General Letters, BA

The Bachelor of Arts in General Letters gives students the solid foundation of a bachelor's degree with coursework that stresses critical thinking and communication skills across disciplines, along with the flexibility of a curriculum with no major. This degree may be for you if you do not want to be limited by a major, want to take a wide range of courses, or need to make the most of credits you are transferring into UWM. 

The B.A. in General Letters does not allow completion of a major but can include one or more minors, certificates, and/or microcredentials.

This degree can be completed mostly or entirely online depending on which courses the student chooses to enroll in. Students who do choose to attend entirely online can opt into special online program pricing which may be more cost effective.

To declare the B.A. in General Letters, visit the College of Letters & Sciences page on this degree. To learn more about online program pricing, visit the College of Letters & Science page for online/distance students.

Requirements

Credit numbers reflect total possible credits towards degree. Due to the ability to count courses towards more than one requirement, credit amounts will vary. Please work with your academic advisor on your plan of study.

Preparatory Coursework

Based on individual placement results, some students may be required to complete preparatory coursework before enrolling in the courses listed here. This may include English language or composition preparation, developmental math, introductory chemistry, and/or student support courses for students participating in the First Year Bridge program. 

General Education Requirements (GER)

UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s or associate degree. They include at minimum 30 credits (10 courses) in six categories that are designed to assure basic student competencies and provide a broad body of knowledge as a context for specialization.

Some degree requirements may fulfill GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.   

The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University Core General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.

For the Bachelor of Arts in General Letters (BAGL), which does not include a major, students must complete the Breadth requirement, a Natural Science Lab requirement, the International requirement, a Language other than English requirement, and a Portfolio requirement. The Breadth requirement ensures that students take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The International requirement develops student potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Language other than English requirement develops student proficiency in a language other than English. The Portfolio requirement calls for students to build their critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through writing summative papers in two different areas of study along with a reflection. And the requirement that students take an L&S Natural Science lab ensures exposure to and practice with the scientific method in action.

Below are the details of the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in General Letters.

Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts in General Letters (BAGL)

Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science with 45 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered 300 or above) courses.

The College requires that students must complete, in residence at UWM, at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.

In addition to the requirements listed below, students completing this degree must submit a portfolio containing summative assessment assignments from two of their L&S 300-level or above courses, and a reflection paper in which the student discusses those assignments in relation to their learning across the degree. The student may submit this portfolio at any time after declaring this degree; it is best to submit it before or at the same time as applying for graduation.

Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.

The Bachelor of Arts in General Letters does not allow for the completion of a major. Students may complete minors, certificates, and/or microcredentials with this degree. As for all UWM degrees, students seeking the B.A. in General Letters must attain a 2.0 GPA on all credits attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all credits attempted toward the degree, including any transfer work. The B.A. in General Letters cannot be completed as a second degree.

College of Letters and Science Requirements

I. Language other than English Requirement

Students must fulfill the language other than English requirement by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English (including all languages other than English and American Sign Language). 

Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. 

II. International Requirement

To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some two-course (minimum 6 credits) combination of:

1. Courses with L&S approved international content (see Approved Courses for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
2. Any study-abroad course(s).

Students who graduate secondary school in a country other than the U.S. are exempt from this requirement.

III. Breadth Requirement

In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement to obtain deeper experience across our three substantive divisions.

The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 9 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Sciences breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. See Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement for course options.     

IV. The Minor

If a student chooses to complete a minor, the College requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. The minor must include at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses at UWM.

College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.