Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2019-20 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2019-20 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences



Carla Koretsky
Dean

James Cousins
Associate Dean

Heather Petcovic
Associate Dean
 

Mission of the College

Our mission is to ignite and sustain a passion for learning and discovery in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, to help students, staff, and faculty succeed in life and contribute to the betterment of our local and global communities.

Vision of the College

Our vision is to achieve excellence in all aspects of learning and discovery across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences while fostering a climate of intellectual freedom, diversity, and inclusion.

 

Undergraduate majors

   

Undergraduate minors

       

Anthropology

   

Anthropology

•Anthropology

B.A.

 

•Anthropology

Biological Sciences

   

Biological Sciences

•Biology

B.S.

 

•Biological Sciences

•Biological Sciences - Secondary Education

B.S.   •Biological Sciences - Secondary Education

•Biomedical Sciences

B.S.

 

 

Chemistry    

Chemistry

•Biochemistry

B.S.  

•Chemistry

•Business-Oriented Chemistry B.S.  

•Chemistry - Secondary Education

•Chemistry

B.S.    

•Chemistry – ACS Certified  

B.S.

 

College of Arts and Sciences

•Chemistry – Secondary Education  

B.S.

 

•Canadian Studies

 

 

 

•Climate Change Studies

       

 

 

•Legal Studies

 

 

 

•Medical Humanities

     

•Race and Ethnic Relations

Communication

   

Communication

•Communication Studies

B.A.

 

•Communication

•Film, Video, and Media Studies

B.A.

 

•Journalism

•Interpersonal Communication

B.A.

 

 

•Journalism

B.A.

 

 

•Organizational Communication

B.A.

 

 

•Public Relations

B.A.

 

 

•Telecom & Information Management

B.A.

 

 

Comparative Religion

   

Comparative Religion

•Comparative Religion               

B.A.

 

•Comparative Religion

Economics

    Economics

•Economics

B.A./B.S.   •Economics
English    

English

•English B.A.  

•English

•English – Secondary Education B.A.  

•English-World Literature (interdisciplinary)

•Creative Writing 

B.A.  

•English - Secondary Education

•Rhetoric and Writing Studies

B.A.

 

•English with Writing Emphasis

 

    •Rhetoric and Writing Studies
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability    

Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

•Environmental and Sustainability Studies*

B.A./B.S.  

•Environmental and Sustainability Studies

•Freshwater Science and Sustainability

B.S.

 

 

•Sustainable Brewing

B.S.

 

 

Gender and Women’s Studies

 

 

Gender & Women’s Studies

•Gender and Women’s Studies

B.A.

 

•Gender & Women’s Studies

Geography

   

Geography

•Community and Regional Planning

 B.S.

 

•Geography

•Geography

B.S.   •Geography (with Social Studies Major)

•Geography - Social Studies

B.S.    

•Tourism and Travel

B.A.    

Geological and Environmental Sciences

 

 

Geological and Environmental Sciences

•Earth Sciences

B.S.  

•Earth Science

•Earth Sciences - Secondary Education

B.S.   •Earth Sciences - Secondary Education
•Geochemistry B.S.  

•Geology

•Geology

B.S.

 

•Group Science for Geology Majors

•Geophysics

B.S.  

 

•Hydrology

B.S.

 

 

Global and International Studies

B.A.

 

Global and International Studies

     

•Asian Studies

     

•Latin American Studies

     

•Modern European Studies

History

 

 

History

•History

B.A.  

•History

•Public History

B.A.

 

•Public History

•History – Secondary Education

B.A.

  •History (with Social Studies Major)

 

 

  •History - Secondary Education

Mathematics

 

 

Mathematics

•Applied Mathematics B.A./B.S.  

•Mathematics - Secondary Education

•Mathematics B.A./B.S.  

•Mathematics - Elementary and Middle School teaching

•Mathematics - Secondary Education

B.A./B.S.  

•General Mathematics

 

 

 

•Actuarial Science

 

 

 

Medieval Studies

     

•Medieval Studies

Philosophy

   

Philosophy

•Philosophy

B.A.

 

•Philosophy

•Professional and Applied Ethics

B.A.

 

•Professional and Applied Ethics

Physics

   

Physics

•Physics

B.S.

