In general, where can I find answers to my questions?
The College Recorder's Office (Kirkwood Hall 001, office hours 9:00-4:00 Monday - Friday, phone (812) 855-1821, email coasrecd@indiana.edu), or the College website, or your academic advisor in your major department.
What majors and minors are available in the College of Arts and Sciences?
More than 60 different majors and minors are available in the College. See the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin or pick up a hard copy in the College Recorder's Office. The College has academic advisors in each department who will be happy to answer any additional questions you have concerning the majors and minors the department offers.
How do I change my major?
You must meet with an academic advisor for the department that offers the major you wish to declare. The advisor will process the major change on your behalf.
How do I declare a second major (option only available to B. A. candidates)?
You must meet with an academic advisor for the department in which you wish to major.
How can I earn a second degree (not to be confused with a second major)?
There are two types of second degrees, sequential and concurrent. Concurrent degrees are for currently enrolled IUB students who wish to add a second degree objective to their current degree. Sequential degrees are for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree (from IUB or another institution) and who wish to pursue a second undergraduate degree. When admission is granted for a sequential second degree, candidates must earn at least 26 additional College credit hours in residence and meet the requirements of the College of Arts & Sciences and of the department(s) in which they are candidates. Students seeking second degree candidacy of either type should contact the Second Degree Advisor (jawatson@indiana.edu) to request application information. If approved for second degree status, students must observe the deadlines for application. The deadlines for applying for a sequential second degree are as follows:
Spring semester start: November 1stStudents with a Bachelor’s degree who wish to further their education in that field or a related field should consider becoming qualified for admission to a graduate program.
Fall semester start: April 1st
How do I declare a minor?
You can graduate with up to three minors on your record. You must meet with an academic advisor for the department(s) in which you wish to minor. The advisor(s) will process the minor application on your behalf. You can apply for several different minors in the Kelley School of Business and the Medical Sciences minor (School of Medicine) by logging in on the College Recorder’s Office homepage and applying online. Check with your academic advisor or refer to the Bulletin for a list of other non-College minors that are available to students in the College.
How do I drop a major or minor?
You can drop a second major or any minor by logging in on the College Recorder's Office homepage and completing the information requested.
What if I am unsure which major is right for me?
The College offers an Exploratory category that allows students to take courses in their potential major areas while also fulfilling general degree requirements. To find out whether you would be eligible for this option, contact the College Exploratory Advisor (jawatson@indiana.edu). To schedule an Exploratory Advising Appointment, log in to https://starnet.indiana.edu/ (Login > jawatson (Jacki Watson) under ‘choose active advisor’ > ‘view calendar’ to see the appointment times).
How do I graduate?
You must complete all requirements for your degree(s). You are responsible for knowing what is required. Consult the College Bulletin that corresponds to the year in which you began your studies at IU, meet with the academic advisor in your major department, and use OneStart to monitor your progress toward degree using the Academic Advisement Report (AAR) tool available through the Student Center. You must also apply for graduation in advance by logging in on the College Recorder's Office homepage and completing the information requested.
How do I change from another school to the College of Arts and Sciences?
If you are currently a student in another school on campus (not including University Division), and you wish to declare a major within the College, you must meet with the academic advisor for the department that offers the major you wish to declare. The advisor will submit the school change on your behalf.
What are the requirements to get into the College of Arts and Sciences?
The minimum requirements for entrance are listed in the College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin. You must have a minimum cumulative College of Arts of Sciences GPA of 2.000, have completed 26 College of Arts of Sciences degree applicable hours towards graduation, and have completed the English Composition requirement in the campus-wide General Education Curriculum.
How do I “X” a course?
College of Arts and Sciences students may process an Extended-X petition for the official transcript only. This will NOT, however, affect the College of Arts and Sciences degree record. The grade you earned on your first enrollment as well as grade(s) for any subsequent enrollment(s) for the same course will be averaged into your College of Arts and Sciences GPA.
If you wish to “X” a course for transcript purposes only:
- Re-take the exact same course (the title and subject matter must be the same; you must be particularly careful about this in the case of College Topics courses (for students who matriculated prior to Summer 2011), Critical Approaches courses (for students who matriculated in Summer 2011 or later), and variable topics courses offered by individual departments.
- You may only "X" a given course once. You are allowed to use the Extended-X policy to retake up to 3 IU courses (or a total of 10 hours) and replace the grades earned in the first enrollment with the grades earned in the second enrollment, with some significant restrictions.
