Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree will complete approximately one-third of their work in each of three areas: Freshman Studies and General Education, a major, and elective study. The Freshman Studies and General Education Requirements are designed to promote the breadth of study central to a liberal arts education, perspective on issues critical to a diverse America and an interconnected world, and the development of skills essential for success in any discipline or profession. The completion of a major provides focused, in-depth work in a single discipline. Elective study affords students opportunities to develop secondary interests, work in areas complementary to their primary discipline, or explore new fields of study.

Degree Requirements

  1. Completion of 216 units. Of the 216 units required for the degree, a student must present:
    1. a minimum of 72 units from courses numbered 200 or above
    2. no more than 162 units from a single division
    3. no more than 90 units from a single department, except that in the art department a student may present no more than 126 units, no more than 90 of which may be in studio art and no more than 90 of which may be in art history.
    4. no more than 42 units in education
    5. no more than 12 units from academic internships
  2. In the freshman year, 12 units of Freshman Studies
  3. Completion of the General Education Requirements:
    1. Distribution, in order to gain exposure to a range of disciplines, subjects, and perspectives within the liberal arts:
      1. 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the Division of Humanities. All courses in the Humanities taught in English will count toward this requirement. Humanities courses taught in a foreign language and numbered 300 and above will count toward this requirement, except as noted in the course catalog.
      2. 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the Division of Fine Arts;
      3. 6 units selected from departments and courses listed within the Division of Social Sciences;
      4. 6 units selected from laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics in the Division of Natural Sciences.
      2. See Distribution: divisions within the university.
    2. Diversity, in order to prepare students for a more global world and a more diverse America:
      1. 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States;
      2. 6 units selected from courses designated as focusing on dimensions of diversity, such as race, ethnicity, and gender, that are of particular importance in understanding contemporary society in the United States.
    3. Competency, in order to improve and reinforce those fundamental abilities central to a liberal arts education:
      1. 6 units selected from courses designated as writing intensive or 6 units selected from courses designated as speaking intensive;
      2. 6 units selected from courses designated as emphasizing mathematical reasoning or quantitative analysis;
      3. 6 units in a foreign language taken from courses numbered 200 or above and taught primarily in a language other than English. This requirement may also be satisfied by attaining a score of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement examination in a foreign language or by passing a proficiency examination administered by a Lawrence University foreign language department.
    4. Stipulations Pertaining to the General Education Requirements
    Qualified courses may count toward the requirements in any two of the categories above (distribution, diversity, and competency). Some courses may meet two requirements within a category. No single course can be used to fulfill more than two requirements.
     
    Credits granted pursuant to university policy for examinations (Lawrence Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or A-levels) may be used as appropriate to fulfill diversity or competency requirements only (see also Evaluation of Credit for Transfer Students).
  4. Completion of a major — departmental, interdisciplinary, or student-designed — including all course and non-course requirements, such as departmental examinations, research projects and presentations, portfolios, etc. Students are required to declare a major by the beginning of the junior year.
  5. Completion of the designated Senior Experience course or activity within the chosen major.
  6. An academic record that meets the following standards:
    1. A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses.
    2. A 2.000 grade-point average in the college major (all courses taken in the major department and any required courses outside the major department).
  7. Completion of the required terms and units in residence as specified by the university residence requirements residence requirements.