Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences

Ellison Hall

Ellison Hall
633 Elm Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-3109
Phone: (405) 325-2077
FAX: (405) 325-7709
cas@ou.edu
www.ou.edu/cas/

Inquiries should be directed to:
Academic Services
124 Ellison Hall
633 Elm Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-3109
Phone: (405) 325-4411
FAX: (405) 325-7429

Administrative Officers

David Wrobel, Dean
Rhonda Dean-Kyncl, Associate Dean for Students
Georgia Kosmopoulou, Associate Dean for Research
Michael Markham, Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Kelvin White, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Community 

General Information

History and Purpose

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of the degree-recommending colleges at the University of Oklahoma. Established in 1892 as the College of Liberal Arts, the college granted its first degree in 1898. Today, as then, the liberal arts and sciences provide the foundation for the OU educational experience, through which we prepare our students to live productive and successful lives as citizens of a democracy.

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences is responsible for providing all of OU’s undergraduate students with a core curriculum that exposes them to both the natural and social environments in which they live and helps them view and analyze the world from different perspectives and to arrive at their own opinions. Students majoring in one of the college’s degree programs receive additional education in world language and the humanities. Our goal is to graduate students who can communicate clearly, both in writing and orally; think creatively; reason and act ethically; serve as leaders of their professions and their local and global communities; and continue to learn after they leave OU. By providing a broad-based education, the college seeks to enrich the lives of our students, both as individuals and as active, productive members of society. To accomplish these goals, we bring together talented students and dedicated teacher-scholars in an environment that supports learning and personal development and is, in turn, supported by the donations of our alumni and friends to produce the best educational experience possible, anywhere.

The degrees offered by the college provide a strong foundation for further professional or graduate studies and for pursuing employment in a wide variety of endeavors.

Teacher Certification Programs

Arts and Sciences students with approved majors may also work toward completion of an Oklahoma teaching certificate for secondary education through the Alternative Certification program. For more information concerning teaching certificate programs, consult an academic counselor in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.

Honors Degrees

All of the bachelor’s degree programs offered by the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences are available to qualified students as honors degree programs. Students may be graduated with honors (cum Laude, Magna cum Laude, Summa cum Laude) if they successfully complete all requirements of the Honors College in addition to their regular degree program requirements. Please refer to the Honors College for specific information concerning completion of honors degrees.

Optional Opportunities

Additional Bachelor's Degrees

Additional bachelor’s degrees may be earned from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences by satisfying specific requirements beyond those required for a first degree from the college. Students may earn degrees from the college concurrently, or students holding a bachelor’s degree from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences or another college within the University or from another institution may qualify for an additional (consecutive) degree. To earn an additional bachelor’s degree from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, a student must:

  1. Choose a major different from that of the prior degree(s).
  2. Satisfy all current requirements of the additional degree program.
  3. Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in Arts and Sciences courses not applied toward a previous degree, 24 of which must be upper-division.
  4. Earn a minimum 2.00 average on all work attempted for the additional degree.
  5. At least 15 of the last 30 hours applied toward the second degree must be completed in residence at the University of Oklahoma.

Credit-hour limitations set for the first bachelor’s degree from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences will not be extended for an additional degree (i.e., if the college’s 12 independent study hours were applied to an earlier degree, no additional independent study may be taken).

Double Majors

Students may earn two majors as part of a single degree. Only one degree will be awarded but the transcript will indicate both majors. The degree will be awarded when requirements for both majors are completed. Courses used to fulfill minor requirements may not be used toward either major.

Programs Offered

Programs & Facilities

Oklahoma Archeological Survey

111 E. Chesapeake St., Norman, OK 73019-5111
Phone: (405) 325-7211
archsurvey@ou.edu
www.ou.edu/archsurvey

Established in 1970, the Oklahoma Archeological Survey is a state agency with regulatory authority, as well as a unit of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.  

The Survey’s enabling legislation charges the Survey with three basic mandates:

  1. to conduct research on Oklahoma’s prehistoric and early historic archaeological record,
  2. to work with the citizens of Oklahoma to preserve significant archaeological resources, and
  3. to disseminate information on our activities through publications, public presentations and other means of outreach.

