2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog [NOTE!!!! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. FOR THE CURRENT CATALOG, GO TO CATALOG.NIU.EDU]
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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 Return to: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Christopher K. McCord, Ph.D., dean
Gary Burns, Ph.D., associate dean for academic administration
Sue Warrick Doederlein, Ph.D., associate dean for undergraduate affairs
Susan Mini, Ph.D., associate dean for research and graduate affairs
The departments of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offer baccalaureate programs leading to the degrees Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), and Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers a contract major leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree or to the degree Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.).
Department Names and Undergraduate Programs Offered
Department of Anthropology
B.A. and B.S. in anthropology
Department of Biological Sciences
B.S. in biological sciences
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
B.S. in chemistry
Department of Communication
B.A. and B.S. in communication studies
B.A. and B.S. in journalism
Department of Computer Science
B.S. in computer science
Department of Economics
B.A. and B.S. in economics
Department of English
B.A. in English
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
B.A. in French
B.A. in German
B.A. in Russian
B.A. in Spanish
Department of Geography
B.A. and B.S. in geography
B.S. in meteorology
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences
B.S. in geology and environmental geosciences
Department of History
B.A. and B.S. in history
Department of Mathematical Sciences
B.S. in mathematical sciences
Department of Philosophy
B.A. in philosophy
Department of Physics
B.S. in physics
Department of Political Science
B.A. and B.S. in political science
Department of Psychology
B.A. and B.S. in psychology
Department of Sociology
B.A. and B.S. in sociology
College Mission Statement
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences fosters the generation, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge as the foundation of a liberal education. The mission of the college is to provide high-quality education that contributes to the intellectual growth, self-discovery, and enhanced expertise of all members of the university community. The college makes available to the widest possible audience the rich cultural and scientific legacy represented by the disciplines that make up the liberal arts and sciences. Because bodies of knowledge do not exist in isolation, the college promotes interdisciplinary inquiry and is committed to the integration of teaching, scholarship, and service. The research and scholarship in the college permeate teaching and service, generating a wide range of opportunities for faculty and students to work together in transmitting, expanding, and applying knowledge. The college programs are designed to serve the university, its students, and the residents of the region, the country, and the world. These programs link basic and applied research and scholarly endeavors to the interests and needs of individuals and society.
Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising and Counseling Office
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences maintains an Advising and Counseling Office to assist students in establishing their academic goals, planning their schedules, and interpreting university, college, and departmental policies and requirements. All freshmen and sophomores enrolled in a program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or undecided on a major within the college are advised by this office. Juniors and seniors are advised by the college’s departments; the Advising and Counseling Office offers these students auxiliary advising services.
Special Requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
In addition to the general university requirements, a student seeking a baccalaureate degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must complete the requirements for a major as set forth by the department in which the major is offered. A student declaring a major must be in good academic standing at the time of the application for the major.
A candidate for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree who wishes to obtain a secondary teaching certificate should fulfill the professional education requirements for teacher certification outlined under “Teacher Certification Requirements,” and should have a second teaching area. Preparation in a second teaching area both facilitates securing appropriate student teaching assignments and enhances the opportunities for employment. Majors in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology who expect to teach history in the secondary schools are advised to take at least 8 semester hours of American history.
A student may not count more than 50 semester hours from a single department toward the 120-semester-hour baccalaureate requirement. Any hours in excess of 50 in a single department must be balanced by an equal number of excess hours over the 120-hour minimum to be taken from outside that department. For example, if a student earns 55 semester hours of credit from the offerings of the Department of Anthropology, then that student must complete at least 125 semester hours to graduate. There are exceptions to this regulation in the case of students majoring in Mathematical Sciences with an emphasis in actuarial science, and in different divisions of the Department of Communication, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and the department of Geography. For example, the 50-semester-hour maximum applies to course work offered for a major in French, but does not exclude additional hours in another foreign language in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. ENGL 103, ENGL 104, and ENGL 105 are not counted toward the 50-semester-hour maximum hours taken in the major in the Department of English. COMS 100 is not counted toward the 50-semester-hour maximum hours taken in the communication studies major in the Department of Communication. Students majoring in Meteorology in the Department of Geography may accumulate additional hours beyond the 50-semester-hour maximum in order to complete requirements for the Minor in Geography or Certificate of Undergraduate Study in Geographic Information Systems. Students having questions about this regulation should contact the college’s Advising and Counseling Office.
For some students, in-service exposure to their academic discipline may be desirable through courses identified as internships or courses which are part of the cooperative education program. In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, no more than 6 semester hours of credit in these courses may be applied toward the baccalaureate degree.
College Requirement for the B.S. Degree
Candidates for the degree Bachelor of Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must demonstrate competence in laboratory science/mathematical/computational skills equivalent to that attained through two years of regular college instruction (10-15 semester hours). This requirement may be met by completing one of the sequences listed below with at least a 2.00 GPA in the sequence. Students should note that the sequences listed below are intended to be minimum requirements for the B.S. degree and that some departments have additional course requirements in the laboratory/mathematical sciences for their majors. Students seeking the B.S. degree should check the catalog for the requirements of a particular major to determine which one of the following sequences to complete and what additional courses may be required for that major.
