College of Letters and Sciences - COLS (Undergraduate)

http://www.uww.edu/cls/

Jason Janke, Dean
Fe Evangelista, Associate Dean
Susan Johnson, Associate Dean

262-472-1621
cols@uww.edu

Mission Statement

The College of Letters and Sciences forms the core of the University, providing students with the essential elements of a liberal education in humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The College fosters personal and professional growth by offering challenging and relevant courses through the general education program, specialized and career-oriented majors and minors, graduate programs, and collaborative programs with other colleges. As undergraduates and graduates in the College of Letters and Sciences, students develop diverse perspectives, civic responsibility and engagement, and personal and professional integrity while preparing for careers and life-long learning.

In order to achieve this mission, faculty and staff are dedicated to developing innovative pedagogy, and connecting academic knowledge with experience through international study, undergraduate and graduate research, and internships. Faculty and staff create, expand, and disseminate knowledge and understanding through research, scholarship, and creative work, with students as essential participants and contributors. The College seeks to use the knowledge and expertise of faculty and students to improve society by participating in programs that meet the needs and engage the interests of the University campus and the broader community.

Overview

The College of Letters and Sciences seeks to assist you in developing the knowledge, understanding, skills, and appreciation which will enable you to live a rich, full life as well as succeed in your chosen profession. A background of study in the liberal arts is the distinguishing characteristic of the university graduate. Whatever your vocational aspiration, your liberal arts study will heighten your potential for personal and professional development. The major and minor programs of study within the College of Letters and Sciences build upon this liberal arts background and assist you in developing in-depth understanding of your chosen field of study.

 Department Chairs

Biology Heather Pelzel
Chemistry Jessica Bonjour
Computer Science Jiazhen Zhou
Geography, Geology and Environmental Science Dale Splinter
History Jennifer Thibodeaux
Literature, Writing, and Film Jonathan Ivry
Mathematics Geethamali Samaranayake
Philosophy and Religious Studies David Simmons
Physics Ozgur Yavuzcetin
Politics, Government, and Law Edward Gimbel
Psychology Elizabeth Olson
Social Work Yeongmin Kim
Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology Loren Wilbers
World Languages and Cultures Pilar Melero
Women’s and Gender Studies Ellie Schemenauer

Program Coordinators

Allied Health Foundations Ellen Davis
Anthropology Jessica Waltz
Criminology Paul Gregory
Environmental Science Dale Splinter
Family, Health and Disability Studies Loren Wilbers
Forensic Science Pete Killoran
Film Studies Donald Jellerson
Individually Designed Susan Johnson
Integrated Science/Business Dennis Kopf
International Studies & Japanese Studies Jonathan Burkham
Liberal Studies David Reinhart
Professional Writing and Publishing Janine Tobeck
Public Health Loren Wilbers
Public Policy and Administration Jonah Ralston
Race and Ethnic Studies Christa Lebens

Associate of Arts Degree

Students may earn an Associate of Arts degree by successfully completing a minimum of 60 units, including the 45 units of the General Education requirements (Communication & Calculation Skills and University Requirements) and the U.S. Racial/Ethnic Diversity requirement with a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 2.00 cumulative GPA. The General Education requirements are the same as those for baccalaureate degrees. Students do not need to complete CORE 390 but must complete a GH (humanities) course to complete University Requirements.

15 of the 60 units must be taken in coursework at UW-Whitewater. Students must be enrolled at UW-Whitewater during the term in which the requirements are completed.

Application for an Associate of Arts degree must be made no later than two years after the last term of attendance. An Associate of Arts degree cannot be received at the same time as a baccalaureate degree or subsequent to the awarding of a baccalaureate degree. Effective spring 2017, Associate of Arts degree candidates may participate in the commencement ceremony. There is a graduation fee for the Associate of Arts degree. Students can apply for the Associate Degree online or in the Registrar's Office.

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science in Education

Interdepartmental Non-Degree

Minors

Certificates

Degree Requirements

  • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
  • Bachelor of Science (BS)
  • Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with Teaching Licensure

To graduate from the College of Letters and Sciences, students must complete a minimum of 120 units, including coursework to satisfy all of the General Education (Communication & Calculation Skills and University Requirements), U.S. Racial/Ethnic Diversity, College Degree, and major and minor requirements. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in the major and minor fields as well as a 2.0 UW-W overall grade point average. Certain majors and minors in the College require a grade point average above 2.0 in the major, minor and/or overall.

Students may earn either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters and Sciences. The BA degree emphasizes preparation in the arts, foreign languages, humanities and social sciences, while the BS degree emphasizes preparation in mathematics and sciences.

