The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences is to teach, engage in research and creative artistic activity, and serve the community. This mission derives from the College’s traditional focus on the fundamental intellectual disciplines and the premise that a coherent and intellectually rigorous curriculum of the humanities, arts, mathematics, and the social and natural sciences is the foundation for excellence in any undergraduate education.
  The College provides such programs for students enrolled in the University’s Core Curriculum and offers elective courses for students who seek degrees from the University’s other colleges and schools. Many professional degree programs require courses in specific Arts and Sciences disciplines; these needs are carefully addressed. The College’s mission goes beyond introductory and service courses by exploring the full implications of the arts and sciences disciplines in historical and contemporary society. High quality undergraduate degree programs educate students in the fundamentals of each discipline. Graduate programs provide in-depth training for the best students and allow faculty members the opportunity to teach at the frontiers of their fields. Rigorous academic research, scholarship, and creative activity are integral components of faculty activities in all disciplines and are the heart of graduate education.
  Characteristically, the liberal arts endeavor is to synthesize. Thus, in addition to traditional degree programs, the College coordinates special areas and interests through a number of certificate and interdisciplinary degree programs.
  The College is composed of 17 departments and several interdisciplinary programs.

The College offers departmental programs of study leading to Bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences, chemistry, earth sciences, economics, English, environmental studies, French, geography, geosciences, history, international relations, marine biology, mathematics, mathematical sciences, philosophy, physics, political science, Portuguese, psychology, religious studies, sociology and anthropology, Spanish, and statistics. The College also offers interdisciplinary programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees in Asian studies, humanities, liberal studies, and women’s studies. A labor studies concentration is available in the liberal studies program.
  Minor programs of study are offered in Asian studies, astronomy, biology, chemistry, economics, English, environmental studies, French language and culture, general translation studies, geography, geology,  history, humanities, international relations, marine biology, mathematical sciences, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, Portuguese, psychology, religious studies, sociology and anthropology, Spanish language and culture, and statistics.

Students can earn through the College certificates in the following: Actuarial Studies, African Studies, African-American Studies, African-New World Studies, Agroecology, American Studies, Ancient Mediterranean Civilization, Asian Studies, Asian Globalization and Latin America, Chinese Studies, Comparative Immunology, Cuban and Cuban American Studies, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, European Studies, Film Studies, Forensic Science, Gerontological Studies, Japanese Studies, Judaic Studies, Labor Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Law, Ethics and Society, Legal Translation and Court Interpreting, Linguistics Studies, Middle East and Central Asian Studies, National Security Studies, Portuguese Interpretation Studies, Portuguese Translation Studies, Post-baccalaureate Undergraduate Premedical, Pre-Modern Cultures, Professional Language, Public Policy Studies, South and Southeast Asia Area Studies, Study of Sephardic and Oriental Jewry, Translation Studies, and Women’s Studies.

FIU freshmen and sophomore students may be coded with an “intended” major in the College upon earning 24 semester hours.  
  They may be fully admitted to the College if they have earned 60 semester hours, have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, and have passed the CLAST. Full admission to the College is accomplished by filing the form “Request for Acceptance into Upper Division College/School.”
  A transfer student having an Associate in Arts degree from a Florida community college or having completed the equivalent coursework at a four-year institution with a minimum of 60 semester hours earned, having a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, and having passed the CLAST may be admitted to a program in the College. Applicants must submit an Application for Admission to the University and must follow the regular University procedures. Applicants must be eligible for admission to the University before admission to the College.
  All students are encouraged to seek advising as early as possible in the department/program of their choice, even if they have not yet been fully admitted into that major.

Candidates to the Bachelor's degree must satisfy individual departmental requirements, and the following College requirements, in addition to the University-wide requirements listed elsewhere:

Students who desire to earn a minor must satisfy individual departmental/program requirements and the following College requirements:

Note: The programs, policies, requirements, and regulations listed in this catalog are continually subject to review in order to serve the needs of the University’s various publics and to respond to the mandates of the Florida Board of Education and the Florida Legislature. Changes may be made without advance notice. Please refer to the General Information section for the University’s policies, requirements, and regulations.

