Baccalaureate Degree Programs
Columbia’s undergraduate division offers programs of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA), a Bachelor of Music (BMus), or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in specific programs. In addition to Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum (LASC) requirements, the BA, BMus, and BFA programs may include core requirements and specialized concentrations of courses that enable students to prepare for particular careers.
Major Declaration
All students entering Columbia in the fall 2001 or after must complete a major. Transfer students with 45 credits or more will need to make this declaration at the end of their first semester at Columbia or by the time they have accumulated 60 credits. Students entering Columbia prior to fall 2001 may follow degree options outlined in the College catalog at their date of entry.
Students may complete a double major; however, both majors must lead to the same degree (BA or BFA). Credits counted towards fulfillment of requirements in one major may not be counted towards fulfillment of requirements in the second major.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts degree plans may meet one or both of the following curricular goals:
Bachelor of Arts in a Major with a Concentration
The degree plan offers various emphases within a basic plan of study. These degree plans ordinarily are divided between core courses and a choice of several groups of courses that offer concentrated or specialized study within the major field. Core requirements are courses that are fundamental to the field, introducing students to the discipline and providing essential skills and general knowledge as a foundation for further study. A concentration is a focused area of study within a major, a specialization that follows, in most cases, the completion of the core requirements. Some departments offer degree plans with a concentration to be taken on an elective basis; however, others, due to professional requirements, require the concentration for the completion of the major. Credit hours required for both the core and concentrations vary according to major.
Bachelor of Arts in a Major without a Concentration
The degree plan provides a breadth of understanding within a field. These degree plans consist mainly of core courses with limited emphases or specializations through minimal variations within the required program. Several of these degree plans are offered in the visual and performing arts departments as options to the BFA degree(s) in that discipline. Required credits vary according to major.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree, students entering in the Fall 2001 or after are required to complete:
- 120 credits with a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average;
- 42 credits in LASC courses for students entering fall 2005 or later; 48 credits in LASC courses for students entering before fall 2005;
- a declared major;
- a writing intensive course completed at Columbia;
- compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy (see Academic Policies, Procedures, and Regulations ).
Requirements for all majors can be found on the College’s Web site.
Minors
Students who have declared a major in a Bachelor of Arts curriculum are encouraged to include a minor to augment and complement their course of study. Minors consist of 18 to 24 credits and provide an introduction or sequenced specialization in an area of study from either a major or a Liberal Arts and Sciences department.
Specific credit and course requirements for each minor can be found on the College’s Web site.
Bachelor of Music
In addition to BFA s in the performing arts, the Music Department offers Bachelor of Music (BMus) degrees in Composition and in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music. This initial professional degree requires a total of 84 credit hours in music courses within a total requirement of 128 credit hours. The BMus curriculum includes 39 credit hours in core courses, 36 credit hours in courses of specialization, and 9 credit hours in music lessons and ensembles, including an independent project as capstone experience. Students declare their candidacy for the BMus in Composition by 60 cumulative credits. Upon acceptance in the program students need to follow the Music Department’s standards of performance to be considered for continuation.
Bachelor of Music Degree Requirements
To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition or in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music students are required to complete the following:
- 128 credits;
- 36 credits of LASC requirements for students entering fall 2005 or later; 48 credits of LASC requirements for students entering before fall 2005;
- 84 credits in music;
- declaration of the major;
- a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the major;
- a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better;
- a writing intensive course completed at Columbia;
- compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy (see Academic Policies, Procedures, and Regulations ).
Bachelor of Fine Arts
The visual and performing arts departments offer BFA s in specific concentrations within their disciplines. Requirements range from 66 to 92 credits within a total requirement of 128 credits. These degree plans include a basic core, an in-depth specialization, a historic study of the field, and professional capstone experience. Students must declare their candidacy for the BFA by 60 cumulative credits, following the specific selection criteria as noted by the individual departments.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Requirements
To qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, students are required to complete the following:
- 128 credits with a minimum departmental grade point average as designated by the department;
- 36 credits of LASC requirements for students entering fall 2005 or later; 48 credits of LASC requirements for students entering before fall 2005;
- a declared major;
- the minimum GPA in the major;
- a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better;
- a writing intensive course completed at Columbia;
- compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (see Academic Policies, Procedures, and Regulations ).
Study Abroad
Columbia College Chicago strongly encourages students to spend a term abroad. Whether it is a summer, J-term, semester, or full-year program, there are numerous options for students to earn credit while seeing the world. In a global society the true professional artist needs an international consciousness. Through International Programs we offer students the opportunity to challenge their cultural assumptions and develop as artists and world citizens.
Through Columbia’s Cornerstone College-wide International exchanges, students can spend a full semester abroad studying at one of our partner institutions in Europe. With Columbia’s departmental programs, students have the opportunity to participate in a Columbia College faculty-led program specific to a course of study run at varied sites and time periods (J-term, summer, and semester-long). Lastly, Independent Study Abroad allows students who are interested in a location, course of study, or time frame that is not offered by Columbia programming to select an option from outside the College and with proper approval, via the Columbia College Study Abroad Agreement, receive credit and federal financial aid.
International Programs serves as the central point for all the various options to earn credit abroad. Please visit the website at: www.colum.edu/InternationalPrograms for more information.
Other Programs
Comedy Studies: A Semester at The Second City™
The Theater Department of Columbia College Chicago and The Second City™ have created a semester-long program of courses in the study of comedy which are taught by the experts in comedy at the Second City Training Center in Chicago, with college credit provided by Columbia College Chicago. The program provides a unique opportunity to study full-time at The Second City™, the nation’s center of comedy and satire, for an entire semester.
The Comedy Studies Program is open to any college undergraduate with a minimum of junior-level status who has a demonstrated interest in performance, comedy writing, and improvisation. All students enrolled in the program take the same full load of 16 credit hours during the 15-week semester. All classes are held at The Second City Training Center in Chicago. To learn more about the program, including how to apply, visit: comedystudies.com.
ESL Program
The English as a Second Language (ESL) program offers specialized sections of college-level writing, reading, and public speaking courses to Columbia College students with home/heritage languages other than English who have studied in the United States for fewer than eight years. These courses share goals and objectives with non-ESL sections, but are designed to specifically address the needs of ESL students, with smaller class sizes and specialized instruction. Infused with arts, media, and community, the Summer Intensive English Language Institute (SIELI) is offered as a non-credit ESL program designed for students with high-intermediate to advanced levels of proficiency in English who want to develop their language and intercultural skills for academic and professional purposes.
Literacy Program
The Literacy Program offers courses in reading and writing that enhance students’ academic and cultural literacy. The program is also the home of “Sharing Cultures,” a trans-national online collaboration between basic writing courses at Columbia College and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Literacy Program also plans and coordinates the English component of the Bridge program and the department’s retention efforts. |
