At Western Carolina University, all bachelor’s degree programs include courses in Liberal Studies designed to provide each student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of an educated person. These include the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to identify and solve problems reflectively, to use information and technology responsibly, to appreciate the creative and performing arts, and to seek personal development and lifelong learning.
Through a First-Year Seminar in Liberal Studies, first-year students begin to experience intellectual life at the university level. Through participation in an Academic Learning Community, students begin to experience the integration of knowledge. The Core provides students with the academic skills and intellectual habits needed throughout the undergraduate experience; therefore, it should be completed as soon as possible. The Perspectives component of the Liberal Studies program exposes students to important modes of inquiry, discovery, and interpretation through study of the concepts, principles, and theories of the Liberal Arts. Because all disciplines at the university can offer courses in the Liberal Studies program, the Perspectives provide a broadened worldview and knowledge base, with opportunities to take courses outside areas of familiarity or major interest. Students also take at least one three-hour course at the upper level (300 or 400 level) in a Perspectives area outside their major. It is a primary goal of the Liberal Studies program to promote a lifelong love of learning.
15.02 Requirements
The Liberal Studies component includes a total of forty-two semester hours, distributed as listed below.
THE CORE (21 HOURS)
C1. Writing, 6 hours
ENGL 101 Composition I ___(3)
ENGL 102 Composition II ___(3)
C2. Mathematics, 3 hours
MATH 101 Mathematical Concepts ___(3)
(Satisfied if student passes any MATH course 101 or higher except for MATH 190-199, MATH 301 & MATH 400)
C3. Oral Communication, 3 hours
CMHC 201 Intro. to Speech Communication ___(3)
C4. Wellness, 3 hours
HEAL 111 Stress Management for Health & Wellness ___(3)
HEAL 123 Health & Wellness ___(3)
HSCC 101 Nutrition, Fitness & Wellness ___(3)
C5. Physical & Biological Sciences, 6 hours
The two courses taken to meet the C5 requirement must be from two different disciplines.
Other 100-200 level science courses from AST, BIOL, CHEM, ENVH, GEOL, NRM, and PHYS (with the exceptions of BIOL 132, CHEM 241, and courses numbered from 190-199) meet this requirement.
AST 102 Introductory Observational Astronomy ___(3)
AST 103 The Solar System ___(3)
AST 104 Cosmic Evolution ___(3)
BIOL 102 Human Genetics ___(3)
BIOL 103 Environmental Biology ___(3)
BIOL 104 Human Biology ___(3)
BIOL 105 Biology in the 21st Century ___(3)
CHEM 101 Chemistry in Society ___(3)
ENVH 130 Environmental Health Science: Systems & Solutions ___(3)
GEOL 140 Investigations in Environmental Geology ___(3)
GEOL 150 Methods in Geology ___(4)
NRM-140 Natural Resource Conservation & Management ___(3)
PHYS 105 Contemporary Physics ___(3)
THE FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR (3 HOURS)
a. Students with 0-15 credit hours are required to take this course.
b. Students with 15.1 – 29.9 transfer credit hours are eligible to take a First-Year Seminar, but it is not required. The First-Year Seminar is waived and the student does not have to make up the hours in the Liberal Studies program---but will still need to graduate with the same number of hours required by the program of the major.
c. Students with 30 or more transfer credit hours are not eligible to take First-Year Seminar.
d. Grading for the First-Year Seminar is A, B, C, I, (incomplete) or
U (unsatisfactory).
e. If a student receives a “U” grade in the First-Year Seminar he/she must make up the hours by taking another course in the Liberal Studies program.
