Liberal Studies Program Guidelines

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This provides general Liberal Studies Program (LSP) guidelines; for the Liberal Studies requirements associated with a specific program, see the catalog description for that respective program. Students in the DePaul University Honors Program should consult with a program advisor about their requirements.

All DePaul Students Who Participate in the Liberal Studies Program

There are a number of general Liberal Studies Program (LSP) guidelines that pertain to all DePaul undergraduate students (except for students in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies).

  1. Students may not use the same course to fulfill a requirement in both their primary major and LSP. There are two exceptions to this rule:
    1. Designated courses in the major may also be used to fulfill the Experiential Learning requirement. Students who pursue this option will then complete an additional learning domain elective or, if applicable, the third course of the Language for Liberal Studies Option.
    2. Transfer students who complete the General Education Core Curriculum of the Illinois Articulation Initiative may apply a particular course to fulfilling a requirement in the major (see the GECC/IAI section of this policy.)
  2. Students must earn a C- or better in WRD 103 and WRD 104 (or WRD 103X and WRD 104X). Some students may be required to take preparatory writing classes before being eligible to enroll in WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I, while other students may have one or both FYW courses met by AP scores or transfer credit.​​
  3. The LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE may not be substituted or waived.
  4. Students may request to substitute a different course for one of the LSP requirements. All substitutions must meet the learning outcomes and writing expectations for the particular LSP requirement.
  5. Students completing a second major or minor may use the same courses to fulfill requirements in those areas and in the Experiential Learning, Capstone, and Learning Domains of LSP.

Honors Program courses taken by students who transfer from DePaul's Honors Program to the Liberal Studies program will apply to the Liberal Studies Program as follows: 

Honors to Liberal Studies Writing Requirements

Students who complete HON 100 RHETORIC AND CRITICAL INQUIRY and subsequently leave the Honors Program have earned credit for WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II. The student may satisfy the second writing course requirement by taking any one of the following expository writing courses:  

Course Title Quarter Hours
WRD 103COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I4
WRD 203STYLE FOR WRITERS4
WRD 206PROFESSIONAL WRITING4
WRD 240ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING4
WRD 300COMPOSITION AND STYLE4

Permission to substitute an open elective for the second writing course may be granted based on a review of documentation showing superior achievement and/or professional experience in advanced, expository writing. For more information, please contact the First-Year Writing Program by emailing FYWriting@depaul.edu.

The Language for Liberal Studies Option (LLS), formerly known as the Modern Language Option (MLO), is available to all* undergraduate students who wish to study a language beyond the level required for their degree.

Students who choose the LLS may use a sequence of three courses in the same language to replace three learning domain courses:

  • These three course substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
  • LLS substitutions may not be used in the Scientific Inquiry-Lab, Scientific Inquiry-Science as a Way of Knowing, or the Math and Computing requirements.

Students with a primary major in a modern language may apply the LLS to a three-course sequence in an additional language at any level. Students with a secondary major in a modern language may apply the LLS to any three-course language sequence beyond the language requirement associated with their primary major. This three-course sequence can be either in the language of their secondary major or in an additional language.

*Students with a two-year language requirement can use the LLS after they've completed their college's Modern Language Requirement. BFA students should speak to their academic advisor about using the LLS. Students in the University Honors Program are not eligible for the LLS. LLS-eligible courses are taught in the target language (i.e. the language of instruction is American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, etc.). Courses taught in English are not LLS-eligible.

This section provides general Liberal Studies Program (LSP) guidelines for transfer students. For the Liberal Studies requirements associated with a specific program, see the catalog description for that respective program. Students in the DePaul University Honors Program should consult with a program advisor about their requirements.

