College of Arts & Sciences

113 Arts and Sciences Building

J. Scott Turpen, Dean
Phone: (307) 766-4106 FAX: (307) 766-2697
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/as

Aims and Objectives

The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is committed to providing a balanced education that matches cultural breadth with disciplinary depth. Students learn to address complex contemporary problems and to place them in their wider social, historical, and ethical contexts. To achieve these goals, degree programs require students to develop expertise in a particular field, gain critical understanding of major areas of human knowledge, and select from required courses and free electives to prepare for the challenges of the 21st century.

A successful student in any program in the College of Arts and Sciences will have an excellent foundation for professional success, graduate study, and a passion for lifelong learning.

Through hands-on research and creative projects (either faculty projects or independent projects with faculty mentoring), fieldwork, internships, and study abroad, students integrate classroom learning with real-world experience and application.

Student Responsibilities

To graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences, students must satisfy all university, college, and major requirements for a given degree. These requirements apply whether the work is taken within the college or transferred from anywhere else within or outside the university (refer to section below “Acceptance of Transfer Credit”).

The college holds students responsible for completing degree and major requirements, including the necessary courses. Students are also expected to know the academic standards, communicated in university regulations, that must be maintained to continue study at the university. Students should be aware that changing majors and/or colleges may result in delays in meeting degree requirements and that requirements themselves sometimes change (see “Graduation Requirements and Procedures ” section of this Catalog).

Academic Advising

To help plan a program of study, an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center is assigned to each student. Students who are undecided about a major are advised in the UW Advising, Career, and Exploratory Studies office (222 Knight Hall).

Students should consult regularly with their academic advisor not only for course scheduling but also to discuss educational and career goals. Faculty and professional advisors can connect students to the many college and university resources to assist undergraduate study. Instructors are also willing to discuss concerns students may have regarding specific courses.

Changing/Declaring a Major or Minor

When ready to declare or change a major, minor, or dual/concurrent major in a program in the college, a student can obtain the appropriate form from the Office of the Registrar (167 Knight Hall) or the Registrar’s Web page. Approval is required from the appropriate Department Heads or Program Directors, and a new advisor may be assigned.

Programs of Study

Undergraduate Degrees

A variety of specialized concentrations are offered within many of the following degree programs. These are described in the Department sections of this Catalog and/or in the Departments’ individual websites. Additionally, there are several inter-college or interdisciplinary degrees/majors such as International Studies and the affiliated major in Environment and Natural Resources that draw courses from several disciplines. For more detailed descriptions, click on the A-Z Directory.

Bachelor of Arts

African American and Diaspora Studies
American Studies
Anthropology
Art Education
Art History
Communication
Criminal Justice
English
French
Gender and Women’s Studies
German
History
International Studies
Journalism
Music
Native American and Indigenous Studies
Philosophy
Political Science
Religious Studies
Sociology
Spanish
Studio Art
Theatre and Dance

Bachelor of Science

Communication
Political Science
Psychology

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Studio Art
Theatre and Dance, Acting Performance Concentration
Theatre and Dance, Musical Theatre Performance Concentration
Theater and Dance, Theatre English Concentration
Theatre and Dance, Dance Performance Concentration
Theatre and Dance, Dance Science Concentration
Theatre and Dance, Design Tech Management Concentration
Visual Communication Design

Bachelor of Music

Jazz Performance
Music Education
Music Performance

Graduate Degrees

Master of Arts

American Studies (interdisciplinary)
Anthropology
Communication
English
History
International Studies (interdisciplinary)
Political Science
Spanish

Master of Science

Psychology

Master of Fine Arts

Creative Writing

Master of Music

Master of Music Education

Master of Public Administration

Doctor of Philosophy

Anthropology
Psychology

Minors in Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences offers all university students systematic studies leading to recognized academic minors. Minors are available in all academic programs in the college and in numerous interdisciplinary areas.

A&S minors have two aims: to encourage students to create a focus for their course-work outside their major by coordinating their elective studies; and to enhance opportunities for employment or graduate admission with a formally recognized field of study.

Minors consist of course requirements ranging from 18-24 credit hours of study, typically including significant work at the junior and senior level. A&S departments and programs offering minors and interdisciplinary degrees may have further conditions and restrictions regarding requirements in the minor. To be counted toward a minor, courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Students desiring a minor must notify the department in which the minor is offered. Forms for declaring a minor are available in the Office of the Registrar (167 Knight Hall) or on the Registrar’s Web page (see Change of Major form). An advisor for the minor will be assigned by either the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center or, in some cases, the department of the minor.

