School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
NONDEPARTMENTAL A&S MAJORS
A&S offers several major options that are not administered by a specific academic department within A&S: the A&S/business dual major, the interdisciplinary studies major, and the politics and philosophy major. Descriptions of these majors follow:
A&S/Business Dual Major
The A&S/business dual major is offered jointly by Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the College of Business Administration (CBA). To satisfy the requirements, students must combine the business major with any A&S major. The A&S major will be listed first on the transcript as the degree-determining major (BS or BA), and the business major will be listed second. Students will be required to fulfill all A&S curriculum requirements. Students are admitted by a faculty committee that considers the cumulative GPA, specific courses taken and grades earned, SAT scores, and other relevant credentials. Students who have completed at least one full year of course work are eligible to apply to the program. Students interested in the program should seek assistance from their A&S advisor regarding the application process. For more information about the program, see www.cba.pitt.edu/program/
index.html#asbusiness.
Major Requirements
To graduate with an A&S/business dual major, students must complete the following:
- Four dual major prerequisites:
- ECON 0100 Introduction to Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 0110 Introduction to Macroeconomic Theory
- MATH 0120 Business Calculus or 0220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1
- STAT 1100 Statistics and Probability for Business Management
Note: Competency in Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet software) is required.
- Twelve required business courses:
- BUSACC 0030 Financial Accounting
- BUSACC 0040 Managerial Accounting
- BUSQOM 0050 Quantitative Methods
- BUSENV 0060 Managerial Ethics and Stakeholder Management*
- BUSECN 1010 Business Economics
- BUSORG 1020 Organizational Behavior
- BUSFIN 1030 Introduction to Finance*
- BUSMKT 1040 Introduction to Marketing*
- BUSHRM 1050 Human Resources Management
- BUSMIS 1060 Introduction to Information Systems*
- BUSQOM 1070 Operations Management*
- BUSSPP 1080 Strategic Management*
Note: Courses noted with an asterisk (*) are considered non-A&S credits. All other courses are counted toward graduation as A&S credits. A&S students may include only 18 non-A&S credits in the 120 credits required for graduation.
All of the above listed courses must be completed with an average GPA of 2.00. All courses for the business major must be taken on a letter-grade basis. Students who complete the requirements of the A&S/business dual major are not required to complete a minor or A&S related area.
Interdisciplinary Studies Major
The interdisciplinary studies option is intended for students who wish to design their own major. This major allows students to be flexible and creative in planning a program to match their individual interests and career goals. Completing this major requires sound thought, planning, and extra effort. Students selecting this option must secure the sponsorship of two full-time A&S faculty advisors. Students will formulate a proposal for their major, including a course prospectus (classes chosen) and an essay stating rationale for their desired program of study. They will work on their proposal with their faculty advisors, who must approve the proposal before the interdisciplinary studies faculty committee can approve it.
Major Requirements
A student intending to complete an interdisciplinary studies major must submit a proposal to his/her faculty advisors before the end of the junior year. The faculty committee must approve the proposal before the student can officially declare interdisciplinary studies as a major.
- All A&S degree requirements must be completed (120 credits, 2.0 overall GPA and major GPA, skills and general education requirements).
- The interdisciplinary studies proposal must consist of a minimum of 42 credits, 21 of which must be earned from courses numbered 1000 level or above. Courses are chosen from at least two different departments and arranged in one, two, or three clusters or thematic groupings. Each cluster must contain a minimum of 12 credits.
- A maximum of 6 credits of internship or independent study may be included. A maximum of 6 credits of non-A&S courses (i.e. BUS, BUSERV, ADMJ, ADMPS, IL, PSYED, etc.) may be used. There can be no more than 9 credits of internship/independent study and non-A&S credits combined.
- A W course approved by the faculty advisors must be completed as part of the major.
A GPA of at least 2.00 must be maintained for all interdisciplinary studies course work. Students may achieve honors in interdisciplinary studies by earning a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the courses for the major and approval of a final paper or thesis.
International and Area Studies
Bachelor of Philosophy in International and Area Studies
The University Honors College (UHC) and University Center for International Studies (UCIS) have created the Bachelor of Philosophy in International and Area Studies (BPhil IAS) degree, a research-based undergraduate degree that will help students meet the global demands of today’s workplace. The BPhil IAS degree is awarded jointly by the student’s home school and the University Honors College and is the first undergraduate degree in international studies at Pitt.