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to the Epsilon chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious honor society. Established in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, this society is exclusively for arts and sciences majors who have studied broadly in a variety of its disciplines.
  Membership is by invitation not by application. During the semester when students graduate, they are evaluated by the chapter to determine their eligibility. Summer graduates are considered during the succeeding fall semester. The chapter committee examines not only the student’s grade point average, but also the breadth and rigor of coursework in the arts and sciences. In particular, candidates need to demonstrate knowledge of mathematics and of a foreign language at least minimally appropriate for liberal education.
  Students who wish further information on the requirements for membership should contact Professors Rosemary Hickey-Vargas (Earth Sciences) or Leonard Keller (Chemistry/Liberal Studies).

The College of Arts and Sciences has several interdisciplinary programs which are not based in a specific academic department. The courses offered by these programs therefore are not found in the departmental listings in the Catalog. For this reason, they are included here.

ASN 3042 Asian Religions and the Arts (3). Examines the richly diverse and complex forms of art and artistic expression in the various Asian religions against the background of their respective cultural settings.

ASN 3200 Asia Through Films (3). Overview of Asian culture, history, and society through Asian cinema.

ASN 3403 Zen and the Art of Tea Ceremony (3). An introduction to the cultural traditions and social behavior of Asia that covers the history, theory, and practice of Chado, or Way of Tea, a Zen-Buddhist inspired art.

ASN 3410 Introduction to East Asia (3). An overview of East Asia from traditional to modern times including the interaction among Asian cultures as well as between Asia and the world.

ASN 4510 Dynamics of Asia (3). An interdisciplinary study of the classical and contemporary periods in Asian civilizations, including tradition and modernization, culture and the arts, gender and diversity, and international relations.

ASN 4911 Independent Research in Asian Studies (1- 6). Topics selected to meet academic needs for students doing research in same special area in Asian Studies. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ASN 5315 Survey of Modern Asia (3). Focus on modernization, or the transition from pre-modern (classical and medieval) to elements of the modern, including westernization, industrialization, and the roles of capitalism, communism, imperialism, and colonialism, as well as the impact of post-colonialism and post-modern society in Asia.

ASN 5910 Independent Research in Asian Studies (1-6). Topics will be selected to meet academic needs for students doing research in some specialized area of Asian studies. Prerequisite: Permission of the  instructor.

IDH 1931 Honors Leadership Seminar (1). An introduction to principles of leadership necessary for advancement within the institution and beyond graduation. Prerequisite: SLS 1501. Corequisite: IDH 1002.

ISC 4947 Entrepreneurial Science Internship (1-20). Internship in a faculty laboratory with emphasis on finding commercial applications of the laboratory’s ongoing research. May be repeated. Prerequisite: GEB 4113.

LAS 5955 Haiti Study Abroad (3). Study abroad examination of Haitian Politics and Society. Part of Haitian Summer Institute. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

LIS 2005 Information and Internet Research (3). Development of research skills as they apply to using both academic libraries and internet. Includes critical thinking skills in relation to the use and application of information.

SLS 1501 First Year Experience (1). A review of basic skills and competencies necessary to college success including time management, study skills, and academic policies/procedures. Includes mandated information.

AFA 2000 African World-Introduction (3). A core requirement for those considering a certificate or major in African-New World Studies. Key ideas, thinkers, theories, and geographical locations of peoples and culture of the African diaspora.

AFA 3153 African Civilization, Religion and Philosophy (3). An introductory level overview of Ancient African origins of Civilization, Religion and Philosophy. Prerequisites: AFA 2000 or approval of director.

AFA 4104 Teaching the African-American Experience (3). Teachers Institute which includes literature, culture, history, politics, and the arts designed to meet Florida State Teachers Certification requirements. Includes instruction on pedagogy, teaching methods and FCAT.

