The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) requires that all students
complete a set of liberal arts distribution requirements, as well as an
approved major and an approved minor for students who are not pursuing credit-intensive majors. The distribution requirements
include up to 12 courses totaling between 24 and 36 credits. Some courses may be used
to fulfill more than one distribution requirement, and a course used to
fulfill a distribution requirement may also be used to fulfill a major
or minor requirement.
1. Writing Requirement
Expository Writing 101 and one additional course, degree credit-bearing
and worth at least 3 credits, from a list of approved courses.
Students
receiving a score of 4 or above on the AP English composition or literature tests are exempted from Expository Writing 101, and for such
students the writing requirement becomes a one-course requirement.
Transfer credits from courses taken in high school will not satisfy
this requirement, even if they carry a college transcript.
Writing courses on the approved list consist of courses nominated by departments. Such courses
are above the 100 level, require 15 pages or more of writing in English (excluding exams), including at least one sustained piece of analytical
or interpretive prose, and provide regular detailed feedback on
writing. For the SAS approved writing intensive course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/writing.html.
2. Quantitative Reasoning Requirement
Two
courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits,
consisting of one course in Mathematics (640) and one additional course
in Mathematics, Computer Science (198), Operations Research (711),
Statistics (960), or a discipline specific course strongly emphasizing
either analytic or quantitative methods. For the SAS approved
quantitative reasoning course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/quantitative.html.
Students who place into calculus on the mathematics placement exam are exempt from taking
the 640 course, and for such students, the requirement becomes a
one-course quantitative reasoning course requirement. Students who use
calculus placement to satisfy the mathematics requirement may not use
precalculus to satisfy the second part of this requirement. Transfer
credits from courses taken in high school will not generally satisfy
this requirement.
3. Natural Sciences Requirement
Two
courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits,
chosen from: Astrophysics (105), Chemistry (160), Geological Sciences
(460), Life Sciences (119, 146, 447, 694), Marine and Coastal Sciences
(628), Meteorology (670), and Physics (750), plus a list of select
courses in other science disciplines. For the SAS approved natural
sciences course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/naturalscience.html.
Courses
need not be in the same subject. Independent study, internships, and
research courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
4. Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Requirement
Four
courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, in
the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies, with
one course from each of the three subdivisions shown below and one
additional course from any one of the three subdivisions.
Humanities:
African Languages and Literature (013), Armenian (078), Art and Visual
Arts (080, 081), Catalan (145), Chinese (165), Classics (190),
Comparative Literature (195), Dance (203, 206), French (360), German
(470), Greek (489, 490), Hindi (505), Hungarian (535), Italian (560),
Japanese (565), Korean (574), Latin (580), Music (615), Philosophy
(730), Polish (787), Portuguese (810), Religion (840), Russian (860),
Spanish (940), Theater Arts (965), Ukrainian (967), plus a list of
select courses in other related disciplines. For the SAS approved
humanities course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/humanities.html.
Social Sciences:
Communication (189,192), Criminal Justice (202), Economics (220),
Education (300), Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior
(374), Geography (450), Labor Studies and Employment Relations (575),
Planning and Public Policy (762), Political Science (790), Psychology
(830), Public Health (832), Sociology (920), plus a list of select
courses in other related disciplines. For the SAS approved social
sciences course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/socialsciences.html.
Interdisciplinary Studies:
Africana Studies (014), African Area Studies (016), American Studies
(050), Asian Studies (098), Cinema Studies (175), East Asian Languages
and Literatures (214), European Studies (360), History (506, 508, 510,
512), Interdisciplinary Studies (556), Latin American Studies (590),
Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies (595), Medieval Studies (667),
Middle Eastern Studies (685), South Asian Studies (925), Women's and
Gender Studies (988), plus a list of select courses in other related
disciplines. For the SAS approved interdisciplinary course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/interdisciplinary.html.
5. Diversity Requirement
One
course, credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, from an approved
list of courses. Courses fulfilling this requirement engage students
in theoretical issues and political debates pertaining to questions of
"diversity," namely race, ethnicity, language, migration and diasporas,
gender, and sexualities. These courses must juxtapose two or more
visions or methods, which would enable an understanding of an
increasingly globalized world. Sample topics include the following:
histories of religion, social movements, cultural conflicts, racial
tensions, visual culture and representation of transnational identities
and differences, international feminisms, and sexual prejudice. Study
abroad does not automatically satisfy this requirement, although
individual courses taken abroad may qualify. For the SAS approved
diversity course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/diversity.html.
6. Global Awareness Requirement
One
course, credit bearing, worth at least 3 credits, from an approved list
of courses. The Global Awareness requirement promotes enhanced
knowledge of the interconnectedness of the world's peoples, cultures,
environments, regions, or nations whether historically, politically,
economically, socially, linguistically, technologically, ecologically,
or epidemiologically. Courses in this category deepen area-based
knowledge and encourage analysis of global or transnational processes.
They help students to recognize the need for an understanding of local,
regional, international, transnational and/or global dynamics that
inhibit or promote solutions to contemporary world problems.
Introductory language courses do not fulfill this requirement. Study
abroad does not automatically satisfy this requirement, although
individual courses taken abroad may qualify. For the SAS approved
global awareness course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/global.html.
