College of Arts & Sciences

Interim Dean: Dr. Susan Martinelli-Fernandez
Associate Dean: Dr. James A. Schmidt
Interim Associate Dean: Dr. Richard Anderson
Office: Morgan Hall 114
Telephone: (309) 298-1828
Fax: (309) 298-2585
E-mail: Arts-Sciences@wiu.edu
Website: wiu.edu/cas

The College of Arts and Sciences occupies a central position in the University. This college houses the departments concerned with human cumulative culture and knowledge, usually referred to under the broad categories of the natural sciences and mathematics, the social sciences, and the humanities. Dedicated to the concept of excellent teaching, the College provides General Education Curriculum courses for all students in the University. Dedicated to the concept of disinterested inquiry, the College encourages research that expands the frontiers of knowledge and applies that knowledge to the betterment of humanity. With some exceptions, the programs in the College of Arts and Sciences are not primarily vocational in their orientation. In addition to making available a liberal education, these programs provide the theoretical basis for specialized work in graduate and professional schools. The College also educates future teachers in the basic secondary school disciplines. There is a continuing and growing demand for broadly educated young men and women who can fit into a variety of attractive occupations.

Departments and Programs

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may pursue studies in the following departments and programs:

Department of African American Studies

Department of Biological Sciences

Department of Chemistry

Department of Economics

Department of English and Journalism

Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

Department of Geography

Department of Geology

Department of History

Department of Mathematics

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Department of Physics

Department of Political Science

Department of Psychology

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Department of Women’s Studies

Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree Program

The College of Arts and Sciences offers minor programs in the same fields as the major programs listed above (except in Clinical Laboratory Science and Nursing). In addition, the College offers the following minor programs that have no corresponding majors: Broadcast and Print Media, Creative Writing, Environmental Studies, Ethics, Film, Forensic Psychology, Arts and Sciences, Forensic Science, Functional Morphology and Evolutionary Anatomy, Geographi, Information Systems, German, Gerontology, International Studies, Law and Society, Neuroscience, Professional Writing, Statistics, and Survey Research Methods.

The College of Arts and Sciences provides dual programs in Clinical Laboratory Science and Engineering whereby a student can complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the College of Arts and Sciences while working toward a professional degree or certificate. In addition, the College provides advising for pre-professional programs in Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy.

College Graduation Requirements

In addition to meeting University graduation requirements, students in the College of Arts and Sciences must:

  1. Satisfy the University and other general requirements.
  2. Complete a minimum of 120 s.h. of credit in approved courses, of which at least 40 s.h. are in courses numbered 300 or above.
  3. Achieve and maintain a minimum scholastic average of 2.00 in the major, minor, and total program.
  4. Satisfy the University General Education and College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum requirements for the degree sought. A minimum of 16 s.h. should be taken to meet these requirements during the freshman year and a minimum of 16 s.h. during the sophomore year.
  5. Complete an approved major of a minimum of 32 s.h. At least 15 s.h. of the 32 s.h. of a major must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
  6. Complete a recognized minor with a minimum of 16 s.h. The minor may not be in the same department as the major, unless the minor does not have a corresponding recognized major, except by written permission of the dean.
  7. Complete courses required in related departments as listed with course requirements for the major in the individual departments.

Certification to Teach

Students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences who wish to obtain a teaching certificate must meet all criteria for admission to the Teacher Education Program, complete the teacher education curriculum, and complete the major or minor requirements for teacher education students as described under the various department offerings in Arts and Sciences. See Teacher Certification for additional information and specific requirements.

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