The goal of the BPhil IAS degree is to enable students to think critically about their global world and to gain “global competence,” which involves working effectively in different international settings, an awareness of the major currents of global change and the resulting issues raised, the capacity for effective communication across cultural and linguistic boundaries, and personal adaptability to diverse cultures.
Students seeking the BPhil IAS degree must have a minimum GPA of 3.25/4.00; complete an approved program of study involving coursework, foreign language, and study abroad; and write and publicly defend their research thesis before a faculty examining board that includes a visiting faculty member from outside the University. The BPhil IAS is not a free-standing degree, as it requires the student to combine the BPhil IAS with a major in the student’s home school of admission (A&S, CBA, Engineering, etc.); students must combine the BPhil IAS requirements with all curriculum requirements for a degree in their home school of admission.
The Global Studies track is the first of the tracks available to students pursuing the BPhil IAS major. Future BPhil IAS tracks from other Pitt area studies programs may emerge from faculty initiatives.
BPhil IAS (Global Studies) Major
Global Studies track students build an interdisciplinary plan of study that integrates the study of transnational global trends with a regional specialization including foreign language proficiency and study abroad. Students complete between 33 credits (with foreign language proficiency) and 55 credits (including foreign language course work). They must also complete and defend the Bachelor of Philosophy thesis and attend Global Studies Colloquia.
Major Requirements
- Three core courses (12 credits):
- ARTSC 0150 Introduction to Global Studies
- Scopes and Methods in Global Studies
- Capstone Seminar (two terms)
- Seven approved courses (21 credits), including three courses across two disciplines outside of the student’s primary major in the home school of admission:
- Two regional content courses in one region where the language studied is spoken (African Studies, Asian Studies, European Union Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Russian & East European Studies, or West European Studies)
- Four global thematic content courses in one global concentration (sustainable development; global economy and global governance; changing identities in a global world; communication, technology and society; global health; or conflict and conflict resolution)
- Three years college level language study or equivalent proficiency in a language spoken in the region studied (0-22 credits)
- The Bachelor of Philosophy thesis
- An international learning experience (minimum of five weeks)
Politics and Philosophy
The politics and philosophy major provides students with interdisciplinary training in the conceptual, empirical, and normative foundations of various fields of public policy. It enhances students’ understanding of the moral and political complexities of public life, and it gives both empirical and philosophical preparation to students interested in pursuing careers in social and public affairs.
By combining course work from different disciplines, the program’s scope is broad, yet the structure of the curriculum also requires depth. Given the thematic nature of the major, there is flexibility in the courses that students may choose to fulfill requirements. In collaboration with the major advisor, students will design a cohesive program of study, tailoring it to meet their individual post-graduate/career interests and needs. Essential communication skills in writing and presentation are sharpened through two required W-courses. The politics and philosophy major is a rigorous and challenging but rewarding program. Upon graduation, an academic career is certainly a possible pursuit; the major also provides excellent preparation for careers in law, government, community organizations, and social action groups.
The major is comprised of elements from the political science, philosophy, and economics departments, unified under the auspices of the University Honors College (UHC). The major involves a minimum of 51 credits distributed as follows: political science – 21 credits; philosophy – 21 credits; economics – 9 credits. A capstone course, which may have associated credits, is also required.
Required courses for the Politics and Philosophy major
Political Science courses
Students must complete seven courses in political science. At least four of those courses must be upper level (numbered 1000 or above). One of the courses must be a W-course; the W-course may be either upper- or lower-level.
Philosophy courses
Students must complete seven courses in philosophy. At least four of those courses must be upper level (numbered 1000 or above). One of the courses must be a W-course; the W-course may be either upper- or lower-level.
Economics courses
- ECON 0100 Introduction to Microeconomic Theory
- ECON 0110 Introduction to Macroeconomic Theory
- ECON XXXX any course (no course in the 0800 series may count toward this requirement)
Capstone requirement
In consultation with the major advisor, students may opt for one of the following.
- completion of the Bachelor of Philosophy thesis through the University Honors College (UHC);
- participation in a graduate-level seminar (with permission from the instructor; or
- completion of a Directed Research Project, an Independent Study, or an Internship.
Grade requirements: A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in those courses that count toward the major.
Satisfactory/No Credit option: There is no limit on the number of courses in the major that can be taken on an S/NC basis, but it is suggested that these courses be taken] for a letter grade.
Writing (W) requirement: The W courses listed under the political science and philosophy requirements satisfy the W requirement for the major.
Related area: A related area is not required due to the interdisciplinary nature of the major.