2014-2015 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Education Requirements (LAS)


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The college requires all students to complete an English writing requirement, a reasoning proficiency requirement, area requirements, and cultural diversity, oral communications, and global awareness requirements. Assuming that a student does not test out of the writing and reasoning requirements, the total number of credit hours needed to complete the college general education requirements is 45. This requirement is in addition to the University Compass Curriculum requirement of 24 credit hours. There may be courses that can satisfy multiple requirements. Consult the Campus Wide Requirements: Compass Curriculum page  and an advisor to determine the full extent of your requirements.

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences will accept transfer courses from the community college “general education core” and substitute these credits for credits required within the 120 hours needed for the BA or BS degree in whatever manner is most advantageous to the student. The College will also accept non-core academic courses in transfer, i.e., courses that are not considered to be vocational or technical in nature.

Students with diagnosed disabilities that hinder their ability to fulfill LAS General Education Requirements should contact Disability Services and the LAS Dean’s office.

English Rhetoric and Writing and Writing Portfolio Requirements


To qualify for a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, a student must complete C01 and C02 core writing requirements and pass the portfolio writing competency assessment (see below).

ESL or ELL Students Enrolled in ENGL 1300 + 1305 or ENGL 1310

The Rhetoric and Writing Program advises ESL students to enroll in ENGL 1310 sections with faculty who are qualified for ESL writing instruction for non-native speakers. Please contact the Rhetoric and Writing Program, Columbine 1041 for ESL placement and enrollment consultations and advising.

Students may meet core C01 and C02 writing requirements in the following ways:  

1.   Successfully complete ENGL 1300 + ENGL 1305 Stretch (C01 ENGL 1310 equivalent) and ENGL 1410 at UCCS and then demonstrate writing competency. 

       a.   To be admitted to ENGL 1300 Stretch, students must meet one of the following requirements:

  1. Score 14-18 on the English ACT.
  2. Score 400-440 on the verbal SAT.
  3. Complete ENGL 99 with a C- or an approved ENGL 99 equivalent in transfer with a C-.
  4. Early college or high school concurrent enrollment students must present an ENGL ACT score of 14-18 (UCCS on site ENGL ACT testing is available). 

       b.   To be admitted to ENGL 1305 Stretch, students must meet the following requirement:  

    1.     Complete ENGL 1300 Stretch with a C- or better. 

2.   Successfully complete ENGL 1310 and ENGL 1410 at UCCS and then demonstrate writing competency. 

        a.   To be admitted to ENGL 1310, students must meet one of the following requirements: 

  1. Score 19-28 on the ENGLISH ACT.
  2. Score 450-640 on the verbal SAT.
  3. Complete ENGL 99 with a C-, or approved ENGL 99 equivalent with a C-.
  4. Students with high school diplomas or GEDs, but without ENGL ACT or SAT scores may submit a writing sample to the Rhetoric and Writing Program, Columbine 1041, for placement.
  5. Early college or high school concurrent students without high school diplomas or GEDs must present an ENGL ACT score of 19-28 (UCCS on site ACT testing is available) or a SAT score of 450-640. 

       b.   To be admitted to ENGL 1410, students must meet one of the following requirements: 

  1. Complete ENGL 1300 + 1305 Stretch with a C- or better, or ENGL 1310 at UCCS.
  2. Score 29+ on the English ACT.
  3. Score 650+ on the English SAT.
  4. Score 4 on the CEEB Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Exam.
  5. Score a 5 on the IB English Examination.
  6. Successfully complete a first semester writing course (an approved equivalent to ENGL 1310) at an accredited college or university with a C- or better.
  7. Score 50 and receive a ‘pass’ on the essay portion of the CLEP College Composition Modular Exam with essays. (Not an option for Engineering majors.)

       c.   To demonstrate writing competency after C01 and C02 core writing, students must pass the writing portfolio competency assessment administered by the Rhetoric and Writing Program. 

The “final” C02 rhetoric and writing course for each undergraduate program is listed below:

  1. For LAS, SPA, and Nursing students: ENGL 1410
  2. For BUS students: ENGL 2080 or INOV 2100
  3. For EAS students: ENGL 2090 or INOV 2100
  4. For PTW students: ENGL 2080 or 2090

Students may transfer C01 and C02 writing courses if approved as equivalents by successfully completing one or two semesters of writing at an accredited college or university with a C- or better. Transfer students must also demonstrate writing competency by passing the writing portfolio assessment after completing their final writing course at UCCS or upon transfer of their complete C01 and C02 writing requirement from an accredited college or university.

Students must demonstrate competency by passing the writing portfolio assessment within thirty (30) credit hours of having completed their second writing course at UCCS or within thirty credit hours upon transfer of the required course. Students who choose not to demonstrate competency by earning a ‘pass’ on their writing portfolio may alternately meet the competency requirement by successfully completing a 3000-level, advanced rhetoric and writing course at UCCS with a grade of C- or better. Students who do not submit a portfolio within thirty credit hours after completion of the C01 and C02 writing requirements will alternately complete an additional writing course at the 3000-level. 

3.  Qualify for a waiver of writing coursework through the CEEB Advanced Placement Examination. 

       a.  Score 4 to receive credit for ENGL 1310, successfully complete ENGL 1410, and then pass the writing portfolio competency assessment.
       b.  Score 5 to receive credit for both ENGL 1310 and 1410, and then pass the portfolio assessment.  

4.   Qualify for a waiver of composition coursework through the International Baccalaureate higher-level English exam.

       a.  Score 5 to receive credit for ENGL 1310, successfully complete ENGL 1410, then pass the portfolio assessment.
       b.  Score 6 or 7 to receive credit for ENGL 1310 and 1410, then pass the portfolio assessment.
 

