What's new and different about BABS07?
BABS07 continues to provide a world-class liberal arts education to L&S students. It does so by affirming the goals of liberal education set forth in CURRIC71, with a few improvements.
The BABS07 degree differs from the CURRIC71 in several important ways:
- University General Education Requirements (UGER) is mandatory for all students under BABS07. This will affect only students under CURRIC71 who were exempt from UGER based on their first college matriculation. Adopting BABS07 means you are also adopting UGER.
- BABS07 requires 108 credits of Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) credit. CURRIC71 required 100 credits in L&S or C-course courses.
- The course catalog is simplified and clarified under BABS07. CURRIC71 defined four kinds of courses: L&S courses, C-courses, T-courses, and NO-courses. BABS07 defines two: LAS courses and Free Electives.
- More courses count! Under CURRIC71, NO-courses did not count for the degree, even if they were challenging educational experiences. BABS07 recognizes the value of all UW-Madison college-level courses, and so all of them will count for the degree either as LAS or Free Elective credits.
- Only LAS courses may count for Breadth and level. Because Breadth is re-conceived in BABS07 as an exploration in the Liberal Arts and Sciences , it makes sense that Breadth is now a sub-set of LAS courses. Thus, only LAS courses are eligible for Breadth. Similar logic holds for the 60 credits of I/A work. Another way of thinking of this is that Free Electives do not meet L&S Breadth and Level requirements.
- The 80-credit has been eliminated. The 80-credit rule prevented focusing too much in the major by requiring 80 credits outside the major or major department. BABS07 retains the cap on how many credits a major can require (40), but accepts that educational breadth occurs even within a focus.
- The 10-credit limit for Breadth has been eliminated. The 10-credit limit was employed to ensure breadth within the Breadth requirements. BABS07 acknowledge the inherent breadth of Breadth courses.
- An Alternate Senior Residence Requirement will affect students who have done all of their first 90 degree credits in residence. BABS07 recognizes that seniors often need some adjustments. If you have no AP, transfer, retroactive foreign language, or test credit within your first 90 credits, DARS will swap the usual 30 credit Senior Residence requirement for a 22 credit requirement. If you do not meet the criteria for the Alternate Residence, you can still request an exception to Senior Residence from an academic dean.
- Graduate courses now count. L&S graduate courses will count as LAS credit and non-L&S graduate courses will count as Free Electives in the degree. The only requirement for taking a graduate course is instructor consent, and of course, a passing grade. Just be aware that a graduate program may not grant credit for courses used to satisfy the undergraduate degree.