6.1 Bachelor of Arts General Degree Components

  1. A student for the General Degree of Bachelor of Arts must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours in courses subject to the following regulations.

  2. A Bachelor of Arts emphasizes the study of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The Bachelor of Arts General Degree consists of the following components:

    1. Core Requirements courses, some of which may also be used to satisfy other components of the Degree;

    2. a Major Program, including a minimum 60% average, or alternatively an Honours Program;

    3. a Minor Program, including a minimum 60% average, or alternatively a second major including a minimum 60% average; and

    4. Electives.


6.1.1 Academic Advising and Declaring a Bachelor of Arts

A student is encouraged to consult with an academic advisor to discuss academic programs, including the Core Requirements. A student is encouraged to declare a program of study, including a Major and a Minor, before completing the first 45 credit hours of study. Information about declaring a Major and Minor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and a list of advisors are available at www.mun.ca/hss/programs/undergraduate/ideclare.php.


6.1.2 Core Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts Core Requirements comprise a Breadth of Knowledge Requirement, a Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) Requirement, a Language Study (LS) Requirement, and a Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement. The Core Requirements provide breadth of knowledge and exposure to methodologies that are foundational for a university education, including the development of critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills in different disciplines within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Normally, core requirement courses are offered at the 1000-level or 2000-level, and are intended to be completed early in a student’s program of study. A student is encouraged to complete the CRW, LS, and QR Requirements within the first 45 credit hours.

A student must complete all Core Requirements, subject to the following conditions:

  1. Each eligible course may be used towards both the Core Requirements and applicable Major(s) or Minor requirements.

  2. A student who is concurrently completing the Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative) degree should refer to Joint Degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative).

  3. As outlined in Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, some Grenfell Campus courses may be eligible to fulfill the Core Requirements, and some limitations on transfer credits apply.

A student, in consultation with an academic advisor, is encouraged to follow Table 1 Possible Course Sequencing for the First 45 credit hours of the Bachelor of Arts. A student interested in a Bachelor of Arts Major in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or Psychology, or in a Minor in an eligible program outside of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, should consult an advisor in the appropriate department for suggested course sequencing, in addition to consulting an advisor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

A student in the International Bachelor of Arts (iBA) program is advised to subsequently consider Table 2 Possible Course Sequencing for the iBA (first 60 credit hours).

Table 1 Possible Course Sequencing for the First 45 credit hours of the Bachelor of Arts
SemesterSuggested Courses
Semester 1 (15 credit hours)

Course #1 (3 credit hours): first course for Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) Requirement should be a 1000-level English CRW course

Course #2 (3 credit hours): first course for Language Study (LS) Requirement

Course #3 (3 credit hours): first course for Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement. Eligible Quantitative Reasoning courses offered at the 3000-level are normally completed after the first 45 credit hours.

Courses #4-5 (6 credit hours): choose 1000-level courses as electives. Breadth is encouraged. Consider choosing courses in a possible Major and Minor. Programs without 1000-level courses offer 2000-level courses that are ordinarily completed in the first year of study.

Semester 2 (15 credit hours)

Course #6 (3 credit hours): second course for Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) Requirement, ideally in an area of study being considered for the Major. This course can be at the 1000-level or 2000-level.

Course #7 (3 credit hours): second course for Language Study (LS) Requirement

Course #8 (3 credit hours): second course for Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement. Eligible Quantitative Reasoning courses offered at the 3000-level are normally completed after the first 45 credit hours.

Courses #9-10 (6 credit hours): choose additional electives of interest. Breadth is encouraged. Consider declaring a Major and Minor.

Semester 3 (15 credit hours) Courses #11-15 (15 credit hours): consider your Major and Minor program requirements, as appropriate. Choose further electives.