- *MATH 206 or *MATH 210, *MATH 211, STAT 301, and one course chosen from CSCI 210, CSCI 220, CSCI 230, CSCI 240, CSCI 250
- *MATH 229, MATH 230, and one course chosen from MATH 240, CSCI 210, CSCI 220, CSCI 230, CSCI 240, CSCI 250, STAT 350
- *MATH 206 or *MATH 210, *MATH 211, and a two-semester laboratory sequence in other than the major department to be met by one of the following sequences.
*BIOS 104 and BIOS 205 and BIOS 207, BIOS 213, or BIOS 357
*CHEM 210 and *CHEM 212, *CHEM 211 and *CHEM 213
*GEOG 101 and *GEOG 102, GEOG 302
GEOG 256, GEOG 359
*GEOL 120 and GEOL 121, GEOL 320
*PHYS 210, *PHYS 211, *PHYS 253, *PHYS 273
- *MATH 229 and a two-semester laboratory sequence in other than the major department to be met by one of the following sequences.
*BIOS 104 and BIOS 205 and BIOS 207, BIOS 213, or BIOS 357
*CHEM 210 and *CHEM 212, *CHEM 211 and *CHEM 213
*GEOG 101 and *GEOG 102, GEOG 302
*GEOG 105 and *GEOG 106, MET 300
GEOG 256, GEOG 359
*GEOL 120 and GEOL 121, GEOL 320
*PHYS 210, *PHYS 211
*PHYS 253, *PHYS 273
- *MATH 211, STAT 301, and a two-semester laboratory sequence in other than the major department to be met by one of the following sequences.
*BIOS 104 and BIOS 205 and BIOS 207, BIOS 213, or BIOS 357
*CHEM 210 and *CHEM 212, *CHEM 211 and *CHEM 213
*GEOG 101 and *GEOG 102, GEOG 302
GEOG 256, GEOG 359
*GEOL 120 and GEOL 121, GEOL 320
*PHYS 210, *PHYS 211
*PHYS 253, *PHYS 273
The Office of Testing Services administers a Mathematics Placement Examination to each student at the time of admission, interprets the test, and notifies the student of the result and the appropriate initial mathematics course. The student should also note that it is possible to take a proficiency test in any of the courses listed in the above sequences.
* Available for general education credit.
College Requirement for All Minors
In addition to the university requirement of a minimum GPA of 2.00, in order for the university to record on a student’s transcript that a minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was successfully completed during the student’s undergraduate program, 6 or more semester hours of the minor must have been earned at NIU.
Dean’s List Criteria
Through the Dean’s List, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes undergraduates whose academic performance has been outstanding. The Dean’s List recognizes those students who achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) while completing a minimum of 12 graded semester hours within a fall or spring semester.
Interdisciplinary Minors
Any student completing the requirements for a baccalaureate degree may elect also to complete the requirements of an interdisciplinary minor. Successful completion of such requirements will be appropriately indicated on the transcript in conjunction with the student’s major at the time of graduation. An interdisciplinary minor is not a baccalaureate requirement and may not be substituted for the requirement of a major in a student’s degree program. Credit hours applied to satisfy the requirements for a major may not be counted again as satisfying the requirements for an interdisciplinary minor. An additional special restriction applies, as noted, to the minor in international studies.
Students with a second major may, with the approval of the coordinator, count semester hours applied to satisfy the requirements for one of the majors toward the requirements for an interdisciplinary minor. Students electing an interdisciplinary minor should contact the coordinator at an early point to make application and to receive guidance. Additional information about these minors can be obtained from the Advising Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Departments in the college also participate in the interdisciplinary minors in black studies, environmental management systems, and gerontology.
Course Selection
In addition to completing a college major, many students find it beneficial in their future careers and other lifetime activities to have completed a program of study which broadens their knowledge and experience in a cohesive way. This objective can be achieved by a careful and informed choice of general education and elective courses.
For example, by carefully selecting the courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the General Education Program, students can discover their interests and abilities and thereby identify appropriate educational goals or, if these goals have already been decided, seriously test their suitability. In addition, an informed selection of courses taken to fulfill the requirements of the General Education Program can develop into a minor or even a second major area of study.
Students majoring in a degree program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may have as many as 42 hours of elective courses, depending on their particular majors. The choice of courses taken to fill these elective hours is among the most important decisions a student will make while at NIU.
Students are strongly encouraged to use these hours to complete a minor area of study. Students with a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences should use the offerings of the college as well as those of other colleges in the university in designing suitable programs of study–ones that will reinforce their intellectual and professional goals.
The college’s Advising and Counseling Office is available to students in need of advice and assistance.
Pre-professional Studies
Professional schools such as those offering degrees in dentistry, law, and medicine usually require specific courses and/or an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university for admission to their professional programs. Students interested in applying for admission into such programs are advised by the Advising and Counseling Office of the college and should register their interest in such programs with this office at the earliest possible date.
