UW-Milwaukee - College of Letters and Science

Course of Study -- Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree
College of Letters and Science (L&S) - Fall, 2008
Last updated 3/21/08

English Composition Requirement

To satisfy the English Composition Requirement, students must complete at least 2.5 credits in English 102 with a grade of C or higher or place beyond English 102 on the English Placement Test (EPT).

Note that English 102 has prerequisites that must be satisfied prior to taking English 102.

Students may also satisfy the English Composition Requirement by completing on transfer at least 2.5 credits in the equivalent of any of English 201, 202, 205, 206, 207, 208, or 230 with a grade of C or higher. This statement applies only to transfer students as English 201, 202, 205, 206, 207, 208, and 230 at UWM have an enforced prerequisite of English 102.

Completion of the L&S English Composition Requirement also satisfies completion of the university-wide GER English requirement.

Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement - Mathematics

To satisfy the Mathematics portion of the Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement, students must earn at least 2.5 credits with a grade of C or higher in Mathematical Sciences 105, 106, or 175 or place beyond Mathematical Sciences 105, 106, and 175 on the Mathematics Placement Exam.

Note that Mathematics 105, 106, and 175 have prerequisites that must be satisfied prior to taking Mathematics 105, 106, or 175. At UWM, Mathematics 175 is only open to students in the School of Education.

Students may also satisfy the Mathematics portion of the Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement by completing at least 2.5 credits in any of Mathematics 116, 205, 211, 225, or 231 with a grade of C or higher. This statement mainly applies to transfer students as Mathematics 116, 205, 211, 225, and 231 at UWM have an enforced prerequisite of at least the equivalent of a grade of C or better in Mathematics 105.

Completion of the Mathematics portion of the L&S Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement also satisfies completion of the university-wide GER Mathematics requirement.

Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement - Formal Reasoning

All candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree must complete Mathematics 211, 221, 226, 227, 228, or 231 and one additional course at the 200 level or above chosen from courses in mathematical sciences (excluding Math 225), Philosophy 212 (Modern Deductive Logic), or Letters and Science statistics courses. For a list of approved statistics courses, see the College of Letters and Science web site: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/statistics.html.

Note that students seeking a BA degree in L&S have different rules for satisfying the Formal Reasoning portion of the Mathematics and Formal Reasoning Requirement.

Language Requirement

To satisfy the Language Requirement, students must complete a 2-semester (minimum 6-credit) language sequence (including American Sign Language) other than English. This requirement is satisfied by two years of a single language (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school.

Note that the second semester in a language sequence has prerequisites that may need to be satisfied prior to taking the second semester in the sequence.

Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies completion of the university-wide GER Language requirement.

International Requirement

To satisfy the International Requirement, students have three options:

  1. complete three courses (at least nine credits) in a single foreign language (not including literature-in-translation and not including American Sign Language) at the third semester level and above, or
  2. complete three non-language courses (at least nine credits) with international content chosen from at least two curricular areas, or
  3. complete nine credits in combination from options 1 and 2.

Approved courses are any courses listed at http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/international.html.

Note that study abroad courses apply towards the satisfaction of this requirement.

Some courses that satisfy the International Requirement may satisfy other requirements as well such as the L&S Breadth Requirement. Careful course selection is advised.

Breadth Requirement

Important Note: Courses offered in units outside L&S may NOT be used to satisfy the L&S Breadth Requirement. For a list of approved courses, see: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf.

Breadth Requirement - L&S Humanities - 12 Credits

To satisfy the L&S Humanities Breadth Requirement, students must complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Humanities Breadth designation with no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. Students should carefully check their course selections with the list of approved courses at: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf.

Breadth Requirement - L&S Social Sciences - 12 Credits

To satisfy the L&S Social Sciences Breadth Requirement, students must complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Social Sciences Breadth designation with no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. Students should carefully check their course selections with the list of approved courses at: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf.

Breadth Requirement - L&S Natural Sciences - 12 Credits

To satisfy the L&S Natural Sciences Breadth Requirement, students must complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Natural Sciences Breadth designation with laboratory courses in three distinct natural science curricular areas. Students should carefully check their course selections with the list of approved courses at: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf.

Note that students seeking a BA degree in L&S have different rules for satisfying the L&S Natural Sciences Breadth Requirement.

The L&S Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences Breadth Requirements are distinctly different than the university-wide GER Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences Distribution requirement.

  • The L&S requirement specifies 12 credits while the university-wide GER specifies only 6 credits.
  • The L&S requirement specifies ONLY L&S courses and will NOT allow courses outside L&S to satisfy the L&S requirement.
  • The L&S requirement does not restrict choices to only those courses carrying university-wide GER HU, SS, or NS designations.

Some courses may satisfy more than one requirement. Careful course selection is advised.

(University-Wide GER Requirements)

The university-wide GER requirements are not technically part of the L&S degree requirements but the requirements must be completed to graduate from UWM except for second degree candidates from an accredited institution and students whose first semester in an accredited degree program was prior to September, 1986. Choosing L&S courses to meet the university-wide requirements is an efficient credit-conscious strategy that has individual courses satisfying multiple requirements.

As stated previously in this document, the university-wide GER requirements in English, Mathematics, and Language are automatically satisfied upon satisfaction of the L&S degree requirements.

