The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policies

 

These are the current policies in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Academic integrity

Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, assignments, papers, laboratory work, academic transactions and records. More information about academic honesty is available at the academic integrity website, and information about The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policies and procedures can be found at the college website.

Academic dishonesty investigation and procedures

• Anyone with a good faith basis for believing that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty may report the alleged violation to the instructor or academic integrity officer for the college or school in which the academic dishonesty occurred.
• If the instructor or academic integrity officer concludes that there is a sufficient basis to believe the student engaged in academic dishonesty, the instructor or the academic integrity officer will notify the student of the alleged violation and initiate the investigative process.
• Before concluding the investigation, the instructor or academic integrity officer will provide the student a summary of the information gathered. The student has five business days after the notice was sent to respond to the allegation.
• At any point in the process, the student can contact the academic integrity officer to seek consultation or clarification.
• The student may be accompanied by an advisor at any point in the process. The advisor is not permitted to participate directly or speak for the student.
• Once the investigation is complete, in consultation with the academic integrity officer, the instructor will recommend a sanction. The student will be notified of the result of the investigation and of any sanction to be imposed.

Sanctions and appeal

The following sanctions may be imposed for academic dishonesty:

• reduced or failing grade for the academic evaluation
• reduced or failing grade for the course
• a grade of "XE"
• withdrawal of credit for a previously accepted course or requirement
• suspension from the university for a specific period of time
• expulsion from the university without expectation of readmission
• other sanctions as consistent with this policy and the Student Code of Conduct

At any time, the student and the instructor may agree on the sanction and inform the academic integrity officer or the dean. The academic integrity officer or the dean may reject the proposed resolution and appoint a designee to pursue the case on behalf of the college.

A student alleged to have violated the Academic Integrity Policy has the following rights:

• The student will be notified of their right to appeal to the dean. The student must file their appeal no later than 10 business days after the date the notification was sent. If the student does not file a timely appeal, the sanction is final.
• A student’s appeal of an allegation of an academic integrity violation or recommended sanction must be submitted in writing and include the following:
  • a description of the alleged academic dishonesty, including a factual narrative of events, the dates and times of occurrences, and any other reason why the sanction should not be imposed
  • the names of persons having information about relevant circumstances or events
  • the general nature and description of all evidence
• If the student files an appeal, the student must meet with the academic integrity officer to discuss hearing procedures. The academic integrity officer will help the student navigate the process and provide additional information when needed.
• If the student wishes to dispute any aspect of the allegation or sanction, the student may file an appeal. If the student files a timely appeal, the sanction will not be imposed until the appeal is resolved. If the student files an appeal at the end of a semester, or during the last semester of enrollment, the course grade or degree may be withheld until the matter is resolved. If a grade or degree will be withheld for any period, the academic integrity officer or dean must notify the Registrar's Office.

Student Affairs and Grievances Committee hearing

The academic integrity officer will forward a student’s timely appeal to the instructor.

Pre-hearing proceedings

The academic integrity officer will send a notice of hearing to the student; instructor; The College of Liberal Arts and Science's Student Affairs and Grievances Committee (termed "college/school board" on Provost website); and the head of the college, school or academic unit where the alleged dishonesty occurred. The notice will include the following information:

• the time and place of the hearing before the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee (Unless the parties and academic integrity officer agree otherwise, the hearing will take place during the regular fall or spring semester.)
• a copy of this policy or instructions on how to access the policy electronically
• the requirement that the parties provide to the academic integrity officer a written list of witnesses and a description of any documents or other evidence they intend to use at the hearing (Unless the chairperson provides otherwise, this information must be exchanged at least five business days before the hearing.)
• the length of time set for the hearing, the time limitation for the presentation of evidence and any other procedural requirements

Conduct of the hearing

In order to preserve the confidential nature of the disciplinary process and to protect the privacy of those involved, the hearing will be closed to the public.

The chairperson of the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee will preside at the hearing and will rule upon all procedural matters. The formal rules of evidence will not apply, although objections to the introduction of specific statements or documents may be considered by the chairperson. Irrelevant, immaterial, privileged or unduly repetitious information will be excluded.

The instructor shall have the burden of showing it is more likely than not that the student engaged in academic dishonesty. The instructor must also explain the reason for the sanction. If the student accepts responsibility for academic dishonesty, then the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee may focus the hearing on the appropriate sanction.

