The State of Louisiana Board of
Regents, in its Master Plan for Higher Education, designated LSU as
Louisiana's single "comprehensive university."
It is accredited by the Commission on
Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, to award
bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees.
The LSU student has the opportunity to experience a
rich diversity of courses, curricula, students, faculty, and settings
which stimulate and challenge individual growth. As the state's
comprehensive University, LSU offers numerous choices for intellectual
development, career options, and cultural exposure. The undergraduate
classroom is enhanced through LSU's research status, ensuring that
students are aware of the most recent discoveries and are taught
innovative modes of inquiry.
Bachelor's degrees are offered in 73 major fields,
master's degrees are offered in 75 major fields, and doctoral degrees are
offered in 55 major fields.
The University has no more important mission than to
provide its students with outstanding learning opportunities. LSU offers
undergraduate programs of study that are both rigorous and exciting. These
programs attract bright, energetic students who wish to prepare for the
career challenges of the 21st century.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
Academic programs and services at LSU provide
students with the opportunity to obtain a strong general education,
explore a variety of fields and majors, and have direct contact with
faculty in their major field. Freshmen are admitted to University College
where they either declare a major or examine educational and career
alternatives while completing the general education requirements. To
complete degree requirements, students must meet the admission
requirements of a senior or degree-granting college.
Students select from degree programs offered by ten
senior colleges.
College of Agriculture
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science in Forestry
College of Arts and Sciences
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of General Studies
College of Basic Sciences
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science in Geology
E. J. Ourso College of Business
Administration
Bachelor of Science
College of Design
Bachelor of Architecture
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Interior Design
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
College of Education
Bachelor of Science
College of Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Biological
Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Construction Management
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering
Manship School of Mass Communication
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
College of Music and Dramatic Arts
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music Education
GRADUATE DEGREES
Graduate degrees that the University is currently
authorized by the Board of Regents to offer are listed below. Please see
the chapter "Graduate School and Professional Programs" for
additional information.
Master of Arts
Master of Arts in Liberal Arts
Master of Fine Arts
Master of Landscape Architecture
Master of Science
Master of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering
Master of Science in Systems Science
Master of Science in Engineering Science
Master of Applied Statistics
Master of Education
Master of Library & Information Science
Master of Natural Sciences
Master of Mass Communication
Master of Music
Master of Business Administration
Master of Public Administration
Master of Social Work
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Doctor of Musical Arts
Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science
Certificate of Education Specialist
COURSE OFFERINGS
Instruction is provided through a wide variety of
on- and off-campus courses. The academic year is divided into fall and
spring semesters and a summer term consisting of one or more sessions.
Most classes are taught between 7:30 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through
Friday.
The fall semester starts in mid-August
and ends in mid-December; the spring semester lasts from
January to May. Between the spring semester and the summer term, there is
a three-week intensive intersession, during which students
attend classes for three hours each day. The summer sessions are generally held from early June to early August. Many students take
advantage of the summer term to expedite graduation, to take courses
unavailable during the fall or spring, or to lighten the academic load for
the following semester.
Some courses are taught through correspondence
study, via television, or in off-campus locations through the Division of
Continuing Education. These offerings provide maximum flexibility for
students, particularly older students and those who work during the day.
Also available are educational opportunities through ROTC, the
"Artist and Lecture Series," the Career Services Center,
LSU-Baton Rouge Community College Cross-Enrollment Program, and
LSU-Southern University cooperative programs.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Students with superior academic potential can find
challenges in the Honors College in the form of advanced
course work, lectures, seminars, and independent research. For additional
information, see the "Honors College" section in this catalog.
The Division of Continuing Education offers instruction for individuals who are not in residence on any LSU
campus through off-campus classes, correspondence study, short courses,
conferences, seminars, and other specialized instructional programs. For
more information, see the section "Division of Continuing
Education" in this catalog.
The LSU Evening School offers students
opportunities to obtain college degrees by attending courses at night and
on weekends. Students may work toward undergraduate degrees in computer
science, English, general business administration, general studies,
history, mathematics, political science, psychology (B.A. or B.S.), and
sociology, a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree, or certification in
elementary and secondary education. Courses may be taken for degree credit
or audited. These courses are offered on the LSU campus and at sites in
East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes.
Off-Campus Programs are offered throughout the state. A Master of Library and Information
Science degree is offered at varied locations throughout the state, the
Master of Arts in Liberal Arts is offered at Fort Polk, and a doctoral
degree in education is offered in Shreveport.
In addition, a program sponsored by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers at the Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg,
Mississippi, represents a consortium of LSU, Texas A&M, and
Mississippi State University, each of whom provides doctoral courses in
various scientific fields.
There are also courses offered through public and
cable television, by satellite, audio-graphics, and compressed video.
In an effort to ensure success in sports and
academics, the Academic Center for Athletes offers career,
academic, and personal counseling tailored to the needs of
student-athletes.
