General Requirements for all Bachelor of Arts Programs
A minimum of 124 semester hours of approved coursework must be presented for the B.A. At least 48 semester hours must be completed at the 300-400 level. For limitations on credit and restrictions on courses, consult the chairperson or the dean. No more than 45 hours of the minimum 124 hours may be completed in a student's major discipline.
Introduction to the University
In the first semester, students take a course that introduces them to the University and to their major field of study. Discovering students take specific sections of this course.
Major Concentration
Most major programs require between 30 and 45 semester hours. For department or program requirements, consult program schedules or the department chairperson or program director.
Liberal Studies Curriculum
Every student will complete the Liberal Studies Curriculum. This Curriculum provides students with a breadth of study and experiences in the humanities, the creative and performing arts, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. It complements specialized study in a major and presupposes, builds upon and enhances the University’s Common Academic Program (CAP). Where appropriate, credits in the Liberal Studies Curriculum may apply to other requirements but no more than six hours may be in the departmental major concentration. The Liberal Studies Curriculum includes:
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students complete 12 semester hours including a course in philosophy and a course in religious studies as part of the CAP First-Year Humanities Commons requirement, and two additional CAP Advanced Studies approved courses in philosophy and/or religious studies.
History
Students complete 6 semester hours including a course as part of the CAP First-Year Humanities Commons and one additional CAP Advanced Studies approved course in historical study.
Literature
Students complete 3 semester hours in literature selected from a list of approved courses. 1 Courses approved for CAP may satisfy this component where applicable.
Creative and Performing Arts
Students complete 3 semester hours in theory, appreciation or history of art and design, music or theater selected from a list of approved courses; or complete 3 semester hours in production and performance selected from a list of approved courses.2 Courses approved for CAP may satisfy this component where applicable.
L2 Proficiency:
(Proficiency in a language other than English) Students demonstrate basic practical communication in a language other than English in one of three ways:
- Students may choose to demonstrate proficiency equivalent to the completion of the 201 level by examination (zero semester hours).
or - Students may choose to demonstrate proficiency equivalent to the completion of the 141 level by examination, and one of the following four sub-options matching the language course at the 141 level (zero to three semester hours):
a. 201 level language course
b. Approved study abroad/intercultural experience
c. Approved service learning experience
d. Approved Contextual Course taught in English. 3
or - Students may choose to demonstrate proficiency by completion of a language course at the 141 level and any necessary prerequisites, and one of the following four sub-options matching the language course at the 141 level (four to eleven semester hours):
a. 201 level language course
b. Approved study abroad/intercultural experience
c. Approved service learning experience
d. Approved Contextual Course Course taught in English. 3
No credit is awarded through the proficiency examination. The range of semester hours to complete the L2 requirement in Arabic, Chinese and Hindi is zero to twelve.
Social Sciences
Students complete 12 semester hours including one course at the introductory level:
| ANT 150 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| CJS 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies | 3 |
| CMM 201 | Foundations of Mass Communication | 3 |
| or CMM 202 | Foundations of Communication Theories & Research | |
| ECO 203 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| POL 201 | The American Political System | 3 |
| or POL 202 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| or POL 214 | Introduction to International Relations | |
| PSY 101 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| or SOC 204 | Modern Social Problems | |
| SWK 201 | Social Work Practice & Profession | 3 |
One course at the 300-400 level in one of the disciplines in which an introductory course was taken, one course from any of the above listed disciplines that is different from what was taken at the introductory and 300/400 level, and SSC 200 Social Science Integrated and CMM 100 Principles of Oral Communication. (Students pursuing a dual-degree in teacher education may apply two approved EDT courses from the School of Education and Health Sciences.).
Mathematics
Students complete 3 semester hours selected from courses in the Department of Mathematics (MTH 205 excluded). CAP mathematics completes the requirement.
Natural Sciences
Students complete a sequence of 3 lecture courses with 2 accompanying laboratories in the Integrated Natural Science Sequence for a total of 11 semester hours. Students who wish to do more advanced study in science may complete 9 semester hours in science courses approved for majors in the departments of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics and 2 semester hours of accompanying laboratories in lieu of the Integrated Natural Science Sequence. CAP natural science may be included in the 11 semester hours.
