010 , 3020 , 3031 , 3040 , 3050 , 3150 , 3160 , 3580 , 3650 , 3712 ,  4035 , 4060 , 4070 , 4080 , 4090 , 4110 , 4130 , 4170 , 4660 , 4670 ,  4730 , 4760 , 4770 , 4941 , 4942 , 4943 , 4944
  11. Geological Sciences: GEOL****
  12. Mathematics:  except MATH D004 ,  D005 ,  1060 ,  1090 ,  1101 ,  1102 ,  1200 ,  1300 ,  1321 ,  1322 ,  1500 , 2120 ,  4100
  13. Physical Science: PSC****
  14. Physics: PHYS**** except PHYS 1021 , 1022
  15. Psychology:  PSY 2110 ,  2111 ,  2112 , 2210 ,  3110 ,  3230
  16. University Professor:  UP 1901N ,  4901N  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)

* May only count in one area. Additionally, courses from the department of your major cannot be used to meet this requirement.

Note:  Methods  courses are not applicable to area requirements.

*These listings must be used as the official guide for the completion of the Arts and Sciences area (distribution) requirements. Exceptions to the 9-hour Arts and Sciences area distribution will be made only under the most unusual of circumstances and by petition only. Consideration for inclusion of courses not listed is not made on an  ad hoc basis  but requires formal approval of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.

Some courses from these categories may also be applied to the University general education requirements. However, the three Arts and Sciences area categories differ in scope from the five  OHIO BRICKS  groupings. If you wish to select a course that will apply to both the Arts and Sciences and general education requirements, take care to choose a course that has been approved for the desired category in both the College and the University listings. Courses that can fulfill quantitative reasoning and written communication  OHIO BRICKS  requirements and the capstone requirement do not apply to the Arts and Sciences area distribution requirements. Exceptions include  MATH 1350  and  PSY 2110 .

The list of courses appears in the  OHIO BRICKS  section of the catalog.

Level-of-Study Requirement

Hours at the 2000 level or above : Within the total hours applied to the degree, at least 57 semester hours of courses must be above the freshman level (numbered above 1999). These courses are listed earlier in this section under humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and include foreign languages, courses from the department major, and courses taught by faculty in the College of Fine Arts or Arts and Sciences intended to meet the advanced writing or capstone.

Single Application of Credit and Exceptions

Excluding the exceptions listed below, no course may satisfy more than one of the three area distribution requirements in foreign language, humanities, social sciences, or the major requirement. For example, a theater major may not apply any courses in theater toward the humanities area distribution requirement. Courses that fulfill freshman OHIO BRICKS requirements or capstone will not apply to the distribution area requirements.

Exceptions are:

  • MATH 1350 and PSY 2110 (will fulfill the quantitative reasoning requirement, as well as the natural science area distribution).
  • Advanced writing courses offered by departments within the College of Fine Arts  or the College of Arts and Sciences  apply to the area distribution requirement except when they are required for the major.