Degree Requirements - Undergraduate
- Undergraduate program lengths
- Baccalaureate degree requirements
- Associate of Arts degree requirements
- B.A. or B.S. in general studies
- Special degrees
Undergraduate program lengths
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's baccalaureate degrees (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) are typically four-year programs (120 credit minimum). The associate degree program (Associate of Arts) is typically a two-year program (60 credit minimum).
Baccalaureate degree requirements
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:
- Fulfill the general education requirements.
- Complete at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course.
- Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college.
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.1, 2
- At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400 level apply to this requirement.
- Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA1, 2 in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
- A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
- Submit an application for graduation via the "Submit Intent to Graduate" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.
- 1
Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum in order to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit.
- 2
The grade point average recorded at the time the degree is awarded will not be affected by future enrollment.
No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.
Second baccalaureate degree policy
A graduate who has earned one baccalaureate degree at UWL and who subsequently becomes a candidate for a second baccalaureate degree must meet all core, professional, and major requirements for the second degree and must earn at least 30 resident credits2 beyond the first degree. Students with a previously earned baccalaureate degree from another regionally accredited institution must meet all core, professional, and major requirements for the second degree and must earn at least 30 resident credits beyond the first degree. Students wishing to use credits from their first degree to fulfill requirements of a second degree must obtain approval from the dean of the college in which they are enrolled. All general education requirements are satisfied by students who have completed the first baccalaureate degree. Universities of Wisconsin policy requires that every student complete an ethnic studies course. If this was not done as part of the first degree, it must be fulfilled for the second degree.
Students cannot earn a second baccalaureate degree in the same major (different emphasis) as their first baccalaureate degree.
- 2
Resident credit means credit registered for and earned through UWL.
Second major or minor policy
A graduate who has earned one baccalaureate degree at UWL, who wishes to complete the requirements for another major and/or minor, must meet all professional and major/minor requirements. A notation will be made on the student’s transcript that an additional major/minor has been completed. Students with demonstrated evidence of a previously earned baccalaureate degree from another regionally accredited institution, who wish to complete the requirements for another major/minor at UWL, must enroll as a special non-degree student and fulfill all professional and major/minor requirements. If all required courses are earned in residence, a notation will be made on the student’s transcript indicating an additional major/minor has been completed.
Associate of Arts degree requirements
Candidates for the Associate of Arts degree must complete the following:
- File an application for the associate degree with the Office of Records and Registration.
- Earn a total of 60 or more semester credits applicable to a bachelor’s degree at UWL. At least 15 credits must be earned at UWL.
- Achieve a 2.00 cumulative grade point average.
- Complete two courses within the same subject (i.e., course prefix).
- Earn a minimum of 41 credits of general education courses. Required credit minimums for each general education category are listed in the following sections.
FIRST COLLEGE COURSES
First Year Seminar
New students and transfer students with less than 12 credits are required to take this course in their first two semesters at UWL.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FYS 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
Written Literacy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 110 | College Writing II | 3 |
Spoken Literacy
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CST 110 | Communicating Effectively | 3 |
Quantitative Reasoning
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CS 101 | Introduction to Computing | 4 |
| CS 115 | Introduction to Python Programming | 3 |
| CS 120 | Software Design I | 4 |
| CT 100 | Introduction to Computational Thinking | 3 |
| FIN 207 | Personal Finance | 3 |
