College of Arts & Sciences

RICK TRAVIS, Dean
Tommy Anderson,  Associate Dean

Tracy Britt, Emily Cain, and Kasondra Harris, Academic Coordinators
Email: tbritt@deanas.msstate.edu, bstewart@deanas.msstate.edu
Office: 208 Allen Hall; Telephone: (662) 325-2646
Mailing Address: Box AS, Mississippi State, MS 39762

General Information

The College of Arts & Sciences provides the fundamental training needed by all persons who wish to become college graduates. Students in all undergraduate schools and colleges in the University take more than half their courses during the first two years in the College of Arts & Sciences. In addition, the College provides pre-professional curricula for students who take their professional training elsewhere. Thus, pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, pre-law, pre-ministerial, pre-optometry, medical records administration, pre-nursing, and physical therapy training are available within the College of Arts & Sciences.

Majors are offered in the following: anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communication, criminology, economics, English, foreign languages, general liberal arts, general science, geoscience, history, interdisciplinary studies, international business, mathematics, medical technology, microbiology, music, physics, political science, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and social work.

Students who are undecided about a specific curriculum should select the Undeclared category. Advisors are available to assist these students in developing their educational and career goals. A student is permitted to delay a decision as to a field of concentration for one year.

Minors are available in the following: aerospace studies, African American studies, anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communication, English, foreign languages, geography, geology, geoscience, history, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, sociology and statistics.

In addition to these majors and minors, courses are offered in Air Force ROTC, archaeology, Army ROTC, corrections, gerontology, and gender studies. Information concerning these offerings can be found in this section of the catalog.

Mission

The educational mission of the College of Arts & Sciences is two-fold: to provide students with a liberal education which will facilitate intellectual development and stimulate a life-long pursuit of knowledge, and to give students an in-depth education in at least one specialized area necessary to prepare them for a career or for advanced study.

The College offers curricula in the fine arts, the humanities, the sciences and the social sciences. These curricula are designed to introduce students to the basic methods of inquiry in diverse disciplines, to develop their analytical abilities, to improve their skills in writing and speaking, and to broaden their perspectives on humanity and culture in the natural and technological worlds. Additionally, they provide intensive preparation in one or more academic disciplines.

A liberal education attained in this context should ensure that graduates of the College have gained an understanding and appreciation of human culture. They should have examined the social, historical, political, philosophical and economic dimensions of the human condition and mankind’s perception of the world as it is expressed through the fine arts, language, and literature. They should have learned the use of quantitative and scientific methods and should have participated in the universal quest to comprehend natural phenomena and to utilize this knowledge beneficially and ethically.

Advising

The student is assigned an advisor as soon as he or she enters the College of Arts & Sciences and should maintain contact with that advisor throughout the university affiliation. The advisor will assist the student in developing a course of study and will serve as a resource person to deal with academic problems and student needs.

Degrees

The College of Arts & Sciences offers three degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Social Work, and the Bachelor of Science. All B.A., B.S., and B.S.W. students take a common set of requirements consisting of 25-29 semester credit hours in basic skills, 9-10 semester credit hours in natural sciences, 6 semester credit hours each in humanities and social sciences, and 3 semester credit hours in fine arts, computer literacy, and a junior/senior level writing course. The B.A. and B.S.W. curriculum requires 12 additional semester credit hours each in humanities and social sciences. The requirements for all three degrees as well as the curricula for specific areas of study are described below. Details for B.S.W. degree requirements are listed under Social Work.

In order to qualify for a second bachelor’s degree at Mississippi State University, the candidate must meet the following requirements:

1. The student must satisfy all course requirements for the degree sought; and
2. The student must satisfy residency requirements at Mississippi State University after the first degree has been conferred (30 hours upper division work).
    

The major department from which the second degree is sought shall determine completion of requirements.

College Requirements for All A&S Degrees

The College of Arts & Sciences has identified graduation requirements which must be satisfied by all students pursuing degrees conferred by the College. Furthermore, these requirements (listed immediately below) must be satisfied from a list of courses approved by the College. These approved courses are taken from a longer list of courses satisfying general education requirements which can be found in the Academic Policies section of this Bulletin. However, majors in the College of Arts & Sciences must be aware that there are numerous courses on the General Education list which are not on the College approved list. Copies of the College courses approved list are available both from the Dean’s Office and from advisors.