1 Courses for Literature are as follows:
| ENG 151 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| ENG 203 | Major British Writers | 3 |
| ENG 204 | Major American Writers | 3 |
| ENG 205 | Major World Writers | 3 |
| ENG 210 | Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 301 | Survey of Early English Literature | 3 |
| ENG 302 | Survey of Later British Literature | 3 |
| ENG 311 | Literature for the Common Good | 3 |
| ENG 317 | Contemporary Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 319 | Contemporary Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 320 | Contemporary Drama | 3 |
| ENG 321 | Reading Popular Music | 3 |
| ENG 322 | Masterpieces of World Literature | 3 |
| ENG 323 | Literature of the Christian Tradition | 3 |
| ENG 324 | The Novel | 3 |
| ENG 325 | Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 326 | Sport, Literature & Culture | 3 |
| ENG 327 | Studies in Popular Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 328 | American Nobel Authors | 3 |
| ENG 329 | Short Story | 3 |
| ENG 331 | Studies in Film | 3 |
| ENG 332 | Studies in Literature & Film | 3 |
| ENG 333 | Images of Women in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 334 | Modern Men -- Images | 3 |
| ENG 335 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 336 | Gender and Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 338 | Images of Business | 3 |
| ENG 339 | American Indian Literature | 3 |
| ENG 340 | US Prison Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENG 344 | Literature of the Sixties | 3 |
| ENG 345 | Colonial & Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENG 348 | Modern Irish Literature | 3 |
| ENG 360 | US Latinx Literature | 3 |
| ENG 362 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENG 380 | Studies in Literature | 1-6 |
| ENG 383 | History and Philosophy of Tragedy | 3 |
| ENG 385 | Religion & Literature | 3 |
| ENG 405 | Chaucer | 3 |
| ENG 407 | Medieval English Literature | 3 |
| ENG 410 | Early Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENG 414 | Later Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENG 431 | Milton | 3 |
| ENG 433 | Studies in Neo-Classical Literature | 3 |
| ENG 438 | English Romanticism | 3 |
| ENG 444 | Studies in 19th Century English Literature | 3 |
| ENG 448 | 20th Century British Literature | 3 |
| ENG 455 | 20th Century American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 482 | Modern Poetry | 3 |
| FRN 352 | Old World Meets New (ENG) | 3 |
| FRN 360 | Explication De Textes | 3 |
| FRN 361 | Survey of French Literature I | 3 |
| FRN 362 | Survey of French Literature II | 3 |
| FRN 381 | History of French Cinema | 3 |
| FRN 450 | French Literature | 3 |
| FRN 452 | Old World Meets New (FRN) | 3 |
| GER 361 | Survey of German Literature I | 3 |
| GER 362 | Survey of German Literature II | 3 |
| GER 450 | German Literature | 3 |
| GLC 321 | Classical Literature in Translation | 3 |
| GLC 332 | German Literature & Civilization | 3 |
| GLC 350 | French Literature in Translation | 3 |
| GLC 361 | Hispanic Literature in Translation | 3 |
| ITA 361 | Survey of Italian Literature I | 3 |
| ITA 362 | Survey of Italian Literature II | 3 |
| SPN 361 | Survey of Spanish Literature I | 3 |
| SPN 362 | Survey of Spanish Literature II | 3 |
| SPN 363 | Survey of Latin American Literature I | 3 |
| SPN 364 | Survey of Latin American Literature II | 3 |
| SPN 450 | Topics in Pre-20th Century Spanish Literature | 3 |
| SPN 451 | Topics in Pre-20th Century Spanish-American Literature | 3 |
| SPN 471 | Topics from 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature | 3 |
| SPN 472 | Topics in Contemporary Spanish-American Literature and Film | 3 |
2 Courses for Creative and Performing Arts are as follows:
| ASI 214 | Dramatic Kinesics in a Foreign Language | 1 |
| ASI 341 | Special Topics in Arts Study | 1-3 |
| CMM 331 | Feature Writing | 3 |
| CMM 332 | Publication Design | 3 |
