College of Liberal Arts

Casilde A. Isabelli, Dean
631 Ansari Business Building
(775) 784-6155

Mission

The College of Liberal Arts is central to the intellectual and artistic life of the University of Nevada, Reno. We contribute to the university’s efforts to provide students with general and specialized education that will prepare them for advanced study, careers and citizenship in a diverse world. The college offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and supports major scholarly research and creative activity in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The college provides students with the knowledge, communicative and critical thinking skills, and creative experience they need in order to navigate in a complex global environment.

The college supports discovery, the advancement of knowledge, and the scholarly and creative work of its faculty and students. Our faculty is composed of active, engaged scholars and artists who teach courses in their field of expertise, bring artistic innovation and the latest scholarship into the classroom, and present their research and creative work in major venues. They promote creative and research opportunities for students, working with them closely on senior projects, performances, theses, and dissertations. We value rigor and vitality in the disciplines and in interdisciplinary scholarship, recognizing that truly innovative work often changes how we view our own and other fields of knowledge.

About the College

The College of Liberal Arts is home to the following major academic units, programs, and centers that focus in the creative arts, humanities, and social sciences:

• Academic Departments and Units:
  • Department of Anthropology
  • Department of Art, Art History & Design
  • Department of Communication Studies
  • Department of Criminal Justice
  • Department of English
  • Department of Gender, Race, and Identity
  • Department of History
  • Department of Military Science
  • School of Music
  • Department of Philosophy
  • Department of Political Science
  • Department of Sociology
  • Department of Theatre and Dance
  • Department of World Languages and Literatures
• Academic Programs:
  • Core Humanities Program
  • Core Writing Program
• Administrative Units:
  • School of the Arts
  • School of Social Research and Justice Studies
• Centers:
  • William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies
  • Center for Constitutional Law
  • Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies

General College Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree

Students seeking a bachelor’s degree in the College of Liberal Arts must successfully complete the following requirements:

1. Earn a minimum of 120 units at the baccalaureate level. At least 42 units must be earned in upper-division coursework numbered at the 300 or 400-level, with at least 30 upper-division units earned in residence at the University of Nevada, Reno.

2. Complete all University Core Curriculum requirements.

3. Complete the following prescribed courses for Liberal Arts majors. (Note: Some majors in the college are exempt from these requirements. Students should review the requirements for their specific degree program to learn if the prescribed courses are waived.)

1. World Language Requirement. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a world language other than English equal to a fourth semester course level through one of the following options:

1. complete a fourth semester college course in a world language other than English;
2. demonstrate proficiency through a means determined by the Department of World Languages and Literatures including but not limited to minimum standardized test scores (CBAPE, SAT II, or IB), attaining a minimum aptitude on an accredited world language assessment test, or providing transcript evidence of a high school or equivalent diploma in which English was not the language of instruction; or,
3. participate in a study abroad language program pre-approved by the Department of World Languages and Literatures to meet the foreign language requirement. 

Note: Four years of high school world language instruction does not automatically satisfy this requirement.

2. College Breadth Requirement: Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree in the college shall be required to take, within the College of Liberal Arts, 6 units that are outside the departments in which they major or minor, and that exclude courses taken to fulfill the Core General Education requirements (Core Objectives 1 through 8).

4. Complete all major requirements for the degree program.

5. Where required by the major, complete all requirements of a minor program.

6. Complete any remaining elective units necessary to meet minimum graduation requirements. General Elective coursework may be taken from any department at the university.

Undergraduate Study

Students must choose a major degree program, and, if required, must also complete a minor field of study. All students in the College of Liberal Arts seeking a bachelor’s degree must successfully complete the college’s general requirements.

Degrees and Majors

Specific requirements for each major may be found under the appropriate department in this catalog. Most majors require a minor in a different area; others are expanded and do not require a minor.

Multiple Majors and Degrees

A multiple major is earned if a student wishes to major in multiple programs leading to the same degree name—for example, two majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. A multiple degree is earned if a student wishes to major in multiple programs leading to different degree titles—for example, one major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree and another major leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Students who pursue multiple majors or multiple degrees with at least one major under the College of Liberal Arts are required to fulfill all of the college’s general requirements for a bachelor’s degree as applicable, except that a required minor becomes optional.

Minors

If required by the major, students must declare a minor program of study. Students may choose any minor program at the university, offered within or outside the College of Liberal Arts, that compliments their interests or career goals—although some departments do not allow students to take a minor in the same department as their major. Specific requirements for each minor may be found under the appropriate department or program in this catalog. Other types of academic programs, such as undergraduate certificates and Honors College requirements, may not substitute for a required minor.

Although in some cases departmental rules may allow a course to be used to meet the requirements of both a major and a minor, no more than nine units counted toward any major may be re-utilized to meet the requirements of any minor offered within the College of Liberal Arts.