6.1.2.1 Breadth of Knowledge Requirement

The Breadth of Knowledge Requirement is designed to ensure that students have exposure to courses in a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinary areas of study within the Humanities and Social Sciences, in order to achieve a well-rounded Humanities and Social Sciences education. To fulfill the Breadth of Knowledge Requirement, a student’s Bachelor of Arts program (core, major, minor and electives) must contain at least one course in a minimum of 6 of the following areas of study in the Humanities and/or Social Sciences, chosen from: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Communication Studies, Criminology, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Languages, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish courses.


6.1.2.2 Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) Requirement

The Critical Reading and Writing Requirement (CRW) is designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge and skills in critical reading and writing in the Humanities and/or Social Sciences, as described in the CRW course guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/crw. To fulfill the Critical Reading and Writing Requirement, a student must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in foundational Critical Reading and Writing courses. This shall include 3 credit hours in a 1000-level CRW course offered by English, and an additional 3 credit hours in any Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences course whose title begins with “Critical Reading and Writing” chosen from the following eligible courses: Anthropology 2409, Archaeology 1001, 1005, Classics 1001, English 1090 or the former 1080, 1191 or the former 1101, 1192 or the former 1102, 1193 or the former 1103, 1110, Folklore 1005, Gender Studies 1005 or the former 2005, German 1010, History 1005, 1007, 1009-1015, Philosophy 1010, 1011, Political Science 1001, Religious Studies 1001. Courses offered at Grenfell Campus using these course numbers are only eligible if they meet the CRW criteria specified above.

  1. Normally, students will complete 3 credit hours in an English CRW course, and 3 credit hours in a CRW course in another area of study included in the Breadth of Knowledge Requirement, preferably in the student's respective Major or Minor if available. The foregoing notwithstanding, any student who has completed a minimum of 3 credit hours in any English course may instead elect to fulfill the CRW Requirement by completing 6 credit hours in CRW courses in any disciplines in the Humanities and/or Social Sciences.

  2. A Critical Reading and Writing course cannot also be used to fulfill the Language Study Requirement or the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement. Guidelines for CRW courses are maintained by the Faculty's Curriculum and Programs Committee.

  3. As outlined in Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, limitations exist on the number of transfer credits eligible towards the Core Requirements.


6.1.2.3 Language Study (LS) Requirement

The Language Study (LS) Requirement is designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge of the structure of a language other than English, and to foster awareness of the inherent link between language and cultural literacy, as described in the LS course guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls. To fulfill the Language Study Requirement, a student must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in the study of a single language, other than English, chosen from one of the following languages taught in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Ancient Greek, French, German, Hebrew, Innu-aimu, Inuktitut, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish or another language that may be offered by the Faculty. Not all courses in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures or other departments qualify and it is a student's responsibility to refer to the applicable Calendar entry. The guidelines for LS courses are maintained by the Faculty's Curriculum and Programs Committee.

  1. A student with competency in one of these languages should check with the respective department to select appropriate university-level courses.

  2. A student whose first language is not English and who does not meet the standards for entry into regular first-year English courses may use English 1020 and 1021 to fulfill this requirement. University-level credit hours earned in the study of a language other than English at other institutions may be eligible for transfer to fulfill this requirement, including the study of a language not taught at Memorial University of Newfoundland for which unspecified LS credit hours may be awarded. For further information refer to Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, Transfers From Other Post-Secondary Institutions.

  3. As outlined in Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, limitations exist on the number of transfer credits eligible towards the Core Requirements, and approved university-level credit hours earned in the study of a language other than English at other institutions may be eligible for transfer to fulfill this requirement.


6.1.2.4 Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement

The Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Requirement is designed to ensure that students develop university-level foundational knowledge and skills in numeracy, quantitative analysis, logical reasoning involving numbers, and/or the graphical representation of data, as described in the QR course guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr. To fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning Requirement, a student must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in foundational Quantitative Reasoning courses, through any combination of the following:

  1. Eligible Humanities and Social Sciences courses: Archaeology 2450, Classics 3902, Economics 1010 or the former 2010, 1020 or the former 2010, 2550; Geography 1050, 2102, 2195, 2302; History 2000; Linguistics 2210, 3850; Philosophy 2030, 2031 or the former 2210, 2211; Political Science 3010, 3350; Sociology 3040.