| CMM 341 | Audio Production | 3 |
| CMM 342 | Fundamentals of Video Production | 3 |
| CMM 343 | Writing for Electronic and Digital Media | 3 |
| CMM 344 | Multimedia Design & Production I | 3 |
| CMM 351 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| CMM 442 | Advanced Television Production | 3 |
| CMM 449 | Topics in Electronic Media | 3 |
| ENG 282 | Introduction to Writing Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 284 | Intro-Writng Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 308 | Writing Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 310 | Writing Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 331 | Studies in Film | 3 |
| MUS 110 | Fundamentals of Music | 2 |
| MUS 111 | Theory of Music I | 2 |
| MUS 112 | Theory of Music II | 2 |
| MUS 113 | Aural Skills I | 2 |
| MUS 114 | Aural Skills II | 2 |
| MUS 115 | Music in Theory & Practice | 3 |
| MUS 116 | Music in Theory & Practice | 3 |
| MUS 191 | Voice Class | 2 |
| MUS 195 | Beginning Guitar Class I | 1 |
| MUS 196 | Group Piano I | 1 |
| MUS 205 | Music, Technology and Culture | 3 |
| MUS 295 | Beginning Guitar Class II | 1 |
| MUS 301 | Understanding Music History in the West | 3 |
| MUS 302 | Ethics and American Popular Music | 3 |
| MUS 303 | Introduction to Musics of the World | 3 |
| MUS 304 | The Practice of American Music | 3 |
| MUS 305 | African-American Sacred Music | 3 |
| MUS 306 | History of American Jazz | 3 |
| MUS 307 | Development of American Popular Song | 3 |
| MUS 309 | Opera as Philosophy, Music, Drama, and Film | 3 |
| MUS 328 | History of the American Musical | 3 |
| MUS 399 | Performance Studies | 1-2 |
| MUS 491 | University Orchestra | 1 |
| MUS 492 | Symphonic Wind Ensemble | 1 |
| MUS 493 | University Chorale | 1 |
| MUS 494 | Dayton Jazz Ensemble | 1 |
| MUS 499 | Performance Studies | 4 |
| THR 105 | Theatre Appreciation | 3 |
| THR 251 | Beginning Tap Dance | 2 |
| THR 261 | Beginning Jazz Dance | 2-3 |
| THR 271 | Beginning Ballet | 2-3 |
| THR 300 | Performance Practicum | 1-3 |
| THR 303 | Scenic Painting | 3 |
| THR 307 | Lighting Design | 3 |
| THR 310 | Acting for Everyone | 3 |
| THR 312 | Acting for the Camera | 3 |
| THR 320 | Voice & Movement | 3 |
| THR 323 | Ensemble Acting | 3 |
| THR 330 | Scenic Design | 3 |
| THR 351 | Intermediate Tap Dance | 2 |
| THR 361 | Jazz Dance | 1 |
| THR 371 | Ballet | 2 |
| VAD 211 | Fundamentals of Visual Communication Design | 3 |
| VAE 232 | Integrating Visual Culture | 3 |
| VAF 104 | Foundation Drawing | 3 |
| VAF 112 | Foundation 2-D Design | 3 |
| VAF 117 | Foundation 3-D Design | 3 |
| VAF 203 | Drawing Through the Process | 3 |
| VAF 225 | Painting for Non-Majors | 3 |
| VAF 226 | Painting I | 3 |
| VAF 228 | Watercolor I | 3 |
| VAF 232 | Sculpture I | 3 |
| VAF 240 | Ceramics I | 3 |
| VAF 242 | Ceramics II: Wheel Throwing | 3 |
| VAF 253 | Printmaking I | 3 |
| VAF 325 | Figure Painting | 3 |
| VAH 101 | Introduction to the Visual Arts | 3 |
| VAH 129 | Foundations in Art History | 3 |
| VAH 201 | Survey of Art I | 3 |
| VAH 202 | Survey of Art II | 3 |
| VAH 203 | Survey of Art III | 3 |
| VAH 310 | History of Art and Activism | 3 |
| VAH 320 | Latin American Art | 3 |
| VAH 330 | Arts of Asia | 3 |
| VAH 350 | Western Architecture | 3 |
| VAH 360 | Art History & Feminism | 3 |
| VAH 370 | American Art | 3 |
| VAH 382 | History of Photography I | 3 |
| VAH 383 | History of Graphic Design | 3 |
| VAH 483 | PostColonial and Global Art Histories | 3 |
| VAP 100 | Darkroom Photography for Non-Majors | 3 |
| VAP 101 | Foundation Photography | 3 |
| VAP 200 | Digital Photography for Non-Majors | 3 |
| VAR 210 | Visual Journal | 3 |
| VAR 220 | Visual Resources | 3 |
3 Contextual courses are as follows for each of the matching languages:
| Arabic (ARA) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| GLC 315 | Arabic Culture in the Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