| MTH 115 | Mathematics for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers I | 2 |
| MTH 116 | Mathematics for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers II | 2 |
| MTH 123 | Mathematics for Decision Making | 4 |
| MTH 150 | College Algebra | 4 |
| MTH 151 | Precalculus | 4 |
| MTH 160 | Mathematics for Business | 4 |
| MTH 175 | Applied Calculus | 4 |
| MTH 207 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MTH 208 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MTH 215 | Mathematics for Middle School Teachers I | 2 |
| MTH 216 | Mathematics for Middle School Teachers II | 2 |
| MTH 265 | Mathematical Models in Biology | 4 |
| MUS 115 | Fundamentals of Music Theory | 3 |
| PHL 101 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| STAT 145 | Elementary Statistics | 4 |
UNIVERSITY CORE
Ethnic Diversity
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANT/RGS 362 | Hmong Americans | 3 |
| ANT 375 | Language, Power, and Inequality | 3 |
| ECO 336 | Women in the U.S. Economy | 3 |
| EDS 206 | Society and Schools | 3 |
| EFN 205 | Understanding Human Differences | 3 |
| ENG/RGS 207 | Multicultural Literature of the United States | 3 |
| ENG/RGS 210 | Literature of Black America | 3 |
| ENG/ERS 215 | African American Authors | 3 |
| HIS 336 | Latinos in the United States: 1450-2000 | 3 |
| PHL 335 | Multicultural Philosophy in the United States | 3 |
| POL 205 | Women and Politics | 3 |
| PSY 283 | Psychology of Culture and Race | 3 |
| PSY 285 | Culture and Mental Health | 3 |
| RGS 100 | Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Class | 3 |
| RGS 205 | Data and Power: Feminist Science Studies | 3 |
| SOC 225 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| THA 130 | Multicultural U.S. Drama and Theory | 3 |
Mind and Body
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HP 105 | Analysis of Health, Wellness and Disease for the Health Care Consumer | 3 |
| HPR 105 | Creating A Healthy, Active Lifestyle | 3 |
| MIND 110 | Introduction to Mindfulness | 3 |
| PH 207 | Youth Health Issues (HED changed to PH 207) | 3 |
| REC 150 | Leisure, Quality of Life, and Well Being | 3 |
Arts and Aesthetics
Minimum of four credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART 102 | Art Appreciation | 2 |
| ART 160 | General Art Foundations | 3 |
| ART 172 | Photography Survey | 3 |
| ART 272 | Photography and Imaging I | 4 |
| ART 302 | Visual Language in the Global Classroom | 3 |
| ART 332 | Themes of Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ESS 104 | Dance Appreciation | 2 |
| MUS 100 | Screaming Eagles Marching Band I | 1 |
| MUS 103 | Concert Band I | 1 |
| MUS 105 | Music Appreciation | 2 |
| MUS 106 | Concert Choir I | 1 |
| MUS 123 | Treble Chorus I | 1 |
| MUS 134 | Jazz Ensemble I | 1 |
| MUS 140 | Wind Ensemble I | 1 |
| MUS 144 | Symphonic Band I | 1 |
| MUS 156 | Orchestra I | 1 |
| MUS 158 | Choral Union I | 1 |
| PHL 332 | Philosophy of the Arts | 3 |
| THA 110 | Theatre Appreciation | 2 |
| THA 120 | Acting for Non-Majors | 3 |
| THA 201 | Dramatic Literature and Theatre Arts | 3 |
Experiential Science
Minimum of four credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 102 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 4 |
| BIO 100 | Biology for the Informed Citizen | 4 |
| BIO 105 | General Biology | 4 |
| CHM 100 | Contemporary Chemistry | 4 |
| CHM 103 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| GEO 101 | Earth Environments | 4 |
| MIC 100 | Microbes and Society | 4 |
| PHY 103 | Fundamental Physics I | 4 |
| PHY 106 | Physical Science for Educators | 4 |
| PHY 155 | Solar System Astronomy | 4 |
| PHY 160 | Stars, Galaxies and the Universe | 4 |
| PHY 203 | General Physics I | 4 |
Social and Behavioral Studies
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 101 | Human Nature/Human Culture | 3 |
| ART 215 | Introduction to Museum Studies | 3 |
| CST 271 | Media and Society | 3 |
| ECO 110 | Microeconomics and Public Policy | 3 |
| ECO 120 | Global Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO/THA 376 | Economics of Art and Entertainment | 3 |
| EDS 203 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| ENG 220 | Women and Popular Culture | 3 |
| GEO 102 | Maps and Society | 3 |
| GEO 203 | Urban Community Health: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| GER 398 | German Thinkers and Popular Culture | 3 |
| PH 200 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| PHL 120 | Introduction to Ethics and Society: The Person and the Community | 3 |
| POL 101 | American National Government | 3 |
| POL 102 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology | 3 |
| RGS/SOC 150 | Introduction to Social Justice | 3 |
| RGS 307 | Ethnic, Racial, and Gender Stereotypes in the Media | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 120 | Social Problems | 3 |
INTEGRATIVE PERSPECTIVES
At least three of the courses taken under "Integrative Perspectives" must have different prefixes.