ANTH 190 First-Year Seminar: The Human Condition ___(3)
BIOL 190 Discoveries in Biology ___(3)
BIOL 192 Plant Biodiversity ___(3)
BIOL 193 Forensic Biology ___(3)
BIOL 194 Biotechnology: Methods, Applications & Implications ___(3)
CHEM 190 Chemistry in Industry ___(3)
CHEM 191 Issues in Environmental Chemistry ___(3)
CHEM 192 Human Gene Discovery Laboratory ___(3)
CHEM 193 Chemistry in the Arts ___(3)
CHEM 194 Forensic Chemistry ___(3)
CIS 195 The Information Society at Work ___(3)
CJ 190 Controversies in Criminal Justice ___(3)
CMCR 190 A User’s Guide to the Mass Media ___(3)
EDCI 191 The Great School Wars ___(3)
ENGL 190 First-Year Seminar in Literature ___(3)
ENGL 191 First-Year Seminar in Creative Writing ___(3)
ENGR 199 Introduction to Engineering Practices &
Principles I *Freshman Engineering majors only. ___(3)
ENVH 190 From Black Death to Bioterrorism – The Public Health Solution ___(3)
ET 190 Technology Systems ___(3)
GEOL 191 Geology, Landscapes, & the Human Psyche __ _ (3)
GER 190 First-Year Seminar: Triumph & Tragedy Reflected in Modern German Film___(3)
HIST 190 First-Year Seminar ___(3)
HIST 191 First-Year Seminar ___(3)
HSCC 191 Does Inequality Make You Sick? ___(3)
JPN 190, First Year Seminar: An Introduction to Japanese Popular Culture ___(3)
LAW 195 Contemporary Legal Issues ___(3)
MATH 190 Mathematical Models of Population Growth ___(3)
MATH 191 Mathematics in Social Choice & Decision Making___(3)
MATH 192 Fractals: The Geometry of Nature ___(3)
MUS 190 First-Year Seminar ___(3)
ND 190 Personal Nutrition ___(3)
PAR 190 Freedom Culture & Technology ___(3)
PSC 190 Active Citizenship: Making a Difference in Your Community___(3)
PSY 190 First-Year Seminar ___(3)
PT 190 Caring for the Aging Population:
Challenges & Solutions ___(3)
SOC 190 First-Year Seminar: Social Institutions & Issues ___(3)
SPAN 190 Celluloid & Paper Dreams: Hispanic Literature & Film ___(3)
THE PERSPECTIVES (18 HOURS)
Indicates Upper-Level Courses*
One of the perspectives categories must be met with an Upper Level Perspective course.
P1. Social Sciences, 6 hours
Courses must be taken in two different disciplines
ANTH 110 Origins of Civilization ___(3)
*ANTH 414 Minority Groups ___(3)
ASI 250 Introduction to Appalachian Studies ___(3)
BA 133 Introduction to Business ___(3)
*BIOL 334 Biotechnology and Society ___(3)
ECON 231 Introductory Microeconomics & Social Issues ___(3)
FIN 350 So You Want To Be A Millionaire ___(3)
GEOG 101 Population Geography ___(3)
*HSCC 300 Occupational Health ___(3)
HSCC 307 Evaluating Health Claims: Fact or Quack ___(3)
LAW 105 Introduction to Law ___(3)
*LAW 406 Media Law ___(3)
*MKT 409 Negotiations/Relationship Marketing ___(3)
*PAR 313 Philosophy of Law ___(3)
*PAR 332 Biomedical Ethics and Social Justice ___(3)
*PAR 333 Environmental Ethics & Public Policy ___(3)
*PAR 334 Biotechnology and Society ___(3)
PSC 150 American Government & Politics ___(3)
PSY 150 General Psychology ___(3)
*PSY 331 Human Sexuality ___(3)
*PSY 370 Psychology & Law ___(3)
*PT 400 Complementary & Integrative Therapies ___(3)
*RTH 300 Health & Healing: The Spirit-Mind-Body Connection ___(3)
SOC 103 Human Society ___(3)
SOC 235 Social Problems ___(3)
*SOC 414 Minority Groups ___(3)
SOCW 251 Social Issues, Policy, & Programs ___(3)
*SOCW 402 Diversity in Contemporary Society ___(3)
P2. Category Has Changed to Core 5 (Physical & Biological Sciences)
P3. History, 3 hours
HIST 107 World Cultures in Historical Perspective ___(3)
HIST 141 Turning Points in American History: Paths Taken & Rejected ___(3)
