Majors and Minors

All of the University's arts and sciences majors are open to CGS. Students enrolling only in evening courses can usually complete a major program in any of the following areas bearing an asterisk (*).

African-American Studies
African Studies
*Anthropology
Architecture
Cinema Studies
Asian & Middle Eastern Studies (Near Eastern, Indo-Iranian, East Asian)
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biological Basis of Behavior
*Biology
Biophysics
Chemistry
Classical Studies (Ancient Greek, Latin, Classical Civilization)
Cognitive Science
Communication
Comparative Literature
Economics
East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Elementary Education
*English
*Environmental Studies
Fine Arts
Geology
German
Health and Societies
Hispanic Studies
*History
History of Art
History & Sociology of Science
Humanities
International Relations
Italian Studies
Jewish Studies
Latin American and Latino Studies
Linguistics
Logic, Information and Computation
Mathematics
Music
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
*Philosophy
*Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
*Religious Studies
Romance Languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
Slavic Languages and Literature
*Social Science
Sociology
South Asia Studies
Theatre Arts
Urban Studies
Visual Studies
Women's Studies

For a full description of these programs and of day courses, students should request the "Course Register," available from the CGS office, or visit www.upenn.edu/registrar/.

CGS B.A. students are permitted to take day courses in their registered major at CGS tuition rates, if the course is not offered in the evening.

Declaration of Major

Students must be admitted to the B.A. program before formally seeking admission to a major program. Although students may declare a major with only eight courses remaining towards the degree, they are strongly advised to do so prior to that time but after having completed several courses in their desired field of concentration.

Humanities and Social Science Majors

Two special interdepartmental evening majors are available to College of General Studies students: one in Humanities, the other in Social Science. Dr. Alice Kelley (akelley@english.upenn.edu) is the Humanities advisor, 215.898.6341; Dr. Brian Spooner is the Social Science advisor, 215.898.5207 (spooner@sas.upenn.edu).

The courses selected for the Social Science or Humanities major should be chosen with the advice and consent of the major advisor. A description of the program of courses involved should be submitted in writing at the time the student declares a major and before any major requirements have been fulfilled. Modifications in the program may be made at a later date if the student's needs or interests change, but an amendment to the program requires a new statement.

A seminar or independent study course should represent the culmination of the major work and should be completed during the last term of the major program. An outline of the topic to be studied must be approved in advance by the instructor supervising the study and by the major advisor.

Click here for Humanities Degree Requirements.
Click here for Social Science Degree Requirements

Minor Concentrations and Double Majors

Students may (but are not required to) elect to complete a formal minor in a subject other than their major by completing a second set of major cards in the CGS office. Minors consist of 6 to 8 courses in the minor discipline, of which 3 CUs must be outside the major.

A second major requires a minimum of 18 CUs in the two major programs, i.e., no more than 6 CUs may be "double counted" in both majors.

Individualized Major

The individualized major is an option open to CGS students, which allows them to develop their own academic program. However, it takes a considerable amount of careful planning and must be approved by a School of Arts and Sciences committee. For more information, contact Dr. Alice Kelley (akelley@english.upenn.edu ) in the College Advising office at 215.898.6341. Procedural information and application forms are available in the CGS office.

Submatriculation

Students who wish to begin a graduate program while still in their undergraduate years are permitted to apply for admission as submatriculants to a variety of the University's graduate areas of study. With the permission of the responsible undergraduate and graduate faculties, submatriculants may take four graduate courses for both undergraduate and graduate credit while registered as undergraduate students. Independent Study courses may not be double-counted.

Students must apply for submatriculation when they have no fewer than 8 to 16 CUs remaining to be taken for the B.A. degree. Admission into the program is highly selective. In order to qualify, it is necessary for the student to maintain a superior grade point average overall and in the major.

No graduate-level courses taken and completed prior to official acceptance in the relevant graduate program can be counted toward the master's degree.

Interested students should consult a College of General Studies academic advisor and both the undergraduate and graduate chairpersons of the relevant department prior to completing the necessary submatriculation application forms available in the CGS office. Students must also complete the regular application for graduate school admission and, in most cases, take the Graduate Record Exam.

Procedures for Declaring a Major

Create an on-line worksheet through Penn InTouch and add your intended major.
Meet with a CGS undergraduate academic advisor to discuss your plans and review your worksheet.
Print out your worksheet (or have your advisor print it out) in case your major department would like the hard copy.
Schedule a meeting with the undergraduate chair or designee of your prospective major(s).
After an initial discussion with the undergraduate chair, you may need to meet with a particular faculty member who will become your major advisor. This advisor will assist you in formulating the major, identifying research opportunities in the major and discussing fellowship and post-graduate opportunities in this academic field. You should still speak periodically with a CGS advisor to discuss your overall progress toward the degree as well as special academic options and programs.
Take the worksheet and any other paperwork required by the department to the administrative assistant of the department, who will enter the necessary information in the Student Records System (SRS).

General Policies on Declaring a Major

Application to a major must be made while students still have at least eight CUs remaining towards the degree. Students should carefully read the description of the major program in which they are interested. Printed descriptions of the major are available from the department or program office or from the program's Web site.

The minimum qualification for acceptance into a major program is a grade point average of 2.0 in those major and major-related courses that a student has already taken. Some departments or programs require a higher GPA, and some require that specific courses be completed before acceptance into the major.

The specific rules that govern each major are those that are in effect at the time the student is accepted into the major. Only the department or program in question can make exceptions to the regulations governing a major program.

All courses taken for a major must be taken for a grade (i.e., they cannot be taken pass/fail).
Only the department or program advisors determine which credits transferred from another institution may count toward the major at Penn.