Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Bachelor of Individualized Studies B.I.S.

CLA Dean's Office
College of Liberal Arts
  • Program Type: Baccalaureate
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2015
  • Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120
  • Required credits within the major: 50
  • Degree: Bachelor of Individualized Studies
The B.I.S. provides flexibility in a student's degree program by allowing him or her to focus coursework on three areas, one of which may consist of courses outside CLA. The areas do not have to be related to each other, but the program proposal must explain how the areas of study connect to the student's overall educational goals. Working closely with a B.I.S. adviser, students develop a written proposal and course list. The proposal must be approved by a committee and three faculty or department advisers with expertise in the areas of concentration. Some departments and colleges have prerequisite or required courses for concentrations based in those departments and colleges in their B.I.S. program. For specific information on proposal procedures and on department and college guidelines, see the Individualized Degree Programs website http://idp.class.umn.edu.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
For certain concentrations, prerequisite courses must be completed before submitting a program proposal. For certain concentrations, a minimum overall GPA or a minimum tool course GPA is required before a student can submit a program proposal. Students can declare the degree after attending an information session (held two to three times a week) and preparing a preliminary course list. Students are not approved for the degree until they have submitted a program proposal (the submission deadline is once per semester) and the proposal has been approved by a committee and faculty or department advisers. See a BIS adviser for more information.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the Office of Admissions website.
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the liberal education requirements. Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of any second language. with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department or college.
Students must complete at least 50 approved credits at or above 3xxx, distributed among the three concentrations. The concentrations may be departmental or thematic in composition, and each must include at least 15 credits. Up to 21 credits in the program may be from outside CLA. At least one upper-division (3xxx-level or above) course in the major must be writing intensive. Students must have their program approved by a committee and three faculty or department advisers. At least 20 credits in the major must be completed after the program has been approved. No more than 12 credits of directed study may be applied toward the program. The CLA requirement of 18 credits at or above 3xxx outside the major does not apply. Students are required to complete an analytic paper in one of their CLA areas of concentration. Beginning fall 2012, all incoming CLA freshmen must complete the appropriate First Year Experience course sequence. Specific information about this collegiate requirement can be found at: http://class.umn.edu/degree_requirements/index.html
Major Courses
First Concentration Area
Second Concentration Area
Third Concentration Area
Senior paper: 2,500-word analytic paper written in conjunction with a CLA course in the B.I.S. program.
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Liberal Arts

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Spring 2021
· Fall 2020
· Fall 2018
· Fall 2016

View sample plan(s):
· Individualized Studies

View checkpoint chart:
· Bachelor of Individualized Studies B.I.S.
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