For detailed descriptions of the minors in A&S, see Department offices or websites.

Minors available from A&S Departments/Schools include:

Department of Anthropology
Anthropology

Department of Communication and Journalism
Communication
Journalism
Marketing Communication
Public Relations

Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology
Criminal Justice
Interdisciplinary Pre-law
Sociology

School of Culture, Gender, and Social Justice
African American and Diaspora Studies
American Studies
Gender and Women’s Studies
Latina/o Studies
Native American and Indigenous Studies
Queer Studies

Department of English
Creative Writing
Literary Studies
Professional Writing

Department of History
History

School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies
American Politics
Asian Studies
European Studies
International Relations and Comparative Government
International Studies
Middle East and North Africa
Political Theory
Public Law

Department of Modern and Classical Languages
Chinese
Classical Civilization
French
German
Japanese
Latin
Spanish

Department of Music
Music

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Environmental Values
Ethics
Philosophy
Religious Studies

Department of Psychology
Aging Studies
Psychology

Department of Theatre and Dance
Acting Performance
Dance
Design, Technology, and Management
Musical Theatre Performance
Theatre
Theatre Dramaturgy
Young Audiences

Department of Visual Arts
Art History
Ceramics
Digital Media
Drawing
Metalsmithing
Museum Studies
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture

Certificates
American Studies
Audio Technology
Arts Entrepreneurship

College Degree Requirements- The 2015 A&S Core

Bachelor of Arts or Science Programs

Beginning fall 2015, new university and college general education curricula, the 2015 University Studies Program (USP) and the 2015 A&S Core, were implemented. Refer to the USP section of this Catalog for details regarding University Studies requirements.

Students who matriculate for the first time at UW or a Wyoming community college in fall 2015 or after are required to follow both the new USP and A&S Core curricula. Students transferring from a Wyoming community college with an Associate’s degree, having completed the Wyoming Core between May 2013 and fall 2015, may continue to complete the 2003 USP and 2003 A&S Core requirements (if there has been no interruption in their enrollment for a year or more). Students who matriculated at UW or a Wyoming community college prior to fall 2015 and choose the 2015 USP must also complete the 2015 A&S Core requirements. For additional information please refer to the sections in this Catalog that describe the university graduation requirements, the 2015 University Studies Program, and the policies for re-enrolling at UW after an absence of a year or more.

I. College credit hour requirements

Minimum total semester hours 120
Upper-division credit requirements (42). Thirty of the 42 hours must be earned from UW. Courses must be taken for a letter grade unless offered for S/U only. This is an all-university requirement for all degree programs and may come from the courses that fulfill the USP, the A&S Core, the major, the minor, and electives.
Major field of study (30-60). In addition to attaining all credits required by the major, students are required to earn 60 credits outside the major. Credits in AS internship, independent study, or special topics courses (AS 2400 , AS 2490 , AS 4400 , AS 4500, AS 4510, AS 4900 , and AS 4975 ) may not be used to fulfill these outside the major requirements. At least 30 hours of C grade or better must be earned in the major subject (the major may require more). Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade unless offered for S/U only.
A&S Core requirements (6). Courses must be taken for a letter grade unless offered for S/U only.

All other university and college regulations apply. See the “Graduation Requirements and Procedures ” section of this Catalog for more information. Graduate level “Enrichment” courses do not count toward the requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

II. 2015 A&S Core Curriculum

Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences are expected to be liberally educated, to have the knowledge and skills to deal with the unexpected, and to see opportunities from multiple perspectives. To develop these abilities, the college faculty implemented the A&S Core.

Search in WyoWeb (find WyoRecords, then Register for Classes, then Browse Classes) to find upcoming courses meeting the following requirements:

U.S. Diversity (ASD). This requirement allows students to explore the complexity of cultural identities in the U.S. and interdependence of the cultures. Students will gain an understanding of the influences of categories such as race, class, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and age on American behaviors, institutions, values, and beliefs.
Global Awareness (ASG). Because citizens ever more frequently encounter behaviors and practices based on beliefs, conditions, and assumptions different from their own, they need to understand the nature and function of culture. Our students should have an awareness of the multiple links that affect the living conditions and range of action of peoples of the world, including international systems of commerce, art, science, technology, politics, communication, belief, and justice, among others.

