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College of Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements
The College offers three degree options: the bachelor of arts, the bachelor of science and the bachelor of liberal arts. The general education requirements for all bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees are listed below. For information on the bachelor of liberal arts, please see the College's Liberal Arts section of the catalog. The general requirements for the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees are the same, with two exceptions:
  • The bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 60 hours in math and science.
  • The bachelor of science degree does not require any foreign language.
Students may earn a bachelor of science degree in the following disciplines:
  • Chemistry
  • Environmental Science
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physics
In all instances, students should contact the appropriate department concerning its requirements for a bachelor of science degree.

A. Communication (12 credit hours)

Every student must complete the following:

  1. First Year Writing course. ENGLISH 110 or HMNTY 105P. This requirement may be satisfied by scoring 30 or higher on the English subsection of the ACT or 690 or higher on the verbal subsection of the SAT.

     

  2. Sophomore-level Writing Intensive course. ENGLISH 225 or HMNTY 202P.

     

  3. The UMKC Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT). The WEPT is a prerequisite for all writing intensive courses and should be taken after a student has completed ENGLISH 225 and 45 credit hours. The WEPT is also a graduation requirement for all students. Those who fail the WEPT twice must take ENGLISH 299; this course, which does not count towards the degree, will serve as the WEPT for students who earn a C- or better in the course.

     

  4. Junior/Senior-level Writing Intensive (WI) course. Upper-level (300/400-level) Writing Intensive courses are designated with WI or PW following the course number. Writing Intensive courses should be completed during the junior or senior year and after the completion of the three requirements above.

     

  5. One course in which oral argumentation is a major focus. This requirement is met by the courses

B. Mathematical, Symbolic and Logical Reasoning (6 credit hours minimum)

Every student must complete the following:

  1. MATH 110 or higher (except MATH 125), or demonstrate competency equivalent to four units (years) of acceptable high school mathematics, beginning with Algebra I or higher.

     

  2. One course requiring extensive use of mathematical, symbolic or logical reasoning. This requirement is met by the courses
    • Any mathematics course at or above the 200 level (under the curricular designation of Mathematics or Statistics and offered in the mathematics department); or
    • PHILOS 222. (Note: PHILOS 222 may be chosen here only if it has not been chosen as the philosophy requirement below.)

C. Foreign Language and Culture (16 credit hours)

Every student must complete the following:

  1. Three semesters of the same foreign language (110, 120 and 211) are required for all B.A. degrees.
  • Students with high school or other foreign language experience are strongly recommended to take the language placement exam, which can be accessed on the Department of Foreign Languages website. Regardless of the level of placement, students must complete a sophomore-level course (211 or above).
  • Students who have satisfactorily completed two years of a foreign language in high school will be exempt from the 110 college-level course and will be required to complete only two additional (120 college-level and above) courses in that same language.
  • Students who completed four years of the same foreign language in high school must complete only one additional sophomore-level (211 or above) course in that same language.
  • Full-time, degree-seeking students whose education through eighth grade, or the equivalent, has been in a language other than English shall be exempt from the foreign language requirement for the general education requirements. Students must contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures to obtain a letter of exemption. Other speakers of a foreign language (i.e. heritage speakers) do not qualify for a complete exemption from the foreign language requirement, and would need to take at least one 3-credit hour course at the appropriate level.
  • Students will not receive college credit towards a degree for any of the above exemptions.
  • Students who have had more than two years of a foreign language in high school may not enroll in the 110 level course of that language at UMKC without special permission of the section head or coordinator for that language, or the chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in cases where there is no course coordinator. (I.e., students who have taken three or more years of French may not enroll in French 110; those who have taken three or more years of Spanish may not enroll in Spanish 110; and the same for all other languages taught at UMKC.)
  • Heritage speakers may not enroll in 110-level courses without permission of the language coordinator or section head for their language, or the chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature in cases where there is no course coordinator. Instead they should take the courses designated for heritage speakers, or if there is no such course, they should speak with a Foreign Language advisor or the department chair about the appropriate level of course to take.
  • Note: A heritage speaker is someone who grows up with a certain family language in the home which is different from the dominant language in that country. In the case of the United States, the dominant language is English. So, a student who grows up in a family where they speak Spanish, or Chinese, or Arabic, or Russian, etc., would be a heritage speaker of that language.
  1. One course that focuses on cultural perspectives of an interdependent global environment. This requirement is met by the courses

D. Computer and Information Technology (3 credit hours)

Every student must demonstrate competence equivalent to a programming course or software application course that includes substantial computer experience. This requirement is met by one of the following courses

  • ART 114,
  • A&S 100,
  • COMP-SCI 100, 101, 105P or
  • An approved computer application course in the student's major/program.