The Archeological Survey has two divisions: Organized Research and the Community Assistance Program. The Survey also serves as the centralized repository for records on archaeological sites in the state (currently holding information on some 23,000 locations). Personnel of the Archeological Survey consists of seven research faculty, along with graduate and undergraduate students, and volunteers who perform a wide range of research, managerial, and educational activities. The Survey faculty also teach classes through the Department of Anthropology.

Biological Station

15389 Station Rd., Kingston, OK 73439-8744
Phone: (405) 325-7430, or (580) 564-2478
deptemail@ou.edu
www.ou.edu/uobs/

The University of Oklahoma Biological Station is a permanent field station located on the north shore of Lake Texoma, approximately 120 miles from Norman, and is subject to all rules and regulations that govern the University of Oklahoma. The station’s primary mission is to promote research and education in ecology and field biology. Our facilities are open to students and scientists world-wide for research and study, and the Biological Station participates significantly in ecological and evolutionary research at national and international levels.

Primary academic goals include biological instruction, experimentation, and exploration as it relates to the University of Oklahoma student. However, the scientific and study programs have been enlarged to incorporate four main areas. They are:

  1. the constant updating of curriculum necessary for quantitative and experimental courses for graduate and undergraduate students;
  2. year-round ecological research by resident faculty and/or collaborating investigators from other institutions;
  3. providing a base for sabbatical/short-term study by the national and international research community and;
  4. providing an ideal meeting site for academic and/or other educational non-profit institutions.

The Biological Station does not offer a degree program, although credit obtained is directly applicable toward the requirements of the degree-recommending colleges of the University. Scholarships, graduate research fellowships and assistantships, work-study assistance, and independent study are also available. Inquiries should be sent to the director. The Biological Station's major instructional emphasis is on two-week courses offered in May and August at the Station. Field-research participation is also available for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as grade school, high school, and college teachers.

Oklahoma Biological Survey

111 E. Chesapeake St., Norman, OK 73019-5111
Phone: (405) 325-4034
biosurvey.ou.edu/

The Oklahoma Biological Survey, established in 1927, is both a research unit of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences and a state agency recognized through 1987 legislation. The mission of the Survey is to scientifically investigate the diversity of plants and animals in Oklahoma and associated regions and to contribute to conservation and education concerning these important resources. The Survey includes:

  1. the General Biological Survey program;
  2. the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory;
  3. the Bebb Herbarium jointly operated with the Department of  Microbiology and Plant Biology;
  4. the Oklahoma Fishery Research Laboratory jointly operated with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation; and,
  5. the Sutton Avian Research Center, a bird conservation center located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Personnel in the Survey include faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduates who engage in a wide range of research, teaching and service activities.

Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center

630 Parrington Oval, Room 101, Norman, OK 73019-4031
Phone: (405) 325-6372
carlalbertcenter@ou.edu 
www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter

The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center is a nonpartisan institution devoted to teaching and research related to the United States Congress and more broadly to strengthening representative democracy through engaged and informed citizens. The Center is concerned with the health of our modern representative democracy. Its mission embraces three principal functions – teaching, research, and public service. The Center offers academic programs in congressional studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Believing that professional research is the foundation upon which its academic programs rest, the Center promotes original research by faculty members and students into various aspects of politics and the Congress. Further, the Center’s congressional archive provides a national resource available to historians, political scientists, the media, and public interested in the health of our representative institutions. The Center actively strives to promote a wider understanding and appreciation of the Congress through its various public service programs. Traveling and online exhibits promote understanding of Oklahoma history and congressional policymaking. The Center also provides programs, archives talks, and lectures which offer the local community the opportunity to engage in discussion of public affairs. Outreach to K-12 teachers extends the impact of the Center to younger students. Taken together, these diverse aspects of the Carl Albert Center constitute a unique resource for scholarship and research related to the United States Congress.

In cooperation with the Department of Political Science, the Center sponsors a unique four-year graduate fellowship program leading to a doctoral degree in political science with special emphasis on Congress and representative government. The Center also offers research fellowships to a select group of undergraduate students who participate with political science faculty members in collaborative research projects.

In seeking to foster a wider understanding and appreciation of Congress through civic education, the Carl Albert Center sponsors the biennial Julian J. Rothbaum Distinguished Lecture in Representative Government, which is among the most distinguished lecture series of its kind and has resulted in a book series published by The University of Oklahoma Press.

Twice each year the Carl Albert Center publishes the journal Extensions as a forum for discussion of representative government. Extensions is also available in electronic format on the Center's website.