  2. Eligible Faculty of Science courses (limited to disciplines for which there is a Humanities and Social Sciences Major): Computer Science 1000-level and 2000-level courses; Mathematics 1000-level courses, 2050; Psychology 2910, 2911, 2920; Statistics 1510, 2500, 2550.

Some foundation-level Quantitative Reasoning courses have prerequisites and/or are offered at the 3000-level. Such courses will normally be completed after the first 45 credit hours. Guidelines for QR courses are maintained by the Faculty's Curriculum and Programs Committee.

As outlined in Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, limitations exist on the number of transfer credits eligible towards the Core Requirements.


6.1.2.5 Previous Calendar Regulations

A student who has successfully completed any course at Memorial University of Newfoundland prior to September 2015 may choose to follow Core Requirement Calendar regulations from the corresponding previous edition of the University Calendar. For all students, a course section with the former Research/Writing (R/W) designation that was successfully completed prior to September 2015 may be used to fulfil the second Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) course requirement (i.e., all students must successfully complete at least one English course); identifying eligible R/W courses may require consultation with an academic advisor.


6.1.3.1 Major Programs of Study

Within the 120 credit hours required for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or International Bachelor of Arts (iBA), a student must complete at least one Major program. Major programs are administered by departments and are governed by the following general regulations. In addition to a Major, a student must complete either an eligible Minor, a second Major, or a Joint Major program.

  1. Requirements in a Major program, including a list of eligible courses, are found in each individual program’s Calendar entry.

  2. Major programs available in both the B.A. and iBA that are offered by departments in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish or the Major and Minor programs outlined in clauses c and d.

  3. Interdisciplinary Major programs available in the B.A. and which feature courses from multiple programs in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are offered in the following areas of study: Communication Studies, Criminology, Medieval and Early Modern Studies.

    1. In order to complete a B.A., an Interdisciplinary Major must be combined with a Minor or a second Major from a single discipline in one of: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish or the Major and Minor programs outlined in clauses c and d.

    2. The Interdisciplinary Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies may be combined with a discipline in clause 3.a. above to form a Joint Major.

    3. Interdisciplinary Major programs may also be combined with Majors from the following disciplines offered by the Faculty of Science: Computer Science, Pure Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics.

    4. Interdisciplinary Major programs may also be combined with eligible Minor programs available through the Faculty of Business Administration, the Faculty of Science, and the School of Music. These programs are governed by regulations which are detailed in the Calendar entries for the applicable Faculty or School.

  4. Interdisciplinary Major programs available in the iBA which feature courses from multiple programs in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are offered in the following areas of study: Communication Studies, Criminology, Medieval and Early Modern Studies.

    1. In order to complete an iBA, an Interdisciplinary Major must be combined with a second Major in one of: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

    2. The Interdisciplinary Major in Medieval and Early Modern Studies may be combined with a discipline in clause 4.a. to form a Joint Major.

  5. Major programs available in the B.A. whose courses are offered by the Faculty of Science are: Computer Science, Pure Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics. A student completing one of these Major programs must complete an additional Major or Minor offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

  6. Major programs available in the iBA whose courses are offered by the Faculty of Science are: Computer Science, Pure Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics. A student completing one of these Major programs must complete an additional Major program from a single discipline offered in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

  7. In departments such as Economics and Geography which offer both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs, a student is free to choose either degree program. A student may not obtain both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in the same Major subject.

  8. A student who completes courses at another university in the area of a Major offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences may be eligible to transfer some of those credits to fulfill requirements in the Major at Memorial University of Newfoundland. For further information refer to Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, Requirement for Courses Delivered at Memorial University of Newfoundland.