Information regarding prior violations or informal resolutions of previous allegations may not be used as proof of a current violation, but may be admitted for other purposes, such as to show that the student had prior experience relevant to the allegations or to show that the student had been informed previously that the conduct was unacceptable. The Student Affairs and Grievances Committee may also consider information regarding prior violations in determining an appropriate sanction.

A student who fails to appear or refuses to participate at the hearing will be deemed to have abandoned the appeal, unless the student can demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances prevented appearance or participation.

The student and instructor may each have an advisor present, but the advisors shall not be permitted to address the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee directly, except as the chairperson deems necessary or appropriate.

The hearing will be recorded and the student may request a copy of the recording. The student may also request a transcript, but will be responsible for its cost.

Except as otherwise permitted by the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee, witnesses will be excluded from the hearing except during their own testimony. The chairperson may remove a party, advisor or witness from the hearing if that person’s conduct is disruptive.

When necessitated by fairness or extraordinary circumstances, the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee may permit the parties to make arrangements for recorded, written or telephonic testimony from their witnesses for use in the proceeding.

The instructor shall proceed first at each stage of the presentation.

• Each party may present an opening statement, which summarizes what information is expected to be presented.
• Each party will call a witness or witnesses to provide statements under oath.
• At the conclusion of each witness’s statement, they may be questioned by the other party.
• The committee may ask further questions of each witness.
• Each party may present a closing statement, which summarizes the information that was presented.

If the alleged academic dishonesty involves the work of multiple students, the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee may modify these procedures to address the circumstances. The college Student Affairs and Grievances Committee should provide prior written notice of any modification of the procedures to all parties. Each student must file his or her own appeal. A student who has not filed an appeal should not expect to benefit from another student’s appeal.

College board deliberations and recommendations

Following the presentation of information and closing statements, the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee will discuss the information that has been presented and the reasonable inferences to be drawn from it. Only the committee, its legal advisor, if any, and the academic integrity officer may be present during the deliberations. Neither the student nor the instructor may be present during the deliberations.

Based solely upon the information presented, the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee will formulate a recommendation to the dean as to whether the student has more likely than not engaged in academic dishonesty and the appropriate sanction. Recommendations must be supported by a simple majority of the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee.

The Student Affairs and Grievances Committee will prepare and send a written recommendation to the dean within five business days of the hearing. The written recommendation will include findings of fact and a statement of the reasons for the recommendation. It will also be signed by the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee chair. If the recommendation is not unanimous, dissenting opinions should be reflected in the recommendation.

Review and decision by dean

After reviewing the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee's recommendation, the dean will render a written decision which affirms, denies or accepts the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee’s recommendation with modifications.

The dean may not make new findings adverse to the student or increase the severity of a sanction, unless:

• The dean provides the student notice and an opportunity to respond to the new findings or sanction.
• The dean remands the matter to the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee for further proceedings.

The dean will provide written notice of the decision to the student; the academic integrity officer; the instructor; the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee; and the head of the college, school or academic unit where the alleged dishonesty occurred within 20 business days following receipt of the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee’s recommendation. A delay may occur if it becomes necessary to conduct further investigation or to remand the matter to the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee. In those cases, the written decision will be transmitted no later than 20 business days following completion of the investigation or the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee’s subsequent recommendation.

The dean’s decision is final and may not be further appealed unless the dean recommends that the provost suspend or expel the student from the university.

If the dean recommends the suspension or expulsion of an international student, both the student and academic integrity officer should consult with the ASU International Students and Scholars Center.

If the dean recommends that the provost suspend or expel the student from the university, the letter from the dean will state that the student may appeal the recommendation by filing a written request for review with the provost within 10 business days of the date of the letter.

If the student does not timely appeal, the provost or designee will review the dean’s recommendation and issue a final decision on suspensions or expulsions from the university.

Review and decision of a suspension or expulsion from the university

A student may seek to have a dean’s decision reviewed by the University Academic Integrity Hearing Board only if the dean recommends that the provost suspend or expel the student from the university. However, a student who failed to appeal or abandoned the appeal at the Student Affairs and Grievances Committee hearing may not appeal to the University Academic Integrity Hearing Board.

