College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is dedicated to providing a sound education in the liberal arts and to imparting the specific knowledge and skills required for careers in one of its many representative disciplines. This education, both in its breadth and its approach to learning, leads students to an enlightened sense of themselves, their heritage, their world; prepares them for responsible and active citizenship; and prompts those habits of thought and expression crucial to a lifetime of active learning. A major goal of the college is to provide students with the ability to think independently, to analyze, and to solve problems creatively.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

Bachelor of Arts in:
Anthropology
Art Education
Art History
Chemistry
Communication
Computer Science
English
French
History
Human Dimensions of Climate Change
Interdisciplinary Legal Studies
International Affairs
Journalism
Latin Major Suspended
Mass Communication
Mathematics
Modern Languages
Music
New Media
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Romance Languages
Sociology
Spanish
Studio Art
Theater
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Bachelor of University Studies CLAS Pathway

Bachelor of Fine Arts in:
Studio Art

Bachelor of Music in:
Music Education
Music Performance

Bachelor of Science in:
Chemistry
Computer Science
Physics

Minors:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art History
Astronomy
Canadian Studies
Chemistry
Classical Studies
Computer Science
The Constitution and American Law
Creative Writing
Dance
English
Ethics, and Social and Political Philosophy
Film and Video
Folklore
Franco American Studies
French
Geography
German
Graphic Design
History
International Affairs
Jazz Studies
Judaic Studies
Latin
Leadership Studies
Legal Studies
Marxist and Socialist Studies
Mathematics
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Music
Native American Studies
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Political Theory
Professional Languages
Professional Writing
Psychology
Religious Studies
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
Studio Art
Theatre
Technical Theatre
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Institutional Credit Requirements:

All majors in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences require a minimum of 15 institutional credits in the major, and all minors require a minimum of 9. For purposes of this requirement, institutional credit is defined as all University of Maine (Orono) courses regardless of delivery method (face-to-face, online, ITV, etc).

Please note that some CLAS majors and minors may have more restrictive institutional credit requirements. Students wishing to pursue a particular CLAS major or minor should review the catalog information pertaining to the specific major or minor of interest.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements:

In order to graduate from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the following must be satisfied:

Completion of all university-wide General Education requirements.
Completion of all requirements for a specific academic major within the college. Double majors and double degrees in closely related disciplines are not permitted. Questions regarding double majors and/or degrees should be addressed to the associate dean of the college.
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) in the major and overall.
A minimum total of 120 credits. (Please note that some majors require more than 120 credits).
For Bachelor of Arts students only, satisfactory completion of the B.A. Distribution Requirements (see text below).

Bachelor of Arts Distribution Requirements
In order to ensure depth as well as breadth of study, the following rules apply to students seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:

All students pursuing a B.A. degree must complete a minimum of 72 credits outside of the academic major.
All students pursuing a B.A degree are subject to the following credit limitations:

Students may count a maximum of 15 credits in military science (MSL) or naval science (NAV) toward the required 120. To count, credits must be at the upper (300-400) level, or if lower (100-200) level must be on the University’s official list of approved general education courses. In no case may the combination of lower and upper level credits used toward the required 120 exceed the maximum allowance of 15.

A maximum of 2 physical education (KPE) skills credits may be used toward the 120 required for the B.A. degree. Examples of skills credits include golf, tennis, racquetball, etc.
A. Students matriculating effective Fall 2011 must complete an academic minor or a second academic major.

B. Students matriculating before Fall 2011, with no more than a two year break in enrollment, may elect the newer requirement (3A) or meet the former requirement: they must complete nine upper level credits in an area outside the academic major that have not been presented to satisfy a University of Maine General Education requirement in Human Values & Social Contexts, Math and/or Science. Students in an interdisciplinary major should consult with their academic advisor or the college office for guidance. Note: upper level courses must be at the 200 level or above and must have a prerequisite course.

C. Students in a CLAS major who complete the preparatory courses necessary to enter the 5-year MBA program (BUA 201; BUA 202; ECO 120; ECO 121; either BUA 270, BUA 325, or BUA 350; and a statistics course approved by CLAS), totaling at least 18 credit hours, will be considered to have met the minor requirement in 3A, although no minor will be listed on their transcript.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES NOTES:

Academic Advising:
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is committed to fostering and maintaining a positive relationship between students and faculty. To help achieve this goal, all new students will be assigned to a faculty academic advisor in the discipline in which they intend to major. Undeclared students will be assigned to an advisor in the college’s Advising Center. Contact information for advisors may be found on the student’s Maine Street home page. The college urges students to make appointments to see their advisors (or an Assoc. Dean of the College) whenever they have academic concerns.

