Degree Requirements
Common Requirements for the AB, BS, and BGS Degrees
Credits and Grade Point Average
A student must complete a minimum 120 credits with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) or better.
- Part I. First-Year Writing.
The First-Year Writing Requirement should be completed in the first year.
Frequently Asked Questions about FYWR - Part II. Upper-Level Writing Requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions about ULWR
Race & Ethnicity Requirement
Students choose one course from a list of approved courses that cover issues relating to race & ethnicity, racial and ethnic intolerance and inequality. The goal is to prepare students to live and work in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial environment.
Frequently Asked Questions about the R&E requirement
Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement
Students are required to take one or two courses from an approved list which focus on the methodology of quantitative analysis. The goal is to ensure that students achieve a level of proficiency in using and analyzing quantitative information.
Frequently Asked Questions about the QR requirement
Non-LS&A Coursework
To qualify for a degree a student must complete a program of study which includes primarily coursework from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts or equivalent LS&A transfer credit.
Candidates for the AB, BS, or BGS degree must complete a minimum of 100 credits of LS&A courses, thus allowing 20 credits of non LS&A coursework in the 120 required for the degree.
Requirements Particular to the AB and BS Degrees
The Language Requirement
Students are required to complete fourth-term proficiency in a language other than English, most often by earning credit for the fourth term of a University of Michigan language course. The goal is to offer a means of access to the cultural and intellectual heritage of the world's non-English speaking majority as well as to provide reflective understanding of the structure and complexity of English itself. LS&A offers over 30 different languages that meet this requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions about the language requirement
Area Distribution
Students must complete 30 credits outside of their field of concentration distributed over the following five categories: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Mathematical and Symbolic Analysis, and Creative Expression. Through this requirement the student gains an understanding and appreciation of the major areas of learning and a coherent view of essential concepts, structures, and intellectual methods which typify these disciplines.
Frequently Asked Questions about the distribution requirement
Concentration
The concentration requirement provides the option for a student to pursue a thorough investigation of a particular subject or discipline. Course requirements of concentrations offered vary from 24 to 48 credits. In addition to the more than 60 concentration plans offered, a student has the option to develop his or her own Individual Concentration Plan (ICP).
Academic Minors Option
AB/BS students have the opportunity to complete an academic minor as part of the degree program. Departments have the option of offering an academic minor option and, although some departments will not offer any academic minor, others may develop several. As departmental academic minors are created and approved, students may choose to add an academic minor to their academic plan.
Requirements Particular to the BGS Degree
Upper-Level Coursework Requirement
A minimum number of 60 credits numbered 300 or above must be completed, with no more than 20 credits in any one department.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BGS degree