The appeal must be in writing and must be filed with the provost within 10 business days of the date of the dean’s decision letter.

The provost or designee will appoint and charge a University Academic Integrity Hearing Board to conduct the hearing. The board will be comprised of three members; one member must be a student and one of the other members will act as chairperson. The hearing shall follow the procedures set forth in the Student Code of Conduct Procedures (PDF), except that the college or school will take the role of the dean of students and the provost or designee will take the role of the senior vice president for Educational Outreach and Student Services.

Notice of nondiscrimination

ASU prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Students should review ASU’s policy ACD 401: Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.

Title IX protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal financial assistance. As required by Title IX, ASU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that we operate, including in admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the ASU Title IX coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or to both. For more information, students should email titleixcoordinator@asu.edu, call 480-965-0696, or visit the office located at 1120 S. Cady Mall, INTDSB 284. For information on making a report, students should reference the Report It website.

Undergraduate policies

Student responsibilities

Students enrolling in courses offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are expected to follow the rules and deadlines specified in this catalog pertaining to enrollment, adding or dropping classes, withdrawals, and tuition payment.

Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisors regularly. Students with additional questions regarding the academic rules of the college and the university are welcome to meet with their academic advisor. Academic advisor contact information and appointment scheduling tools are available on My ASU under the Academic Support Team heading.

In addition, students must understand and follow the requirements for the university's General Studies Policy and Undergraduate Graduation Requirements Policy in their edition of ASU's academic catalog. The academic catalog is the governing source for all degree requirements.

Academic standing

The standards for GPA and the terms of academic warning, academic probation or continuing probation, disqualification, and reinstatement are identical to those of the university, as set forth under the Retention and Academic Standards Policy.

After students are placed on academic warning or probation, one of three things can happen:

1. They can return to academic good standing by raising the cumulative GPA to 2.00 or greater.
2. They can remain on probation by earning the required semester GPA of at least 2.00 but not raising the cumulative GPA to academic good standing. Students may continue on academic probation, earning the required semester GPA, for as many semesters as it takes to raise the cumulative GPA to academic good standing.
3. They can be disqualified if they fail to achieve the required semester GPA of 2.00.

Students who are placed on academic warning or academic probation are required to interact with their major academic advisor in each term they remain on continuing probation prior to enrollment in subsequent terms.

Students who leave the university for a semester or more while on academic probation are automatically readmitted, except when reapplying to degrees in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, which has specific readmission criteria. Students should review the reinstatement and readmission portion of this page for more information about policies and procedures.

Students who fail to meet the minimum semester GPA of 2.00 in the fall or spring semester after being placed on academic probation are disqualified from further attendance at Arizona State University for a minimum of one semester. Students who are academically disqualified should contact their academic advisor to discuss options for returning to ASU.

Academic advising

All students are encouraged to seek academic advising before registering for courses each semester. Academic advisor contact information and appointment scheduling tools are available on My ASU under the Academic Support Team heading.

eAdvisor

eAdvisor provides students with the tools to successfully follow their major maps to graduation and assists the students with:

• learning more about graduation requirements for their majors
• discerning what critical requirement courses and grades are required to stay on track to successfully complete their degrees
• planning for and scheduling appropriate courses in the correct sequence to maximize success
• monitoring progress toward their degrees
• finding out how courses may fit into other majors if they decide to change majors or to add concurrent degrees

Academic advising locations

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences continuing on-campus students and all new and continuing online students should seek routine academic advising in the department or school of their major.

All on-campus first-year students and first-term transfer students in The College of Liberal Arts in Sciences should seek academic advising with advisors located in the Academic Advising Hubs located on the first floor of Armstrong Hall.

The Office of Student and Academic Programs, located in Armstrong Hall, 1st floor south, is the central resource center for academic information in the college. Clarification of rules, procedures and academic advising needs of The College and university should be directed to that office. The Office of Student and Academic Programs also provides information on policies and procedures regarding academic integrity, student grievances with respect to grades, and various petitions involving college and university degree and graduation requirements.

