Degree Requirements

Baccalaureate Degree: Requirements

Specific requirements for each degree will be found in the catalog descriptions under the appropriate colleges and departments.^,

All students who wish to earn a bachelor's degree must complete the following university-wide requirements:

1. Complete all the General Education requirements.

2. Earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0

a. on all work attempted at LSU in Shreveport
b. on all work attempted at LSU in Shreveport and elsewhere
c. in a major subject or, for the General Studies student, an area of concentration
d. in the courses of the major subject taken at LSU in Shreveport or, for the General
    Studies student, an area of concentration.

(Grades of P, NC, W, or I are not included in determining the grade point average)

3. Complete the college and departmental requirements for degree.

4. Earn a minimum of 128 hours of credit, exclusive of English 005 and Mathematics 007. Not more than 9 hours in mathematics courses numbered below 150 may be counted in the minimum. At least 60 of total hours must be from a four-year college or university.

5. Earn in residence at LSU in Shreveport a minimun of 25 percent of the semester hours required in the student=s degree program, including 9 or more in the major or field of concentration, unless authorized in writing by the student=s dean.

6. Complete a minimum of 30 of the last 40 semester hours in residence at LSU in Shreveport.

7. Complete proficiency requirements. (See AGeneral Education Proficiency@ for additional information.)

8. Complete the following procedural requirements for graduation:

a. During the semester immediately prior to the semester in which the degree is to be awarded, a degree candidate's academic record must be evaluated for compliance with degree requirements by the dean of the candidate's college. The candidate must obtain a checkout form signed by the dean, present it to the Office Admissions and Records, and then make application for a degree.

b. The diploma fee must be paid before the application is processed. A candidate who has previously paid a diploma fee but failed to graduate at the time expected must pay an additional diploma fee.

c. At least three days prior to graduation, the candidate must clear any financial indebtedness to the University.

d. The candidate is encouraged to participate in commencement ceremonies. Persons wanting to graduate in absentia should notify the Office of Admissions and Records in writing prior to graduation.

Degrees are granted at the end of each regular semester and at the end of the summer semester.

General Education Requirements

While the student who earns a baccalaureate degree at LSU in Shreveport will have specialized in a major field and pursued personal interests in elective studies, the pursuit of a degree would have been incomplete without a foundation in the common knowledge that unites us in our humanity.

The subject distribution requirements below provide that foundation and are integral to every degree program at LSU in Shreveport.

They encourage the student

! to think logically, critically, and creatively

! to communicate effectively when speaking and writing

! to read extensively and perceptively, exploring human values through major works of literature

! to examine patterns of human behavior and of the development of human institutions political, economic, and social

! to study varying cultures in both historical and geographical context

! to understand mathematics as a means to express, define, and logically explore questions about the world

! to use acquired facts, concepts, and principles of the biological and physical sciences in applying the scientific process to natural phenomena

! to appreciate the fine and performing arts

! to become familiar with the language and literature of other cultures

! to perceive the importance of values in human life

Requirements

The following minimum subject requirements totaling 45 semester credit hours (SCH) must be satisfied by any student awarded a baccalaureate degree. Courses to satisfy these requirements are also designated. No course numbered lower than those listed may be used to satisfy the requirements. Exceptions or equivalencies to courses listed require permission from the appropriate deans. Exceptions to requirements are in the purview of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs only.

I. English Composition (6 hours) including credit for English 115; English 105 and English 115.

II. Oral Communications (3 hours): Communications 135.

III. Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 hours): Three courses, each from a different discipline.

Choose from the following disciplines:

Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology

Anthropology 205 or 210

Economics 200, 201, 202

Geography 105, 106, 251, 252, 257

Political Science 101, 151, 256

Psychology 152, 206

Sociology 105, 142, 250, 255, 256

IV. Mathematics (6 hours): Six semester hours of mathematics, college level algebra or above: Mathematics 121 (and any course numbered higher)

V. Science (9 hours): Six hours of a two-semester sequence from the biological sciences or physical sciences. The remaining three hours must be selected from the other area.

A. Biological Sciences

Biology: (one course)101; (two-course sequence) 101-105, 101-106, 101-107, 101-108

B. Physical Sciences

Chemistry: (one course) 110 or 106; (two-course sequence) 110-112, 106-121, 106-110, 121-112

Physical Science: (one course) 105 or 106; (two-course sequence) 105-106

Astronomy: (one course) 105; (two-course sequence) 105-106

VI. Humanities and Fine Arts (12 hours, three semester hours to be at the sophomore level or above)

1. Three semester hours of English or American Literature:

English 205, 206, 207, 215, 216

2. Three semester hours to be selected from these areas:

English, Foreign Language (above the introductory level), Philosophy, Religion, Humanities