The university-wide GER HU, SS, and NS distribution requirements may be simultaneously satisfied by the L&S degree requirements with careful choices of some of the courses satisfying the L&S Breadth Requirements as discussed above. Students are advised to select the courses in bold at http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf in order to simultaneously satisfy both requirements.

The university-wide GER Cultural Diversity requirement specifies 3 credits in a course with "GER &" designation. Students are advised to take 3 credits in a course which is listed at http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/breadth.pdf and which has university-wide "GER &" designation in order to satisfy the university-wide GER Cultural Diversity requirement with a course that simultaneously applies toward the L&S Breadth Requirement.

The university-wide GER Arts requirement specifies 3 credits in a course with GER ARTS designation at http://www4.uwm.edu/current_students/ger_information/ger_arts.cfm.

Credit Requirements

To complete the BS, 120 degree credits are required.

These 120 credits must include at least 36 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses offered by the College of Letters and Science. Those 36 upper-division credits must include at least 30 credits from courses approved as advanced L&S natural sciences - see the list at http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/requirements/2006/natsci.html. Upper division courses in units outside L&S may NOT be used to satisfy this requirement. Note that students seeking a BA degree in L&S have different rules regarding the 36 credits in upper division L&S courses.

These 120 credits must include at least 90 credits completed in L&S courses. L&S courses are those which are listed in the L&S section of the Undergraduate Bulletin http://www.uwm.edu/ugbulletin/SC/C_LaS.html.

Credit Limitations

No more than 30 of the required 120 credits may be from units outside L&S.

No more than 72 of the required 120 credits may be from two-year institutions.

Prior authorization is required for any credits taken at another institution in a semester while concurrently enrolled at UWM in that same semester.

There is no limit to the number of credits that may be taken in any L&S department.

No more than 6 credits in sport and recreation courses may be counted toward the degree.

No more than 6 credits in any single course outside L&S may be counted toward the degree.

A maximum of 6 credits in military science courses may be counted toward the degree and these credits may not be counted among the 90 L&S credits required.

No more than 6 credits of field experience taken outside L&S may be counted toward the degree.

No "life experience" credits may be counted toward the degree.

Residency Requirement

To satisfy the L&S Residency requirement, students have three options:

  1. Complete at least 90 credits in residence at UWM.
  2. Complete 45 of the last 60 credits in residence at UWM.
  3. Complete the last 30 credits in residence at UWM.

Students must complete at least 15 credits in residence in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.

Students must complete at least 9 credits in residence in upper-division courses (numbered 300 or above) in their minor if a minor is selected.

GPA Requirement

The College requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits attempted at UWM. The College also requires that students must attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits attempted when transfer work is included along with the UWM work.

The College requires that students attain at least a 2.5 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. The College also requires that students must attain at least a 2.5 GPA on all major credits attempted when transfer work is included along with the UWM work. Departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation.

In cases where a minor is selected, the College requires that students attain at least a 2.5 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. The College also requires that students must attain at least a 2.5 GPA on all minor credits attempted when transfer work is included along with the UWM work. Departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation.

The Major

Every BS student must select a science major. The science major may be one of three kinds:

  1. a departmental major from among actuarial science, atmospheric sciences, biological sciences, biochemistry, chemistry, geography, geosciences (geology-geophysics option only), mathematical sciences, microbiology, and physics;
  2. the conservation and environmental sciences major;
  3. a committee interdisciplinary major where the courses for the committee interdisciplinary major must be selected from the areas of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Conservation and Environmental Science, Geography (physical), Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics or from other courses approved to meet the natural science requirements.

Multiple majors are allowed. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements. Some departments or programs specify course and/or GPA requirements that students must satisfy prior to declaring the major.

For a list of approved majors, see: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/majors.html. The BS degree is not available with a major in Geosciences (General Option). A BS is available in Applied Mathematics and Physics and in Course in Chemistry - both of which are separate degree programs not covered by this document.

After completing 15 credits and before 75 credits have been earned, students must declare a major by contacting the appropriate academic department or program. Failure to declare the major before 75 credits have been earned may result in a delay of graduation.

Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the major requirements outlined in any catalog from the time they entered. Otherwise, students must satisfy the major requirements in existence at the time of declaration.

Students must complete in residence at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.

The College requires that students attain at least a 2.5 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. The College also requires that students must attain at least a 2.5 GPA on all major credits attempted when transfer work is included along with the UWM work. Departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. In such cases, contact your academic advisor for information on whether or not those credits will count as part of the major GPA.

Within their major, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S Faculty.

Note About Advising

L&S students have a general academic advisor and major/minor/certificate advisors in each of their major/minor/certificate departments or programs.

The major/minor/certificate advisor counsels students on requirements for the major/minor/certificate but not on the general L&S degree requirements. The major advisor can be helpful in discussing internships, graduate school, and jobs. The Career Development Center http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CDC/ is also a good source for assistance in planning majors and careers.

The L&S general academic advisor can provide guidance, insight, and advice, as well as challenge and support. These advisors counsel students on the general L&S degree requirements, help students choose courses that match their academic goals and educational program, provide a listening ear, answer general questions, and direct students to other services as necessary. See http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/services/. It is extremely important that students regularly meet with their academic advisor to make sure that their course selection is consistent with the L&S degree requirements. The specific advisor's name is available on each student's PAWS account.