As a participating partner in the National Education for Women's (N.E.W.) Leadership Development Network, the Carl Albert Center sponsors an annual institute to educate, empower, and inspire a select number of undergraduate women throughout the State of Oklahoma for active participation in politics and public service. The Center also sponsors for undergraduate students the Capitol Scholars and Community Scholars programs, which are intensive academic internship experiences at either the State Capitol or in the local government and non-profit community.

Students and others who are interested in learning more about these various opportunities should visit the Carl Albert Center website.

Advanced Center for Genome Technology

The Advanced Center for Genome Technology (ACGT) has played an important role in revealing the essence of life processes, and is actively engaged in the sequence and functional annotation of several genomes of health and agricultural importance. The OU ACGT provides the powerful tools of genomics and functional genomics to researchers at the University of Oklahoma and information to users around the world. Under the direction of Drs. Bruce Roe and Tyrrell Conway, the facility has been designated a Genome Center by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH-NHGRI) since 1990 and provides a comprehensive microarray core facility and database that handles all aspects of this complex technology seamlessly.

Center for Applied Social Research

The Center for Applied Social Research (CASR) applies innovative concepts and methods in social sciences to advance complex, multi-faceted organizational, policy, and public health research. CASR approaches critical emerging issues that influence institutional policies and practices from an interdisciplinary perspective to enhance our understanding of human social behavior and develop practical solutions to real-world problems.

Center for Classical Archaeology and Civilizations

The Center for Classical Archaeology and Civilizations seeks to introduce Oklahoma students to the larger world of the Mediterranean in the context of its history and culture. Therefore, with a focus on undergraduate education, the Center strives to make the past ‘come alive’ for students who participate in its symposia, colloquia, summer institutes, seminars, conferences, and archaeological projects. The Center also serves as a forum for national and international discussion of multiple issues that relate to the ancient Mediterranean world. Special attention is given to new archaeological evidence and how it applies to the interpretation of the ancient past.

Center for Risk & Crisis Management

The Center for Risk & Crisis Management is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Oklahoma that studies risk, risk perception and crisis management in several substantive domains. The areas of research interest and expertise include energy and the environment, weather and climate, national security and terrorism, and the social dynamics surrounding complex controversial technologies.

Cognitive Science Research Center

The Cognitive Science Research Center (CSRC) is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Oklahoma focused on understanding individual differences in human performance and identification of risk factors that degrade, enhance, or extend cognitive performance capabilities. CSRC researchers emphasize the application of computer-based technology for assessing neurocognitive performance in these endeavors.

Center for Social Justice

The Center for Social Justice is an initiative of the Department of Women's and Gender Studies to promote gender justice, equality, and human rights through local and global engagement.

Knee Center for Strong Families

The Knee Center for Strong Families sponsors academic and community-oriented programs in the fields of social work, public health (including mental health), and fine arts in three core areas: Visiting lectureships, workshops, seminars, meetings of scholars, conferences, symposia, and forums; planning grants or "seed money" to develop programs that might have continuous funding from other sources; and underwriting research on the planning and development of educational programs to enhance family life in Oklahoma.

Environmental Studies Resource Center

The Environmental Studies Resource Center, located in Sutton Hall room 303, contains a collection of books, videos, and other materials related to environmental issues in general.

Film & Media Studies Library and Media Lab

The Film and Media Studies Library and Media Lab, located in Wallace Old Science Hall, holds a large collection of screenplays, DVDs, and VHS cassettes for reference. A student media lab is also housed in the library, enabling FMS majors to check out digital filmmaking equipment and to edit digital film projects.

Language Learning Center

The Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics is home to the computerized Language Learning Center, located in Kaufman Hall. Here students can utilize audio, live international television programming, video, and interactive computer tutorials for Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish languages and literatures. Placement exams are administered in the lab for French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

Library Resources

In addition to the extensive collections housed in the Bizzell Memorial Library, Arts and Sciences students have access to two notable special collections, the History of Science and Western History collections, as well as two branch libraries and two special collections housed within departments.

The History of Science Collection, located on the 5th floor of Bizzell Memorial Library, is a premier research collection in its field. Holdings of nearly 100,000 volumes from every field and subject area of science, technology and medicine range chronologically from Hrabanus Maurus, Opus de universo (1467) to current publications in the history of science. The Darwin collection consists of all of Darwin’s works in their first editions and several autographed letters, as well as hundreds of subsequent editions and translations.