Advising Center:
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Advising Center opened in August 2012, the beneficiary of PRE-VUE grant approved by the University of Maine President, Dr. Paul W. Ferguson, and was a joint effort by CLAS and the Student Life.

The Advising Center was established out of a desire to increase student access, connection, satisfaction, and retention in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, providing the Center with a mission to address these goals by developing programs and resources for students who are considered “at-risk” (undecided, first-generation, and those in transition between majors and other institutions) and providing support and programming for all CLAS students and faculty advisors. The goal is to create a strong, student-centered advising program focused on student access, connection, satisfaction, and retention, and to enhance the quality of the undergraduate educational experience and student services.

Declaring the Academic Major:
Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are encouraged to explore a wide variety of academic options before declaring a major. Students must declare an academic major when they have accumulated 54 degree credits but may declare a major at any time prior to that.

Changing Colleges:
The College normally accepts all current University of Maine students from other baccalaureate programs who have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and are in good academic standing on the effective date of change. Students in the Foundations Program must have a 2.5 GPA if they wish to be accepted after their first semester in Foundations.

In unusual circumstances, students who have less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average may be allowed to change colleges. Students in this situation should discuss their request for change with the college associate dean.

Foreign Language Requirements:
Some majors have special language requirements for BA degree students, as follows: NOTE: Intermediate level proficiency, here, means the equivalent of two semesters of an intermediate level language course; e.g. SPA 203, 204.

ART: 6 credits in one foreign language is required for students who major in Art History.
COMMUNICATION: 3-6 credits from French, German, Spanish, American Sign Language or other language.
ENGLISH: A minor in a second language is one option for an outside field requirement.
HISTORY: Three years of a foreign language is one option for an outside field requirement.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: Rating of “intermediate” on oral proficiency Interview (OPI). See International Affairs catalog copy for details.
JOURNALISM: 3-6 credits from French, German, Spanish, American Sign Language or other language.
MASS COMMUNICATION: 3-6 credits from French, German, Spanish, American Sign Language or other language.
MUSIC: One year of a foreign language, which can be either the continuation of the language taken in high school or a new language.
THEATER: One semester of any language course (3 credits minimum).

Language Competency and Placement Exams in Modern Languages:
Finding the appropriate level at which to take a language course is essential for success. To assist in this determination, the Department of Modern Languages and Classics offers both competency and placement examinations in French and Spanish. Students with three or more years of study in high school may opt to attempt credit by examination (competency exam). A standard examination fee of $125.00 is imposed on all competency exams offered at UMaine. However, students in a degree program and who are beginning their first semester of enrollment at UMaine receive a special, one-time exemption on competency exam fees up to the end of the first two weeks of enrollment. During this time, students may take available competency exams for a nominal administration fee of $10.00. There is no charge for the placement exam.

The Department of Modern Languages and Classics does not give automatic credit if a student does not continue in the language at UMaine. Credit will be awarded for intermediate language only if a student is enrolled for at least one additional course and passes it with a grade of B- or higher. For example: if a student has tested out of FRE 202 or SPA 204, the student must successfully complete FRE 305 or SPA 305 or an equivalent course in order to receive credit.

Checks should be made payable to The University of Maine, and mailed or delivered to Alan Parks, Director of College Success Programs, 5725 East Annex, Room 118, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5725.

For further information, please contact the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, 5472 Little Hall, Room 201, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5742.

The Modern Languages and Classics Department accepts Advanced Placement Examinations in Foreign Languages and Literature for degree credit. See the Advanced Placement Credit table under University Requirements.

Critical Languages Program:
The department of Modern Languages and Classics offers Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Russian under the Critical Languages Program. This program uses a self-instructional method for language learning. The major responsibility belongs to the student, who works with a native speaker tutor. There are three hours of drills a week, in small tutorials, usually 3 to 5 students.