Bachelor of Arts Degrees and Requirements

A Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in the following areas: anthropology, chemistry, communication, criminology, economics, English, foreign languages, general liberal arts, history, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, and sociology. A minimum of 120-124 credit hours is required in all B.A. programs, 31 of which must be upper-division (3000-level or higher) courses in residence at Mississippi State University through Arts & Sciences. The Bachelor of Social Work is offered in Social Work and follows the same basic regulations as the B.A. degree except that courses must be taken in proper sequence and a minimum of 124 hours is required.

The liberal arts include certain basic academic disciplines that contribute to the development of intelligent, moral beings. Over the centuries various subjects have at one time or another been spoken of as “liberal arts,” but the objective of liberal-arts training has remained unchanged. Whether students major in liberal arts or whether they merely take a few basic courses in that field, the liberal arts will enable them to develop those fundamental habits of good citizenship and cultural awareness which are expected of all members of our society.

The curriculum in liberal arts at Mississippi State University is intended to provide:

1. a broad educational experience in the liberal arts, regardless of professional objectives;
2. adequate preparation for admission to professional schools and graduate schools in the liberal arts disciplines;
3. specialized training of a professional or pre-professional nature, as offered by the several liberal-arts departments.

Bachelor of Science Degrees and Requirements

A Bachelor of Science degree is offered in the following areas: biological sciences, chemistry, general science, geoscience, mathematics, medical technology, microbiology, physics and psychology.

The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded:

1. on the completion of not fewer than 124 semester credit hours of study including 31 upper-division Arts & Sciences approved credits and the common curricula for Arts & Sciences approved by the dean and an official advisor.
2. on the transfer of satisfactory credits from other institutions, provided the candidate, during at least one academic year in actual residence, receives 31 credits in upper-division courses in the College of Arts & Sciences.
    

Graduation Requirements in the College

Arts & Sciences majors are responsible both for knowing the graduation requirements associated with their degree program and for keeping track of their own progress toward graduation. Departmental advisors are available to offer students informed answers to their questions and, during registration, to review and approve their course schedules. In addition to the graduation requirements outlined above, students pursuing majors in the College of Arts & Sciences need to be aware of a number of special requirements having to do with graduation.

1. 75-hour check sheets: Students who have completed 75 or more semester hours (including ‘S’ hours) must meet with their advisors and complete a 75-hour check sheet or they will be unable to register for courses. A completed 75-hour check sheet allows a student to determine which graduation requirements are not completed at the time the check sheet is filled out; this then allows the student to identify those remaining courses he/she still needs to pass in order to graduate. A 75-hour check sheet cannot be completed until all transfer course work and/or independent study is on record with the Office of the Registrar.
2. Off Campus Study: Arts & Sciences majors are expected to take courses on the Mississippi State University campus when possible. If the desired courses are not offered, or if special circumstances exist, students may receive permission from the Dean to take courses off campus.
3. CLEP Credit: The College does not allow graduation requirements in English Composition, Literature, or Public Speaking to be satisfied by the awarding of CLEP credit.
4. PE: Only two 1-hour PE courses may be used toward graduation requirements.
    

English and Foreign Languages Requirements

The English and foreign language requirements apply to all Arts & Sciences students. Since departments have the authority to require specific foreign languages for their majors, students must become familiar with the language required by their individual major. The foreign language requirement is ordinarily satisfied:

The B.A. degree requires a 3rd semester proficiency in a foreign language. Students may fulfill the requirement through placement tests administered by the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literature or by passing nine hours of a foreign language. One year of a foreign language taken at the high school level allows a student to bypass one semester of foreign language. Students are encouraged to take the foreign language placement test before enrolling in a foreign language course.

The B.S. degree requires a 2nd semester proficiency in a foreign language. Students may fulfill the requirement through placement tests administered by the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literature or by passing six hours of a foreign language.

Students For Whom English is a Second Language. Students for whom English is a second language must fulfill the English and foreign language requirements as stated in this bulletin. Most majors allow these students to use their native languages to fulfill the foreign language requirement. But students planning to use their native languages in order to satisfy the foreign language requirement are urged to check with their major department to determine if that language is acceptable to the department. The following conditions must be met for students using a native language:

1. the language is a recognized mode of communication in conducting official business in a given country and taught in the primary and secondary schools of the country (regional languages and dialects do not qualify as official languages);
2. the Department of CMLL has the expertise to administer a test in the language, or, where such expertise is not available, the student takes the initiative to take a test in the language from those administered through the National Testing Service, or by another certifiable agency;
3. the language meets specific departmental requirements.
    

In English, a maximum of 12 semester hours total of English as a Second Language (ESL) and freshman composition courses (including the required EN 1103 and EN 1113 may be counted for graduation. Proper placement of international students from ESL courses into English composition courses is important to students’ academic success.

