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.
To declare the B.A. in General Letters, visit the College of Letters & Sciences page on this degree.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts in General Letters
Complete 120 credits including 90 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 45 of the 90 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300). At least 15 credits must be completed in residence at UWM. The Bachelor of Arts in General Letters does not require completion of a major. Students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all credits attempted, including any transfer work.
Upon application for graduation, students completing this degree will submit a portfolio containing summative assessment assignments from two of their 300-level or above courses, and a reflection paper in which the student discusses those assignments in relation to their learning across the degree.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
College of Letters and Science Requirements
I. International Requirement
See Approved Courses for the L&S International Requirement for course options beyond language courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Completed in one of the following ways: | 9 | |
Complete 3 courses (min. 9 cr) in a single language other than English (not including literature-in-translation or American Sign Language) at the 3rd semester level and above. | ||
Complete 3 non-language courses (min. 9 credits) with an international content chosen from at least 2 curricular areas. | ||
Complete 9 credits in combination of the two options above. | ||
II. Breadth Requirement
Along with completing the University General Education Requirements of 3 credits in the Arts (A); 6 credits in the Humanities (HU), Social Sciences (SS), and Natural Sciences (NS/NS+); and a course with the Cultural Diversity (CD/+) designation, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S courses with Humanities Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single subject area. * | 12 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Natural Sciences Breadth designation, including at least one laboratory or field course; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Complete 12 credits of L&S Courses with Social Science Breadth designation; no more than 6 credits from a single curricular area. * | 12 | |
| Cultural Diversity | ||
| Complete 3 credits in a course with Cultural Diversity (CD) designation. ** | 3 | |
- *
Students should check their course selections carefully with the list of approved L&S Breadth Courses. Students are advised to select at least 6 credits worth of courses in each of the Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Sciences areas that can satisfy both the campus-wide General Education Requirements and the L&S Breadth requirement.
- **
Students are advised to select a course that satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement as well as a Humanities or Social Science breadth/GER requirement.
III. 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.
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.