The Western History Collections is a special collection within the University of Oklahoma Libraries system. Its purpose is to enhance the University Libraries general collection on the history of the American West; to support the research and teaching programs of the University of Oklahoma; and to provide opportunities for research through the acquisition, preservation, and access of materials relating to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures.

There are two branch libraries in addition to the larger collections that house materials of importance to Arts and Sciences students. The Chemistry-Math Library, located in the Physical Sciences Center, contains a collection of approximately 80,000 books (including reference materials, periodicals, and monographs) and subscribes to more than 500 journals and continuing serials. The Physics Library, housed in Nielsen Hall, contains 28,000 books and subscribes to 170 journals for physics and astronomy majors. They also have full text access to additional journals.

The Department of Communication’s Julian P. Kanter Political Communication Archives, housed in Burton Hall, holds what is generally considered as the world’s largest library of broadcast political advertisements, with approximately 80,000 archived political commercials.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Library, housed in Robertson Hall, includes over 1,700 books and over 100 films that focus on women’s subjects.

Native American Languages Program

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, through Native American Language Program, promotes the teaching, maintenance, and preservation of Native American languages. Classes are taught in several languages by native speakers with training in linguistics. These languages satisfy both the college’s and the University’s language requirements.

OU Observatory

The OU Observatory, operated by the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, offers free public viewing sessions using a 16-inch LX-200 telescope permanently mounted in a dome on campus.

Computing Resources

In order to meet the challenges of the 21st century, graduates of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences must be able to research problems, gather, evaluate, and analyze information and present the results in a logical coherent manner. The college provides a number of technology resources and computing facilities to help students develop these skills. See Online and Academic Technology Services for more information.

Variorum Chaucer

401 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-6702
www.ou.edu/variorum/

As a unit of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, the Variorum Chaucer project has a two fold mission: 1) to provide an analysis of the textual history of Chaucer's individual works; 2) to offer a comprehensive overview of all facets of critical commentary on each work. Textual analysis begins with collation, a careful word-by-word comparison of important manuscripts and printed editions of the work in question; in most cases some thirty or so copies are examined. The process allows one to see how copyists and editors, from the 15th century to the late 20th century, understood, revised, presented, and explained the language of Chaucer's works. The survey of criticism seeks to provide a historical survey of all commentary on each aspect of a given work: sources and analogues, date, relationship with other Chaucerian works, all relevant thematic considerations, and individual passages, phrases, and words.

Undergraduate Study

Student Responsibilities

It is the student’s responsibility to make decisions during undergraduate study that ensure academic success and timely graduation. To make such important decisions, it is crucial that students know and understand the following:

  • All requirements for admission to and completion of the degree program.
  • The rules and regulations that govern enrollment and graduation.
  • University deadlines.
  • University policies and procedures.
  • Availability of required courses to complete the degree.
  • Where and when to go for help.

The University provides a number of resources for students to help them meet their academic responsibilities successfully. These include:

  • Informational publications such as this catalog, A Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid, and degree requirement checksheets;
  • Dodge Family College of Arts & Sciences website;
  • Academic Advisors in the Academic Services office and departmental offices
  • Peer tutors for assistance with many of the lower-division courses;
  • Writing Center, which is available to students seeking assistance with writing assignments; and
  • Faculty, who teach, advise, and later write letters of recommendation for students.

It is the student’s responsibility to seek out and make use of the resources provided by the University.

Undergraduate students who experience academic difficulty are strongly encouraged to use the appropriate academic support services provided by the University. Students who have questions about these services should consult their academic advisor within their declared major..

Students who need help with coursework beyond the help available from peer tutors or the instructor may wish to consult with the department offering the course to inquire about the availability of other tutors. Most departments maintain a list of tutors, primarily graduate students within the department. These tutors provide services for a fee arranged between the student and the tutor.

Admission to the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences

The minimum requirements for admission to the college are:

  1. A declared Arts and Sciences major;
  2. At least a 2.00 (C) combined retention grade point average on all college-level work attempted (transfer students with fewer than 60 hours at least a 2.50 GPA); and
  3. At least 24 semester credit hours of earned college-level credit.

Some major programs have admission requirements beyond the minimums set by the college.