College Degree Requirements Prior to Fall 2015 for Continuing and Reenrolling Students

A&S Core requirements for a student continuing a degree program in effect at the time of matriculation at UW are found in the relevant previous Catalog. Contact the A&S Advising Center, Ross 6, 766-4013, asadvise@uwyo.edu.

Students who re-enter the university after an absence of a year or more should refer to other sections of this Catalog for university policies and procedures. Unless approved otherwise, reenrolling students, after a year’s absence, are required to follow the University Studies and A&S Core requirements in effect the semester of their re-enrollment. However, all majors in A&S who have yet to complete the A&S Core, regardless of their initial enrollment, must refer to the current list of approved courses.

Lists of courses that satisfy A&S college core requirements are available on the Web at www.uwyo.edu/as. Assistance with learning to Browse classes and to understand the Degree Evaluation can be obtained from the A&S Advising Center, Ross 6, 766-4013, asadvising@uwyo.edu.

Departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences may require reenrolling students to complete requirements in the major that meet the current expectations of the discipline.

Transfer Students and Acceptance of Transfer Credit

The College of Arts and Sciences and its Departments reserve the right to grant transfer credit toward the bachelor’s degree only for those courses where a grade of C or better was earned. Students transferring credits from a university or college outside Wyoming with questions about how courses taken elsewhere fulfill the A&S Core may contact the A&S Advising Center, Ross 6, 766-4013, asadvise@uwyo.edu.

Courses Taken for S/U Credit

Students may include up to 20 semester credit hours in free electives with a grade of S as part of the total hours required by the College of Arts and Sciences for graduation. However, no S/U hours may be used to satisfy university and college core general education requirements or major requirements, including the required 42 upper-division credit hours unless the course is offered for S/U grading only.

Students registering in courses for S/U grades are subject to all general regulations.

Concurrent Majors

Students may pursue two or more majors simultaneously. With careful planning, A&S students may be able to use all or most of the free elective hours for requirements in the other majors. Refer also to the section, “Graduation Requirements and Procedures ” in this Catalog.

The A&S Core must be met only once by students whose primary major is in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students whose degree programs are in other UW colleges are welcome to earn a concurrent major in A&S. These students do not have to meet the A&S Core requirements. The student earns one degree with one diploma.

Students pursuing a concurrent major must contact both departments involved for assignments to advisors.

Dual Degrees

Students may simultaneously pursue degrees in the same or more than one UW college. In addition to requirements described in the section “Graduation Requirements and Procedures ” in this Catalog, students in another UW college who wish to earn a degree from A&S must also complete the A&S Core. A&S students working on dual degrees in the A&S College need to meet the A&S Core just once. A diploma is awarded for each degree.

Each additional degree requires 30 more credit hours added to the 120 credits to the primary degree. Of these 30 credits, 12 must be at the 3XXX-4XXX levels.

Second Bachelor’s Degrees

For those students whose first degree is from another university and who seek a second bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, the minimum requirements include:

30 semester hours earned from the University of Wyoming, 12 of which must be upper division (3XXX-4XXX level) or graduate level (credit by examination does not count as UW hours).
Completion of the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions requirement (V courses in the University Studies Program course list in this Catalog).
If the first degree is from an institution where English is not the predominant language, successful completion of the COM1 and COM2 requirements of the University Studies Program is required.
Students must also meet the 2015 A&S Core requirements.

For students whose first degree is from UW:

The additional required 30 hours (12 of these at the 3XXX-4XXX) are added to the degree requiring the least number of hours. For example, for a first degree, A&S requires 120 hours. Thus, the total credits a UW student would have to complete for the second bachelor’s degree is a minimum of 150 credits. Since the University requires a total of 42 upper division hours for a degree, for the second degree from A&S, a UW student would need to earn a total of 54 hours at the 3XXX-4XXX level. For more information, please see the Second Bachelor’s Degree entry in the section, “Graduation Requirements and Procedures ” in this Catalog.
Students whose first degree is from another UW college must meet the 2015 A&S Core requirements.
In situations in which a student is subsequently required to take coursework from another collegiate institution to fulfill major and overall hour requirements for a second degree from the university, the student’s department can ask the Office of the Registrar to load selected courses into the student’s record.

Concurrent Major in Environment and Natural Resources

A student majoring in any A&S department/program may earn a double major by completing the courses required for the Environment and Natural Resource (ENR) program in addition to the requirements in their A&S major and the College A&S Core. See the Haub School of ENR Web site, http://www.uwyo.edu/enr for detailed information or contact the School at (307) 766-5080.