Transfer Student LSP Guidelines

  1. Transfer students must meet all  LSP requirements as specified by the student's primary major: First Year Program, the LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE (unless the student has completed the IAI/GECC), the Experiential Learning Requirement, the Capstone, and the various Learning Domain courses.
  2. Transfer courses are applied to the most appropriate Learning Domain, based on articulations vetted through the Transfer Articulation Center according to the posted learning outcomes and writing expectations for each requirement. 
  3. Transfer students (aged 23 years old or younger) who enter DePaul with 30 or more quarter hours of combined transfer credit, not including test credit, do not need to enroll in Discover Chicago/Explore Chicago or Focal Point courses. Instead, they will complete two Learning Domain electives outside their area of specialization, using either existing transfer credit or future DePaul credit.  With First-Year Program approval, the transfer student may elect to enroll in a Discover Chicago/Explore Chicago and/or Focal Point course. 
  4. Adult students (aged 24 years old or older) who enter DePaul, regardless of the number of combined transfer credit, do not need to enroll in Discover Chicago/Explore Chicago and/or Focal Point courses. Instead, they will complete two Learning Domain electives outside their area of specialization, using either existing transfer credit or future DePaul credit. With First-Year Program approval, the adult transfer student may elect instead to enroll in a Discover Chicago/Explore Chicago and/or Focal Point course. 
  5. New first-year students (i.e. traditional freshmen) must enroll in Discover Chicago or Explore Chicago and (if required by major) the Focal Point Seminar regardless of the number of combined transfer credit and/or test credit hours.
  6. Students may complete the LSP writing requirement with either transfer credit or coursework completed at DePaul. Placement in DePaul writing courses is determined by a placement process. 
    1. Transfer students who enter DePaul with earned credit for WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II and not WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I may satisfy the second writing course requirement by taking any one of the following expository writing courses:  
       
      Course Title Quarter Hours
      WRD 103COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I4
      WRD 203STYLE FOR WRITERS4
      WRD 206PROFESSIONAL WRITING4
      WRD 240ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING4
      WRD 300COMPOSITION AND STYLE4
    2. Permission to substitute an open elective for the second writing course may be granted based on a review of documentation showing superior achievement and/or professional experience in advanced, expository writing. For more information, please contact the First-Year Writing Program by emailing FYWriting@depaul.edu.
    3. Transfer students who met first-year writing requirements at their previous institution through coursework other than equivalents of WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I and WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II may petition the First-Year Writing Program for a waiver or substitution of this requirement by emailing FYWriting@depaul.edu and including the rationale and syllabi for the course(s) in question. The rationale should describe how the course(s) in question meet the requirement's learning outcomes and writing expectations. The First-Year Writing Program will communicate its decision to the student and the student's home college advisor. Based on information from the course description and syllabus, a determination will be made as to whether the student
      1. should take WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I and/or WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II;
      2. should substitute an upper-level writing course from an approved list for WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I and/or petition to waive WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II by submitting a portfolio including two research projects, process documents, and a reflective argument demonstrating how the portfolio meets the requirement's learning outcomes as outlined here; or
      3. have part or all of the requirement waived.
        Elective credit will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that a student earns 192 credits for degree completion.
  7. The LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE may not be substituted or waived.
  8. Applying transfer credit to the Experiential Learning requirement:
    1. Internships: DePaul generally does not award Experiential Learning credit for internships or cooperative learning courses taken at another college or university. Students may petition the LSP office for a waiver or substitution of this requirement by emailing LiberalStudies@depaul.edu and including a rationale and syllabus for the course in question. The student must make the case that the course meets the Experiential Learning learning outcomes and writing expectations. The LSP office will communicate its decision to the student and the student's home college advisor.
    2. Study Abroad: Students who transfer in credit from a full-year or term-long study abroad program through an accredited institution, consisting of no less than ten weeks abroad and no less than 12 quarter hours abroad, and having received grades of no less than a "C" in these courses, may use one of these courses to fulfill the Experiential Learning Requirement.
  9. The Liberal Studies Capstone requirement may not be substituted or waived. Students who have more than one major should consult with their college advisor as to their specific Capstone requirement(s).
  10. Accumulation of additional credit that fulfills LSP requirements: In some circumstances, students may earn transfer credit that exceeds LSP requirements. For example, coursework from institutions organized by semesters earn 1.5 quarter hour credits for each semester hour. Hence each 3.0-credit course transferred from a semester institution earns 4.5 credits at DePaul. As a result, students may have credits that exceed the required number in a particular component of the program. These excess general education credits may be added up and, when the sum reaches 4 quarter hours (and multiples thereof), applied to other LSP requirements as follows:
    1. Transfer students who have earned more than 30 credits may use the excess credit to fulfill the Domain electives that replace Discover/ Explore Chicago and the Focal Point Seminar. This substitution will be applied before any other.
    2. Students must complete at least one course in each domain, whether through transfer/test credit or DePaul credit. Once that requirement has been met, students may apply the excess credit to any of the following domains: Arts & Literature; Historical Inquiry; Philosophical Inquiry; Religious Dimensions; or Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry.  College-specific rules may apply; see your college advisor.
    3. Students may combine excess credit with the Language for Liberal Studies Option within a single domain as long as they complete at least one course (transfer or DePaul) per domain.
  11. Students who have test credit must have official score reports sent directly to the Transfer Articulation Center (TrAC).

