College of Arts and Letters

Maureen Ryan, Interim Dean
Eric Tribunella, Senior Associate Dean
Julie Reid, Associate Dean
118 College Drive, Box 5004
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
601.266.4315

Mission

Through its foundational disciplines, the College of Arts and Letters prepares a diverse student body for lives as responsible and engaged citizens by enhancing cultural awareness, moral and aesthetic sensitivity, ethical reflection and a love of learning. Our graduates are nimble, adaptable, creative, and therefore able to respond to ever-changing global circumstances and environments.

Vision

The College aspires to develop or enhance nationally/internationally recognized undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in areas that take advantage of our history, culture and location in the Gulf South and contribute to the well-being of the region. The college further endeavors to create a sustainable financial model that enables the envisioned future.

Values

The College values its role of serving a diverse student body at the University by exposing students to a core of essential knowledge which:

1. develops the fundamental skills of critical reading and thinking, as well as effective oral and written communication;
2. provides knowledge in the visual and performing arts, humanities and social sciences for all undergraduates;
3. fosters an understanding and appreciation of the breadth and diversity of the human condition, including the roles of gender, race, ethnicity, and culture;
4. and supports a varied array of cultural, aesthetic and educational experiences that enrich student lives and those of the academic and larger community that surrounds them.

Organization

As the chart of academic offerings on the previous pages shows, the College of Arts and Letters is organized around two schools, 12 departments and a variety of interdisciplinary programs. In the sections below, the academic units of the college are listed in alphabetical order.

Since curricular requirements vary for each major, students desiring degrees from the College of Arts and Letters should follow the courses outlined under each school, department or program of study.

Standards for Admission and Transfer

High school graduates and transfer students from other accredited colleges or universities may be admitted directly into the College of Arts and Letters and their chosen major programs, with a few exceptions. Some programs have admission standards or audition requirements and students should refer to the individual program listings below for specific requirements. Students entering the college will be assigned to an appropriate faculty member for academic advisement.

Foreign Language Requirements

Bachelor of Arts degrees in traditional liberal arts majors require proficiency in a foreign language to be chosen from any one of the following: Chinese, French, German, classical Greek, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish. Not all of these languages will be available every year.

The foreign language requirement is usually met with the completion of course level 202 or equivalent CLEP credit.

Students are encouraged to begin their study of foreign language during the first semester of their freshman year. Students with previous language exposure (heritage speakers or high school experience) who begin at higher levels (i.e., 102, 201 or 202) may petition the department of their major for preceding courses to be waived. With the approval of their department chair and the dean, international students may use their native language as an exemption from this requirement.

Students with previous experience are encouraged to contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at 601.266.4964 for advising on proper enrollment. Up to 12 hours of course credit in French, German or Spanish can be acquired through the CLEP examination – see Credit by Examination  section under General Academic Information  in this Bulletin or contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

Grade Point Average Requirement

Students within the College of Arts and Letters are required to earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 on all coursework attempted at Southern Miss. Additionally, they are required to earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 on all coursework attempted at all institutions overall, as well as within the major and minor.

Study Abroad

In cooperation with the Office of International Programs, the College of Arts and Letters strongly encourages its students to take advantage of the many offers to study abroad. Summer credit-abroad programs are offered in England, Austria, France, Mexico, China, Ireland, Australia, Scotland, Jamaica, Africa, Costa Rica and Spain; moreover, year-long and semester-long programs of study are available in many countries, including England, Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Australia, and Wales. Academic credit for study abroad may be used to satisfy requirements within the major or minor. Many students find study abroad a good way to complete their language requirement. Financial aid may be applied toward the cost of Southern Miss international programs.

For details on the college’s study-abroad programs, students should consult their adviser or the Office of International Programs at 601.266.4344.

Transfer Credits

Students who matriculate at Southern Miss as College of Arts and Letters majors may not subsequently attend another institution of higher learning (e.g., community/junior college, four-year college or university) with the intention of transferring courses taken at these institutions back to their Southern Miss degree program unless they have received prior approval to take such courses by their adviser, department chair and college dean.

Southern Miss students who take courses at another institution of higher learning without obtaining prior written approval of their adviser, chair and dean may petition their adviser, chair and dean for inclusion of such courses in their Southern Miss degree program, but approval will be granted only if the reasons for not obtaining prior approval are substantial and warrant such an exception to the above-stated policy. In all but the most unusual circumstances, Southern Miss students who take courses at another institution to repeat courses already taken at Southern Miss will not be allowed to count these courses toward the completion of the Southern Miss degree.

Southern Miss students majoring in degree programs outside the College of Arts and Letters who subsequently request transfer into one of the College of Arts and Letters degree programs must meet all of the above conditions or receive prior approval by their new chair and dean for any exceptions.

Teacher Education Programs and Requirements

The College of Arts and Letters offers several programs leading to licensure at the K-12 or secondary level.

Before applying for admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met: (1) an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, with no scale score below 18, or an SAT of 860 (verbal and quantitative) upon entrance into college or acceptable scores on the Praxis I subscales computerized PPST: Reading (170), Writing (172) and Mathematics (169), or on the Praxis I (CBT): Reading (316), Writing (318) and Mathematics (314); (2) a minimum grade point average on the 44-semester-hour general education core curriculum of 2.65; (3) a C average in freshman English composition; (4) successful completion of the Basic Technology Literacy Exam (BTLE) or IC3 certification; (5) good academic standing at Southern Miss. A student on probation, probation continued or suspension status will not be admitted to teacher education until such a time as the transcript reflects good academic standing; (6) clear background check via the system selected by the Southern Miss Professional Education Council.

Each Southern Miss student who applies for admission to a teacher education program must undergo a background check when applying for the Gold Card. Students who pass the background checking process will be issued a background check badge and considered eligible for admission to teacher education pending satisfaction of other admission requirements. Teacher candidates issued Gold Cards prior to fall 2009 and currently enrolled in Southern Miss teacher education programs, as well as Southern Miss students enrolled in teacher education fields or clinical experiences that do not require a Gold Card, must also undergo a background check as part of the university policy.

After admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met to continue in the program: (1) all candidates must subscribe to the Tk20 Assessment System. Tk20 provides an electronic portfolio and storage system for students as well as tracks, stores, retrieves and analyzes data for accreditation purposes; (2) a grade of C or better in all content courses in the academic major as well as all professional education courses with an overall grade point average of 2.50; (3) fulfillment of major requirements in subject area; (4) completion of professional education courses required by the major; (5) take Praxis II content and PLT tests and have scores reported to Southern Miss (code #1479) prior to graduation.

A minimum of 30 clock hours of clinical experience is required prior to teacher candidacy (15 hours of observation and 15 hours of practicum). Specific programs may require more practicum hours.

Requirements for professional education programs are subject to modification. For current program information, students should contact the University’s Educator Licensure office, 121-B Owings-McQuagge Hall; 601.266.5522.

Mississippi Department of Education licensure requirements supersede the program requirements listed in the Bulletin. Mandated changes in program requirements will be communicated through the candidate’s department.

Degree Plans and Semester-by-Semester Guides