Eastern Michigan University: Board Policy Manual

General Curricular Requirements

Effective Date:	03.02.1964	Revision Date:	06.17.1997
Chapter Name:	Academic Programs and Requirements		Policy Number:	6.1.2
Policy Name:	General Curricular Requirements
*A PDF version of this policy is available via this link.*

TOTAL HOUR AND GROUP REQUIREMENTS

Each curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree requires a minimum of 124 semester hours of academic credit. No more than eight hours of credit in physical education activity courses may be applied to this minimum of 124 semester hours except that students majoring in Physical Education, Recreation or Dance may apply to the minimum 124 credit hours the minimum number of hours in activity courses required for their respective majors.

Group I. . . . . . . . . . . .at least 8-9 semester hours

Group II . . . . . . . . . . .at least 10-12 semester hours

Group III. . . . . . . . . . .at least 9-12 semester hours

(Including three semester hours in government}

Humanities Area

Group I, III, V. . . . . . . .at least 11 semester hours

Group IV . . . . . . . . . . .at least 20 semester hours

(Teacher Education curriculums only)

Group VII. . . . . . . . . . .at least 2 semester hours

(physical education or equivalent)

The above group requirements are minimal. Students should consult the curriculum of their choice to determine the complete requirements for anyone group.

The subjects included in the various groups are as follows:

Group I -Language and Literature

Ancient language and literature; modern language and literature; English language and literature; speech and most courses as indicated in library science.

Group II - Science

Agriculture; astronomy; biology; botany; chemistry; geography (certain courses as indicated); geology; mathematics; physics; physiology; hygiene psychology; zoology.

Group III -Social Science

Geography and library science (certain courses as indicated); history; political science; philosophy; economics; sociology.

Group IV- Education

Education (includes methods courses and student teaching).

Group V -Fine Arts

Art; music.

Group VI -Practical Arts

Business administration; business education; home economics; industrial education; military science; nursing; and courses in library science as indicated.

Group VII -Physical Education and Health Education

Physical education; health education; recreation; military science.

BASIC STUDIES REQUIREMENTS

The Basic Studies Program sets up minimum requirements which all students in the University must meet in four broad areas of study: language, science and mathematics, social sciences, and the humanities. Although the requirements for each of the first three areas fall completely in Groups I, II and III, respectively, the humanities requirements, because of the very breadth of the area, are divided among two or three subject groups.

A minimum total of 40 semester hours in the Basic Studies areas is required. Translated into specific areas, the Basic Studies include:

Language Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . three courses required

One course in English composition, or, if eligible, a foreign language course.
One course in fundamentals of speech.
One elective course in English language, in a foreign language, in speech or in library science (Group I).

Science and Mathematics Area. . . . . . . three courses required

In this area, not more than two courses may be selected in one department.

One laboratory science course.
A second laboratory science course or a course in mathematics.
One elective course in Group II.

Social Science Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . three courses required

One course in American government.
One course in history.
A second course in history or a two-semester sequence in sociology cultural anthropology or economics or geography (Group III).

Humanities Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .four courses required

Two courses in literature in the English Department, or two intermediate foreign language courses, or two advanced foreign language literature courses.
One course in philosophy or religion.
One course in art, music o~ dramatic arts.

General Humanities Program

This program provides University students with an opportunity to fulfill up to 24 hours of their Basic Studies requirements with a series of interdisciplinary team-taught courses. The courses will be taught by faculty from the following participating departments: English, History, Philosophy, Art, Music, Speech and Dramatic Arts and Foreign Languages. The Humanities courses may be applied toward the following Basic Studies requirements :

Group I Language

One course in English composition or, if eligible, a foreign language course.
One elective course in English language or in a foreign language.

Group III Social Sciences

Two courses in history.

Humanities

Two courses in literature in the English Department, two intermediate foreign language courses or two advanced foreign language literature courses.
One course in philosophy or religion.
One course in art, music, or dramatic arts.

The General Humanities program will not satisfy the following Basic Studies requirements:

Language

One course in fundamentals of speech.

Science and Mathematics

One laboratory science course.
A second laboratory science course or a course in mathematics
One elective course in Group II.

Social Sciences

One three-semester hour course in American government.

Students taking courses in the Humanities Program will receive Basic Studies credit equivalent to the number of hours of humanities courses taken. The Basic Studies requirements met by each humanities course are listed next to that course in each semester’s Class Schedule booklet.