6.1.3.2 Courses in the Major

  1. A student must select courses for the Major program as set forth in the appropriate section of the Calendar.

  2. A Major program requires not fewer than 36 and not more than 45 credit hours.

  3. Normally, all courses in a Major use the label of that program. If prescribed in a Major program’s regulations, the Major may include courses from other disciplines in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, provided that the Calendar entry of each course emphasizes that discipline.

  4. Due to its temporary nature, a special topics course using another program’s label shall not normally be included in a Major program.

  5. As outlined in Limit on Certain Credit Hours, credit hours in a course cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of two Major programs, of both a Major and a Minor program, or the program requirements of all three of a Major, diploma and certificate.

  6. A student may complete additional courses in the Major subject area, which may be used as Electives.


6.1.4.1 Minor Programs of Study

Within the 120 credit hours required for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or International Bachelor of Arts (iBA), a student must complete either at least one eligible Minor program, a second eligible Major, or a Joint Major program. Minor programs are administered by departments and are governed by the following general regulations.

  1. Requirements in a Minor program, including a list of eligible courses, are found in each individual program’s Calendar entry.

  2. Minor programs available in both the B.A. and iBA that are offered by departments in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

  3. Interdisciplinary Minor programs available in the B.A. and the iBA and which feature courses from multiple programs in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are offered in the following areas of study: Communication Studies and Medieval Studies.

    1. In order to complete a B.A. an Interdisciplinary Minor must be combined with a Major from a single discipline including one of: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish or a Major program outlined in clause b.

    2. Interdisciplinary Minor programs may be combined with a Major program available in the B.A. whose courses are offered by the Faculty of Science in one of: Computer Science, Pure Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics.

  4. Interdisciplinary Minor programs available in the iBA which feature courses from multiple programs in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are offered in the following areas of study: Communication Studies, and Medieval Studies.

    In order to complete an iBA, an Interdisciplinary Minor must be combined with a Major from a single discipline including one of: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

    A student is not eligible to complete any combination of a Major or Minor in Political Science and a Major or Minor in Law and Public Policy.

  5. A Minor program available in the B.A. is also available through eligible programs in the Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Science and the School of Music. These programs are governed by regulations which are detailed in the Calendar entries for the applicable Faculty or School. A student completing one of these Minor programs must complete a Major offered in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

  6. A Minor program available in the iBA is also available through eligible programs in the Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Science and the School of Music. These programs are governed by regulations which are detailed in the Calendar entries for the applicable Faculty or School. A student completing one of these Minor programs must complete a Major from a single discipline offered in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Linguistics, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

  7. A student who completes courses at another university in the area of a Minor offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences may be eligible to transfer some of those credits to fulfill requirements in the Minor at Memorial University of Newfoundland. For further information refer to: Limited Enrolment Courses and Transfer Credits, Requirement for Courses Delivered at Memorial University of Newfoundland.


6.1.4.2 Courses in the Minor

  1. A student must select courses for the Minor program as set forth in the appropriate section of the Calendar.

  2. A Minor program offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences requires not fewer than 24 and not more than 27 credit hours taken in a subject other than that of the Major. Eligible Minors in other eligible Faculties and Schools are a minimum of 24 credit hours.

  3. Normally, all courses in a Minor use the label of that program. If prescribed in a Minor program’s regulations, the Minor may include courses from other disciplines in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, provided that the Calendar entry of each course emphasizes that discipline.

  4. Due to its temporary nature, a special topics course using another program’s label shall not normally be included in the Calendar entry of a Minor program.

  5. As outlined in Limit on Certain Credit Hours, credit hours in a course cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of both a Major and a Minor program, or the program requirements of all three of a Minor, diploma and certificate.

  6. A student may complete additional courses in the Minor subject area, which may be used as Electives.


6.1.5 The Joint Major Program

As an alternative to a Major and Minor, a student may complete a Joint Major, which consists of a minimum of 33 to a maximum of 42 credit hours taken from each of two participating Major programs. The student must fulfill all other requirements of the B.A. or iBA degree, including the minimum of 120 credit hours.

