Undergraduate Programs

College of Arts and Sciences

Liberal Arts at Concordia University

Our liberal arts college creates a collaborative culture, centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in which our community engages in the pursuit of knowledge and truth through critical thinking and effective communication. The exploration and discovery of ideas in a multifaceted environment inspires an enduring love for the arts and sciences, a commitment to life-long learning, a disposition to investigate our global society, and a passion to lead and to serve in our vocations.

Learning

Members of our liberal arts culture engage a broad knowledge base. This includes the humanities; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences; communication; mathematics; and the fine and performing arts. Learning from the past, confronting the present, and influencing the future become the core of all learning.

Growing

Our liberal arts culture provides many opportunities and ways to gain knowledge and encourages a broad world perspective. We rigorously investigate our complex world through different ways of thinking, from diverse perspectives, and in a variety of disciplines. We develop the ability to think critically about those observations and experiences, and the skill to communicate those ideas effectively.

Serving

Members of our liberal arts culture who see the world from a variety of perspectives, think critically and creatively, and communicate those thoughts are well-prepared to serve and lead in many vocations. As we continue to grow as servant-leaders, synthesizing new knowledge and skills with the old, we use our talents for the betterment of the world through service to God and neighbor.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a tradition curriculum including studies in the humanities, communication, literature, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and theology. The general studies component provides a broad base of knowledge and serves as a foundation for further study either in an academic discipline or in an applied specialization, such as the various professional, pre-professional and business-related programs. The 30 liberal arts majors allow a student to pursue a field of interest, to prepare for graduate school, or to get ready for a variety of careers and life vocations. The strong liberal arts education has the overall goal of promoting intellectual and personal growth, facilitating cultural development, and assisting the student to develop life-long values and skills. Graduates receive the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers degrees in
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science

The College of Arts and Sciences offers Programs in
Liberal Arts
Deaconess
Pre-Professional Studies: Seminary, Law, Medicine, Dental

Majors in the College of Arts and Sciences

Minors in the College of Arts and Sciences

Graduation Requirements

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet all University requirements found in the Academic Information section of this catalog. Specific requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences include:

• a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all coursework completed at Concordia,
• a minimum GPA of 2.00 for all courses taken in the major at Concordia,
• a minimum grade of C- for all courses taken in a major at Concordia.
• no course in a major at Concordia may be taken on the Pass/DF grade option.

Professional Experience in the Arts and Sciences

Concordia has a long tradition of offering its students a "supervised work experience." More recently, the Arts and Sciences programs have included opportunities for practical work experiences for credit. Professional Experience (PROEX), the umbrella term used to include all practical training course work, is broadly defined as a work experience in business, industry, or an agency where a student receives academic credit for applying learned concepts and theories to practical situations on the job.

Professional Experience includes courses titled Internship, Practicum and Field Experiences. These may be taken with other course work during the academic year, or may be taken during the summer months. They are generally not a paid experience. Cooperative Education will be a work experience that may be full time or parallel with course work. However, it will always be a paid experience.

Each student who applies for a Professional Experience course will meet with the PROEX Coordinator and his/her faculty supervisor from the major. To receive PROEX credit, a student must develop objectives and conduct learning activities to accomplish these goals. No student will be given credit on a retroactive basis. In general, students must have completed 12 hours toward their major and have a B average in all of their major courses. The objectives must be approved by the faculty supervisor and the work site supervisor before the student can register for the PROEX course. Application must be made to the PROEX Coordinator at least one semester before the experience is to begin. Students interested in the professional experience program should see the Director of Career Services for information and procedures.

Placement

Concordia University maintains two offices that provide placement/employment services to all students planning to complete their degrees during the academic year.

• The Synodical Placement Office deals with placement into Lutheran teaching and all programs offered by the University leading to professional work in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
• The Career Services Office offers job assistance to students in Public Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business.

Seniors must register with the placement/employment office prior to their last semester before graduation.  Workshops on resume writing and interviewing skills, as well as opportunities for mock interviews are available.  Seniors can participate in several Collegiate Job Fairs introducing them to companies that hire college graduates each year.  Seniors are encouraged to develop a plan for distribution of cover letters and resumes, with appropriate follow-up.  Forms are available for letters of reference to employers.

The Career Center Webpage and bulletin boards located on 1st Brohm are filled with full-time job opportunities sent to Concordia University.  Weekly national job listings from major sources are also available at the center.

All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are encouraged to utilize the services of the Career Center early in their college careers.  Concordia offers Career Management (PSY 1010) to freshmen and sophomores for career planning assistance.  During their junior year students are offered job search strategy workshops detailing important phases of the transition from the academic environment to the world of work.  Internship workshops are presented during each semester.

Sophomores and juniors who have declared a major in Public Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, or the College of Business are encouraged to register with the Career Center.

The Educational/Synodical Placement Office also acts as a credentials depository, if so established by the student.  Credentials, consisting of basic information about the individual, student teaching evaluations and letters of appraisal are maintained for a limited period of time.  These credentials are kept on file and may be sent to prospective employers at the student’s request.