How to Graduate in a Timely Manner
A Guide To A&S Academic Requirements
This guide is designed to help students understand what courses they will need in order to graduate from Ohio University in a timely manner. This information provides a sense of how University General Education requirements and College of Arts & Sciences requirements fit together over a four-year period.
There are three sets of academic requirements for graduation—many of which overlap.
These ensure that a student masters depth in a major as well as the breadth demanded by a dynamic global marketplace.
University Requirements (General Education)
Ohio University has a three–tiered General Education requirement that all baccalaureate degree students (except those in Honors Tutorial College) must fulfill. Tier I course requirements build quantitative and English composition skills; Tier II course requirements increase breadth of knowledge; and the Tier III course requirement develops a student's ability to interrelate, synthesize, and integrate knowledge from different academic disciplines.
In addition, students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours and have a 2.00 GPA ("C" average overall) for graduation.
Tier I
English composition
- First-year composition course— ENG 1510
- Junior-year composition course—A student can take a junior composition (J) course or two approved equivalency (JE) courses
Quantitative Skills.
The University uses a student's ACT or SAT math score to determine skill level for placement or exemption, unless the Tier I quantitative skills requirement has been satisfied by transfer or advanced placement credit. Students in some majors are required to have a math placement regardless of transfer or advanced placement credit.
| Math Placement Level | Minimum ACT Math Score Needed | Minimum SAT Math Score Needed |
|---|---|---|
| DEV | ≤19 | ≤479 |
| PL1 | 20 | 480 |
| PL2 | 24 | 560 |
| PL3 | 30 | 680 |
DV (Developmental): Placement at this level indicates inadequate preparation to enroll in a Tier I quantitative skills course. The student must complete MATH D005 before enrolling in a Tier I quantitative skills course.
PL1 (Placement Level 1): One course, any one of these: MATH 1090, 1101, 1200, 1250, 1260, 1321, PHIL 1200, PSY 1110.
PL2 (Placement Level 2): Any PL 1 course, or MATH 1300, 1322, 1350, 2500, PSY 2110.
PL3 (Placement Level 3): Requirement waived. If a student's major requires that he or she enroll in a quantitative skills course, placement at Level 3 indicates preparation for MATH 2301 and any course in Level 1 or 2.
Tier II
Breadth of Knowledge—21 credit hours from an approved list of courses in the following six distribution areas, with at least two credit hours in each area. (Some Tier II courses contribute to A&S College distribution requirements.)
- Applied Science and Mathematics (2AS)
- Cross–Cultural Perspectives (2CP)
- Fine Arts (2FA)
- Humanities and Literature (2HL)
- Natural Sciences (2NS)
- Social Sciences (2SS)
Tier III
Students are required to complete at least three hours in Tier III or Tier III–equivalent course(s). At least two of the three hours must be taken at senior rank (90 hours). A student can fulfill this requirement by taking at least 3 hours in Tier III–equivalent course(s) in the major.
Arts & Sciences College Requirements
Major Requirements
The College offers two four-year degrees: the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The B.A. and B.S. degree programs differ in the language requirements and in specific major course requirements, as established by the departments.
The College also offers a wide menu of minors and certificates. A&S students can choose minors and certificates offered by any of Ohio University’s colleges.
- A student must complete one Arts & Sciences major—All students are assigned a faculty adviser in their major department. They must schedule a meeting with their adviser every term for the "advising hold" to be lifted so that they can register.
- For graduation, a student must have a 2.00 GPA in the major (not in each course unless minimum grade is mandated in the DARS)
College-Level Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement
- BA: Successfully complete 2120 (or place into 3120 or higher for waiver of the requirement)
- BS: Successfully complete 1120 (or place into 2110 or higher for waiver of requirement)
Humanities Area Requirement (9 semester hours)
Social Sciences Area Requirement (9 semester hours)
Natural Sciences Area Requirement (9 semester hours)
Level-of-Study Requirement—Minimum of 60 semester hours of A&S courses at the 2000 level and higher
Exploring the Arts & Sciences
There may be time to explore special interest elective courses from among the fun, recreational, and/or exploratory categories, without worrying about "falling behind." It takes all the pieces to make a pie! This advice is especially applicable during a student's first year or two—the best time to try a variety of academic disciplines on for size.
Depending upon major, there can be a great deal of free choice for selecting courses. Every credit earned applies in some way toward graduation hours. It is unnecessary to be overly concerned about how each and every course will count toward "requirements" that a student is denied the pure joy of taking a class or two for fun or to learn something new or unusual.
Science majors have to fulfill a sequence of courses that non-science majors do not. But, no matter the major, required A&S coursework is typically less than the total hours needed to graduate. These "elective" hours can be completely free choice or they may be dedicated to a second major, to a minor(s) and/or certificate(s) offered by departments or Themes in Arts & Sciences or toward business, communication studies, or music, or dozens of other choices across the university.
Not only is it possible to graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences in four years, it is also a fulfilling and memorable experience.