The University of Maine is a member of NASILP ( National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs), a coordinating and consulting entity founded in the 1970’s. The method used is loosely based on the one used by the Foreign Service Institute. It is effective because it requires active, committed learning by students. At the early stage of language acquisition, the most important thing is to practice, learn material thoroughly, have accurate linguistic models, and appropriate, adequate materials. The Critical Languages Program has all of these features. For more information, contact the coordinator of the Critical Languages Program, at (207) 581-2078.

The Intensive English Institute:
The Intensive English Institute (IEI) of the University of Maine is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Its primary emphasis is on preparing international students and non-native speakers of English for university study at UMaine and other American universities and colleges, or for professional activities where English is the medium of communication.

Intensive English is offered year round. Contract courses are also offered. In addition to a full-time course of study, the IEI offers academic advising, cross-cultural counseling, tutorials and self-study opportunities in a variety of content and skill areas.

The Institute administers the TOEFL every session. Students may also participate in the Conversation Partners Program. The IEI endorses the TESOL Standards for Post secondary Programs and the NAFSA Principles of International Educational Exchange.

The IEI offers a one week TESOL Certificate Program for students wishing to work abroad or simply develop a better understanding of the TESOL profession.

The courses offered at the IEI in any particular semester vary according to enrollment and the placement levels of incoming students. The IEI accepts both matriculated and non-matriculated students.

The Open Field:
The Open Field, an undergraduate literary annual, is edited and published by students in the Department of English. Stolen Island is an annual edited and published by graduate students in English.

Program Contacts

Anthropology
Gregory D. Zaro
242 South Stevens Hall
(207) 581-1857
gregory.zaro@umit.maine.edu

Art
Michael Grillo
Lord Hall
(207) 581-3245
michael.grillo@umit.maine.edu

Canadian Studies
Stephen Hornsby
Canadian/American Center
(207)581-4226
hornsby@maine.edu

Chemistry
Barbara Cole
154 Aubert Hall
(207) 581-1169
cole@maine.edu

Communication and Journalism
Nathan Stormer
420 Dunn Hall
(207) 581-1935
nathan.stormer@umit.maine.edu

School of Computing and Information Science
Silvia Nittle, Undergraduate Coordinator
334 Boardman Hall
(207) 581-3681
nittel@spatial.maine.edu

English
Richard Brucher
304 Neville Hall
(207) 581-3823
richard.brucher@umit.maine.edu

Franco American Studies
Susan Pinette
213 Little Hall
(207) 581-3791

History
Stephen Miller
255 Stevens Hall
(207) 581-1908
stephen.miller@umit.maine.edu

Intensive English Institute
Christopher Mares
206 Hannibal Hamlin
(207) 581-3821
chris.mares@umit.maine.edu

International Affairs
Howard Cody
109 North Stevens
(207) 581-1868
howard.cody@umit.maine.edu

Judaic Studies
Melissa Ladenheim
Robert Thomson Honors Center
5716 Colvin Hall
(207) 581-3263
melissa.ladenheim@umit.maine.edu

Mathematics and Statistics
Nigel Pitt
333 Neville Hall
(207) 581-3901
nigel.pitt@umit.maine.edu

Modern Languages and Classics
Jane Smith
201 Little Hall
(207) 581-2072
jane.smith@umit.maine.edu

Native American Programs
Darren Ranco
327B Aubert Hall
(207) 581-4450
darren.ranco@umit.maine.edu

New Media
426 Chadbourne Hall
(207) 581-4358

Philosophy
Jessica Miller
The Maples
(207) 581-3865
jessica.miller@umit.maine.edu

Physics and Astronomy
Michael Wittmann
120 Bennett Hall
(207) 581-1039
michael.wittman@umit.maine.edu

Political Science
James Warhola
233 North Stevens Hall
(207) 581-1871
jim.warhola@maine.edu

Psychology
Michael Robbins
301A Little Hall
(207) 581-2033
michael.robbins@umit.maine.edu

School of Performing Arts
Beth Wiemann (Division of Music)
Class of 1944 Hall
(207) 581-4702
beth.wiemann@umit.maine.edu

Daniel Bilodeau (Division of Theatre)
Class of 1944 Hall
(207) 581-4702
daniel.bilodeau@maine.edu

Sociology
Amy Blackstone
201D Fernald Hall
(207) 581-2392
amy.blackstone@umit.maine.edu

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Mazie Hough
101 Fernald Hall
(207) 581-1228
mazie.hough@umit.maine.edu