The freshman year at the University of Oklahoma is spent in University College, which is not a degree-granting college. University College provides an advisory system for freshmen and assists students in choosing a major. University College students are invited to visit the academic advisor housed within the departments in which they have an interest. Transfer to the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences from University College is automatic upon completion of the minimum requirements for admission listed above.

Transfer Students

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences welcomes students who wish to transfer from other colleges or universities. Transfer students who have completed at least 24 semester credit hours will be admitted directly into the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences if they meet the University's admission requirements. Transfer students who have earned fewer than 24 semester credit hours will be admitted to University College.

The Office of Admissions will determine acceptance of credits from the transferring institutions. The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences will determine how the credits apply toward the requirements for an Arts and Sciences degree. All new transfer students who are directly admitted to the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences must meet with an academic counselor prior to their first enrollment at the University of Oklahoma.

Transfer students should pay particular attention to the following requirements for graduation from the University of Oklahoma:

  • At least 60 semester credit hours must be earned at accredited senior (4-year) institutions.
  • At least 48 semester hours of upper-division credit (courses numbered 3000 or above) must be earned. Transfer work is counted as lower-division or upper-division depending on the level at which it was offered at the institution where it was earned. Two-year college work is accepted only as lower-division credit.
  • Residency: this is defined as coursework taken at the University of Oklahoma, excluding correspondence courses.
    • A minimum of 30 semester credit hours applied toward the degree must be earned in residence at the University of Oklahoma.
    • At least 15 of the final 30 hours applied toward the degree or at least 50 percent of the hours required by the institution in the major field must be satisfactorily completed at the University of Oklahoma.
    • At least 15 semester hours of upper-division major credit applied to the degree must be earned in residence at the University of Oklahoma.
    • Credit transferred from other institutions and credit earned through OU correspondence courses is non-resident credit. Credit earned by examination is considered neither resident nor non-resident for the purposes of these calculations.
    • Capstone courses must be taken through the University of Oklahoma unless a substitution is approved by the academic department awarding the degree.

Change of Major/College

A student who wishes to change major fields within the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences must fill out a Change of Major Form. This digital form can be completed anytime during business hours within the Hobson Academic Services Center. The student should then schedule an advisement session with the professional staff advisor in the department of the new major. To select a major in another college, the student should contact that college.

Advising Services

The college provides advising services to all undergraduate majors through professional staff advisors in the major departments and through the Hobson Academic Services office.

The Cal Hobson Academic Services Center of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences is located in 124 Ellison Hall. Academic counselors in this office are knowledgeable about programs offered by the college. They assist students with choice of major, transcript evaluation, enrollment, graduation requirements, graduation certification, minors, and any problems of an academic nature. Counselors are available throughout the year. Students may schedule appointments with their counselor at iAdvise.

Students who have earned at least 90 credit hours (earned hours plus current enrollment) should schedule an appointment with an academic counselor in the Academic Services office to determine the remaining requirements for graduation (“degree check”).

Seniors must consult with their academic counselor prior to the beginning of their final semester or term to ensure that their final enrollment will complete all remaining graduation requirements. In order to graduate seniors must also complete a graduation application form and submit it during their final term of enrollment prior to published deadlines.

Pre-Law Advising

Undergraduates can pursue admission to law school with any bachelor’s degree, although many pre-law students choose history, Letters, or political science. OU has a full-time pre-law advisor dedicated to students who wish to attend law school. The pre-law advisor can offer guidance in not only course selection, but can also assist students in choosing a major that fits their needs and interests. As students proceed through college, the pre-law advisor is available to counsel them through the various stages of law school preparation, application, and selection. See Pre-Professional Advising for more information.

Pre-Medical Professions Advising

OU is one of the few universities in the nation to provide two full-time advisors to guide Pre-Medical Professions students through the process of completing prerequisite requirements, the MCAT and the medical school application process. A variety of workshops are also provided for Pre-Medical students, including a "Personal Statement and Interview Skills" workshop. These workshops prepare students to be stronger applicants to various medical schools across the country. Students may major in any academic area as OU undergraduates, as long as they take the pre-requisite pre-Med courses. Students interested in Pre-Medical Professions typically receive a bachelor's degree, often in a biological science, before applying to medical school. See Pre-Professional Advising for more information.

Academic Advisors

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences requires all undergraduate majors to meet with their professional academic advisor in their major department each semester prior to enrollment.

