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Common Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC)

Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC) provides a broad foundation of skills, information and knowledge that goes beyond your chosen academic field. It will foster your ability to communicate effectively, to think critically and to problem solve. You will gain knowledge, skills and attitudes central to living in and contributing to a diverse world and the perspective to understand and appreciate the world's nations and peoples from the ethical dimensions of personal and political decisions to the challenges of responding to environmental variables.

While the LASC is one component of a baccalaureate degree, the other being your major, courses may also apply to a minor or emphasis as well as being used as "general electives."

Students should consult early and often with their academic advisor to ensure effective planning.

Goal Areas

Goal 1A: Oral Communication: To develop writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, speak and listen critically. As a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their collegiate studies. Writing competency is an ongoing process to be reinforced through writing intensive courses and writing across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills need reinforcement through multiple opportunities for interpersonal communication, public speaking and discussion.

Goal 1B: Written Communication: To develop writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, speak and listen critically. As a base, all students should complete introductory communication requirements early in their collegiate studies. Writing competency is an ongoing process to be reinforced through writing intensive courses and writing across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills need reinforcement through multiple opportunities for interpersonal communication, public speaking and discussion.

Goal 2: Critical Thinking: To develop thinkers who are able to unify factual, creative, rational, and value-sensitive modes of thought. Critical thinking will be taught and used throughout the general education curriculum in order to develop students' awareness of their own thinking and problem-solving procedures. To integrate new skills into their customary ways of thinking, students must be actively engaged in practicing thinking skills and applying them to open-ended problems.

Goal 3: Natural Sciences: To improve students' understanding of natural science principles and of the methods of scientific inquiry, i.e., the ways in which scientists investigate natural science phenomena. As a basis for lifelong learning, students need to know the vocabulary of science and to realize that while a set of principles has been developed through the work of previous scientists, ongoing scientific inquiry and new knowledge will bring changes in some of the ways scientists view the world. By studying the problems that engage today's scientists, students learn to appreciate the importance of science in their lives and to understand the value of a scientific perspective. Students should be encouraged to study both the biological and physical sciences.

Goal 4: Mathematics / Logical Reasoning: To increase students' knowledge about mathematical and logical modes of thinking. This will enable students to appreciate the breadth of applications of mathematics, evaluate arguments, and detect fallacious reasoning. Students will learn to apply mathematics, logic, and/or statistics to help them make decisions in their lives and careers. Minnesota's public higher education systems have agreed that developmental mathematics includes the first three years of a high school mathematics sequence through intermediate algebra.

Goal 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences: To increase students' knowledge of how historians and social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity.

Goal 6: The Humanities and the Fine Arts: To expand students' knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behavior, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature, philosophy, and the fine arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation of the arts and humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. Students should have experiences in both the arts and humanities.

Goal 7: Human Diversity: To increase students' understanding of individual and group differences (e.g. race, gender, class) and their knowledge of the traditions and values of various groups in the United States. Students should be able to evaluate the United States' historical and contemporary responses to group differences.

Goal 8: Global Perspective: To increase students' understanding of the growing interdependence of nations and peoples and develop their ability to apply a comparative perspective to cross-cultural social, economic and political experiences.

Goal 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility: To develop students' capacity to identify, discuss, and reflect upon the ethical dimensions of political, social, and personal life and to understand the ways in which they can exercise responsible and productive citizenship. While there are diverse views of social justice or the common good in a pluralistic society, students should learn that responsible citizenship requires them to develop skills to understand their own and others' positions, be part of the free exchange of ideas, and function as public-minded citizens.

Goal 10: People and The Environment: To improve students' understanding of today's complex environmental challenges. Students will examine the inter-relatedness of human society and the natural environment. Knowledge of both bio-physical principles and socio-cultural systems is the foundation for integrative and critical thinking about environmental issues.

Goal 11: Information Literacy: To foster researchers who have the ability to locate and investigate, organize, critically evaluate, and effectively synthesize information. Information literacy will be interwoven throughout the general education curriculum in order to develop students’ academic integrity regarding their research.

Requirements

LASC is a minimum of 14 courses (42 credits minimum) and matches with the goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with the exception of Goal Areas 11: Information Literacy. This goal area is embedded in the curriculum of Goal Areas 1A through 10 and is satisfied through the completion of the other goal areas.

A minimum of a 2.0 GPA is required in all courses used to fulfill LASC requirements, including transfer courses. A course from Goal Areas 3, 5, or 6 may also satisfy Goal Areas 7, 8, 9, or 10. Completion of approved course fulfills both goal areas, but the credit may not be double counted. LASC courses must be a minimum of 3 credits and may have pre-requisites.

Goal 1A: Oral Communication – Complete one course.

Goal 1B: Written Communication – Complete one course.

Goal 2: Critical Thinking – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 3: Natural Sciences – Complete a minimum of two courses from two different rubrics, at least one course must include a traditional lab experience.

Goal 4: Mathematics / Logical Reasoning – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences – Complete a minimum of two courses with different disciplinary rubrics.

Goal 6: The Humanities and Fine Arts – Complete a minimum of two courses with different disciplinary rubrics.

Goal 7: Human Diversity – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 8: Global Perspective – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 10: People and the Environment – Complete a minimum of one course.

Goal 11: Information Literacy – This goal is fulfilled automatically when all of the goal areas are completed.

Only courses currently approved for LASC credit may be counted toward completion of the 42 minimum credits required. A complete list of all currently approved courses is available online HERE.

Courses taken for Pass/Fail grades may not be applied to LASC. In addition to the graduation requirement of a GPA of 2.0 in all MSUM courses, an overall cumulative 2.0 GPA is required in LASC. Certain degree programs may require higher LASC GPAs. Check with the department for more information.

Writing Intensive Requirements

All students entering with less than 32 transferrable credits must complete five writing intensive (W) courses at MSUM:

English 101 (or an approved alternative)
One writing intensive course in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC)
One 300- or 400-level writing intensive course designated by the student’s major
Two writing intensive courses at the 200-level or higher, only one of which may hold the rubric of the student’s major

If a student has multiple majors, the student must fulfill the university writing intensive course requirements as well as the upper-level writing requirement of each major.

Students entering with 32 or more transferable credits must complete two writing intensive courses at MSUM:

One 300- or 400-level writing intensive course designated by the student’s major
One writing intensive course at the 200-level or higher

If a student has multiple majors, the student must fulfill the university writing intensive course requirements as well as the upper-level writing requirement of each major.

A complete list of all currently approved courses is available online HERE.

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum

The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) was created by mutual agreement of Minnesota’s public higher education institutions to aid in transfer among all public colleges and universities in the state. Students completing the specified transfer curriculum at one Minnesota institution will be deemed to have satisfied the general education requirements of the latter institution.

Students who transfer to MSUM with a partially completed MnTC are not required to repeat any goal areas they have already fulfilled, but must complete the remaining requirements of MSUM’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum. A 2.0 MnTC GPA is required for recognition of a student's completion of the entire MnTC with or without completing an associate degree.

In order to complete the MnTC at MSUM a student must complete the following requirements:

A 2.0 MnTC GPA is required for recognition of a student's completion of the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
A minimum of 14 courses (42 semester credits) must be completed in the following goal areas.