The Stories We Tell
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHI 305 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 3 |
| ENG 200 | Literature and Human Experience | 3 |
| ENG 201 | American Literature before 1865 | 3 |
| ENG 202 | American Literature after 1865 | 3 |
| ENG 203 | British Literature before 1800 | 3 |
| ENG 204 | British Literature after 1800 | 3 |
| ENG 205 | Western Literature before 1700 | 3 |
| ENG 206 | Western Literature after 1700 | 3 |
| FRE 395 | French Literary Voices in English | 3 |
| GCL 299 | Global Literature in Translation | 3 |
| GER 399 | German Literature in Translation | 3 |
| HIS 355 | Historical Non-Fiction | 3 |
| PHL 100 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 200 | Introduction to the Literature of Philosophy | 3 |
| POL 150 | Foundations of Political Thought | 3 |
| RUS 305 | Golden Age Russian Literature and Culture | 3 |
The Pasts That Define Us
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARC 200 | World Archaeology: Origins and Development of Human Culture and Society | 3 |
| HIS 110 | World History | 3 |
| HIS 260 | Survey of the Middle East | 3 |
| HIS 350 | Oral History Theory, Methods, and Practice | 3 |
| HIS 361 | Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | 3 |
| POL 140 | International Relations in a Changing World | 3 |
| SOC 115 | Criminology and Criminal Justice through the Ages | 3 |
The Planet that Sustains Us
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 103 | The Human Story: Evolution, Environment, and Shared Ancestries | 3 |
| ARC 100 | Archaeology: Discovering Our Past | 3 |
| BIO 102 | Contemporary Issues in Biological Sciences | 3 |
| ENV 101 | Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Studies | 3 |
| GEO 200 | Conservation of Global Environments | 3 |
| GEO 211 | Global Climate Change | 3 |
| GEO 340 | Polar Environments | 3 |
| MIC 130 | Global Impact of Infectious Disease | 3 |
| MIC 150 | Discovery Microbiology | 3 |
| PHY 142 | Navigating Global Nuclear Issues | 3 |
| POL 202 | Solving Problems in Global Politics | 3 |
| PUB 210 | Contemporary Issues in Government | 3 |
The Cultures of Our World
Minimum of three credits required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANT/HIS 312 | Peoples and Cultures of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union | 3 |
| ANT 351 | Peoples and Cultures of Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ART 251 | Survey of Art History | 3 |
| ART 301 | World Art | 3 |
| CHI 101 | Chinese in a Global Society I | 4 |
| CHI 102 | Chinese in a Global Society II | 4 |
| CHI 201 | Chinese Language and Culture in Action I | 4 |
| CHI 202 | Chinese Language and Culture in Action II | 4 |
| CHI 320 | Introduction to Chinese Civilization | 3 |
| ECO 212 | Search for Economic Justice | 3 |
| EDS 309 | Global Perspectives in Education | 3 |
| ENG 208 | International Studies in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 212 | Search for Economic Justice | 3 |
| FRE 101 | French in a Global Society I | 3 |
| FRE 102 | French in a Global Society II | 3 |
| FRE 201 | French Language and Cultures in Action I | 3 |
| FRE 202 | French Language and Cultures in Action II | 3 |
| GCL 100 | Cultural Encounters: Becoming a Global Citizen | 3 |
| GCL 101 | Elementary Languages I | 4 |
| GCL 102 | Elementary Languages II | 4 |
| GCL 201 | Intermediate Languages I | 4 |
| GCL 202 | Intermediate Languages II | 4 |
| GEO 110 | World Cultural Regions | 3 |
| GER 101 | German in a Global Society I | 4 |
| GER 102 | German in a Global Society II | 4 |
| GER 201 | German Language and Cultures in Action I | 4 |
| GER 202 | German Language and Cultures in Action II | 3 |
| HCK 101 | Introduction to Hoocak Language and Culture I | 4 |
| HCK 102 | Hoocak Language and Culture II | 4 |
| HCK 201 | Hoocak Language and Culture III | 4 |
| HCK 202 | Hoocak Language and Culture IV | 4 |
| HIS 202 | How We Got Here: History of Today's Global Issues | 3 |
| HIS 360 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Latin America | 3 |
| HIS 362 | Human Rights and the Middle East | 3 |
| HMG 204 | Hmong Heritage Language: Intermediate | 4 |
| HMG 304 | Hmong Heritage Language: Advanced | 4 |
| JPN 101 | Elementary Japanese I | 4 |
| JPN 102 | Elementary Japanese II | 4 |
| JPN 201 | Intermediate Japanese I | 4 |
| JPN 202 | Intermediate Japanese II | 4 |
| MUS 205 | Global Cultures in Music | 3 |
| PH 204 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| PHL 212 | Search for Economic Justice | 3 |
| PHL 336 | International Multicultural Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 349 | Asian Philosophy | 3 |
| POL 130 | Comparing Politics and Governments Around the World | 3 |