| HST 280 | Making of the Modern Middle East | 3 |
| HST 318 | History of Early Islamic Civilizations: From the Prophet to the Pashas | 3 |
| HST 329 | Americans and the Middle East | 3 |
| HST 334 | History of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| HST 354 | History of Women & Gender in the Middle East | 3 |
| HST 356 | History of Transnational Feminism | 3 |
| PHL 351 | Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Philosophy | 3 |
| Chinese (CHI) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ENG 341 | Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 378 | Professional & Technical Writing | 3 |
| GLC 345 | Chinese Civilization and Culture | 3 |
| GLC 346 | The Language of Food in East Asia | 3 |
| HST 260 | History of Pre-Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HST 330 | History of East Asia to 1800 | 3 |
| HST 332 | History of Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HST 386 | China in Revolution | 3 |
| PHL 355 | Asian Philosophy | 3 |
| VAH 330 | Arts of Asia | 3 |
| French (FRN) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ENG 407 | Medieval English Literature | 3 |
| HST 383 | History of the Caribbean | 3 |
| POL 320 | European Politics and Society | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| German (GER) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| GLC 330 | From Thor to Tolkien: Norse Mythology and Fantasy Literature | 3 |
| GLC 331 | Fairy Tales | 3 |
| GLC 334 | Immigrants, Refugees, and National Images: German-American Relations | 3 |
| GLC 335 | Gender, Sexuality & the Holocaust | 3 |
| GLC 336 | Nazi Cinema and Mass Manipulation in the Third Reich | 3 |
| GLC 337 | Green Germany, Sustainability and Environmental Justice | 3 |
| GLC 338 | The Holocaust in Literature, Film & Culture | 3 |
| POL 320 | European Politics and Society | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| Hindi (HND) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| HST 356 | History of Transnational Feminism | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| Italian (ITA) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ENG 367 | Dante | 3 |
| HST 389 | The Italian Diaspora: History and Culture | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| VAH 450 | Italian Renaissance Art | 3 |
| Latin (LAT) | ||
| GLC 320 | Classical Mythology | 3 |
| GLC 321 | Classical Literature in Translation | 3 |
| HST 220 | Survey of Ancient History | 3 |
| HST 303 | Roman Imperial Rule | 3 |
| PHL 351 | Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Philosophy | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| Russian (RUS) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| GLC 310 | Post-Soviet Popular Cultures | 3 |
| GLC 311 | Poetry of Resistance and Emerging Feminism under Stalin | 3 |
| GLC 312 | Witches, Demons and Madness—Gogol’s Ukrainian Tales of the Macabre | 3 |
| HST 326 | Russia, The Soviet Union & Beyond 1860-Present | 3 |
| HST 328 | Tolstoy's Russia | 3 |
| HST 368 | The Soviet Experiment: From Lenin to Putin | 3 |
| POL 321 | Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| Spanish (SPN) | ||
| ANT 315 | Language & Culture | 3 |
| ANT 352 | Cultures of Latin America | 3 |
| ANT 368 | Immigration & Immigrants | 3 |
| CMM 316 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ENG 360 | US Latinx Literature | 3 |
| GLC 347 | Latin/x America and Performing Human Rights | 3 |
| HST 310 | History of Spain | 3 |
| HST 357 | Modern Latin America | 3 |
| HST 366 | History of Religion in Latin America | 3 |
| HST 358 | Social & Cultural History of Latin America | 3 |
| HST 382 | History of Mexico | 3 |
| HST 383 | History of the Caribbean | 3 |
| HST 384 | Economic History of Latin America | 3 |
| PHL 379 | Latin American Philosophy | 3 |
| REL 322 | Latino/Latina Religious Experiences | 3 |
| SOC 368 | Immigration & Immigrants | 3 |
| THR 425 | Theatre Theory & History | 3 |
| VAH 320 | Latin American Art | 3 |