Required advising

The following groups of students are required to consult with their academic advisor in order to be eligible to register for their courses:

• all students registering for their first semester at ASU
• first-year students registering for their second semester at ASU (Successful completion of LIA 101 class assignment will meet academic advising requirement.)
• students on academic probation or continuing probation
• students newly readmitted to the university
• students who are off track in their major

Students listed above should consult an advisor in the department or school of their major. Disqualified students seeking readmission should first apply to the university for readmission. Once students have been readmitted to ASU, they should consult an academic advisor in the department or school of their major.

Advising for preprofessional programs

 

Health professions

Students who plan to pursue a health profession should meet regularly with the preprofessional advising staff located in the Futures Center (ARM 112). For each of the health-related fields listed above, specific courses must be taken to complete graduate or professional school prerequisites and to prepare for required standardized admission exams (e.g., MCAT). To schedule a meeting with a prehealth advisor, students should email prehealthtempe@asu.edu, or they can visit Handshake.

Prelaw

Students who plan to pursue a law-related profession should seek guidance from the preprofessional advising staff located in the Futures Center (ARM 112). There are no specific course requirements for entrance into law school. Courses that engage students in intense critical analysis and include substantial amounts of writing, however, are recommended as are practical experiences outside of the classroom (e.g., internships). Students can schedule a meeting with a prelaw advisor by emailing prelawadvising@asu.edu, or they can visit Handshake.

Academic (grade) grievance

Academic grievances occur when a student is appealing a final grade issued in a course. This process does not address academic integrity allegations, faculty misconduct or discrimination. Grievances must be resolved within the regular semester immediately following the session in which the grade was issued (by commencement for fall or spring) regardless of whether the student is enrolled at the university.

The grievance procedures of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are as follows:

• Consultation with instructor: The student questioning a course grade must first confer with the instructor, state the evidence, if any, and reasons for questioning that the grade received was not given in good faith. The instructor must review the matter, explain the grading procedure used and show how the final course grade in question was determined. If the instructor is a graduate assistant and this consultation does not resolve the difficulty, the student may then take the dispute to the faculty member in charge of the course.
• Review by department leadership: If the grading dispute is not resolved after consultation with the instructor, the student may appeal to the department chair, director or other appropriate faculty within the department or school that offered the course. That member of the faculty may confer with the instructor to review the dispute. In most instances, the grievance procedure can be resolved after consultation with the instructor or review by department leadership and does not go beyond this level.
• Meeting request with The College dean’s office: If the matter remains unresolved, the student may then request a meeting with a representative in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean’s office. In order to request a meeting, the student must complete the Academic Affairs Report form. Students should not submit this form until after consultation with the instructor and review by the department leadership.

After meeting with the student, the dean’s representative will send an email outlining their assessment of the grievance. The dean’s representative will determine if the final course grade will stand as issued or if further review of the issued grade is warranted.

Questions about this process can be directed to: TheCollegeDean@asu.edu.

Typically, final course grades appeals are only considered when one or more of the following criteria are met. Appeals requested for areas outside these parameters are not eligible for formal hearings and will not be heard.

• There was an error in calculating the final course grade for the course.
• The criteria for determining the final course grade was changed from what was specified in the syllabus.
• The evaluation system was not consistently and fairly applied to all students.

Formal process

Step 1: If directed to do so by the dean’s representative, the student may, no later than 10 business days after receiving the request from the dean’s representative, provide a written statement outlining the evidence, if any, and reasons for questioning that the grade was not issued in good faith. Supporting materials should be attached as exhibits to the statement. The statement should be scanned, signed and submitted with all attachments as a single .pdf file. Students should review the Guideline for Statements of Academic Grievance (PDF).

The student’s written statement must provide evidence that one or more of the circumstances occurred as part of the issuance of the final course grade:

• An error occurred in calculating the final course grade for the course.
• The criteria for determining the final course grade was changed from what was specified in the syllabus.
• The evaluation system was not consistently and fairly applied to all students.

Step 2: The dean’s office will provide the student’s statement with any exhibits to the instructor and request that the instructor provide the dean’s office with a formal written response within 10 business days.

Step 3: When the written response is received from the instructor, the dean’s representative will contact the student, who can then schedule an appointment to review the instructor’s response.

After reviewing the instructor’s response, the student may submit a written request for a hearing before The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Affairs and Grievance Committee. The dean’s representative will determine if the final course grade will stand as issued or if the grade appeal will be heard by the committee.

The committee is a regular committee and meets weekly during the fall and spring term when school is in session. The dean’s representative serves as a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the committee.