Most students are required to complete both a major and a minor from the approved majors and minors listed in the Catalog. Consult the list on the L&S website or in the Degree Planning Guide at the College of L&S. The same course units may not be counted toward both a major and a minor.

Bachelor of Arts

In addition to the University Requirements, students must complete the following BA degree requirements:

Upper Level Breadth Requirement
6 units at the 300-400 level in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences or Race/Ethnic or Women's Studies, excluding courses in major and minor disciplines; not limited to Gen Ed courses or one course per discipline rule6
Foreign Language Requirement
Select one of the following: 14
A. Select one of the following 2nd semester foreign language:
ASL 142
BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II
ARABIC 142
BEGINNING ARABIC II
CHINESE 142
BEGINNING CHINESE II (or above)
FRENCH 142
BEGINNING FRENCH II (or above)
GERMAN 142
BEGINNING GERMAN II (or above)
SPANISH 142
BEGINNING SPANISH II (or above)
JAPANESE 102
BEGINNING JAPANESE II (or above)
B. Demonstration of equivalent proficiency by appropriate score on placement examination
1

Exception: students who graduated from high school before 2012 may satisfy this requirement with 2 years of the same foreign language in high school. One course taken to fulfill this requirement may count as an elective in the University Requirements.

Bachelor of Science (effective Fall 2014)

In addition to the University Requirements, students must complete the following BS degree requirements:

A. Select two 4-5 unit lab science courses designated GL from 2 different subject areas (includes lab science courses used in University Requirements)8-10
B. Select one of the following:5-6
1. MATH 250 or MATH 253
2. At least 6 units from two MATH courses beyond MATH 142
3. At least 6 units chosen from two of the three options below:
a. At least 3 units of MATH beyond MATH 142 (excluding MATH 230)
b. 3-4 units of statistics chosen from MATH 230 or STAT 230, PSYCH 215, SOCIOLGY 295, BIOLOGY 303, ECON 245, or SOCWORK 250
c. At least 3 units of computer science

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with Teaching Licensure

If you are working toward the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters and Sciences and also wish to be licensed to teach, you must fulfill all the requirements for the appropriate degree and complete all the requirements for licensure. Confer with the Director of Licensure in the College of Education during your freshman year if you are interested in this option.

Honorary Societies

Alpha Kappa Delta is a national sociology honor society. The ETA of Wisconsin chapter was established at UW-Whitewater in 1970. AKD is an organization dedicated to the scientific study of social phenomena for the promotion of human welfare. To be eligible for membership, individuals must have declared a major or minor in sociology, have completed at least four sociology courses, be at least junior standing, have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all sociology courses and have a minimum 3.30 GPA overall.

Alpha Phi Sigma is a national criminal justice honor society that recognizes academic excellence of students of criminal justice. To be eligible for membership, individuals must have declared a major or minor in criminal justice or a related field, completed 45 credits, have a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 in courses in criminal justice, rank in the top 35% of their class, and have taken a minimum of four criminal justice courses.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter, sponsored by the Department of Computer Science, is open to all who want to expand their knowledge and skills in different aspects of computing, including artificial intelligence, software development, and more.

Beta Beta Beta, national honorary biological society, was established at UW-Whitewater in 1960. Beta Beta Beta seeks to encourage scholarly attainment in this field of learning by reserving its membership for those who achieve superior academic accomplishments and who indicate special aptitude for the subject of biology.

Delta Phi Alpha is the National German Honor Society. The Sigma Delta chapter of the society was established at the UW-Whitewater in 2007. Initiates must be at least sophomore standing and have completed a minimum of two years of German at the university level with registration in an advanced course, earn a minimum grade average of 3.33 in all German courses taken as well as a minimum of 2.67 GPA in all courses of study at the university level, and also demonstrate continued interest in the study of German language and literature.

Gamma Theta Upsilon is an international geographical honor society. Gamma Upsilon chapter of the society was established at UW-Whitewater in 1965. The primary function of the society is to further professional interest in geography by affording a common organization for those interested in this field. Full regular membership is limited to persons possessing superior academic records and completion of at least three courses in geography.

Phi Alpha Honor Society is to provide a closer bond between social work students and promote humanitarian goals. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work. To be eligible for the membership, students must have achieved junior status, completed 9 semester hours of core social work major courses, and achieved an overall GPA in the top 35% of social work majors.