Pre-Professional Curricula

The College offers appropriate curricula for students who plan to enter schools of dentistry, law, medicine, theology, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, and physical therapy. These are described with the departmental entries in the following pages.

Arts & Sciences Core

In order to satisfy College graduation requirements, students seeking B.A., B.S., or B.S.W. degrees must take the number of courses indicated in each of the areas below. By satisfying these College requirements, students will also satisfy all analogous General Education requirements.

B.A. and B.S.W. students must complete 12 hours in Humanities and 12 hours in Social Sciences in addition to the two courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences required of all majors. Hence, a student must complete a total of 18 hours in the Humanities (EN, HI, PHI, REL), AND 18 hours in the Social Sciences (AN, GR, PS, PSY, SO).

These additional 24 hours are not limited to the courses listed below; they may be satisfied by others in EN, HI, PHI, and REL or in AN, EC, GR, PS, PSY, SO as long as they satisfy the distribution requirements for the major.

While all of the courses below satisfy college-wide requirements, individual departments may require that particular courses in each area be taken to satisfy requirements for their majors.

NOTE: Courses separated by “OR” cannot be taken in combination. Students will not receive credit in Arts & Sciences for two courses which are separated by “OR.”

Also, Honors classes satisfy requirements and students who qualify are encouraged to take the Honors sections.

