Units required for Major: 36 units; 24 of which must be upper division units. Total units required for the BA: 120 units.
Program Description
The BA in Arts & Letters degree completion program is designed for individuals who have completed coursework in the liberal arts and seek to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree but have encountered difficulty in attending on-campus classes. This multidisciplinary major centers on four online core courses that explore the evolution and representation of diverse people and communities through creative and critical lenses. The major situates literature, philosophical thought, history, communications and art within different cultural contexts to analyze the ever-changing meanings of citizenship, creative production and self-expression. The major requires completion of the four core courses and any outstanding General Education and/or Graduation Requirements, so the time to completion varies from individual to individual.
The BA in Arts & Letters is a collaboration between the College of Arts & Letters and the College of Continuing Education. As such, the program seeks to prepare individuals who pursued educational interests in the arts and/or humanities to advance in their personal and/or professional lives.
Program Advisor
David W. Toise, Department of English
Faculty
Michele Foss-Snowden, Department of Communication Studies
Kyle Swan, Department of Philosophy
Aaron Cohen, Department of History
Sarah Lappas, School of Music
More Information
https://www.cce.csus.edu/aandl
Eligibility Requirements
This multidisciplinary major is designed for students who have completed coursework in the pursuit of any major that aligns with degree program offerings in the College of Arts & Letters at Sacramento State or another university.
Minimum Admissions Requirements:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Completion of at least 60 units of transferrable coursework (may be upper or lower-division units).
Preferred but not required:
- Coursework in a degree program that aligns with a program offered by Sacramento State's College of Arts & Letters
- Completion of all lower-division GE requirements for the California State University system at Sacramento State or another institution.
- Took time away from college with a desire to return to complete the Bachelor's of Arts degree.
Program Requirements
Prior Academic Work (minimum 60 units)
- Completion of a minimum of 60 units of transferrable coursework (may be upper or lower division units).
- Please note: a limited number of courses in categories B, C, D, and E below will be offered each semester.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Required Upper Division Core Courses | ||
| ALS 101 | Texts Over Time 1 | 3 |
| ALS 102 | Individual, Community, and Citizenship 1 | 3 |
| ALS 103 | Creativity, Meaning, and Criticism 1 | 3 |
| ALS 104 | Happiness, Well-Being and the Good Life 1 | 3 |
| Select an additional 24 units from the following: 2 | ||
| B. Language - Communication and Expression | 6 | |
| Interpersonal Communication Skills | ||
| Introduction to Rhetoric and Social Influence | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Preparing to Write in the Disciplines | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Popular Culture 1 | ||
| Multicultural America 1 | ||
| Elementary Spanish | ||
or SPAN 1B | Elementary Spanish | |
| C. Literature - Texts, Ideas and Ideals | 6 | |
| Media Communication and Society | ||
| The Victorian Imagination | ||
| Shakespop: Shakespeare and Popular Culture | ||
| Forms of African-American Fiction | ||
| American Identities: In the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity | ||
| Jewish American Literature | ||
| Twentieth Century Fiction by Women | ||
| Survey of French Literature | ||
| Survey of Early Western Civilization 1 | ||
| Arts and Ideas of the West: Ancient to Medieval 1 | ||
| World History I: to 1500 1 | ||
| Arts and Ideas of Asia: Ancient to Medieval 1 | ||
| Women in the Mass Media | ||
| Survey of Music Literature I 1 | ||
| History of the Theatre: Ancient to Renaissance 1 | ||
| D. Arts and Music - The Creative Process | 6 | |
| Introduction to Art and Visual Culture 1 | ||
| Form, Space Vision 1 | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Dance Cultures Of America 1 | ||
| The Film 1 | ||
| Music In World Cultures 1 | ||
| Music Appreciation 1 | ||
| Hip-Hop in Urban America | ||
| Philosophy Of Art 1 | ||
| Appreciation Of Acting 1 | ||
| Multicultural Puppetry 1 | ||
| E. Philosophy - Meaning and Critique | 6 | |
| Argumentation 1 | ||
| Journalism Law and Ethics | ||
| Major Problems in U.S. History 1 | ||
| Approaches to the Humanities 1 | ||
| Classical Mythology | ||
| Media Literacy and Critical Thinking 1 | ||
| Critical Thinking 1 | ||
| Philosophy Of Religion 1 | ||
| Deductive Logic I 1 | ||
| History Of Ethics 1 | ||
| Existentialism 1 | ||
| Philosophy Of Science 1 | ||
| Total Units | 36 | |
- 1
At least 12 additional units must be upper division for a total of at least 24 upper division units.
- 2
Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
NOTE: Students will work closely with the program advisors to ensure satisfactory completion of all University wide General Education and Graduation Requirements. Where possible, these can be overlapped with courses taken to satisfy the Required Upper Division core courses (category A above) and courses in program categories B, C, D, and E above.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area 1: English Communication (9 Units) | ||
| 1A - English Composition | 3 | |
| 1B - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| 1C - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 Units) | ||
| Area 2 Course - Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 3: The Arts and Humanities (6 Units) | ||
| 3A - Arts | 3 | |
| 3B - Humanities | 3 | |
| Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 Units) | ||
| Area 4 Course -Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 4 Course - Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences (7 Units) | ||
| 5A - Physical Science | 3 | |
| 5B - Biological Science | 3 | |
| 5C - Laboratory | 1 | |
| Area 6: Ethnic Studies (3 Units) | ||
| Area 6 Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Courses: (9 Units) | ||
| Area 3 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Area 4 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Area 2 OR Area 5 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Total Units | 43 | |
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (9 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) 2 | 3 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) 2 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 3 | 6 | |
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To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email. You may also wish to contact the program for the Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Letters here: https://cce.csus.edu/aandl.
- 2
Department recommends Electives that meet the WI Graduation Requirement and the Race and Ethnicity Requirement; see Program Requirements table above.
- 3
Satisfying the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement by completing the second semester of a single language may also satisfy a GE Area 3B Requirement. The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html