Phi Alpha Theta is an international honorary society in history. Nu-Beta chapter was installed at UW-Whitewater in the spring of 1967. Membership is open to students who have completed 12 or more units in history with at least a 3.10 grade point average in all history courses. Initiates must also have a 3.00 grade point average in two-thirds of all remaining courses.

Pi Delta Phi is a national honor society which recognizes outstanding scholarship in French. To be eligible for membership, you must be a senior who has completed three advanced French courses and who has a 3.00 grade point average in French and a 3.00 cumulative grade point average.

Pi Mu Epsilon is the National Mathematics Honorary Society. Membership is open to full-time undergraduates who have fulfilled the following requirements: completed at least two semesters of Calculus; completed two mathematics or statistics courses above the Calculus level; have a GPA of at least 3.00 in all Mathematics courses; and have an overall GPA of at least 3.00.

Pi Sigma Alpha is the national honorary association for political science. The UW-Whitewater Chapter, Pi Mu, welcomes all students who fulfill the following requirements: 10 units in Political Science, 3.5 grade point average in Political Science courses, and 3.00 grade point average overall.

Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, recognizes excellence in scholarship for graduate and undergraduate students who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests. Undergraduates who are elected to Psi Chi must rank not lower than the highest 35 percent of their class in general scholarship and must have demonstrated superior scholarship in psychology.

Sigma Delta Pi, national professional society in Spanish studies, was established at UW-Whitewater in 1966. Eligible for membership are those students who have completed at least three upper-division Spanish courses (300 or 400-level) or have completed two with current enrollment in a third, have attained a 3.00 GPA in Spanish courses and 2.75 overall GPA, and have completed at least three university semesters.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon is the National Honor Society for the Earth Sciences. The Eta Omega Chapter was established at UW-Whitewater in 2011, recognizing scholarship and professionalism in the Earth Sciences as evidenced by a 3.00 minimum GPA for at least 10 credit hours in Earth Science classes. Eta Omega Chapter is also affiliated with the American Institute of Professional Geologists as the first student AIPG chapter in Wisconsin, established in 2015.

Sigma Pi Sigma is the physics national honor society. Membership is open to all students with an overall G.P.A. of at least 3.00 and a G.P.A. of at least 3.00 in physics, based upon at least three physics classes applicable toward a physics major.

Sigma Tau Delta, the national English Honor Society, is open to English majors and minors who have had at least two courses past ENGLISH 101 and ENGLISH 102, have at least a B average in English, and rank within the top 35% of their class overall. The society sponsors regional and national conventions, a literary magazine, and writing awards for creative and critical writing.

Departmental Student Organizations

Actuarial Club is an organization that provides individuals interested in the actuarial field with opportunities to learn, network, and develop skills related to their careers, including information about actuarial exams.

Bridge Club is a great place to learn or expand upon your Bridge-playing skills and meet others who enjoy a good game of cards.

Chemistry Club is an organization open to anyone interested in Chemistry and/or Science related activities. 

English Club is an organization open to anyone interested in English language or literature.

French Club is an organization open to anyone interested in French language and culture.

German Club is an organization open to all students in German and to anyone interested in German culture.

GEOEnvi is a professional and social organization in the field of geography, geology, and environmental science and is sponsored by the Department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The organization seeks to: 1) advance professional and social interest in the geosciences and environmental sciences and studies; 2) strengthen student and professional training through academic experiences, other than those offered in the classroom and laboratory; 3) advance the status of geography, geology, and environmental science; 4) better acquaint persons in the academic and non-academic community with the increasing opportunities in geography, geology, and environmental sciences; and 5) promote involvement and camaraderie between fellow students, faculty, and staff within the Department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science.

Criminal Justice Organization (CJO) is a student organization for those who plan to pursue a career in any criminal justice agency, as well as for those who simply want to learn more about the realities of the CJ system. CJO provides valuable educational and networking opportunities, including taking field trips, hosting guest speakers from a variety of agencies, and offering CPR/AED, First Aid, Safe Zone, and Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting certification.

Law Society, co-sponsored by the Political Science Department and the Finance and Business Law Department, is open to pre-law students and anyone interested in the law. Students have the opportunity to attend speaker meetings and participate in field trips.

Pre-Health Club is an organization open to anyone interested in a health career. The club offers members opportunities to connect with others that are preparing for and applying to graduate professional programs, meet with graduate program admissions counselors, attend open houses, and participate in volunteer options.

Psychology Club is a student organization for all individuals interested in the psychology field. All UW-Whitewater students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members are welcome to join and attend our meetings. Our mission is to value our members’ perceptions and end goals within this organization.

