Liberal Arts & Sciences Curriculum (LASC) Policy
Custodian of Policy: Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Relevant Minnesota State System Policy: 3.37
Effective Date: Fall 2022
Last Review: Spring 2022
Next Review: Spring 2029
Policy
The Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum matches the goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with the exception of Goal Area 11: Information Literacy. This goal area is embedded in the curriculum of Goal Areas I A through 10 and is satisfied through completion of the other goal areas.
Goal Areas & Courses Required
Goal l A: Oral Communication - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 1 B: Written Communication - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 2: Critical Thinking - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 3: Natural Sciences - 2 courses from two different rubrics, 6 credits, 1 must include a traditional lab
Goal 4: Mathematics I Logical Reasoning - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences - 2 courses from two different rubrics, 6 credits
Goal 6: The Humanities and Fine Arts - 2 courses from two different rubrics, 6 credits
Goal 7: Human Diversity - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 8: Global Perspective - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 10: People and the Environment - 1 course, 3 credits
Goal 11: Information Literacy - fulfilled when all of the goal areas are complete
General Requirements
- 40 credits minimum.
- Minimum 2.0 GPA in all courses used to fulfill LASC requirements, including transfer courses.
- No more than two courses in a student's primary major rubric may be used to fulfill requirements in Goal Areas 3-10. Students with more than one major will select which major to declare as their primary major.
- A course from Goal Areas 3, 5, or 6 may also satisfy Goal Areas 7, 8, 9 or 10. Likewise, a course form Goal Areas 8, 9, or 10 may satisfy a second Goal Area from 8, 9, or 10. Note that a single course may satisfy at most two Goal Areas. Completion of the approved course fulfills both goal areas, but the credit may not be double counted.
- LASC courses may have pre-requisites.
- Veterans with certain military service training may be determined to have met Goal Area 9 Ethical and Civic Responsibility. See the Registrar’s Office for documentation requirements.
- A set of three 1-credit activity-focused courses, including but not limited to performing ensembles, may be counted as one course for LASC credit.
LASC Disciplinary Rubrics
Existing LASC courses retain their current categorization.
Goal areas 3, 5, and 6 will be restricted to courses with these disciplinary rubrics: AMCS, ANTH, ART, AST, BCBT, BIOL, CHEM, CJ, CMST, ECON, ENGL, EXCH, FILM, GEOS, HIST, HON, HUM, INTL, MUS, PHIL, PHYS, PSCI, POL, PSY, SOC, THTR, WS.
The LASC areas will align with disciplinary rubrics in this way:
- Goal Area 3: Natural Sciences Rubrics ANTH, AST, BCBT, BIOL, CHEM, GEOS, HON, PHYS, PSCI
- Goal Area 5: History & Social and Behavioral Sciences Rubrics AMCS, ANTH, CJ, CMST, ECON, EXCH, GEOS, HIST, HON, INTL, POL, PSY, SOC, WS
- Goal Area 6: The Humanities and Fine Arts Rubrics AMCS, ART, CMST, ENGL, EXCH, FILM, HON, HUM, MUS, PHIL, THTR, WS
Procedures
Creation of new LASC courses will proceed through the relevant and the currently approved formal curriculum processes.
Courses already approved in one goal area may be submitted to through the curriculum process for approval in a second goal area by demonstrating how the course meets 51% of the competencies in the second goal area.
Rationale
The purpose of this policy is to define the university's Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum and to maintain an extraordinary education for all students.