Step 4: The committee shall meet with the student and the instructor in an attempt to resolve the differences. In order to preserve the confidential nature of the final course grade grievance process and to protect the privacy interest of those involved, the hearing will be closed to the public. The committee chair will preside at the hearing and will rule upon all procedural matters. A student who fails to appear or refuses to participate at the hearing will be deemed to have abandoned the request for a hearing, unless the student can demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances prevented their appearance or participation.

Step 5: After all parties have been heard, they will be excused and the committee will deliberate in closed session. Once the committee has reached consensus the committee chair will submit their written recommendation to the either the graduate or undergraduate associate dean in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. At that time, the respective associate dean will take final action after fully considering the committee’s recommendation. The associate dean shall inform the student, instructor, department chair or school director (if any), registrar (if appropriate), and grievance committee of any action taken. The decision of the dean is final.

It is university policy that students filing grievances and those who are witnesses are protected from retaliation. Students who believe that they are victims of retaliation should contact the Office of University Rights and Responsibilities.

For the purposes of this process, business days are defined as days the university is open.

Credits, degrees and course registration

Credit requirement

All candidates for graduation for bachelor's degrees in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are required to complete at least 120 credit hours of which at least 45 credit hours must consist of upper-division courses. A minimum cumulative ASU GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation.

Minors

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers minors in many of its disciplines. All minors require a minimum of 18 credit hours in the discipline with at least 12 of those credit hours as upper-division courses. Students should work with their major academic advisors to make certain they are making the most effective choices to complete their minors. If there are additional questions regarding the minor, the major academic advisor will consult with the department offering the minor. Students may not use courses in their minors toward their majors and, similarly, students may not use courses in their majors to fill the requirements of their minors. Additionally, there may be some disciplines that are too close in content for a student to choose a particular combination of minor and major.

Course load

Undergraduate students are normally limited to 18 credit hours per fall or spring semester (or nine credit hours each in sessions A and B) and 14 total credit hours per summer session (seven credit hours each in sessions A and B; nine credit hours in session C). The typical student course load is 15 or 16 credit hours for a full 15-week semester.

Students who wish to register for more than 18 hours must meet GPA criteria based on the number of additional credit hours requested. Students should review the college's website for specific criteria, further guidelines and the course overload petition form. Students meeting these requirements may seek an overload for 19 or more credit hours (or up to 10 credit hours in either session A or B) from the academic advising office in the department or school of their major.

Students should not assume that their petition for overload will be granted. Overload requests are evaluated based on the student's most recent academic performance, cumulative performance and the reasons for requesting the overload. First-year students and transfer students are not permitted to receive course overloads for their first semester at ASU.

Pass/fail grade option

The pass/fail grade option is intended to broaden the education of liberal arts and sciences undergraduates by encouraging them to take advanced courses outside their specializations. A grade of “P” (pass) contributes to a student’s earned credit hours but does not affect the GPA. A failing grade of "E" is computed into the GPA.

Students in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with at least 60 credit hours may take courses under the pass/fail option. The following conditions apply:

• Enrollment for the pass/fail option must be approved by both the instructor and the college offering the course, as well as the student's college or school. Permission is recorded on the Pass/Fail Enrollment Application form.
• Enrollment for the pass/fail option must be indicated during registration and may not be changed after the add period.
• A maximum of 12 credit hours taken for pass/fail may be counted toward graduation.

Students may not enroll under the pass/fail option in courses that are:

• taken to satisfy the second-language or first-year composition requirements
• required in the student's major, minor or certificate program
• counted toward or required to supplement the major
• counted as 499 Individualized Instruction
• taken for honors credits
• counted toward satisfying The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduation requirements or ASU General Studies requirements

Audit grade option

Students may choose to audit courses in which they attend regularly scheduled class sessions but earn no credit. Students wishing to audit a course should obtain instructor approval before registering.

The audit grade option may not be changed after the add period.

Degree requirements

The College graduation requirements

All students in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must complete the university General Studies requirements as well as all requirements of their major. In addition, the college has established requirements that are specific to the BA, BS and BSP degrees.

Requirements for all undergraduates in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

All students are required to take a minimum math course of MAT 117 College Algebra or higher. A grade of “C” or better must be earned in the chosen mathematics course.