E. Literature and Philosophy (6 credit hours)

Every student must complete the following:

  1. One of the following literature courses

     

  2. One of the following courses

F. Distribution Requirements for General Education

  1. Social and Behavioral Sciences (three courses, 9 hours). The nine hours chosen to complete the social and behavioral sciences distribution requirement in (a.) and (b.) below must come from at least two different departments.

    a. Constitution Requirement:

    Every student must fulfill the Missouri state requirement to take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Courses that satisfy this requirement are

    b. Distribution Electives:

    Every student must also complete two courses from the social and behavioral sciences. Students may select courses from the following departments/areas:

    • Anthropology
    • Black Studies (social science topics only, which include 302, 320, 321 325 or 404)
    • Criminal Justice and Criminology
    • Economics
    • Geography (regional or cultural topics only, which include GEOG 105, 200, 202, 210, 300, 309, 311, 329, 332, 333, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352, 355, 403, 405, 410, 415, 435, 437, 460, 489 or 496 only)
    • History
    • Political Science
    • Psychology
    • Sociology
    • SOC-SCI 210 or 220
    • Urban Studies

     

  2. Physical and Biological Sciences (two courses, 8 hours minimum). Every student must complete at least two lecture courses in the physical and/or biological sciences. One of the courses must be a lecture/laboratory combination. Students may select courses from the following departments/areas:
    • Chemistry
    • Environmental Science
    • Geography (physical geography topics only, which include GEOG 150, 203, 215, 314, 317, 319, 335, 336, 360, 398, 401, 402, 404, 406, 426, 430, 435, 442, 444, 448 or 450)
    • Geology
    • Natural Science
    • Physical Science
    • Physics
    • Biology

     

  3. Humanities and Fine Arts (two courses, 6 hours).

    a. Fine Arts:

    Every student must complete one of the following courses:

    b. Humanities:

    Every student must complete one additional course from any of the following departments/areas:

    • Art (Studio)
    • Art History
    • Black Studies (selected topics)
    • Classics (selected topics)
    • Communication Studies
    • English
    • Foreign Languages
    • Humanities
    • Philosophy
    • Theatre

     

  4. Interdisciplinary Cluster Course (one course, 3 hours). Every student is required to complete a junior/senior interdisciplinary cluster course. Cluster courses provide opportunities to study special themes or historical periods from the perspective of several different disciplines at once and to show how different disciplines complement each other to form a more comprehensive understanding of a given topic. See the subsection below on "Interdisciplinary Cluster Courses" for additional information and a list of approved cluster courses.

G. Capstone Course

All students in a major must complete a course designated as a capstone course in their major.

H. Additional Requirements and Restrictions

  • A minimum of 120 total credit hours is required for graduation.
  • At least 36 credit hours must be at the 300-400 level.
  • A 2.0 overall GPA is required for graduation. However, the required major GPA may be higher, as determined by each department individually.
  • A maximum of 3 hours of one-credit activity courses in physical education may be applied toward the 120 minimum


    • Cluster courses provide opportunities to study special themes or historical periods from the perspective of two or more different disciplines at once. Each course is developed to integrate with one or more courses in other fields to show how different disciplines complement each other to form a more comprehensive understanding of a given topic. All courses within a given cluster meet at the same time, so the students can all meet together periodically to explore the cluster theme. In some clusters, the classes meet together all the time so that the different disciplines are integrated throughout the course.

     

    As part of the B.A. and B.S. humanities area requirement, the College requires that all students, including humanities majors, take an interdisciplinary cluster course (specially designated courses taught by faculty from at least two different departments, one of which must be in the Division of Humanities or the Department of History). Students should also discuss with their advisers how cluster courses fit into their personal degree programs. As a general guide, individual courses in each cluster:

     

    • Count toward fulfillment of the humanities requirement for the B.A., B.S., and B.A./M.D. degrees.
    • Count, if they are numbered 300 or above, toward the 36 junior-senior hours of electives required for graduation.
    • Count toward fulfillment of the departmental requirements for majors in the field in which the course is taken.
    • Can be taken for graduate credit if numbered 300 or above, with departmental approval.