AFA 4340 Health, Society and Culture in the African World (3). Examines the social and humanistic aspects of health care in the African world. Its interdisciplinary and comparative framework offers students the opportunity to explore the intersections of social policy, cultural traditions, history, values, and behaviors with scientific principles and methods.

AFA 4905 Independent Study (0-6). Student-generated research projects in African-New World Studies. Independent investigations, reports on individual and assigned readings with ANWS core and affiliated faculty.

AFA 4930 African-New World Studies: Theory & Methods Seminar (3). The nature, meaning and intent of intellectual production in Africa and the diaspora. Examines the works of key thinkers that have made visible some of the submerged or appropriated realities of African peoples.

AFA 4931 Special Topics in African-New World Studies (3). An examination of different features of African-New World Studies, not normally offered in the basic curriculum or otherwise offered. May be repeated.

AFA 4933 Special Topics in Black Transnationalism (3). A course designed to give groups of students special studies in the black experience transnationally. Prerequisite: AFA 2000.

AFA 4941 ANWS Internship (0-6). Practical application in a supervised setting outside of the classroom of knowledge acquired in the classroom. Consent of faculty sponsor and program director required.

AFA 5341 Health Issues in the African World (3). Examination of the history of the biomedicine system and its relationship to African populations, and the evolution of this relationship with respect to disease in the contemporary world. The course is organized to promote awareness of the impact of culture, ethnicity, racism, class on public health research.

AFS 4200 African Drums I (3). A beginner hands-on course for students who are interested in West African music, dance, drum, performance, and culture.

AFS 4201 African Drums II (3). An advanced course on the complex arts of West African drums and drumming techniques that immerses students in the Malian and Senegalese polyrhythmic traditions, especially dundun and djembe drums. Prerequisites: AFS 4200 or permission of the instructor.

LAH 4460 Peoples, Culture and Politics of Haiti (3). An introduction to the cultures and history of the Haitian people from Africa to the New World. The students will become familiar to the life, cultures of the Indians of the Caribbean: Taino, Arawak and Caribs.

LAH 5465 Peoples, Culture and Politics of Haiti (3). Advanced study of the cultures and history of the Haitian people from Africa to the New World, including life, cultures of the Indians of the Caribbean: Taino, Arawak and Caribs.

EUS 4920 Colloquium: European Studies (3). Interdisciplinary course, co-taught by faculty from the humanities and social sciences, provides students a comprehensive picture on a subject relevant to modern Europe. Topics will vary.

ISS 3240 World Prospects and Issues (3). This course examines, from a multidisciplinary point of view, specific global issues such as food, population, and arms control. The issues discussed may change from one semester to the next.

ISS 4165 Sustainable Communities Seminar (3). Explores theories and aspects of sustainable communities, and considers the concept in comparative-historical, local global, and critical perspective.  Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ISS 4234 Cultural Expressions of the Americas (3). This interdisciplinary course focuses on national, cultural, and racial identities, as well as the performance of race and gender, as expressed in cultural productions of the Americas.

ISS 4235 The Cultural Body in the Americas: Critical Issues in Intercultural Understanding (3). With a team taught interdisciplinary approach this course explores the diverse symbols, hierarchies, and meanings invoked through culturally constructed human bodies and body movement in the Americas.

ISS 5166 Sustainable Communities Seminar (3). Explores theories and aspects of sustainable communities, and considers the concept in comparative-historical, local global, and critical perspective. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

ISS 5237 Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Expressions (3). This interdisciplinary course develops an interdisciplinary approach to the study of national, cultural, and racial identities, as expressed in cultural productions of the Latin America and the Caribbean.

ISS 5238 The Imaged Body: The Case of the Americas (3). With a team-taught interdisciplinary approach this course explores how identity, power and hierarchy are invoked and represented through the human body and body movement in the region of the Americas.