The Arts and Sciences professional academic advisors have special expertise in degree program planning, due to their knowledge of the discipline, courses, methods of teaching, and special opportunities available through the major departments. In addition, they can provide information about potential careers and assist with plans for graduate study. Visit Arts & Sciences Academic Advising to find your assigned academic advisor.

Enrollment Information

Credit Hour Regulations

The maximum course load in a fall/spring semester is 19 total hours and 9 hours in the summer term. A student who has established a strong academic record may request to exceed the maximum enrollment hours by petition to their academic counselor.

Change of Enrollment

Deadlines for enrollment, adding a course, and dropping a course are published in the Academic Calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to meet deadlines set by the University for changing an enrollment.

Pass/No Pass Enrollment

Students have the option of taking a course Pass/No Pass (P/NP). To prevent possible bias in grading, the student’s choice of the P/NP option will not be made known to the instructor who will assign the letter grade. The final P/NP grade will be assigned automatically, by computer, on the basis of the letter grade reported by the professor. The grade of P is assigned to a course in which the student earned the equivalent of a C or better. The grade NP is assigned to a course in which the student earned a D or an F. No credit is given for a course graded NP. Courses graded P/NP are not calculated into the student’s grade point average.

There are three very important restrictions to Pass/No Pass enrollment in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences:

  • A student may enroll in a maximum of 16 hours of courses under the P/NP option throughout their academic career.
  • A student may not use the P/NP option for courses taken to satisfy University General Education requirements, Arts and Sciences college requirements, major credit courses, major support requirements, or minor requirements. Only courses used to fulfill free electives may be taken under the Pass/No Pass option.
  • A student may change registration in any course from the P/NP option to a regular graded status (or vice versa) only during the first two weeks of a semester or the first week of a regular summer session.

Enrollment Contract

Students are on enrollment contract with the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences if their OU and/or Combined GPA is below a 2.00. Students will be notified of their contract status after grades have been posted at the end of each semester. A college Hold is placed on their record until the students raise their GPA back to the required 2.00 or above. Contract students will be required to sign a new contract each semester their GPA remains below the required 2.00. Call 405.325.4411 for more information.

Academic Forgiveness Policy

The Academic Forgiveness Policy, instituted by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, allows students, under certain circumstances, to have courses removed from the calculation of the retention grade point average. It consists of three components: the repeat policy and reprieve policy, and the renewal policy. These are described in the Academic Standards section of this catalog.

Students should contact the assistant dean in the Hobson Academic Services Center for instructions concerning the process of requesting academic forgiveness.

Graduation Requirements

Rules, Regulations, and Requirements for Undergraduate Programs

The responsibility for meeting graduation requirements lies with the student.

The requirements for graduation from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences are listed on the next several pages. The requirements for a specific degree come from four separate sources:

  1. the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;
  2. the faculty of the University of Oklahoma;
  3. the faculty of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences; and
  4. the faculty of a school or department, or the faculty committee administering a special curriculum.

Degree programs normally have four components:

  • University-Wide General Education requirements,
  • Arts and Sciences college requirements,
  • Major requirements, and
  • Free electives.

The specific requirements for majors and minors are listed in the Academic Units section of this catalog and on the degree requirement checksheets.

Certification of completion of graduation requirements is the responsibility of the Hobson Academic Services Center. If grades for the last term of enrollment prior to the planned date of graduation are not adequate for degree completion, students should immediately contact their academic counselor. The counselor will assist the student in establishing another graduation date.

Graduation Grade Point Average Requirements

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences requires a minimum ‘C’ (2.00) average in each of the following areas:

  • Students must earn a minimum of a 2.00 combined retention grade point average (University of Oklahoma and transfer work combined).
  • Students must earn a minimum of a 2.00 retention grade point average on all University of Oklahoma coursework.
  • Students must earn a minimum of a 2.00 retention grade point average in all major credit courses (University of Oklahoma and transfer work combined), and a 2.00 retention grade point average in major credit courses taken at the University of Oklahoma. Some schools and departments in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences have established additional higher grade point requirements for their students. Please refer to the Academic Units for detailed information.