    The following is a partial list of cluster courses now available. There are no prerequisites for any of these courses. See entries under the relevant departments for more detailed explanations of the contents of each course.

    African and African American Women and Creativity
    ART 300CF
    A&S 300CF
    SOCIOL 303CF

    The African Diaspora in the Arts and Culture
    ART 300CB
    ART 300CD
    COMM-ST 400CB

    American Social Film: Silver Screen and the American Dream
    AMER-ST 300CD
    COMM-ST 402CD
    ENGLISH 300CD
    HISTORY 400CP/500CD

    Ancient World/Cinema
    CLASSICS 300CY
    ENGLISH 300CY
    HISTORY 400CY/500CY

    Archaeology of Ancient Disasters
    CLASSICS 300CZ
    GEOLOGY 326CZ

    Biological and Ethical Issues in Aging
    NAT-SCI 430PC
    PHILOS 401PC

    Body Images in Medicine and the Arts
    A&S 304CM
    ART 300CM
    COMM-ST 400C

    Clio and the Other Muses: History and Culture in 5th Century Athens
    CLASSICS 300CS
    ENGLISH 300CS
    HISTORY 400CS

    Courts and Culture in the High Middle Ages
    ENGLISH 400CF
    FRN-LNG 400CF
    HISTORY 400CF/500CF

    Critical Issues in Women’s/Gender Studies
    ENGLISH 300CW
    HISTORY 400CW
    SOCIOL 303CW

    Culture, Kultur, Civilisation: Identity Formation in the Middle Class
    FRN-LNG 400CI
    HISTORY 400CI

    Environmental Sustainability
    ENV-SCI 332CZ
    UPD 332CZ
    Film Adaptation
    COMM-ST 406CD
    ENGLISH 406CD
       
    Healing and the Arts
    ART 300CH
    A&S 490CH
    CONSVTY 300CH
    THEATRE 300CH

    Intro to German Studies
    GERMAN 313
    HISTORY 400GS
    Making the Modern in France: Dance, Art, Music, and Literature
    ART-HIST 402CC
    FRN-LNG 402CC
    Mexico, Central America and the Human Condition
    ECON 300CM
    FRN-LNG 300CM
    HISTORY 300CM/500CM

    Nazi-Occupied Europe & the Holocaust
    FRN-LNG 400CM
    HISTORY 400CM

    The Practice and Study of Creativity
    CNSVTY 497CH
    THEATRE 401CH

    Radical Changes Since 1945
    ART-HIST 400CE
    COMM-ST 403CE
    ENGLISH 300CE
    HISTORY 400CE/500CE

    Religion in America
    HISTORY 401A
    SOCIOL 303CP
    RELIG-ST 401

    Roman Revolution; History and Culture from Gracci to Augustus
    CLASSICS 300CR
    ENGLISH 300CR

    Women in the Ancient World
    CLASSICS 300CB
    ENGLISH 300CB


    Students should also look for other specially designated cluster course offerings under one of the following course numbers, ART 300, ECON 300CS, ENGLISH 300, PHILOS 400, POL-SCI 300, PSYCH 300CS, SOCIOL 303, AND THEATRE 300CR.





    Students transferring into the College of Arts and Sciences with a certified 42-hour block of general education credit from another Missouri institution must complete the following additional general education requirements for baccalaureate degrees in the College:

     

    Bachelor of Arts

    • Three semesters of the same foreign language.
    • Interdisciplinary junior/senior Cluster course.
    • Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT).
    • Junior/senior level Writing Intensive course.

    Bachelor of Liberal Arts

    • Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT).
    • Junior/senior level Writing Intensive course.

    Bachelor of Science

    • Interdisciplinary junior/senior Cluster course.
    • Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT).
    • Junior/senior level Writing Intensive course.
    • 60 total credit hours (including hours in the major) of math and science.

    UMKC's 42-Credit Hour Certified General Education Core for Students Transferring to Another Missouri Institution

    College of Arts and Sciences students wishing to complete the 42-hour core should also consult with an academic adviser in the Arts and Sciences Advising Office, 9 Scofield Hall.
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