Transfer Credit, General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)

DePaul University participates in the General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) only. DePaul does not participate in Phase Two, the Major Phase.

Completion of the GECC/IAI at any participating college or university in Illinois ensures transferring students that most of the general education requirements at DePaul have been satisfied. Hence the GECC /IAI will be accepted as a package. Students who have completed the GECC/IAI should consult with their academic advisor in their college prior to registering for classes. Students who are in DePaul University’s Honors Program should consult with the program director as to their program requirements. Students who are in DePaul University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) should consult with their academic advisors as to their program requirements. The additional requirements outlined in this policy apply only to those students in degree programs that participate in DePaul University’s Liberal Studies Program.

Students who have completed the GECC/IAI must also meet the following mission-specific requirements in DePaul’s Liberal Studies Program:

  • Two Religious Dimensions courses (RD)
  • Two Philosophical Inquiry courses (PI)
  • Experiential Learning
  • Capstone

Guidelines

  1. In an effort to enable students to make the most complete use of their transfer credit, some portion of the two RD and PI courses may be waived under certain circumstances, as long as all students complete at least one PI and at least one RD either through transfer credit or DePaul courses. The following guidelines will direct students and their academic advisors in applying GECC credit and meeting the additional mission-specific requirements:
    1. Students who have accumulated sufficient excess liberal studies credits, may apply the credit toward the waiver of up to one PI and up to one RD requirement; see the Liberal Studies Guidelines section (#10 under Transfer Students).
    2. Students who have used the equivalent of PI and/or RD courses to fulfill GECC/IAI requirements may substitute  learning domain course credit (DePaul or Transfer) for a corresponding number of PI/RD mission-specific requirements.
    3. Students who have completed and transferred in the equivalent of a PI or RD course external to the GECC/IAI requirements may use that course to fulfill the appropriate mission-specific requirement.
    4. Students may choose to complete LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE in place of either a PI or RD requirement.

      The following table summarizes these policies put into practice:
      Mission Specific Courses—4 Courses Required (2 PI and 2 RD)
      Course Policy
      Course 1 Course must be designated as PI (if course is DePaul PI or Transfer PI from outside GECC) or LSP Elective (if PI course is included in the GECC).
      Course 2 Course must be designated as RD (if course is DePaul RD or Transfer RD from outside GECC) or LSP Elective (if RD course is included in the GECC).
      Course 3 Course may be WAIVED with sufficient excess LSP credit. If there is not sufficient excess LSP credit, then the course must be designated as one of the following: PI or RD (DePaul or Transfer), LSP 200, or LSP Elective (if second PI or second RD course is included in the GECC).
      Course 4 Course may be WAIVED with sufficient excess LSP credit. If there is not sufficient excess LSP credit, then the course must be designated as one of the following: PI or RD (DePaul or Transfer), LSP 200, or LSP Elective (if second PI or second RD course is included in the GECC).
  2.  If a course included in the GECC package also fulfills a specific course requirement in the student’s primary major, that single course may be used to fulfill both requirements. Elective credit will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that a student earns 192 credits for degree completion.
  3. Students transferring from an IAI participating institution with two or fewer IAI requirements remaining may elect to complete the GECC/IAI package with DePaul courses or additional transfer credit that meet the subject area and mission-specific requirements.
  4. Students pursuing the GECC/IAI option must earn a grade of “C” or higher in both WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I, and WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II. Students must earn a grade of “C-“ or higher in the courses that will apply to the primary major, secondary major, or minor. Students who have test credit must have official score reports sent directly to the Transfer Articulation Center for review.

Students who have earned an Associate of Arts (AA) degree or Associate of Science (AS) degree from an IAI participating institution have satisfied the requirements for the GECC/IAI.

This agreement is in effect for students who entered an associate or baccalaureate degree-granting institution as first-time freshmen in the summer of 1998 and thereafter.