Each student admitted as a first-time, first-year student is required to complete a first-year success course or first-year seminar. These courses are designed to introduce students to the college and help them gain an understanding of what they will need to do to be successful students at ASU. Topics include academic success, academic integrity and student engagement.

Bachelor of Arts requirements

• completion of second language coursework at the intermediate level (202 or equivalent)*
• a second language course at the 300 level or higher taught in the foreign language and having 202 or its equivalent as a prerequisite
• demonstrated completion of secondary education at a school in which the language of instruction is not English
• completion of ASL 202 American Sign Language IV or its equivalent

*Those students completing this requirement in Ancient Greek must take GRK 301 and 302.

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Planning requirements

Each student pursuing a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science in Planning degree must complete six credit hours (two courses) of science and society courses. At least one course must be completed at the upper-division level. Students should consult an advisor in the department or school of their major for a list of appropriate courses.

Major requirements

Each student is required to select a major from among the fields of study offered by The College. Major maps describe the requirements for completion of each degree program.

The department or school of the major may require up to 45 credit hours of coursework. The minimum is 30 hours. A maximum of 15 additional credit hours may be required in related courses and prerequisites. No more than 60 credit hours of coursework may be required to complete the major, related courses and prerequisites. Some departments require calculus-level mathematics, and up to five of these credit hours may be excluded from the 60 credit hour maximum as they satisfy The College's mathematics proficiency requirement. A minimum of 12 upper-division credit hours in the major must be taken in residence and from courses offered by The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

No credit is granted toward fulfilling major or minor requirements in any upper-division course in that subject field unless the grade in that course is at least a “C”. In The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the assignment of a grade of “Y” (satisfactory) indicates a level of performance that would have resulted in a grade of at least “C” had the normal grading scheme been used.

Students should see individual departmental websites for other minimum grade requirements.

Major fields of study are classified into the following three areas:

Humanities

• Asia studies
• Asian languages (Chinese/Japanese)
• culture, technology and environment
• English*
• film and media studies
• French
• German
• history*
• international letters and cultures
• Italian
• Jewish studies
• philosophy
• religious studies
• Russian
• Spanish

Natural sciences and mathematics

• actuarial science
• astronomical and planetary sciences
• biochemistry
• biological sciences
• biophysics
• chemistry
• computational mathematical sciences
• data science
• earth and environmental studies
• earth and space exploration
• mathematics*
• microbiology
• molecular biosciences and biotechnology
• neuroscience
• physics
• psychology
• technological leadership

Social sciences

• African and African American studies
• American Indian studies
• American studies
• anthropology
• applied mathematics for the life and social sciences
• Asian Pacific American studies
• civic and economic thought and leadership
• communication
• economics
• family and human development
• gender, women and sexuality studies
• geographic information science
• geography
• global health
• global studies
• justice studies
• meteorology-climatology
• political science
• politics and the economy
• sociology
• transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o studies
• urban planning

*These degree programs offer a concentration in secondary education.

General electives

Most liberal arts and sciences majors can meet all the requirements stated above with fewer than the 120 credit hours required for graduation. Remaining hours are general electives that may be selected from any of the departments of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or from the offerings of other ASU schools and colleges.

Concurrent and second baccalaureate degrees

In order to complete a second baccalaureate degree or concurrent degree, students must earn at least 30 unique credit hours applied toward the requirements for each major's degree.

Specific combinations of degrees may be deemed inappropriate.

Pursuing a concurrent degree in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requires approval. In order to request pursuit of a concurrent degree, students must have completed at least 30 credit hours, have completed at least one fall or spring semester at ASU, and have a minimum GPA of 2.00. Students should visit the college's concurrent degree checklist for more information on pursuing a concurrent degree.

Reinstatement/readmission

Students who have been academically disqualified from the university and have not attended for at least one regular semester can earn readmission to the college and to their majors. The first step for students seeking readmission is to complete the undergraduate admission application. Students should work with the academic advisor in the desired major to discuss a plan and strategies for being readmitted to ASU. The plan may include taking coursework at a two-year college or ASU summer classes, or both, and meeting specific GPA requirements to demonstrate readiness to return to ASU.

Disqualified students who were off track for two or more semesters at the time of their disqualification will not be automatically readmitted into their former majors.