- Read the full text of the policy at registrar.indiana.edu/extendedx.shtml on the Registrar’s website. Additionally, College of Arts and Sciences students should contact their academic advisor(s) and the College Recorder's Office before retaking the course.
- Complete and submit the Extended-X petition at the College Recorder's Office, Kirkwood Hall 001 prior to graduation, during the semester in which you retake the course, or after you have taken the course the second time.
Students may drop and add courses via the Student Center link in OneStart. Students should read the information on the Registrar’s website regarding deadlines and related fees related to dropping and adding courses. Petitions for withdrawals after the automatic W deadline will not be authorized by the Dean except for urgent reasons beyond the student’s control related to illness or equivalent distress. The desire to avoid a low grade is not an acceptable reason for withdrawal from a course.
How do I sign up to take a course pass/fail?
See your academic advisor to obtain a pass/fail form. He/She must sign the form before you submit it for processing by the College Recorder’s Office, Kirkwood Hall 001. Pass/Fail deadlines for each semester can be found on the Official Calendar on the Office of the Registrar's website. To take a course pass/fail, you must be in good academic standing. You may not take more than two courses pass/fail within an academic year. (The academic year begins with the fall semester.) A maximum of eight courses may be taken pass/fail during your tenure in the College. Courses completed with the pass/fail option must be electives. These courses may not be used to satisfy any College of Arts and Sciences requirements nor may they be counted toward the student’s major, concentration area, minor or certificate program.
What does "good academic standing" mean?
You must complete each semester with a 2.000 College of Arts and Sciences GPA or better. In addition, your cumulative College of Arts of Sciences GPA must also be 2.000 or better.
What does it mean to be placed on Academic Probation?
If your fall or spring semester College of Arts and Sciences GPA falls below 2.000, you will be placed on Academic Probation. If you are placed on Academic Probation, a letter will be sent to you regarding your academic situation. Continued poor academic performance may result in dismissal from the College. If you are experiencing academic difficulties, please speak with an academic advisor in your major department right away.
How long will I be on Academic Probation?
You will be removed from Academic Probation following a fall or spring semester in which your College of Arts and Sciences GPA is 2.000 or better, provided that your cumulative College of Arts and Sciences GPA is also 2.000 or better.
What does it mean to be dismissed from the College of Arts and Sciences?
You will be dismissed from the College of Arts and Sciences when, in the judgment of the Academic Retention Committee, you have ceased to make adequate progress toward your degree. If you fail to attain a College of Arts and Sciences GPA of 2.000 in any two semesters, you will be dismissed automatically if your cumulative College of Arts and Sciences grade point average also falls below 2.000. Whether or not you have been placed on probation previously, the Academic Retention Committee may dismiss you if your record reveals any of the following:
- failing or near failing performance in any semester;
- failure to make adequate progress toward completion of major requirements;
- failure to make any progress toward completion of degree requirements in any semester;
- a College of Arts and Sciences cumulative grade point average below 2.000.
I want to study at another IU campus for the upcoming summer/fall/spring term. Is there anything I need to do?
Complete the appropriate Intercampus Transfer Form prior to your transfer. To transfer from one campus to another (including back to IU Bloomington) you need a minimum College of Arts and Sciences cumulative GPA of 2.000. Grades from all courses taken on another IU campus will automatically be reflected on your transcript. Meet with your academic advisor to ensure that the courses you take will count toward your degree requirements at IU Bloomington.
How do classes that I take at another IU campus transfer to IU Bloomington?
Your transcript is automatically updated upon completion of course work on another IU campus. However, you should be aware that classes you take on other campuses may not automatically fulfill IU Bloomington requirements. Contact your academic advisor prior to registering for courses to ensure that the course you take will count toward your degree requirements at IU Bloomington.
I took classes at another university. How can I transfer credit earned there to my transcript here?
The Office of Admissions is responsible for transferring credit from other institutions to the University. They have a useful website, the Credit Transfer Service, which includes courses that have transferred to IU in the past which can serve as a reference. Please check this website first and if your course is not listed there, you should contact the Office of Admissions to obtain the Credit Transfer Agreement form that you must complete. Please be advised that there are certain restrictions on transferring credits earned at another institution to IUB. For example, courses with grades below a C will not transfer to your record, and courses that are deemed to be remedial will not count towards graduation.
How do I get a copy of my transcript?
The Office of the Registrar handles all requests for official transcripts. They can be reached by phone at (812) 855-0121 or by email at registrar@indiana.edu. You can also print an unofficial copy of your transcript from SIS through the Student Center in OneStart.