REQUIREMENTS IN MAJORS AND MINORS

Each student must complete a major subject of at least 30 semester hours and a minor subject of not less than 20 semester hours with the following exceptions:

A student in the elementary teaching curriculum may present three minors of not less than 20 semester hours each, at least two of the minors being subject fields taught in elementary grades.

A student who completes the specialized curriculums for teachers of art, teachers of business education, teachers of industrial education, and teachers of music, or the professional curriculums in applied science, business administration, nursing, music therapy, industrial technology, and occupational therapy will automatically satisfy major-minor requirements.

Hours of credit counted in a minor may not also be applied to a major or another minor, or vice versa. Basic Studies courses may be applied toward a major or minor where appropriate.

Transfer students may be required to complete satisfactorily three semester hours in their minor field and as much as six semester hours in their major field at Eastern Michigan University in satisfying the requirements for graduation unless exempted by the departments concerned.

Credits in 118-119-120-121 English composition courses, which are required, and credits in education courses do not count toward majors and minors except in cases where such courses are specifically required or indicated as permissible as part of that major or minor.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS

All students shall present for graduation two semester hours of physical education activity credit. This requirement may be met in the following ways:

Veterans with at least one year of active duty may substitute their military service credit in lieu of activity courses.
Any two semester hours of credit received for Military Science courses may, at the option of the student, be applied to fulfill the activity requirement.
Students who elect neither of the above options shall complete two semester hours in physical education activity courses. This requirement may be modified or waived if, for reason of age or physical disability the student is unable to participate in physical education activity courses. Physical disability shall be determined by the Health Service and, in conference with representatives of the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, a decision as to appropriate modification or waiver of the requirement will be made to ensure maximum benefit to the student.

Any student may, on an elective basis, apply up to eight hours of credit for physical education activity courses to the minimum 124 credit hours required for graduation. Students majoring in Physical Education, Recreation, or Dance may apply to the minimum 124 credit hours the minimum number of hours in activity courses required for their respective majors. All grades received in physical education activity courses, including those which exceed the credit hour limits prescribed above, are used in computing the student’s grade point average.

Students who have been in military service will be granted credit in military science as follows:

Those who have served for one year in the Army, Navy, Air Force. Marine Corps, Coast Guard (including attendance at service academies) will be given credit for the first two years of military science.
Those who have served for six months in time of peace in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard (including attendance at service academies), will be given credit for the first year of military science.
Students who have completed three years junior ROTC will be given credit for the first year of military science.

Veterans who are awarded credit for military science under category "a" above are, nevertheless, eligible, if otherwise qualified, to enter the advanced course voluntarily and should consult the Military Science Department on special opportunities which are available.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for the bachelor’s degree must earn at least 30 semester hours at Eastern Michigan University. These 30 hours may be taken on or off campus.

Of the last 30 semester hours, prior to the granting of the bachelor’s degree, at least 10 hours must be taken in courses offered by Eastern Michigan University. These 10 hours may be taken either on or off campus.

Students with credit from a junior or community college must earn a minimum of 60 semester hours exclusive of junior or community college credit. This rule is waived if a program-to-program articulation agreement is involved and the agreement is approved by the appropriate Eastern Michigan University departmental faculty, department head, and college dean and a Provost’s office representative.

SCHOLARSHIP

No student will be graduated from any curriculum if his or her scholarship indx (grade point average), based on the work of that curriculum, is less than 2.0. Credit earned at Eastern Michigan University must average at least 2.0.

To be eligible for graduation, a student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in each major and minor.

CORRESPONDENCE CREDIT

No more than 15 semester hours of correspondence credit may be applied toward a bachelor’s degree.

Correspondence credit does not carry grade point credit and may not be used in the figuring of scholastic index (grade point average.)

COURSE LEVEL

At least two-thirds of the work beyond the second year must be in courses not open to first year students.

LIMIT ON HOURS IN ONE SUBJECT

Not more than 60 semester hours in any one area of concentration may be applied toward the minimum of 124 hours required for a bachelor’s degree.

The University Graduate and Undergraduate catalog are the organs for promulgation of official University policy concerning curriculum, degree requirements, course offerings, and the like. The Catalogs are revised annually and, upon approval of the Board of Regents, become official University policy.

Authority for Creation or Revision:

Minutes of the Board of Regents, March 2, 1964; para. .8.01.41M.
Minutes of the Board of Regents, February 19, 1969; para. .753M.
Minutes of the Board of Regents, March 19, 1980; para. .2214M
Minutes of the Board of Regents, June 17, 1997; para. .5250M

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