 

•Astronomy

•Physics: Geophysics

B.S.

 

•Physics

•Physics – Secondary Education    

B.S.

 

•Physics - Secondary Education

Political Science

   

Political Science

•American Public Policy

B.A.

 

•Political Science

•International & Comparative Politics B.A.  

•Political Science - Secondary Education

•Political Science B.A.  

•Political Science (with Social Studies Major)

•Political Science - Secondary Education

B.A.    

•Political Science - Social Studies

B.A.    

•Public Law

B.A.

 

 

Psychology    

Psychology

•Behavioral Science

B.S.

 

•Psychology

•General Psychology

B.S.

 

Public Affairs and Administration

•Psychology

B.S.  

•Nonprofit Leadership

 

 

 

•Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Certificate

Sociology

 

 

Sociology

•Sociology

B.A.

 

•Criminal Justice

•Criminal Justice

B.A.  

•Social Psychology

•Social Psychology

B.A.

 

•Sociology

Spanish

 

 

Spanish 

•Spanish

B.A.

 

•Spanish 

     

•Spanish - World Literature (interdisciplinary)

Statistics

   

Statistics

•Data Science 

B.S.

 

•Data Analysis

•Statistics

B.S.  

•Data Science

               

 

 

•Statistics

World Languages and Literatures

 

 

World Languages and Literatures

•French

B.A.

 

•Arabic

•French - Secondary Education B.A.  

•Arabic - Secondary Education

•German

B.A.  

•Chinese

•German - Secondary Education B.A.  

•Chinese - Secondary Education

•Japanese

 B.A.

 

•French

•Latin

B.A.   •French - Secondary Education

•Latin - Secondary Education

B.A.

 

•German

 

    •German - Secondary Education
     

•German - Study Abroad

 

 

 

•Japanese

     

•Japanese - Secondary Education

     

•Latin - Secondary Education

 

 

 

•Latin

     

•Canadian Studies (interdisciplinary)

     

•World Literature (interdisciplinary)

 *This major is to be selected only along with a standard major.

Any student completing a major or minor from the College of Arts and Sciences must earn a minimum of nine (9) credit hours toward their major and at least six (6) credit hours toward their minor from the degree-granting unit at WMU. Academic units within the college may set higher credit hour minima for their programs. Please consult the appropriate program for details.

Accelerated Degree Program with WMU Thomas Cooley Law School

Students with a declared major in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) who are accepted into the WMU Thomas Cooley Law School may enroll in an accelerated degree program, allowing them to count credits earned from their first-year law school courses toward both their law degree and their bachelor’s degree.

Application for this program is required. Students should apply through the CAS Office of Undergraduate Advising. Minimum requirements include acceptance into the WMU Thomas Cooley Law School, junior or senior standing, and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better. Applications will be reviewed by a joint admissions committee consisting of CAS advising staff, CAS faculty, and a representative from the CAS Dean’s office, and representatives from Cooley Law School.

Students accepted into the program and admitted to the Cooley Law School can transfer back up to 18 hours of Cooley Law School credit to be used for the undergraduate degree. The following courses can be transferred to WMU for undergraduate credit:

CIVP 105 LECT - Civil Procedure I   Credits: 3 hours
CONL 404 LECT - Constitutional Law I   Credits: 3 hours
CONL 503 LECT - Constitutional Law II  Credits: 3 hours
CONT 108 LECT - Contracts I   Credits: 3 hours
CONT 213 LECT - Contracts II   Credits: 3 hours
CRLP 107 LECT - Criminal Law   Credits: 3 hours
PRSE 109 LECT - Property I   Credits: 3 hours
PRSE 207 LECT - Property II   Credits: 3 hours
TOEQ 106 LECT - Torts I   Credits: 3 hours
TOEQ 304 LECT - Torts II   Credits: 3 hours

All Cooley Law School coursework will be transferred to WMU as CAS 5100 - Topics in Legal Studies. Up to 18 hours of Cooley Law School credit may be applied to the CAS Legal Studies Minor.

Students in this program still need to complete their major requirements and their general education requirements, and still need a minimum of 122 credits to receive their bachelor’s degree. Students interested in pursuing this option should contact the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Undergraduate Advising to learn more.