  1. Requirements in a Joint Major program, including a list of eligible courses, are found in each individual program’s Calendar entry.

  2. Students who choose a Joint Major program will have requirements reduced by 3 credit hours in each Major as prescribed in the program’s regulations, found in each individual program’s Calendar entry.

  3. The Joint Major program is available in the following programs only: Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics, Economics, English, Folklore, French, Gender Studies, Geography, German, History, Law and Public Policy, Medieval Studies, Modern Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Russian, Sociology, Spanish.

  4. As an alternative to a Major and Minor or the Joint Major, a student may simultaneously complete a second Major program by fulfilling all regulations for both Major programs.

  5. As outlined in Limit on Certain Credit Hours, credit hours cannot be simultaneously used to fulfill the requirements of both programs in the Joint Major.

  6. A student is not eligible to complete a Joint Major in Political Science and Law and Public Policy.

6.1.6 Electives

In accordance with Regulations outlined under Core Requirements, The Major Program, and The Minor Program, a student must complete a minimum of 78 credit hours (of the 120 credit hours for the degree) in Humanities and Social Sciences courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. With some limitations, courses offered by the Faculty of Science in Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, and Psychology may be applied to this requirement. Electives comprise the remaining 42 credit hours of the total 120 credit hours for the degree.

  1. Electives provide students with the opportunity to choose university-level courses from a variety of eligible disciplines. Subject areas that are eligible as electives towards the remaining 42 credit hours for the degree include:

    1. Humanities and/or Social Sciences. This includes additional courses in the Major and/or Minor that are over and above the normal requirements for that program of study,

    2. Science,

    3. Business, and/or,

    4. Music (Musicologies and Music Theory and Composition only).

  2. Of the 42 credit hours in electives, a student may choose to include up to 15 credit hours in electives in any other subject area, including but not limited to Education, Engineering, Human Kinetics and Recreation, Maritime Studies, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, with the exception of courses that are clearly practical or professional.

  3. Courses with academic demands that are clearly practical or professional, and are not consistent with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Description, are not eligible for use in any manner towards the Bachelor of Arts. Ineligible courses include but are not limited to:

    1. Internships, Student Teaching or Practicum courses (Education),

    2. Outdoor Pursuits or Expeditions courses (Environmental Studies),

    3. Activities and Coaching courses (Human Kinetics and Recreation),

    4. Master Classes (Fine Arts, Theatre),

    5. Studio courses (Fine Arts, Visual and Theatre),

    6. Applied Music or Ensemble Techniques courses (Music),

    7. Nursing Practice or Clinical Practicum courses (Nursing),

    8. Structured Practice Experiences (SPE) or Pharmacy Practice Experiences in Pharmacy (Pharmacy), and/or

    9. Field Practicum (Social Work).


6.1.7 Limit on Certain Credit Hours

  1. Eligible credit hours may be used to jointly fulfill the requirements of the Major or Minor and any of the Bachelor of Arts Core Requirements, the iBA additional requirements, a diploma and/or certificate program, subject to certain limitations, including:

    1. Credit hours cannot be used to jointly fulfill the requirements of more than one Honours or Major program.

    2. Credit hours cannot be used to jointly fulfill the requirements of both a Major and a Minor program.

    3. Credit hours cannot be used to jointly fulfill the requirements of all three of a Major or Minor, a diploma and a certificate program. In the event that a course is required in all three programs, and no alternate course option exists, a student shall be guided by Waiver of Regulations for Undergraduate Students - Other Regulations.

  2. Additional credit may not be obtained for successfully completing two versions of a crosslisted course (i.e., the same course delivered by two or more academic units).

  3. Credit hours awarded for field placement courses in certain Diploma programs are not eligible towards a Bachelor of Arts. This includes English 5000, the former Philosophy 5000, and the former Police Studies 5000.