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The BIS degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, 45 of which must be upper level. The last 30 hours of credit must be taken at VCU or 15 may be taken at VCU and 15 from other approved institutions in the area when there are no equivalent VCU courses. Regardless of the number of hours earned before admission to BIS, a student must take at least 24 hours after acceptance including 12 hours in the focus area.
- 15 hours of Communicating (6 hours of English Composition; 6 hours of Writing Intensive; 3 hours of Speech or Communications)
- 3 hours in Ethics (e.g., PHIL 211, 212, 213, RELS 340, MASC 290, SOCY 445, POLI 341)
- 6 Hours in Quantity and Form which must include College Algebra or its equivalent (e.g., MAT 131) plus 3 hours of calculus, critical thinking or logic, statistics, or computer science
- 3-4 hours in Science and Technology which includes a lab experience (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Geography, Astronomy, Geology)
- 2-3 credits in the Visual and Performing Arts
- 9 credits in Humanities and Social Sciences and Interdependence dispersed as follows:
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3 credits in Humanities
(e.g., Literature, RELS, HIST, PHIL, Foreign Language) plus 3 hours in American, European, or Non-Western Culture plus three hours in Social Sciences (e.g., PSYC, SOCY, SOCS, ECON, POLI, AFAM, ANTH, GEOG, SLWK) plus one of these 3 courses must have an international or global emphasis -
a 36 hour interdisciplinary focus area which will be defined with the
help of faculty members. The rest of the program may be electives.
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| Bachelor
of Interdisciplinary Studies Course requirements |
Minimum semester credits required | Suggested
courses to meet requirements |
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| Community
college |
VCU |
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| Communicating | |||
English Composition and Rhetoric |
6 | ENG 111 and 210 | ENGL 101 and 200 |
Upper Level Expository |
6 | None | Any course designated as Writing Intensive (WI) |
Speech or Communications |
3 | SPD 105, 110 | SPCH 321 or 121 |
| Quantity
and Form |
6 | ||
| (must include college algebra or its equivalent, e.g., VCU's MATH 131) | |||
Math |
MTH 163, 166, 151 and 152 | MATH 131, 151 | |
and |
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Statistics |
MTH 240 or 241 | STAT 208 or 210 | |
or |
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Logic |
PHI 115 or 112 | PHIL 221 or 222 | |
or |
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Computer Science |
CSC 110, IST 110 or 114 | INFO 160, 161 or 162 | |
| Ethics | |||
| 3 | PHI 220 | PHIL 211, 212, 213 or RELS 340 | |
| Science and Technology | |||
| 4 | BIO
102 GOL 105 or 106 CHM 111, PHY 121 |
BIOL
101, 103 CHEM 110, PHYS 107 and lab |
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| Visual and Performing Arts | |||
| 2-3 | MUS, ART, PHT | ARTF, ARTH, CRAF, PAPR, PHTO, MHTS, APPM | |
| Humanities and Social Sciences and Interdependence | |||
| 9 | Choose 1 course from each of the following 3 areas: | ||
Social Science |
A: PSY 201-202 SOC 201-202 PLS 211-212 ECO 201-202 |
A: 3 hours in Social Sciences: PSYC, SOCY, SOCS, ECON, POCI, AFAM, ANTH, GEOG, SLWK |
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Culture |
B: HIS 101-102 HIS 121-122 HIS 141-142 |
B: 3 hours in American European, Nonwestern Culture |
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Humanities and Interdependence |
C: a semester of a Foreign Language PLS 241 REL 231 |
C: 3 hours in Humanities, Literature RELS, HIST, PHIL, Foreign Language |
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| One course from A-C must include a global or international emphasis | |||
| Focus Area | |||
| Academic concentration consisting of courses from 2 or more goal-related disciplines. Minimum of 36 hours; 24 must be upper level. A minimum of 12 hours in the focus area is required AFTER admission. | |||
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College of Humanities and Sciences • Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies bis@vcu.edu • Last updated: 04/09/2007 |