HIST 142 Lunatics, Dreamers & Ordinary People: Biography in American History___(3)
HIST 151 Turning Points in European History: Paths Taken & Rejected ___(3)
HIST 152 Lunatics, Dreamers, & Ordinary People: Biography in European History___(3)
HIST 221 European History to 1517 ___(3)
HIST 222 European History Since 1517 ___(3)
HIST 231 American History to 1865 ___(3)
HIST 232 American History Since 1865 ___(3)
*HIST 308 Explorations in Regional History ___(3)
*HIST 311 Ancient Greece & Rome ___(3)
*HIST 312 The Heroic Age ___(3)
*HIST 313 The Medieval World ___(3)
*HIST 317 History of Twentieth-Century International Relations ___(3)
*HIST 322 British History to 1603 ___(3)
*HIST 323 British History Since 1603 ___(3)
*HIST 327 Modern Russia ___(3)
*HIST 330 Modern Germany ___(3)
*HIST 335 History of Capitalism ___(3)
*HIST 341 North Carolina History ___(3)
*HIST 361 Latin American History I ___(3)
*HIST 362 Latin American History II ___(3)
*HIST 373 Modern Asia ___(3)
*HIST 375 Middle East Since Mohammed ___(3)
*MATH 301 History of the Scientific Revolution ___(3)
PAR 106 Western Religious Traditions ___(3)
PAR 250 Origins of Early Christian Traditions ___(3)
*PAR 365 Medieval & Reformation Theology: Divine Foreknowledge,
Free Will & Justification by Faith ___(3)
*PAR 366 Religion and Science: God’s Law and Laws of Nature ___(3)
P4. Humanities, 3 hours
ENGL 206 Literature of Place ___(3)
ENGL 207 Popular Literature & Culture ___(3)
ENGL 209 Past Times: Literature & History ___(3)
ENGL 231 Interpretation of Literature ___(3)
ENGL 290 Literature & The Sacred ___(3)
*ENGL 333 Introduction to Shakespeare ___(3)
*ENGL 350 The Renaissance ___(3)
*ENGL 351 The Beats, Radicals, & Avant-Garde Literature ___(3)
*ENGL 352 The Journey in Literature ___(3)
*ENGL 353 Stories Retold ___(3)
*ENGL 364 Southern Literature ___(3)
*ENGL 367 Appalachian Literature ___(3)
*ENGL 368 File Genres ___(3, R6)
*ENGL 390 The Bible as Literature ___(3)
HIST 171 Religion in America ___(3)
HIST 175 Native American Civilizations ___(3)
HIST 181 Religion in Europe ___(3)
HIST 182 The Ancient Empires ___(3)
HIST 185 History of Death in Western Civilization ___(3)
LAW 201 Individual Rights ___(3)
*LAW 306 Women & The Law ___(3)
*LAW 412 Business Ethics & Corporate Responsibility ___(3)
PAR 101 Western Philosophical Traditions ___(3)
PAR 102 Western Moral Traditions ___(3)
PAR 230 Legal Scientific & Critical Reasoning ___(3)
*PAR 304 Justice, Power, & Human Nature
in the Ancient Greek Polis ___(3)
*PAR 306 Science, Reason, & Autonomy
in the Enlightenment ___(3)
*PAR 307 From Existentialism to Feminism ___(3)
*PAR 308 From Pragmatism to Postmodernism ___(3)
*PAR 309 Philosophy in & of Film ___(3)
*PAR 312 Philosophy of Religion ___(3)
*PAR 320 Philosophical & Religious Classics ___(3)
*PAR 330 American Wilderness Ethics & Aesthetics ___(3)
*SM 340 Sport Ethics ___(3)
P5. Fine & Performing Arts, 3 hours
ART 104 Introduction to The Visual Arts ___(3)
DA 259 Dance Appreciation ___(3)
MUS 101 Music Appreciation ___(3)
MUS 102 Music in American Culture ___(3)
*MUS 304 Jazz Appreciation ___(3)
*MUS 410 History of American Musical Theatre ___(3)
THEA 104 The Theatre Experience ___(3)
*THEA 310 Black Theatre Experience ___(3)
P6. World Cultures, 3 hours
(Satisfied if student passes MFL 101, 102, 110, 231, 232, 240, or 301). Only three of the six credit hours earned in CHIN, FREN, GER, SPAN 110 apply to the P6 category. The remainder apply to program, major or elective hours outside of Liberal Studies.
