The State of Louisiana Board of Regents, in its Master Plan for Higher Education, designated LSU as Louisiana's single "comprehensive university."

LSU 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.

LSU students have the opportunity to experience a rich diversity of courses, curricula, students, faculty, and settings that 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 69 major fields, master's degrees are offered in 76 major fields, and doctoral degrees are offered in 54 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 21^stcentury.

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.

Graduate degrees that the University is currently authorized by the Board of Regents to offer are listed below. Please see the chapter "Graduate and Professional Programs" for additional information.

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.

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 various sites in East Baton Rouge Parish.

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 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.

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:

• 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.

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 by a student, will entitle him or her 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 professional programs require the name of the general 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 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.) When a student satisfactorily completes a degree program, he/she will be entitled to a degree in the appropriate subject area (i.e. biology, history, English, etc.)

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).

Major• That part of a degree program that consists 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 that consists 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.

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.