Ten-Year Limitation Rules

A student in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences may elect to graduate under the degree plan in effect at the time of their first enrollment in the state system provided they complete the work for a degree within a maximum of 10 calendar years from the time of their first enrollment in the state system. If the work for a degree covers a period longer than 10 years, the college, in consultation with the student, will determine the degree plan to be in effect for that student’s graduation.

Credit in a student’s major that is more than 10 years old may not be applied toward a bachelor's degree unless it is validated by the major department, or each individual department if the major is interdisciplinary.

Credit Hour Regulations

Please read this section carefully. Each of the following credit hour regulations must be satisfied to earn a bachelor’s degree from the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. Refer to individual degree program checksheets for specific requirements.

  • A minimum of 120 semester credit hours applicable towards an Arts and Sciences degree must be earned, excluding physical education activity courses.
  • A minimum of 80 semester credit hours must be earned in liberal arts and sciences courses for a Bachelor of Arts degree. A minimum of 55 semester credit hours must be earned in liberal arts and sciences courses for a Bachelor of Science degree. “Liberal arts & sciences courses” are defined by the State Regents as courses in the humanities; social and behavioral sciences; communication; natural and life sciences; mathematics; and the history, literature and theory of the fine arts (music, art, drama, and dance). This excludes fine arts courses that focus primarily on performance techniques or involve mostly studio work.
  • A minimum of 60 semester credit hours must be earned at accredited senior (4-year) institutions.
  • A minimum of 48 semester hours of upper-division credit (courses numbered 3000 or above) must be earned at accredited senior institutions. Transfer work is counted as lower-division or upper-division depending on the level at which it was offered at the institution where it was earned. Two-year college work is accepted only as lower-division credit.
  • A minimum of 30 semester credit hours must be earned in the major, including a minimum of 15 semester credit hours at the upper-division level.
  • Residency: this is defined as coursework taken at the University of Oklahoma, excluding correspondence courses.
    • A minimum of 30 semester credit hours applied toward the degree must be earned in residence at the University of Oklahoma.
    • At least 15 of the final 30 hours applied toward the degree or at least 50 percent of the hours required by the institution in the major field must be satisfactorily completed at the University of Oklahoma.
    • At least 15 semester hours of upper-division major credit applied to the degree must be earned in residence at the University of Oklahoma.
    • A student must be listed as a Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences student at the time of graduation.
    • Credit transferred from other institutions and credit earned through OU correspondence courses is non-resident. Credit earned by examination is considered neither resident nor non-resident for the purposes of these calculations.
    • Capstone courses must be taken through the University of Oklahoma unless a substitution is approved by the academic department awarding the degree.
  • No more than 16 semester credit hours earned under the Pass/No Pass option will apply toward the degree. Refer to the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences section on P/NP Enrollment.
  • No more than 12 semester credit hours earned in all individualized study courses, e.g., Independent Study and Directed Readings, but excluding Honors Reading and Honors Research, will be counted as part of the minimum 120 semester credit hours required for graduation.
  • No courses may be repeated for credit unless specified “repeatable for credit” in the course description of this catalog or the University’s course inventory. Refer to the course description for the number of times or hours a course can be repeated.
  • Students recommended for the bachelor’s degree must achieve a grade point average of 2.0 as a minimum on all course work attempted, excluding any courses repeated or reprieved as detailed in the State Regents’ Grading Policy and excluding physical education activity courses.

University-Wide General Education Requirements

All bachelor’s degrees offered by the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences include the following minimum general education requirements:

Courses for fulfillment of these requirements must be chosen from the University-Wide General Education Approved Course List, published by the University.

Core Area I: Symbolic and Oral Communication (9–19 hours, 3–5 courses):

  1. English Composition (6 hours, 2 courses),
  2. Language (met with the college requirement),
  3. Mathematics (3 hours, 1 course),
  4. Other (may be used when additional credit hours are needed to bring the total hours completed to 40. Approved courses in this area include communication, logic and public speaking).

Core Area II: Natural Science (met with the college requirement)

Core Area III: Social Science (6 hours, 2 courses): P SC 1113 U.S. Government, plus one additional social sciences course chosen from the approved list.

Core Area IV: Arts and Humanities (12 hours, 4 courses):

  1. Artistic Forms (3 hours, 1 course),
  2. Western Culture (6 hours, 2 courses), 3 of these 6 hours must be HIST 1483 or HIST 1493,
  3. World Culture (3 hours, 1 course).