Admission to professional schools generally is highly competitive, with the number of qualified applicants far exceeding the number of students that can be admitted. A great deal of information is required by the admissions committees. Many professional schools require applicants to take special standardized tests, such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), to measure the performance of applicants against national standards. Some professional schools use national application services (e.g., the Law School Data Assembly Service) to standardize the materials they are reviewing. Therefore, the application process is complex and time-consuming. To assist applicants, the Advising and Counseling Office has available detailed guidelines for completing each type of professional school application.
The Advising and Counseling Office also operates a recommendation service for applicants to professional schools. Applicants who use this service receive recommendation forms to be submitted to faculty members and others who can speak of their qualifications for professional study. These recommendations are submitted to the Advising and Counseling Office. They are sent to professional schools at the student’s request. Students are encouraged to request these recommendations early, so that their performance will still be fresh in the minds of the persons writing the recommendations. Students may begin collecting recommendations as early as they deem appropriate, regardless of when they begin to apply to professional schools.
A pre-professional association for students interested in medically related fields has been active on campus for several years. This association sponsors a variety of informational programs throughout the year for tentative and declared pre-professional students in medically related areas. A similar group has been organized for pre-law students. Information about both of these organizations is available in the Advising and Counseling Office.
Degree Possibilities for Students Gaining Early Admission to a Professional School
An NIU student who transfers to an accredited school of dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, podiatry, or veterinary medicine may receive a baccalaureate degree from Northern Illinois University on the basis of course work completed successfully at the professional school in one of two ways.
The degree Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) will be awarded to any student who presents evidence of successful completion of one year of full-time study, i.e., the equivalent of 30 semester hours, at an accredited professional school of one of the types listed above, provided that the student fulfilled the following requirements prior to transferring to the professional school.
- The university’s general education requirements.
- At least 30 semester hours of NIU course credit during junior and senior years.
- At least 90 semester hours of college credit applicable to a degree program.
Students who have been admitted to professional schools of the types mentioned above and who are enrolled on a part-time basis may be eligible for this degree under the same conditions upon completion of 30 semester hours (or the equivalent) in course work at the professional school. Students otherwise eligible for this degree under the above policy who have not met one or more of the four requirements listed or who may be enrolled in the professional school on a part-time basis may earn the B.G.S. degree by completing the remaining requirements after enrollment in the professional school but prior to earning the professional degree.
A baccalaureate degree other than the B.G.S. may be earned by an NIU student who transfers to the type of professional school listed above if the student’s major department determines that course work taken at the professional school may be substituted for any unfulfilled graduation requirements in the major and if the student has met all other graduation requirements.
A student who wishes to earn the B.G.S. degree as outlined above should file a change of major request with the assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences one semester prior to fulfilling all requirements. A student who wishes to earn the B.A. or B.S. degree on the basis of professional school work should contact the chair of the major department at the earliest possible date to establish in writing the professional school courses which will be permitted to meet the major requirements. The Office of Registration and Records should also be notified of a student’s intent to complete degree requirements in this way and be provided with a list of the professional school courses designated by the major department as fulfilling major requirements.
Pre-professional Advisement
The Advising and Counseling Office, in cooperation with selected faculty members within the college, is responsible for the advisement of students interested in pre-dentistry, pre-engineering, pre-law, pre-medicine, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-podiatry, and pre-veterinary medicine. Students interested in the health science programs listed above should also consult with the designated pre-professional adviser in the Department of Biological Sciences. The Advising and Counseling Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences maintains a library of catalogs from professional schools, and other written information about professional schools and about the professions themselves, and assists applicants throughout the application process.
Course Selection for Pre-professional Students
The following lists indicate the pre-professional courses commonly recommended as minimum requirements by professional schools. Specific requirements do vary from school to school, however, so students should check the catalogs of the schools to which they wish to apply as they plan their programs of study with their advisers. In general, it is valuable for students seeking admission to any of the health science professions to include a chemistry course on their schedules as first-semester freshmen. It is particularly important for each pre-professional student to consult with a pre-professional adviser early in her or his first semester of enrollment at NIU to plan the course sequences, semester loads, and course selection to match the individual student’s background and goals.
External Education
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, through ILAS 250, External Education, awards from 3 to 30 semester hours of college credit to individuals who have successfully completed training or inservice programs offered by off-campus agencies. Students interested in applying for credit on the basis of an approved off-campus program should contact the Liberal Arts and Sciences office.
Program outlines and supporting documents from the offering agency must be submitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The curriculum committee of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in consultation with appropriate departments and the university’s Undergraduate Coordinating Council, will decide on the amount of credit extended.
Foreign Language Residence Program
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures participates in the conduct of a foreign language residence program, which provides NIU students interested in French, German, Russian, or Spanish with the opportunity to live together for an academic year in contact with native speakers and to engage in various educational, cultural, and social activities related to the foreign country in which they are interested. The Foreign Language Residence Program is part of the Housing and Dining special interest option and is currently conducted in Douglas Residence Hall. For further information, contact the program’s coordinator.
Joseph E. Grush, Ph.D., acting dean
Sue Warrick Doederlein, Ph.D., associate dean
W. William Minor, Ph.D., associate dean
Carla Montgomery, Ph.D., acting associate dean
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