Basic Skills
English Composition
EN 1103	English Composition I	3
or EN 1163	Accelerated Composition I
EN 1113	English Composition II	3
or EN 1173	Accelerated Composition II
Oral Communication Requirement 1
CO 1003	Fundamentals of Public Speaking	3
CO 1013	Introduction to Communication	3
Foreign Language
3 sem. for B.A.	One Foreign Language (1113, 1123, 2133)
2 sem. for B.S.	One Foreign Language (1113, 1123)
Fine Arts
Choose one of the following:		3
AAS 1103	African American Music
ARC 1013	Architectural Appreciation
ART 1013	Art History I
ART 1023	Art History II
ART 1113	Art Appreciation
CO 1503	Introduction to the Theatre
HON 3173	Honors Seminar in Fine Arts
MU 1103	African American Music
MU 1113	History and Appreciation of Music
MU 1123	History and Appreciation of American Music
MU 1133	The History of Rock and Roll
MU 3023	Survey of Western Music History II
PE 1323	History and Appreciation of Dance
Humanities (EN, FL, HI, REL, PHI)
B.S. degree	Requires one EN and one HI from the core listing.
B.A. and B.S.W.	Require one EN, one HI, and one PHI course plus 3 other humanities (not necessarily on the following list). These three courses should cover at least two areas.)
AAS 1063	Introduction to African American Studies	3
AAS 2363	Introduction to African American Literature	3
AAS 3013	African American History to 1865	3
AAS 3023	African American History since 1865	3
EN 2203	Introduction to Literature (Not applicable if Honors sections are taken)	3
EN 2213	English Literature Before 1800	3
EN 2223	English Literature After 1800	3
EN 2243	American Literature Before 1865	3
EN 2253	American Literature After 1865	3
EN 2273	World Literature Before 1600	3
EN 2283	World Literature After 1600	3
FLF 4053	19th Century Studies: Baudelaire Seminar	3
FLF 4173	Introduction to Francophone Cinema	3
FLF 4193	18th Century French Literature	3
FLF 4223	French Novel Before 1945	3
FLF 4233	Modern French Poetry	3
FLF 4273	The Human Condition	3
FLF 4323	Studies in the 20th Century: Le Clezio Seminar	3
FLG 4143	Verwandlungen	3
FLG 4303	German Film	3
FLG 4353	German Novella	3
FLG 4493	Mysteries in Literature and Film	3
FLG 4503	German Literature to 1750	3
FLG 4523	German Literature from 1750 to Present	3
FLS 4213	Modern Spanish Women Writers	3
FLS 4243	Modern Spanish Essay	3
FLS 4273	Modern Spanish Drama	3
FLS 4293	Cinema in the Context of Spanish Culture	3
FLS 4543	Survey of Modern Spanish-American Literature	3
FLS 4573	Contemporary Spanish-American Drama	3
FLS 4613	Spanish-American Cinema	3
FLS 4853	Survey of Spanish-American Poetry	3
HI 1003	History of Science in Six Ideas	3
HI 1013	History of Technology in Six Objects	3
HI 1063	Early U.S. History	3
HI 1073	Modern U.S. History	3
HI 1163	World History Before 1500	3
HI 1173	World History Since 1500	3
HI 1213	Early Western World	3
HI 1223	Modern Western World	3
HI 1313	East Asian Civilizations to 1300	3
HI 1323	East Asian Civilizations since 1300	3
HI 3013	African American History to 1865	3
HI 3023	African American History since 1865	3
HON 1163	The Quest Begins	3
HON 3183	Honors Seminar in the Humanities	3
B.A. and B.S.W. majors must take at least 1 PHI course.
PHI 1103	Introduction to Philosophy	3
PHI 1113	Introduction to Logic	3
PHI 1123	Introduction to Ethics	3
PHI 3023	History of Western Philosophy I	3
PHI 3033	History of Western Philosophy II	3
PHI 3153	Aesthetics	3
REL 1103	Introduction to Religion	3
REL 3213	World Religions I	3
REL 3223	World Religions II	3
Social and Behavioral Sciences
B.S.	Two courses in different disciplines.
B.A. and B.S.W.	Courses spread over at least four disciplines, max of two in each discipline. Of the six, only two are required to be from this list. Only one of the CO and one of the EC courses listed may count.
AN 1103	Introduction to Anthropology	3
AN 1143	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	3
AN 1543	Introduction to Archaeology	3
AN 2403	Introduction to the Study of Language	3
CO 1223	Introduction to Communication Theory	3
CO 1403	Introduction to the Mass Media	3
EC 1033	Economics of Social Issues	3
EC 2113	Principles of Macroeconomics	3
EC 2123	Principles of Microeconomics	3
EN 2403	Introduction to the Study of Language	3
GR 1123	Introduction to World Geography	3
GR 2013	Cultural Geography	3
HON 1173	The West and the Wider World	3
HON 3143	Honors Seminar in Social Science	3
PS 1113	American Government	3
PS 1313	Introduction to International Relations	3
PS 1513	Comparative Government	3
PSY 1013	General Psychology	3
PSY 3073	Psychology of Interpersonal Relations	3
SO 1003	Introduction to Sociology	3
SO 1103	Contemporary Social Problems	3
SO 1203	Sociology of Families	3
Computer Literacy
One 2-3 hour course required. Consult advisor.		2-3
Mathematics & Statistics 2
MA 1313	College Algebra	3
MA 1323	Trigonometry	3
MA 1613	Calculus for Business and Life Sciences I	3
MA 1713	Calculus I	3
MA 1723	Calculus II	3
MA 2733	Calculus III	3
MA 2743	Calculus IV	3
MA /ST 2113	Introduction to Statistics	3
MA /ST 3123	Introduction to Statistical Inference	3
Natural Sciences 3
AN 1344	Introduction to Biological Anthropology	4
BIO 1004	Anatomy and Physiology	4
BIO 1023	Plants and Humans	3
BIO 1123	Animal Biology	3
BIO 1134	Biology I	4
BIO 1144	Biology II	4
BIO 2113	Plant Biology	3
BIO 3103	Genetics I	3
BIO 3304	General Microbiology	4
CH 1043	Survey of Chemistry I	3
or CH 1213	Chemistry I
CH 1053	Survey of Chemistry II	3
or CH 1223	Chemistry II
CH 1051	Experimental Chemistry	1
CH 1211	Investigations in Chemistry I	1
CH 1221	Investigations in Chemistry II	1
GG 1111	Earth Sciences I Laboratory	1
GG 1113	Survey of Earth Sciences I	3
GG 1121	Earth Sciences II Laboratory	1
GG 1123	Survey of Earth Sciences II	3
GR 1114	Elements of Physical Geography	4
GR 1604	Weather and Climate	4
HON 3163	Honors Seminar in Natural Sciences	3
PH 1011	Physical Science Laboratory I	1
PH 1063	Descriptive Astronomy	3
PH 1021	Physical Science Laboratory 2	1
PH 1013	Physical Science Survey I	3
PH 1023	Physical Science Survey 2	3
PH 1113	General Physics I	3
PH 2213	Physics I	3
PH 1123	General Physics II	3
PH 2223	Physics II	3
PH 1133	General Physics III	3
PH 2233	Physics III	3
Junior/Senior Writing
Consult advisor for selections.		3

 

1	Air Force ROTC students may substitute AS 3013 and AS 3023.
2	Either two courses required or one MA course at the level of MA 1613 or higher (with the exception of MA 2113/ST 2113).
3	3 courses required, 2 with labs. B.A. and B.S.W. Majors must take one lab course in the Life Sciences AN or BIO and one in the Physical Sciences CH, GG, GR, PH.