| PSY 282 | Cross-Cultural Psychology | 3 |
| RUS 101 | Russian in a Global Society I | 4 |
| RUS 102 | Russian in a Global Society II | 4 |
| RUS 201 | Russian Language and Cultures in Action I | 4 |
| RUS 202 | Russian Language and Cultures in Action II | 4 |
| SPA 101 | Spanish in a Global Society I | 4 |
| SPA 102 | Spanish in a Global Society II | 4 |
| SPA 103 | Spanish in a Global Society I & II | 4 |
| SPA 201 | Spanish Language and Cultures in Action I | 4 |
| SPA 202 | Spanish Language and Cultures in Action II | 4 |
| SPA 221 | Introduction to Spanish for the Health Professions | 4 |
| SPE 207 | American Sign Language and Deaf Culture I | 3 |
| SPE 214 | American Sign Language and Deaf Culture II | 3 |
| THA 351 | World Theatre | 3 |
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in general studies
The General Studies Program allows students to complete a UWL Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree through the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CASSH). It is designed for students who are advanced in their credits and in need of an efficient way to complete a bachelor’s degree without a disciplinary focus. The general studies major is only available to students who have been accepted to this program and is not recommended for most UWL students.
Admission
Eligibility to apply
Students can apply for admittance to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse General Studies Program if they are:
- A current or former UWL student and
- have earned at least 90 undergraduate credits accepted at UWL;
- have never received a bachelor’s or higher degree from any institution, including UWL;
- are current UWL students with a declared major in any UWL school/college (CBA, CASSH, CSH, or SOE) or are former UWL students who left without completing a degree, and have not subsequently earned a bachelor's or higher degree at another institution. Former UWL students must complete and submit the Universities of Wisconsin application as a reentry student.
Application process
A student from any UWL college/school interested in the General Studies Program must complete an application and correspond with the Academic Services Director (ASD) of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities (CASSH), who will consult with the student’s advisor, the ASD of the school/college of the student (if not CASSH), and may consult with other applicable unit(s). If the ASD denies the application, the student may appeal to the Dean of CASSH. The Dean’s decision is final.
Candidates will be admitted for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in general studies if their general education credits more appropriately align with the B.A. requirements of the college or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in general studies if their credits more appropriately align with the B.S. requirements of the college.
Requirements
To complete the General Studies Program, students
- must be admitted through the general studies application process as noted above;
- must complete all UWL requirements for a UWL bachelor’s degree, including but not limited to:
- general education requirements,
- at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course,
- at least 40 credits earned in 300/400-level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400-level apply to this requirement.
- 120 earned semester credits,
- 2.0 minimum UWL cumulative GPA,
- at least 30 semester credits in residence at UWL.
- are encouraged to complete a minor or certificate if possible.
Students accepted into the program are exempt from college core requirements.
Re-entry into program
If a student in this program leaves UWL and re-enters under a new catalog year, they must be readmitted to the General Studies Program before they can finish it.
Special degrees
The awarding of a degree is the pinnacle of the college experience. It is an honor bestowed upon those that satisfactorily complete a course of study. Occasionally events take place where the need to consider additional degree options arise.
The goal of these policies is to honor those who have provided exemplary service to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and/or to extend sympathy and compassion to the families and friends of deceased students. Below is a means of addressing different circumstances surrounding the awarding of Posthumous, Extraordinary, and Honorary Degrees.
See the Posthumous, Extraordinary, and Honorary Degrees Policy for the full policy and criteria for awarding a special degree. Contact the Records and Registration Office at records@uwlax.edu for details on how to nominate an individual for consideration.