CLEP College Composition Modular Exam with Essays

Students who would like to earn CLEP credit for ENGL 1310 may take the College Composition Modular Exam with essays at PPCC Testing Center. For testing information, please contact the University Testing Center in Main Hall 105C, or by phone at (719) 255-3354. Not an option for Engineering majors.

Writing Portfolio Competency

To demonstrate that they have achieved proficiency in written communication, all UCCS students will submit samples of work they have completed for other courses. This must be done at least one full semester prior to graduation. In order to submit the writing portfolio, students will register for PORT 3000 - Writing Portfolio Assessment , a zero-credit hour course, and follow emailed instructions about the submission process. For more information, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~writingportfolio/.

Computer-Mediated Instruction

All composition courses are taught in computer classrooms or laptop sections. Students are billed $10.00 per course to cover technological support for the classrooms and printed materials for these courses. 

English Requirements and Prerequisites 

ENGL 1310 (and in some cases ENGL 1410) is required for all advanced writing courses and those in the Professional Writing Program. All students must have taken ENGL 1310 (or qualified transfer course) in order to take any literature course offered in the English Department. Note that, starting with majors declared in fall 2010, ENGL 2000 or the English reception/workshop and ENGL 2010 (formerly ENGL 190) are prerequisites to almost all upper division English courses, and ENGL 3000 is a prerequisite to all 4000-level literature seminars. Students are billed $10.00 for online literature course lab fees.

Students interested in taking ENGL 1450 as a lab course should contact the Writing Center Director at (719) 255-4335, or visit the Writing Center, Columbine Hall 316.

Quantitative and Qualitative Reasoning Proficiency Requirement


Well-educated people should be able to think at a certain level of abstraction and to manipulate symbols. The quantitative and qualitative reasoning proficiency requirement has two principal objectives. The first is to provide students with the analytical tools used in core curriculum courses and in their major areas of study. The second is to help students acquire the reasoning skills necessary to assess adequately the problems that confront them in their daily lives.

Students completing this requirement should be able to do the following:

  • construct a logical argument based on the rules of inference
  • analyze and interpret numerical data
  • obtain exact results when appropriate
  • apply mathematical methods to solve problems in their university work and in their daily lives.

There are four ways in which students can fulfill this requirement, described as follows:

  1. Pass the UCCS Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning Exam. This exam is offered by the testing office (719) 255-3255. A $20.00 test fee must be paid in advance. Credit hours are not awarded to those who meet the requirement by passing the proficiency examination.
  2. Successfully complete I D 1050 Quantitative and Qualitative Reasoning Skills OR I D 2000 Mathematics: A Human Endeavor OR MATH 1200 Reasoning about Data.
  3. Successfully complete MATH 3010 and MATH 3020.
  4. Successfully complete College Algebra (MATH 1040) or a mathematics course that has college algebra as a prerequisite, OR score a 20 or above on the Algebra Diagnostic Exam AND complete a course in statistics or a course in symbolic logic.  Choose from the courses below.

Area Requirements: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences


Each prospective LAS graduate is expected to have completed 9 semester hours in each of three areas—humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The total requirement is 27 hours, and, with the exception of the core humanities course, can be satisfied entirely by lower division (freshman/sophomore) courses.  Any cross-list for the courses listed below will also satisfy the relevant requirement.

Specific Limitations


  • No more than two courses from any one discipline may be applied to the area requirements.
  • With the exception of Distributed Studies, courses in a student’s primary major may not be applied to the area requirements.
  • Courses may not be taken pass/fail.

Humanities Courses—9 Credit Hours


The humanities course requirement must be satisfied in part by successful completion of one UCCS 3000 level humanities courses. The remaining six hours may be selected from the list below or may be satisfied by community college humanities courses that are equivalent or similar in content to those listed below.

Social Science Courses—9 Credit Hours


The 9-hour social science area requirement may be met by the lower and upper division courses that are listed below. Students who transfer to UCCS from community colleges may fulfill this area requirement by substituting courses that are equivalent or similar in content to those listed below.

Natural Science Courses—9 Credit Hours


The 9-hour natural science area requirement may be satisfied by the lower and upper division courses listed below, including at least one laboratory science course. (Laboratory science courses are indicated by an asterisk.) Community college students transferring to UCCS may fulfill this requirement by substituting courses that are equivalent or similar in content to those listed below.

Interdepartmental Studies


Cultural Diversity Requirement


While fulfilling their general education requirements, LAS students are required to take a course which also increases their awareness of cultural diversity in the United States. Approved courses for the cultural diversity requirement are as follows:

Global Awareness Requirement


While fulfilling their general education requirements, LAS students are required to take a course which increases their awareness of global issues. Approved global awareness courses are as follows:

Foreign Language Requirement


As of January 1, 1993, the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences no longer has a foreign language requirement. However, a variety of language classes will continue to be offered for students who wish to study a foreign language. Students contemplating graduate school should be aware that many graduate schools require proficiency in a foreign language.

Newly admitted freshmen are still required to have completed two units of foreign language at the high school level. Freshmen admitted who are deficient in this requirement may make up the deficiency as outlined in the beginning of the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences section of this Catalog. The foreign language placement examination will continue to be administered for those students wishing to determine their level of placement in a foreign language course. For information, contact the Language Technology Center on the second floor of Dwire Hall at (719) 255-3691.

Students are urged to continue language study in a timely manner, as proficiency declines rapidly without application of skills.

Note:


If course work in a foreign language taken at other institutions is repeated at the same level at UCCS, academic credit for any hours duplicated will not be counted toward graduation.

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