FAQ

1. Which courses meet the literature requirement?
2. How can I tell if a science course meets the laboratory requirement?
3. Can courses required for the major meet General Studies requirements?
4. Can courses taken to meet minor or second major requirements be applied to General Studies requirements?
5. Can CIS 211 be applied to the Science Area of General Studies?
6. When does a student have to declare his/her major?
7. How should I advise students who are undecided about their majors and/or career choices?
8. What do I tell students about the Experiential Learning Requirement?
9. If students take courses at another university, can the credits be applied to their Elon University degree?
10. What determines whether a course is an Advanced Studies course?
11. What are the advantages and risks of repeating a course?

1. Which courses meet the literature requirement?
Any one of the following:
a. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate or Dual Enrollment transfer credits.
b. Many courses in the English department are designated as literature; ENG 223 (American Literature I) and ENG 250 (Interpretations of Literature) clearly meet the requirement based on their titles. With other courses, such as ENG 325 (Romanticism) and ENG 342 (Shakespeare: The Tragedies), it may not be as obvious from the title, but the content clearly expresses an expectation of reading and interpreting literature. Some courses, such as ENG 357 (The London Theatre) and ENG 253 (Studies in Ireland) may be more experiential, but there is still a considerable amount of literature interpretation involved in the class. Students are required to have taken ENG 110 (College Writing) before enrolling in the English literature courses. There are other courses offered by the English Department that do not meet the literature requirement; for example, ENG 205 (Grammar) and ENG 213 (Creative Writing), are not designed to include the interpretation of literature. When in doubt, contact the English department.
c. Literature courses in a foreign language may apply. For example, FRE 331 (Introduction to French Literature I) and SPN 352 (Survey of Latin American Literature). These courses are taught in a foreign language, so there are prerequisites that must be met before taking these courses. These courses may also be applied to a student’s major or minor even though they are being used to meet the General Studies literature requirement.
d. Occasionally there are General Studies courses (GST) designated as literature. Refer to the course description to determine whether it applies. The course content may change from one year to another, so it’s important to check the appropriate catalog or Winter Term booklet. For example, The Holocaust as Experience and Studies in Ghana may meet the literature requirement based on the faculty member and the course requirements.
e. Note: ENG 100 and ENG 106 do not meet either the College Writing or the literature requirement.
f. If you have a question about a specific course, consult the Registrar in 102 Alamance or the Director of General Studies in Belk Pavilion 117.

2. How can I tell if a science course meets the laboratory requirement?
Consult the course description in the University catalog to verify whether a course meets the lab requirement. Some science courses include the laboratory experience as part of the regularly scheduled class time (e.g., PHY 103-Geology, PHY 110-Energy & the Environment); other science courses have separate lecture and class times but use the same course number (e.g., BIO 161-Human Anatomy); still other science courses have separate lecture and labs which are co-requisites and must be taken concurrently (e.g., CHM 111 and CHM 113-General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory). Some science courses have no laboratory component and do not meet the lab requirement (e.g., SCI 121-Science Without Borders, BIO 105-Current Issues in Biology).

If you have a question about a specific course, consult the Registrar in 102 Alamance or the Director of General Studies in Belk Pavilion 117.

3. Can courses required for the major meet General Studies requirements?
Of the First-Year Core classes, only Mathematics courses are sometimes used to meet major requirements (GST 110, ENG 110, and HED 111 are not major requirements.) As a general rule, courses from the major can be used to meet Liberal Studies requirements in the Expression, Civilization, Society, and Science Areas. They may not be used to meet Advanced Studies or the General Studies Seminar requirements.

4. Can courses taken to meet minor or second major requirements be applied to General Studies requirements?
Yes. If the student has a second major, courses from the second major can even be used to meet Advanced Studies requirements; once the General Studies requirements are met for one major, they are considered complete for subsequent majors.

5. Can CIS 211 be applied to the Science Area of General Studies?
No. Although Computer Science (CSC) courses can be applied to the Science area, Computer Information Systems (CIS) courses cannot be applied.

6. When does a student have to declare his/her major?
We encourage students to declare a major as soon as they make an informed decision of their academic and/or career interests. This can be done as soon as the end of the first semester, but should be done by the end of the sophomore year. When a student is assigned to a faculty advisor in the major, a relationship begins which benefits the student in making important decisions about class selection, career options, and graduate school possibilities. With some majors, it is important to begin taking specific courses immediately as preparation for upper-level courses. Such majors as computer science, elementary education, mathematics, performing arts, music, and the sciences are linear majors that require careful planning.

7. How should I advise students who are undecided about their majors and/or career choices?
The better you know your advisees, the better you can help them in making these decisions. They will look to you for guidance to give them the information they need and relieve the anxiety they may feel. A resource you may want to be familiar with is a half-semester course called Exploring Majors (COE 110), a class designed to help students systematically explore their interests and abilities. When reviewing the general studies requirements, you can encourage students to explore areas of interest by taking introductory courses in a discipline. The Academic Advising Center has information sheets regarding various majors ("What Can I Do With a Major In…....). These sheets can also be accessed electronically from the Advising Center homepage. Students can also be referred to the Career Center to meet with a career counselor and to take interest inventories. Also, feel free to discuss your own career path with your advisees.

8. What do I tell students about the Experiential Learning Requirement?
Refer to "Experiential Learning Requirement".

9. If students take courses at another college, can the credits be applied to their Elon University degree?
Yes, but certain factors need to be taken into consideration. Students should be referred to the Registrar's Office in 102 Alamance to complete a petition to take coursework at another school. The student must have a cumulative 2.0 GPA at Elon for the credits to be accepted, and the course taken elsewhere must be a college transfer program course rather than a technical program course. The student must make a grade of "C-" or better, but the grade from the other school will not affect the Elon GPA (only the credits transfer, not the grade). Students must have an official transcript sent to Elon upon completion of the class.

Another opportunity for Elon students to have coursework from another college is through the Greater Greensboro Consortium. While enrolled at Elon, students may take courses at Bennett College, Greensboro College, Greensboro Technical & Community College, Guilford College, High Point University, NC A&T State University, and UNC-Greensboro. Tuition at Elon covers tuition at the other college, but students must arrange their own transportation and comply with the other college's calendar (e.g., holidays). Students taking Consortium courses are expected to meet the other college's prerequisites. Only fall semester and spring semester courses can be taken through the Consortium (no Winter Term or Summer classes), and students are required to take the course at Elon if it is offered during that term. A special form needed to register for these classes is available in the Registrar's Office.

10. What determines whether a course is an Advanced Studies course?
Any 300- or 400-level course from a department listed under the four Studies in the Arts and Sciences Areas of the General Studies requirements is considered Advanced Studies.  The areas and departments are:

11. What are the advantages and risks of repeating a course?
When a student repeats a course, the second (or most recent) grade counts toward GPA, both in cumulative and major GPA calculations. The previous grade(s) remain on the student’s transcript since that grade is a true reflection of their performance during that term, but the last grade is the only one counted in the GPA. This is true even when a student repeats a course that has been passed, possibly resulting in a lower grade (and if the most recent grade is an F, credits earned previously are taken away).

Certain courses are considered "duplicates." For example, credit will not be given for both BUS 303 (Introduction to Managing) and BUS 323 (Principles of Management) and credit will not be given for both BUS 304 (Introduction to Marketing) and BUS 311 (Principles of Marketing). Credits earned for one of the classes in each pair will be dropped from the student’s hours earned toward graduation.

Check a student’s transfer evaluation to determine whether they already have credit for a course. Occasionally a student will not realize that a course taken at another school is similar enough to the Elon course to be considered an equivalent.