Letters, Arts, and Sciences, A.A. (Altoona)

At which campus can I study this program?

Program Description

The objectives of the Letters, Arts, and Sciences major are to broaden the student's understanding, interests, and skills; to help the student become a more responsible, productive member of the family and community; and to offer a degree program with sufficient electives to permit some specialization according to the student's interests or career plans. Letters, Arts, and Sciences is a complete two-year degree major. However, graduates who later seek admission to baccalaureate degree majors may apply baccalaureate credits toward the new degree.

In addition to a wide variety of baccalaureate majors offered at University Park campus, graduates of the Letters, Arts, and Sciences major may qualify for admission to the baccalaureate degree majors in Behavioral Sciences, Elementary Education, Humanities, or Public Policy offered at Penn State Harrisburg. Or they may qualify for any of a large number of baccalaureate degree majors offered by Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in business, the liberal arts, and sciences.

Degree Requirements

For the Associate in Arts degree in Letters, Arts, and Sciences, a minimum of 60 credits is required:

Program Requirements
Requirement	Credits
General Education	21
Electives	15
Requirements for the Major	30

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)

Quantification (GQ): 3 credits
Writing and Speaking (GWS): 3 credits

Knowledge Domains

Arts (GA): 3 credits
Humanities (GH): 3 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences(GS): 3 credits
Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Foundations or Knowledge Domains

A General Education course selected from GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, or GS, and may include Integrative Studies (Inter-domain or Linked) courses: 3 credits

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

6 of these 21 credits are included in the Requirements for the Major.

University Degree Requirements

Cultures Requirement

3 credits of United States (US) or International (IL) cultures coursework are required and may satisfy other requirements

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 60 degree credits must be earned for a associates degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 60 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

This includes 6 credits of General Education GWS courses.

The required credits of General Education and Requirements for the Major must be baccalaureate-level courses. For students intending to seek admission to a baccalaureate program upon graduation, it is recommended that most, if not all, of the courses be at the baccalaureate level. For those students who will seek a bachelor of arts degree upon graduation from Letters, Arts, and Sciences, it is strongly recommended that a foreign language be taken since admission to a bachelor of arts program in the College of the Liberal Arts requires one college-level course, or the equivalent, in a foreign language.

Courses that will satisfy the arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and quantification requirements are defined on the Letters, Arts, and Sciences checksheet, which may be obtained from the College of the Liberal Arts associate dean for undergraduate studies at the University Park campus or from any Letters, Arts, and Sciences representative at other locations.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
CAS 100	Effective Speech	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select one of the following:		3
ENGL 202A	Effective Writing: Writing in the Social Sciences
ENGL 202B	Effective Writing: Writing in the Humanities
ENGL 202C	Effective Writing: Technical Writing
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 3 credits in any course designated as arts		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as humanities		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as social and behavioral sciences		3
Select 3 credits in any course designated as physical, biological, or earth sciences		3
Select 9 credits in any one of the following areas: arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences and quantification, and foreign language skills ¹		9

If foreign language courses are chosen, it is recommended that these courses be in one foreign language sequence.

Academic Advising

Altoona

Jennifer E. Slusser
Academic Adviser, Program Specialist, Division of Undergraduate Studies
Smith Building C112
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5084
jzg3@psu.edu

Abington

Roy Robson
Division Head, Division of Arts & Humanities
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7466
rrr5237@psu.edu

Berks

Thomas Lynn
Program Coordinator, Associate Professor
Franco 117
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6298
tjl7@psu.edu

Brandywine

Paul deGategno
Professor of English
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063
610-892-1465
pjd15@psu.edu

DuBois

Deborah Gill
Associate Professor of Spanish
1 College Place
220 Swift
DuBois, PA 15801
814-375-4783
djg25@psu.edu

Erie

Joshua Shaw
Associate Professor of Philosophy
140 Kochel
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6444
jjs34@psu.edu

Fayette

Lindsey Simon-Jones
Associate Professor
2201 University Drive
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
724-430-4249
lmj133@psu.edu

Harrisburg

Catherine Rios, M.F.A.
Program Coordinator
Olmsted Building, W005b
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6751
car33@psu.edu

Hazleton

Maggie Gordon Froehlich
Associate Professor of English
Butler 203K
Hazleton, PA 18202
570-450-3134
mgf10@psu.edu

Mont Alto

Freya Qually
Associate Teaching Professor of Art
303 General Studies Building
Mont Alto, PA 17237
717-749-6202
fxq1@psu.edu

New Kensington

Sean Bridgen
Associate Director of Advising
3550 Seventh Street Rd.
New Kensington, PA 15068
724-334-6096
stb12@psu.edu

Schuylkill

Anita Vickers
Coordinator of Humanities and Corporate Communication
C201 200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972
570-385-6155
amv5@psu.edu

Scranton

Paul Perrone
Senior Instructor
13 Library Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2660
pjp3@psu.edu

Shenango

Billie Jean Horvath
Academic Adviser
147 Shenango Avenue
201 D Sharon Hall
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2860
bjr153@psu.edu

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
http://starfish.psu.edu
http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/education/majors-and-minors

Wilkes-Barre

Christyne Berzsenyi
Associate Professor, English, Liberal Arts
P.O. Box PSU
Lehman, PA 18627
570-675-9275
cab39@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
301 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3283
advising@outreach.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

Altoona Campus

Letters, Arts, and Sciences

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
ENGL 15 or 30^‡	3	CAS 100^‡	3
General Education (GQ)^‡	3	9 Credit Are (GA, GH, GS, GN, FL)^*	3
General Education Course (GH)^*	3	General Education Course^*	3
General Education Course	3	General Education Course	3
Physical, Biological, or Earth Science Course^*	3	General Education Course	3
	15		15
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
General Education Course^*	3	ENGL 202A^‡	3
9 Credit Area (GA, GH, GS, GN, FL)^*	3	9 Credit (GA, GH, GS, GN, FL)^*	3
General Education Course (GS)^*		General Education (GS)^*	3
Writing Across the Curriculum^†	3	Elective^†	3
US or IL Cultures Course^†	3	Elective	3
Elective^†	3
	15		15
Total Credits 60

* Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡ Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

# Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

† Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GN, GA, GH, and GS). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Integrative Studies courses can be completed for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

Additional Notes

The associate degree in letters, arts, and sciences (2 LAS) is a degree which allows learners to experience a variety of academic disciplines as well as prepare for continued studies in a bachelor degree program. Please consult with your adviser if you have a particular bachelor degree in mind. Your adviser can help build a plan to help you meet any admission or course prerequisite requirements for the bachelor degree.

Students must complete on course with each of the following designations: W: Writing intensive; US and IL for International competency. This require can be met through General Education or Related courses.