Preprofessional Studies

The College of Arts and Sciences prepares students to enter professional schools through preprofessional programs of study described below.

Prelaw Study. Students usually need a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the study of law. There is no prescribed course of undergraduate study and no restrictions as to the field in which the degree is earned. However, to prepare for this competitive profession, prelaw students are advised to select courses that help to develop those talents and skills essential to the study and practice of law. Logical and critical thinking, conflict evaluation/resolution and effective verbal/nonverbal communication skills are essential. Additionally, students should understand the political, economic, social/cultural institutions, and values that characterize human society. Rigorous courses in any discipline increase abilities in these areas. Pertinent to the prelaw major, courses in the broad liberal arts, including the sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and humanities, increase understanding of the public’s diverse interests and backgrounds.

Prelaw students do not have to declare a major at the time of first enrollment if they wish to explore options. Students who are undeclared in the College of Arts & Sciences are assigned advisors in the Advising, Career, and Exploratory Studies office until they decide upon a degree program. Please note that a prelaw minor is available.

In addition to consulting their major advisor, prelaw students may contact the designated UW prelaw advisor for assistance in developing a program of study, for career counseling, and for guidance in applying to law schools. Contact the A&S Advising Center, Ross 6, 307-766-4013, asadvise@uwyo.edu for information.

Detailed information about applying to law schools, the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and preparation materials, and links to other websites are at www.LSAC.org.

Library Preprofessional Study. Librarians are information professionals who research, organize, and classify materials so the public can access information. Not only do they work with printed materials, but all the technological advances in digital media such as electronic databases and eBooks. Some librarians focus on teaching the public, scholars, and students how to access and use these materials, while others concentrate on collecting and maintaining these diverse resources. Librarianship offers many career opportunities to people of different academic backgrounds, interests, and talents. Most public, academic, and special libraries require librarians to have a Master’s Degree in Library Science (MLS).

The degree programs and minors in the College of Arts and Sciences offer the variety of academic preparation expected by accredited library schools in the country. Most graduate schools in library science require a successful applicant to have a Bachelor’s degree, a good undergraduate record, and a reading knowledge of a foreign language for admission. The best undergraduate preparation includes a wide range of courses in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities along with a strong concentration in one subject area. The choice of a major will be determined by the student’s academic interest and professional objective. The general education that the University Studies and the A&S Core require provide the well-rounded background graduate schools expect of MLS candidates.

Additional information about library schools, their requirements, and programs as well as career opportunities may be obtained from the reference desk at Coe Library and the Center for Advising and Career Services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “Occupational Outlook Handbook” at www.bls.gov/ooh/ has detailed descriptions of the varied work of librarians, working conditions, employment outlook, and sources for additional information.

Pre-Health Study. Students in several A&S majors may be working toward the following careers: athletic training, chiropractic, dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, physical therapy, physician assistant, or public health. These professional schools are favorably impressed by a broad educational background, including a substantial number of non-science and science courses; therefore, students are well advised to look beyond the minimum requirements.

Students may select any major in which they are interested to prepare for such careers. In addition to completing all university, college and departmental requirements, students must include in their curriculum the basic professional school requirements, including courses in biology, chemistry, math, and physics. Professional schools have other specific requirements and students should seek information about any additional recommendations from the professional schools in which they are interested. We strongly suggest contacting the Pre-Health Advising office [College of Health Sciences, 110 Health Sciences, (307) 766-3878, or hsadvise@uwyo.edu] website: www.uwyo.edu/preprof/.

Psychology is a common major in the College of A&S for these preprofessional programs. However, there are pre-health students in programs as diverse as Anthropology and Theatre & Dance. Students need not declare a major immediately upon first enrollment. Advisors in individual departments can discuss options or, if students wish to remain undeclared, they are advised in either the UW Advising, Career, and Exploratory Studies office or the Health Sciences Advising office.

The pre-health advisors in the College of Health Sciences have current information regarding professional school admission requirements, entrance examinations, programs in Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE), the Wyoming Medical Contract Program WWAMI (affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine) and financial assistance for professional education. The website, http://www.uwyo.edu/preprof/ includes additional information.

Internships

Many departments in the College of Arts and Sciences offer internships for academic credit, and some provide monetary compensation. Academic internships provide practical, hands-on experience in a professional job setting as a complement to classroom instruction. An internship can provide students with both insight and preparation for future jobs. All internships require a strong background in writing, organizational ability, and analytic skills. Junior or senior standing is recommended.