Loyola University Chicago

Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor's degree:

• Core Requirements
• Major and Minor Requirements
• College Requirements: Writing Intensive Course Sections and the Language Requirement 
• General Electives

Core Requirements

The university Core Curriculum is designed to be spread out over four years to develop specified knowledge areas, values, and skills. Students with a declared major should integrate the Core requirements alongside their major(s) to create a balanced schedule. Undeclared students should not approach the Core as something to "get out of the way" in the first two years. Instead, students should choose courses in their first two years that they think will aid in developing their interests in a major/minor area.

Note: As of Fall 2005, students must earn a 2.00 overall cumulative GPA in Core Knowledge and Core Values courses. To calculate your cumulative Core GPA, use the GPA calculator posted at http://www.luc.edu/las/gpa_calculator.html.

Click on the links below to view the guides and worksheets about Loyola's Core Curriculum and Values Across the Curriculum requirements.

• Core Curriculum
• Core Transition Guide
• Knowledge Areas Guide
• Student Resources
• Values Across the Curriculum Guide
• Worksheets for Knowledge Areas and Values (PDF)

Major and Minor Requirements

Major Field of Study
Each student must select a department of instruction in which he/she will take extensive and specialized study. The student should make this selection no later than the fourth semester of attendance or at the end of the sophomore year. In selecting a major, the student is encouraged to consult the appropriate chairperson or departmental advisor. The dean, in consultation with the chairperson of a department, may refuse the application of a student for or the continuation of a student in a given major if the student has not shown sufficient progress in that particular subject.

The major field of study is ordinarily a group of 10 or more courses in a single department of instruction. The total number of courses and credit hours required for the major, the specifically prescribed courses, and the order in which they are to be taken may vary among departments. The specific information and requirements for the major are provided separately by each department.

A student who receives a "D+" or lower grade in a course in his/her major must seek the advice of the department and/or academic dean, regarding a decision either to repeat the course or replace it with another course. In either event, the original grade remains on the record. Earned hours for a repeated course will not count toward the graduation requirements. In some departments, students may be dropped from the major if they receive more than one grade below a "C."

A student in CAS must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 in his/her major or minor in order to be certified at graduation. No course in which a student earned credit points of 1.33 or below may count toward fulfillment of the major or minor. A course in which a student earned 1.33, 1.00, or 0.00 credit points does not count toward the major or minor, and therefore may be retaken to count toward the major/minor.

All students are assigned a faculty advisor to guide them through the major. Declared students are encouraged to consult their faculty advisor for major-specific course selection and schedule planning. Generally, all students should pace their major and plan to enroll in some major electives during senior year. This strategy allows greater flexibility in scheduling required major and minor classes and avoids conflict with the pursuit of other courses. Undeclared students should research majors and minors they are interested in prior to visiting a department faculty advisor for advice. Academic advisors can assist in this process.

If you have already declared your major(s) and/or minor(s), or are simply exploring a possible course of study, you may view each department's academic pogram brochure for additional information about the majors/minors in CAS.

Transfer Credit in the Major
At the discretion of the department chairperson, courses in the student's major field that are transferred into Loyola may or may not fulfill the major requirements. Departments limit the transfer credit given for the major and/or have specified a minimum number of Loyola hours in the major. Students should consult the department chairperson or seek guidance from their academic advisor.

Minor Field of Study
A minor field of study option ordinarily consists of six courses selected from a department or interdisciplinary program. Consult individual departments for specific information and requirements. Grades of "D+" or lower are not counted toward fulfillment of minor requirements. Most departments and programs limit the number of hours allowed in transfer. Students should consult with the department chairperson or program director, or seek guidance from their academic advisor. In those departments within the College of Arts and Sciences that offer more than one major field of study (i.e., classical studies, mathematics, computer science, modern languages and literatures), students may choose to major and minor within the same department with approval of the department chairperson. Note: With the exception of journalism majors, students do not need to complete a minor in order to graduate.

For a complete list of available majors and minors, see degree programs.

College Requirements

All CAS students are required to complete a language proficiency requirement and two writing-intensive sections of courses. These courses must be completed with a C- or better.

Writing Intensive Sections: Students should expect that virtually all of their courses will include a writing component. In addition, the college requirement for writing intensive sections is a means of strengthening the writing of all students throughout their years at Loyola.

In order to graduate with a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students ordinarily must complete three writing courses. These include:

• UCWR 110 (3 credit hours) (Core Curriculum requirement)
• Two writing-intensive sections

Writing-intensive sections are designated sections of courses that are taught with a special emphasis on writing. They are easily identified by a "W" in the section number. Students in these course sections will have a variety of writing assignments that will be integrated closely with the learning objectives of the course. Often, students will be able to complete a writing-intensive course within their chosen major(s) and minor(s). Note: UCWR 110 is a prerequisite for writing-intensive course sections.

In order to ensure that training in writing is spread throughout the undergraduate years, the program specifies that no more than one writing-intensive course per semester may be applied to this requirement. Students must earn a C- or better in each writing intensive class in order for the requirement to be fulfilled.  Transfer students with 59 or fewer transfer credit hours must take two writing-intensive courses during their undergraduate career at Loyola; transfer students with 60-89 transfer credit hours must take one writing-intensive course during their undergraduate career at Loyola; transfer students with 90 or more transfer credit hours are exempt from taking writing-intensive courses. For further information, transfer students should consult their academic advisor.