ANTH 120 Comparative Cultural Systems ___(3)
ART 202 Art of World Cultures ___(3)
CHER 101 Experiencing Cherokee & The
Cherokee-Speaking World ___(3)
CHIN 101 Modern Chinese: Language and Culture I ___(3)
CHIN 102 Modern Chinese: Language and Culture II ___(3)
CHIN 231 Intermediate Modern Chinese I ___(3)
CHIN 232 Intermediate Modern Chinese II ___(3)
*CMHC 415 Intercultural Communication ___(3)
ENGL 204 The Literature of Culture ___(3)
*ENGL 366 Literature of American Immigration ___(3)
FREN 101 Experiencing French & The Francophone World ___(3)
FREN 102 Experiencing French & The Francophone World II ___(3)
FREN 110 Experiencing French & The Francophone World: Accelerated ___(6)
GEOG 103 Cultural Geography ___(3)
*GEOG 440 Regional Geography ___(3)
GER 101 Experiencing German & The
German-Speaking World ___(3)
GER 102 Experiencing German & The German-Speaking World II ___(3)
GER 110 Experiencing German & The German-Speaking World: Accelerated ___(6)
HSCC 205 Women’s Health ___(3)
HSCC 210 Global Disparities in Public Health ___(3)
*HSCC 420 Cultural Diversity for Health Care Professionals ___(3)
JPN 101 Beginning Japanese I ___(3)
JPN 102 Beginning Japanese II ___(3)
LAT 101 Beginning Latin I ___(3)
LAT 102 Beginning Latin II ___(3)
*MUS 303 The World of Music ___(3)
*ND 310 Food, Nutrition & Culture ___(3)
PAR 145 Eastern Religious Traditions ___(3)
PAR 242 What is Religion? ___(3)
PAR 251 Understanding Islamic Traditions ___(3)
PAR 260 Women & Religion ___(3)
*PAR 323 Mysticism and the Modern Mind ___(3)
*PAR 353 Religion in Film ___(3)
*PAR 354 Religion, Suffering, & The Moral Imagination ___(3)
*PAR 355 Contemporary Religious Classics ___(3)
*PAR 367 Native American Religions ___(3)
PSC 110 Global Issues ___(3)
*PSC 415 Contemporary British Politics ___(3)
SPAN 101 Experiencing Spanish & The Spanish-Speaking World ___(3)
SPAN 102 Experiencing Spanish & The Spanish-Speaking World II ___(3)
SPAN 110 Experiencing Spanish & The Spanish-Speaking World Accelerated ___(6)
15.03 UPPER-LEVEL PERSPECTIVES 300-400 COURSES
One upper level (300-400) perspectives course is required in any one of the perspectives categories. The course must be listed in the courses approved for the Liberal Studies perspectives categories and the course must be outside the discipline of the student’s major.
Note: Students should not enroll in courses numbered above their class rank without permission of the department offering the course.
15.04 Perspectives Courses and the Major
A course approved as a Liberal Studies Perspectives course may be used to meet a major requirement. However, when this happens the student and advisor need to check specifically to make sure the student will still be graduating with the total number of hours to graduate for the specific major program. Please note that the Upper Level Perspective course in Liberal Studies must be an upper level course listed in the perspectives categories and be outside the discipline of the student’s major.
15.05 Liberal Studies and Transfer Students
Courses transferred from other institutions to fulfill Liberal Studies requirements will be evaluated by the registrar in consultation with the appropriate department head or the assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate studies and the Liberal Studies Oversight Committee, based on university guidelines. Credit earned by examination and advanced placement may be applied toward fulfillment of Liberal Studies requirements.
Students who have completed the general education core (44 hours) or the Associate of Arts degree or the Associate of Science Degree in the North Carolina Community College System will have the Liberal Studies requirements waived. However, students who have completed the Associate of Applied Science Degree in the North Carolina Community College System will have each course evaluated for transfer credit. When a transfer student has completed the General Education or Liberal Studies requirements of a public or private institution outside of the University of North Carolina system, the assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate studies, in consultation with the Liberal Studies Oversight Committee, will determine whether that institution’s general education program is sufficiently similar to Western Carolina University’s Liberal Studies program to warrant a blanket waiver of the Liberal Studies requirements.