Academic Advising Office

Kevin Knutson, Director
Diana Blouin, Assistant Director
Jackie Bizzell, Academic Adviser
Elizabeth Cramer, Academic Advisor School of Communication
Cheryl Frommann, Academic Adviser
Kerrie Jo Harvey, Academic Adviser
Megan Larson, Academic Advisor
Lyndsey Millet, Academic Advisor
Thomas Mills, Academic Advisor
Kayla Jo Mitchell, Administrative Assistant II
Kyle, Schultz, Academic Advisor
Abbey Thompspn, Academic Advisor
Sean Williams, Academic Advisor

2318 Friedmann Hall
(269) 387-4366
www.wmich.edu/cas/advising

Vision

Western Michigan University’s College of Arts and Sciences Office of Undergraduate Advising strives to be nationally and internationally recognized by the College, University, and external communities for providing timely, accurate, and intentional advising.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to intensify student success by inspiring students to pursue meaningful learning experiences, by developing a network of committed, highly trained professionals, and by providing timely, consistent, and comprehensive support.

The College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Office at Western Michigan University, located in 2318 Friedmann Hall, provides general advising regarding university and general education requirements, pre-professional programs and the College of Arts and Sciences Liberal Education Curriculum. The Academic Advising Office also offers introductory information about the programs, majors and minors available within the College of Arts and Sciences. Major and minor specific advising is offered by professional staff and faculty within each department in the College. Schedule an appointment with a College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advisor online at www.wmich.edu/arts-sciences/advising or by calling (269) 387-4366.

Student Success Services

Katie Easley, Program Manager of Student Success Services
Amy Degner-Petillon, Administrative Assistant II
Tara Rhodes, Bronco Study Zone Manager

Western Michigan University
3374 Rood Hall
(269) 387-4252
www.wmich.edu/student-success

The College of Arts and Sciences’ Office of Student Success Services (S3) provides academic support to any student enrolled in Arts and Sciences courses via peer academic success coaching, drop-in course assistance, and the learning assistant program.  The main S3 office is located in 3374 Rood Hall. Learning assistants provide course-specific support to undergraduate students.  Peer academic success coaching pairs high-achieving undergraduates with students who desire to enhance their study strategies and receive one-on-one peer assistance.  Drop-in tutoring at the Bronco Study Zone in 3374 Rood Hall and at the Math and Science Success Center (MSSC) in the Valley 2 residence hall offers immediate, on-the-spot support to students enrolled in a wide variety of Arts and Sciences courses. 

Liberal Education Curriculum (LEC)

All students who graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences will be enrolled in the LEC.

Liberal Education Curriculum Requirements

All students at Western Michigan University must satisfy the University General Education requirements. The Liberal Education Curriculum (LEC) expands these requirements as follows:

1. World Language Requirement:
Two semesters (6-8 hours) of the same foreign language or American Sign Language, or proficiency by exam.

2. Critical Thinking Requirement:
Students must complete a course approved for the General Education Proficiency 4c, Critical Thinking. A list of these courses can be found in the University General Education listings elsewhere in this catalog.

College Degree Requirements

1. The Liberal Education Curriculum.  Students who enter in the 2005 and subsequent catalogs and who will graduate through the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the Liberal Education Curriculum (LEC) described here. Students who entered under prior catalogs are encouraged to complete the new LEC program.

2. Majors and Minors.  Students who will graduate through the College of Arts and Sciences must have a stand-alone major (i.e., not a coordinate major) in the college and a minor in Arts and Sciences or any other college in the university. Students with two majors are not required to complete a minor.

To be admitted to any major in the College of Arts and Sciences, students should apply to the department or program as soon as possible and prior to completion of 35 semester hours. Transfer students with more than 35 hours should apply before matriculation. Students who are not yet admitted to a major may not be permitted to enroll in major core courses. Some departments have restrictive policies for admission to certain majors, as described in the departmental sections of this catalog, which may make it difficult to change curricula during the junior or senior year.

3. The Credit/No Credit option cannot be used in courses that fulfill the baccalaureate writing, critical thinking and foreign language requirements of the Liberal Education Curriculum. Use of the Credit/No Credit option for courses in major and minor programs must follow the University policies.