ARTIST AND LECTURE SERIES AND LECTURESHIPS
LSU sponsors artist and lecture series and
lectureships to foster intellectual inquiry, stimulate dialog, and
cultivate unique experiences with outstanding performance in a variety of
fields. Among these programs are:
 |
Aesculapian Lecture Series in Veterinary Medicine |
|
Arts & Sciences Humanities Lecture Series |
|
Bicentennial Commemoration Lectureship in
Chemical Engineering |
|
British Petroleum Lecture Series in Geology |
|
College of Design Paula G. Manship Lecture Series |
|
J. Norman Efferson Lectureship Series |
|
Festival of Contemporary Music |
|
Walter Lynwood Fleming Lectures in Southern
History |
|
James C. and Cherie H. Flores Master of Business
Administration Program Distinguished Speaker Series |
|
Freeport-McMoRan Annual Lectureship in Chemical
Engineering |
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Frank J. Germano Lecture Series on the Practice
of Civil Engineering |
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Max Goodrich Distinguished Speaker Series in
Physics and Astronomy |
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Giles Wilkeson Gray Lecture Series in Speech |
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J. C. Greer Distinguished Speaker Series in
Business Administration |
|
Holt B. Harrison/Harrison Paint Co./Elmira H.
Harrison Lectureship |
|
Walter Hitesman Lecture Series in Mass
Communication |
|
Hubert H. Humphrey Lectureship in Public Affairs |
|
Thomas Austin Kirby Lectures in the Humanities |
|
J. W. Kistler Conference |
|
W. A . Lawrence Lecture |
|
School of Library and Information Science Beta
Phi Mu Award Series |
|
Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Distinguished
Lectureship Series |
|
Pasquale Porcelli Distinguished Lecture Series in
Mathematics |
|
Patrick Lecture Series in Nutrition, Food
Science, and Wetland Science |
|
Edward Douglass White Lectures |
|
L. J. Wilbert Memorial Lectures in Geology |
|
School of Music—Throughout each year, the
School of Music presents a comprehensive series of concerts involving
faculty soloists, symphony, wind ensemble; jazz, gospel, choral, and
chamber music; and opera. |
|
LSU Theatre presents five major productions each
year, as well as a "Second Season" of student-directed
presentations. Swine Palace Productions, a professional theatre
company, offers productions in the fall and spring, in association
with LSU Theatre. |
BOARD OF REGENTS' ACADEMIC POLICY
The University conforms to Board of Regents'
requirements to ensure consistency of official documentation with the
Regents' Inventory of Degree and Certificate Programs. The
following standardized terms are used in LSU catalogs, diplomas,
commencement programs, transcripts, and other official documents:
Degree - The title of the award conferred on students by a college, university, or
professional school upon completion of a unified program of study (i.e.,
Bachelor of Arts, B.A.; Bachelor of Science, B.S.; Master of Science,
M.S.; Master of Fine Arts, M.F.A.; Master of Landscape Architecture, M.L.A.;
Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., etc.).
Degree Program - A
grouping of campus-approved courses and requirements (i.e., minimum gpa,
comprehensive examinations, English and mathematics proficiency) that,
when satisfactorily completed, will entitle the student to a degree from a
public institution of higher education.
Degree Designation - A
degree designation for each authorized program at public institutions of
higher education is listed in the Board of Regents' Inventory of Degree
and Certificate Programs. Some programs require the name of the
subject area as part of the degree designation (i.e., Bachelor of
Architecture, B.Arch.; Master of Social Work, M.S.W.; Juris Doctorate,
J.D., etc.).
Degree Subject Area - The
primary discipline/field that constitutes the focus of a degree program.
(For example, a Bachelor of Arts in History. In some cases, the degree
subject area is part of the degree title, as in Bachelor of Architecture,
Master of Landscape Architecture.)
Degree Title - The
complete label of a degree program consisting of the degree designation
and the degree subject area (i.e., Bachelor of Arts in History; Bachelor
of Science in Chemistry). After satisfactorily completing a degree
program, a student will be entitled to a degree in the appropriate subject
area from a public institution of higher education.
Curriculum - A description of the required and elective courses for a degree program.
Major - That part of a degree program consisting of a specified group of courses
in a particular discipline or field. The name of the major is usually
consistent with the degree subject area. A major usually consists of 25
percent or more of the total hours required in an undergraduate
curriculum. Establishment of a major requires prior approval by the Board
of Regents.
Minor - That part of a degree program consisting of a specified group of courses
in a particular discipline or field. The minor usually consists of 15
percent or more of the total hours required in an undergraduate
curriculum. Minors do not require prior approval by the Board of Regents.
Concentration - An
alternative track of courses within a major, accounting for at least 30
percent of the major requirements. Establishment of a concentration
does not require prior approval by the Board of Regents.
Transcripts list degree titles, majors, minors, and concentrations. Diplomas list only the
appropriate degree designations.
Undergraduate degrees that the University is
currently authorized by the Board of Regents to offer are presented in the
following tables by college. Minors and areas of concentration within
degree programs are also listed.