Society of Physics Students is open to all students who are in physics or related fields. In 1965 the club became a student section of the American Institute of Physics, a national federation of leading societies in physics.

Social Work Student Organization seeks to unite the Social Work majors to promote the major and to get involved on campus and in the community. It provides a great opportunity to make connections with fellow social work students and the social work faculty.

Spanish Club offers members cultural activities pertaining to the Spanish speaking countries to create an interest in the culture and ways of life of the Spanish-speaking world and to stimulate greater understanding and appreciation of Spanish-speaking friends the world over.

Student Anthropology and Archaeology Society (SAAS) is an organization open to all students interested in anthropology, with a particular focus on archaeology.

Student Math Association is a student chapter of the Mathematics Association of America whose purposes are to provide students majoring, minoring or just interested in math with information pertaining to the math field, and to encourage and inform about the use of math in every aspect of life.

Sociology & Anthropology Student Association is a voluntary group whose purpose is to afford interested students the opportunity to initiate and participate in campus and professional activities.

Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Club is a student run organization that is housed in the Biology Department but open to students from any major on campus that share an interest in the natural world, ecology, organismal biology, and conservation of natural resources.  The club is overseen by a committee of elected students that generate group activities ranging from survey work and habitat restoration, to recreational hikes and field trips to local zoos, museums, and other similar institutions. 

UWW EMPOWER! is a non-profit student organization dedicated to empowering the community through philanthropic action and volunteer work. UWW EMPOWER! provides Kiva loans, funds scholarships, engages in various volunteer activities in the community, and selects UWW student commencement speakers. The organization is open to all UWW students.

Pre-Professional Curricula

Pre-Chiropractic Christopher Veldkamp, Chemistry
Pre-Dentistry Heather Pelzel, Biology
Pre-Engineering Robert Benjamin, Physics
Pre-Law Jolly Emrey, Politics, Government, and Law
Pre-Medicine Biology Department
Pre-Optometry Heather Pelzel, Biology
Pre-Pharmacy Hephzibah Kumpaty, Chemistry
Pre-Physical Therapy Heather Pelzel, Biology
Pre-Veterinary Ellen Davis, Biology

There are opportunities for you to obtain pre-professional coursework in a number of fields. Before attending professional schools, most students will complete a Bachelor of Arts degree or Bachelor of Science degree. Other pre-professional programs at UW-Whitewater provide one, two or three years of study for students who will then transfer to a professional school or program. While at UW-Whitewater, you will obtain a well-rounded liberal education recommended by professional schools in addition to introductory courses in your professional area.

Students interested in Pre-Health Professions have the option of declaring a certificate that aligns with their professional school interests. The College of Letters and Sciences offers six Pre-Health certificates: Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant, and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. For Chiropractic, UW-Whitewater has an articulation agreement with Palmer College of Chiropractic in which students take three years of coursework at UW-Whitewater then complete the Bachelor of Science degree with coursework from the Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Palmer. If you have not decided on a specific professional school path, your advisor will help you develop a flexible program while aiding you in the search for a school or program to meet your needs.

In Pre-Engineering, UW-Whitewater has transfer agreements with UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Platteville (contact the Engineering Emphasis advisor or the chair of the Physics Department for details).

Professional school admission is often highly competitive. UW-Whitewater offers a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for required admissions tests and our departments provide opportunities for hands-on learning and direct contact with faculty that can enhance application portfolios.  Every effort is made to assist you in your admission to the professional school of your choice. However, you should be aware that admission to some programs is extremely competitive, and whether or not you are admitted will depend upon your academic record and your scores on admissions tests.

If you transfer to a professional school at the end of your junior year, you may have part of your work in the professional school applied toward completion of the bachelor's degree at UW-Whitewater.

For further information on the pre-professional curricula available at UW-Whitewater please contact the College of Letters and Sciences Pre-Professional Advisor at lsadvise@uww.edu. Pre-nursing is available through the College of Integrated Studies and more information on that program may be found in their area of the catalog.

Individually Designed Major

Students with interdisciplinary academic interests or career goals that cannot me met through existing programs are invited to apply for an individually designed major. This individualized major permits an integration of the courses and programs offered by the University. You will work with an academic advisor to design an individualized program of study that must be approved by a faculty committee. This major is coordinated by an Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences.

Individually Designed Minor

The individualized minor can help you meet educational goals which cannot be met by the conventional minor programs. With the help of your academic advisor, you can plan your own minor consisting of courses in areas related to your goals. An Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences coordinates the program and approves individualized minor proposals. For details and requirements see Interdepartmental Majors and Minors.