English - any 200 or 300 level English course

Foreign Language - any course numbered 200 or above

Philosophy 105, 206, 250

Religious Studies 481, 482, 483, 484, 490

3. Three semester hours to be selected from one of these areas:

Dance, Drama, Fine Arts, Music

Health and Physical Education 112, 125, 141, 229

Communications 260, 261

Fine Arts 100, 140, 240, 241

Music 120

4. Three semester hours of History: History 105, 106, 145, 146

General Education Proficiency

The Louisiana Board of Regents' AGeneral Education Requirements in Associate and Baccalaureate Programs,@ dated April 24, 1986, sets forth the following requirements:

1. A. . each institution shall require the successful performance of each student on a mandatory English competency examination.@

2. A. . each institution shall require the successful performance of each student on a mandatory competency examination in mathematics.@

3. A. . each public college and university in Louisiana shall employ an appropriate testing procedure to measure the effectiveness of its general education program.@

Examination

To meet all three of these mandates, the Academic Proficiency Examination, a nationally normed testing instrument, is administered each regular semester. All students, including transfer students, who have earned at least 45 semester hours including credits for English 105 and 115 or higher and mathematics 121 or higher, are required to take the test and must do so no later than their second regular semester at LSU in Shreveport after the above requirements have been met.

Any degree-seeking student--transfer or not--who has accumulated 45 semester credit hours but has not successfully completed the English and mathematics courses noted above must enroll in such courses at the next enrollment and thereafter until they are completed.

Transfer students are required to pass the Academic Proficiency Examination unless they have already passed an equivalent nationally normed examination at another institution.

Each degree-seeking student must present an acceptable score on all parts of the proficiency examination as a condition for a degree completion.

Transient and nondegree-seeking students may be exempted from this Academic Proficiency Examination policy provided they sign a waiver, available in their college=s office, attesting their status as non-degree-seeking or transient students.

Students who are required to take the test will be notified of the examination date and of the procedure for applying to take the test. Notification may be by mail, through the student newspaper, through the student=s advisor and/or through the registration procedure.

This assessment is in addition to testing that may be included in the required courses of the Subject Distribution.

Major Field Mastery

Each student receiving the bachelor's degree from LSU in Shreveport must satisfactorily demonstrate mastery of a major field as defined by the faculty in that field. For many degrees, the student must take a major field achievement test.

Requirements for a Second

Bachelor's Degree

In order to qualify for a second bachelor's degree, regardless of whether the first was granted by LSU in Shreveport or by some other college or university, the candidate must earn at least 33 semester hours beyond those counted in fulfilling previous degree requirements. These additional hours may not have been earned prior to the date of certification of the last degree. The candidate must also fulfill all department and college requirements for the second degree.

Catalog Use

The University catalog prescribes the requirements for each degree. The catalog is published annually and becomes effective at the opening of the summer term. (See also AUniversity Regulations@ in this section.)

A student must meet all the requirements for a degree outlined in an issue of the catalog in effect during the student's continuous residence at the University. A student whose study has been interrupted for 12 consecutive months may not elect a catalog earlier than the one in force at the time of re-entry. A student changing from one curriculum to another may not elect to follow a catalog in force earlier than the date on which the change is made. Under no circumstances may a student elect a catalog more than 10 years old.

Student Responsibilities

Close adherence to the curriculum will assure the student of completion of all general degree and major requirements within the normal four-year period. The student should know all the requirements of the degree program and should consult with the faculty adviser when necessary. Each student is held responsible for knowing degree requirements, for enrolling in courses that fit into the degree program, for taking courses in the proper sequence to ensure the orderly progression of work, and for knowing University regulations regarding the standard of work required to continue in the University, as well as the regulations on scholastic probation.

Requirements for Multiple Majors

A student who wishes to increase career options by demonstrating broader education than is normally suggested by a single major may earn a degree with two majors. The two majors may be in the same or different colleges as long as

1. all general baccalaureate degree requirements are fulfilled

2. all requirements for each separate major are fulfilled

3. the dean of the college in which the degree will be granted approves

4. the dean of the other college approves

Degree with Honors

The baccalaureate degree is awarded with honors to students who earn a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit at LSU in Shreveport and who maintain a high grade point average. To be eligible for honors, students must have a grade point average, including course grades eliminated through the Repeat/Delete option and the Bankruptcy Policy, that falls within the ranges shown below, both for courses taken at LSU in Shreveport and for all courses:
 

Regents' Certificate of Excellence

In the spring of 1986 the Louisiana State Board of Regents authorized the awarding of a Certificate of Excellence to those graduating students who have successfully completed more than the minimum general education courses and who have completed all requirements for the degree with a grade point average of 3.0. The student who wants to earn this certificate should take the following additional courses in general education:

Sciences (2 additional hours of laboratory)

Two-semester science sequence should be met by taking courses required for majors including laboratory courses.

Humanities (6 additional hours)

Six credit hours of a foreign language above the introductory level must be a part of the total 15 hours of humanities.