Special Related Fields as Minors

Students may petition to the dean’s office to have a special related field substitute for a required minor. A special related field is designed to allow students to combine coursework with a related theme to provide an academic experience similar to a minor for cases where the University does not offer a program of study in that area. A special related field requires a minimum of 18 units, 9 must be upper-division, 9 must be completed at Nevada, no more than 3 units may overlap with other requirements, 2.0 GPA in coursework, and the coursework may not be more than ten years old. The petition must be approved prior to a student earning 90 units. Students seeking to pursue a special related field should consult with a College Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts Student Center to initiate the process. An approved special related field will substitute for a required minor, but it will not be recorded as a minor on the student’s official university transcript.

Declaration or Change of Major, Minor, or Certificate

Students may declare a major, minor, or certificate, or change to one offered within the College of Liberal Arts, only after discussing the requirements with an academic advisor and submitting a Declaration of Major or Declaration of Minor/Certificate form. All required signatures must be secured on the declaration form before it can be processed by Admissions and Records and the student’s academic plan updated on MyNEVADA.

Students not already pursuing a degree within the college at time of declaration must meet with a College Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts Student Center to complete a major declaration for a liberal arts major.

Undergraduate Academic Standards

Except as otherwise specified, all students must maintain the following academic standards in order to receive a bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts.

Grade point average requirements

In addition to the university’s graduation requirement that students have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0, the College of Liberal Arts requires that students maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 in both their major and minor fields. Some college departments have higher GPA requirements for their degree programs. Refer to the appropriate department in this catalog for more information.

Satisfactory/unsatisfactory credit

The college’s policy for courses graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) conforms to the university policy, except that courses taken for S/U credit do not count toward fulfilling the Prescribed Courses for Liberal Arts majors or for fulfilling major and minor requirements. This restriction on major and minor requirements can be waived if the course is recommended by the student’s academic advisor; the advisor’s recommendation must be approved by the department chair and submitted to the dean’s office for final approval. If a course is offered for S/U credit only, the college’s restrictions are waived.

Academic and Program Probation and Dismissal

University Initiated Academic Recovery or Dismissal: Undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts who do not make satisfactory progress toward their degree may be placed on academic recovery or dismissal as defined in the Undergraduate Academic Standards  section in this catalog. The same policies which govern academic recovery or dismissal for the university apply in the college.

Department Initiated Probation or Dismissal: A student in a program within the college may also be placed on program probation for the major or minor if the GPA for the major or minor falls below the minimum requirements of the college or the department. A student whose academic performance is deficient with respect to the published progression standard for a major or minor may also be placed on program probation or dismissal. Program probation or dismissal may be initiated by the department at the end of any semester. Students that are dismissed due to probation may appeal through the dean’s office.

1. Release from Program Probation: A student is considered to be released from program probation once the above noted program conditions have been remedied.
2. Readmission after Program Dismissal: The college follows the university’s policies for readmission to a program after dismissal. Students should contact the dean’s office for further information.

Advisement and Progress Toward Degree Completion

Academic Advising

Academic advising in the College of Liberal Arts is a collaborative process that guides students in navigating degree requirements and empowers students to take responsibility for their learning and academic success. Students are expected to proactively plan and consult with their academic advisors on their academic program in order to achieve their educational and professional goals.

The College of Liberal Arts employs two types of academic advisors for undergraduate students: College Advisors and Faculty Mentors. Located in the College of Liberal Arts Student Center (Lincoln Hall, third floor), College Advisors are year-round professional staff members whose primary role is academic advisement. College Advisors conduct general advising for any students pursuing liberal arts programs throughout their academic journey. Additionally, each academic department in the college has one or more Faculty Mentors. Faculty Mentors advise specifically on major or minor requirements in their department as well as provide guidance on internships, careers opportunities, and graduate or professional school planning in their field of study.

New students (freshmen and transfers), continuing freshmen, students who are declaring or changing their major to one offered by the College of Liberal Arts, students on academic recovery, and students with an advising hold on their MyNEVADA account are advised by a College Advisor. Other continuing students may seek advising from either a College Advisor or Faculty Mentor based on their advising needs.

More information about undergraduate academic advising in the college, as well as a list of current departmental Faculty Mentors, can be found on the College of Liberal Arts advising website.

Program faculty provide advisement for all post-baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctoral programs.

Academic Advising Report

Current students may review their progress toward degree completion at any time by accessing their Academic Advising Report (AAR) in MyNEVADA. Students are strongly encouraged to review their AAR regularly with an academic advisor and ensure any discrepancies are corrected promptly and prior to submitting a graduation application.

Application for Graduation

Candidates for graduation must apply for graduation in MyNEVADA by October 1st for Fall; March 1st for Spring; and June 1st for Summer. Only Admissions and Records can certify that a student has officially met all graduation requirements. The completion of approved degrees, majors, minors, and certificates is recorded on the student’s official university transcript at the time of graduation.