Requirements for Graduation

Students earning degrees in the College of Liberal Arts must meet the following graduation requirements:

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for graduation, students must complete the courses outlined as "General Education Requirements" and "Requirements for Graduation" in the university catalog. In some instance where students have options, particular majors impose limitations on the courses that students may select to fulfill General Education Requirements. Such limitations are spelled out under requirements for the major in those departments.

LIBERAL ARTS CORE: Beginning with students matriculating in the 1991 fall semester, all students earning degrees in programs in the College of Liberal Arts must complete the six-credit Liberal Arts Core, which is designed to complement the General Education Requirements and to give students greater exposure to the liberal arts. In order to qualify for graduation, students must choose one (1) of the following Liberal Arts Core (LAC) options:

Option 1: Great Books

Students must complete the following two courses:
GENL 398-498 SEMINAR IN GREAT BOOKS I and II- Six hours; 6 credits.

Option 2: Great Issues

Students must complete the following two courses:
GENL 399-499 SEMINAR IN GREAT ISSUES OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY I and II- Six hours; 6 credits.

Option 3: Fine and Performing Arts

Students must complete the following two courses:
GENL 397- SEMINAR IN THE VISUAL ARTS and GENL 497- SEMINAR IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC- Six hours; 6 credits.

Option 4: Service Learning

Students must complete the following two courses:
GENL 396- SERVICE LEARNING and GENL 496- SERVICE LEARNING--Six hours; 6  credits. 

Option 5: World Languages and International Studies

Students must complete six (6) credits of the same foreign language. Students' competency level will be determined by the Department of World Languages and International Studies for the purpose of specifying the level of a foreign language that they are eligible to take to meet this requirement. Students may not use these courses simultaneously to satisfy other requirements, including the Foreign Language requirement for the B.A. degree.

Option 6: Complement to the Major

Students may take any combination of 300- and/or 400- level courses in a single discipline that does not fall into the same division as their major. They may not choose a combination of disciplines or divisions. They may take two 300- level courses, two 400-level courses, or a combination of one 300-level course and one 400- level course. In some instances, they may be precluded from taking 300- and 400- level courses in disciplines where they have not taken the prerequisites:

Division I--The Humanities: (Fine) Art, English, World Languages and International Studies, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theatre Arts.

Division II--The Social and Behavioral Sciences: Economics, Geography, History, International Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Division III--The Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Physics, Mathematics, Medical Technology, and Physics.

Telecommunications and Speech Communication majors may select courses from a single discipline in any one of the three divisions, and all students may select Telecommunications or Speech Communication to satisfy the requirement, unless they are Telecommunication or Speech Communication majors.

In addition, all students may select the combination of MISC 200 (Leadership Development I) and HIST 327 (American Military History) to satisfy Option 5.

English 350: Writing Practicum may not be used to satisfy the Liberal Arts Core Requirement.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for graduation, students must complete the requirements specified in the programs in which they are majoring.

REQUIRED AVERAGE: In order to qualify for graduation, students must have earned a cumulative average of 2.0 or better, must have a major average of 2.0 or better and must have no outstanding grades below "C" in the major (which includes all required courses taken in the major and required supporting courses).

JUNIOR- AND SENIOR- LEVEL COURSES: In order to qualify for graduation, students must have taken all of their junior- and senior-level (300 and 400 level) requirements in the major at Morgan State University, unless granted prior written permission by the Dean to take courses elsewhere.

SENIOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION: In order to qualify for graduation, students must pass the Senior Departmental Comprehensive Examination with a score of 70 or higher.

OTHER COLLEGE-WIDE POLICIES

INDEPENDENT STUDY: The College of Liberal Arts approves independent study for students only when the course has not been offered regularly enough for the student to complete degree requirements within the statute of limitations. In addition, the College does not approve independent study for students who have taken the course previously and failed it. As a general rule, the College also limits to one (1) the number of courses that students may pursue on an independent study basis during any academic session.

TAKING COURSES AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS: Once students have matriculated in disciplines in the liberal arts at Morgan State University, they may not take courses at other institutions for the purpose of transferring them to Morgan, without prior written permission from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Once prior written permission has been given, students may transfer credits, but not grades, for those courses to Morgan. As a general rule, the College of Liberal Arts does not grant permission for students to take a course at another institution if students have taken and failed the same course at Morgan. In addition, it does not permit students to take courses at another institution if the same courses are being offered at Morgan during that semester or session. This policy applies to CO-OP programs, as well.

EXCESS CREDITS: The College of Liberal Arts adheres strictly to the university policy concerning granting permission to take excess credits during any semester. It does not make exceptions for the purpose of enabling seniors to be graduated. The College grants permission to pursue excess credits (maximum of three credits) only to students with cumulative averages of 3.0 or higher at Morgan.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER EVALUATIONS: Transfer students admitted to a program in the College of Liberal Arts must appeal the evaluation of their transfer credits within one (1) year of the date on which the transfer evaluation is issued to them. After that date, the evaluation becomes permanent, and it may not be challenged later for the purpose of meeting requirements for graduation.

REPEATING COURSES TRANSFERRED TO THE UNIVERSITY: Students who repeat Morgan courses for which they have been given transfer credit will automatically lose those corresponding transfer credits. Once the course has been taken at Morgan, it will not be expunged from the record.

FAMILIARITY WITH ACADEMIC POLICIES: In the College of Liberal Arts, students are held responsible for being knowledgeable of published policies and procedures at the university. Under no circumstances will ignorance of published policies and procedures be accepted as a reason for making exceptions to them.