Core Area V: First-Year Experience (3 hours, 1 course)

Students must also take at least one upper-division General Education approved course outside the student’s major.

Arts and Sciences College Requirements

Courses for fulfillment of these requirements must be chosen from the University-Wide General Education Approved Course List published by the University.

All bachelor’s degrees offered by the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences require the following minimum college requirements:

I. Science (7 hours, 2 courses, consisting of one biological science and one physical science course. One of the courses must include a laboratory.)

II. Language (0–13 hours. One course at the intermediate level or demonstrated competency at that level. Students may need to complete one or two courses at the introductory level prior to enrolling in an intermediate course. Language courses transferred from another institution must be equated to an OU intermediate-level course or evaluated by OU. Competency at the intermediate level will also fulfill the General Education Language requirement.)

III. Additional Core IV Arts and Humanities courses (6 upper-division hours, 2 courses at the 3000-level or above. Must be outside the major and selected from approved courses in Artistic Forms, Western Culture, or World Culture.)

Application for Graduation

Students are responsible for filing an official graduation application during their final semester. Graduation applications are available online at one.ou.edu. Failure to file the graduation application will result in the student not being eligible for graduation during that semester or term. Those students who plan to graduate in the fall are strongly encouraged to apply for graduation before September 15; those finishing in the spring before February 15; and those finishing in the summer before June 1. In addition to completing all academic requirements for the undergraduate degree, students must also pay all tuition and fees before the degree can be conferred. Students who complete all academic requirements but fail to pay tuition and fees before the beginning of the following semester or session will have the original graduation date printed on their diploma, but only after all tuition and fees are paid.

Degree Check

Students who have earned 90 or more credit hours should schedule a degree check with their academic counselor in the Hobson Academic Services Center. At this appointment the counselor will review the student’s transcript and how the completed courses will apply to the degree program. At the conclusion of the degree check, the student will know exactly how the earned credits apply to their degree as well as what courses and how many hours are required to graduate. It is crucial for students to complete the degree check so they will know exactly where they are on the track to graduation. Students may schedule a degree check appointment at iAdvise.

Student Success Center 

Mission

The Student Success Center shares the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences’ mission to prepare students for lives of professional accomplishment, civic engagement, personal fulfillment, and lifelong learning. The center supports the development and implementation of high-impact curricula , in the form of undergraduate research, internships, study abroad or study away, service and community-based learning, and other forms of ethically engaged experiential learning. High-Impact teaching practices allow students to deepen their learning by applying the skills and knowledge they gain from Arts and Sciences coursework in a range of real-world contexts. Participation in these has been shown to increase student engagement, persistence, and degree completion. The Student Success Center is committed to increasing equity of access to these opportunities, ensuring that financial and logistical barriers never stand between a student and their goals. 


Academic Achievement

Recognition of Academic Achievement

Dean's Honor Roll

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences Honor Roll is compiled at the close of each fall and spring semester. It includes students who have completed at least 12 grade point hours and have earned an average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

Scholarships and Awards

Scholarships and awards are given annually to students who have achieved academic excellence. Among the many scholarships available only to Arts and Sciences majors are the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Scholars scholarships, awarded to sophomores, juniors and seniors, and Phi Beta Kappa scholarships awarded to juniors and seniors.

The prestigious Carl Albert Award is given annually to the Arts and Sciences senior who best demonstrates superior academic achievement, moral force of character, and the promise of future service to the state and nation. Each year, the college also awards four outstanding students, each student representing one of the college’s four divisions: natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and professional programs.

The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences offers approximately 160 scholarships annually through the dean's office and many other scholarships through its various departments and schools. Students should consult the college's website or the University's publication A Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid for further information. The Guide is available on the Financial Aid Services website.

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest college honor society, was founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Alpha Chapter of the University of Oklahoma was chartered in 1920. Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is open by invitation only to juniors and seniors in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, the Gaylord College of Journalism, and a limited number of other programs.

Juniors and seniors with distinguished academic records are elected in March/April of each year. Students who graduate at the end of the summer session or fall semester are eligible for election the following spring. For additional information about the University's Phi Beta Kappa chapter, contact the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences Academic Services office, or visit the Phi Beta Kappa website.

College Honorary Organizations

Several of the departments and schools within the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences participate in national honorary societies, and others have established University of Oklahoma honorary organizations. Students should check with their major department for this information.