Reader's Guide to the Catalog

Organization

The University of Oregon’s largest academic units are its colleges and professional schools. Each consists of smaller units called departments or programs. The academic year is divided into three terms (fall, winter, spring) and one summer session.


Where to Find It

This catalog has four sections. The first section contains information about admission, registration, academic policies, undergraduate degree requirements, tuition and fees, financial aid and scholarships, employment, and academic and career planning. The second section outlines the majors, minors, and specializations defining the degrees and certificates that may be earned at the University of Oregon, as well as the array of core-education courses available that make up the foundational requirements of those degrees. The third (or curriculum) section describes all the university’s academic programs in detail: faculty members, degree and nondegree programs, and course listings. This section includes the College of Arts and Sciences, the honors college, professional schools and colleges, the Division of Graduate Studies and graduate studies information, and ends with a review of undergraduate studies and supplemental academic programs. The final section contains information on academic resources and student services, physical education and recreation, and the academic calendar.


Definitions

The academic terms defined in the following list are used throughout this catalog.

Area-satisfying course. A course that counts toward partial fulfillment of bachelor’s degree requirements in one of the three core-education areas: arts and letters, social science, science.

Certificate. A formal document that recognizes academic achievement in a specific discipline—only as an adjunct to an undergraduate degree program and either as an adjunct to or separate from a graduate degree program, and only for students in an admitted status. Stand-alone noncredit certificates are offered through Continuing and Professional Education to all students.

Colloquium. An academic meeting or assembly for discussion, sometimes led by a different lecturer speaking on a different topic at each meeting; a seminar with consultation, report, and exchange.

Competency. A specific skill in a specific area.

Concentration. A subarea of specialized study within an undergraduate or graduate major or undergraduate minor.

Corequisite. A course or other educational requirement that must be completed simultaneously with another course.

Course. A subject, or an instructional subdivision of a subject, offered through part of a term or a whole term. Each course is assigned a course level. Courses numbered 100–499 are undergraduate courses; 100–299 are lower division, and 300–499 are upper division. Courses numbered 500 and above are graduate or professional.

1 credit. Represents approximately three hours of the student’s time each week for one term in a lower-division undergraduate course. This frequently means a minimum of one hour in the lecture hall or laboratory in addition to two hours spent in outside preparation. The number of lecture, recitation, laboratory, or other periods required each week for a course is listed in each term's class schedule.

Cultural Literacy course. A course that counts toward partial fulfillment of bachelor’s degree requirements in one of two categories: Global Perspectives; and US: Difference, Inequality, Agency.

Curriculum. An organized program of study arranged to provide integrated cultural or professional education.

Discipline. A branch of learning or field of study (e.g., mathematics, history, psychology).

Dissertation or Thesis. A written document resulting from study or research and submitted as a major requirement for a degree.

Electives. Courses that students may choose to take, as contrasted with courses that are required for an academic program.

Endorsement. An affirmation of teaching competency by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

Experimental course. A course under development that has not received formal acceptance to the curriculum. Subject matter, instructional materials, and activities are evaluated for effectiveness and long-term value to the discipline. Experimental courses may not be used to clear core-education requirements.

Field studies. A series of practical experiences on or off campus to understand principles or develop skills in performing selected tasks.

Generic courses. Courses numbered 100, 300, 196, 198, 199, 299, 399–410, 503–510, 601–610, and 704–710, for which credit is variable and which may be repeated for credit. Instructor’s permission is often required for registration.

Grade point average (GPA). The GPA is determined by dividing the total points for all grades by total credits.

Grading option. Unless specified otherwise, nonmajors may take courses either graded (A+ through F) or pass/no pass (P/N). The online class schedule identifies courses for which majors are limited to a particular grading option.

Graduate specialization. A subdivision of a graduate major or an interdisciplinary track in which a strong graduate-level curriculum is available. For more details, visit the website.

Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary. A course of study from two or more academic disciplines.

Internship. Unpaid professional practice in an organization that integrates concepts studied at the university with career-related work experience.

License. See Endorsement.

Major. A primary undergraduate or graduate field of specialized study.

Minor. A secondary undergraduate field of specialized study.

Multilisted course. A single course that is listed under more than one subject code; course numbers end with the letter M.

Option. A subarea of specialized study within an undergraduate or graduate major or undergraduate minor.

Preparatory programs. Undergraduate courses of study taken in preparation for professional or graduate degrees.

Prerequisite. A course or other educational requirement that must be completed prior to registering for another course or before proceeding to more advanced study. Prerequisite courses must be passed with C- or better or P for undergraduate courses; B- or better or P for graduate courses; and D or better or P for law courses. Courses may have a higher minimum grade for completing the prerequisite course.

Practicum. A series of clinical experiences under academic supervision designed to integrate theory and principles with practice.

Reading and conference. A particular selection of material read by a student and discussed in conference with a faculty member.

Regression. Occurs when a student takes a course that is at a lower level than a course the student has previously passed.  Academic departments have the authority to designate a course as regressive.

Repeatable for credit. Only courses designated "repeatable" may be repeated for credit. Except for generic, studio, or performance courses, the circumstances under which a course may be repeated for credit are restricted.

Research. Disciplined inquiry of a topic with varying techniques and assignments suited to the nature and conditions of the problem being investigated. Often pursued in relation to a dissertation or thesis.

Residence credit. Academic work completed while the student is formally admitted and officially registered at the University of Oregon; this includes courses taken in UO study abroad programs.

Semester. One-half the academic year (sixteen weeks), applicable only to the UO School of Law.

1 semester credit. One semester credit equals one and one-half quarter (or term) credits.

Seminar. A small group of students studying a subject with a faculty member. Although practices vary, students may do original research and exchange results through informal lectures, reports, and discussions.

Sequence. Two or three closely related courses that must be taken in specified order.

Series. Two or more closely related courses that may be taken in any order.

Special studies. A  colloquium or experimental course, often taken concurrently with another course as a satellite seminar.

Specialization. A graduate-level subdivision of a major or an interdisciplinary track in which a strong graduate-level curriculum is available.

Subject code. An abbreviation used with a course number to indicate an academic subject area. See the list of subject codes in this section of the catalog.

Supervised college teaching. A student, under faculty supervision and sponsorship, accepts responsibility for teaching a university course.

Supervised tutoring. A student, under faculty supervision, accepts responsibility for tutoring other students within the discipline.

Temporary multilisted course. Courses numbered 200M, 400M, 500M, and 600M, which may be offered once without formal approval.

Term. Approximately one-third of the academic year (eleven weeks), either fall, winter, or spring.

Terminal project. A presentation incorporating the knowledge and skills acquired from course work completed for the master’s degree.

Waive. To set aside without credit certain requirements for a degree or major.

Workshop. An intensive experience, limited in scope and time, in which a group of students focus on skills development rather than content mastery.


Courses

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in course descriptions:

  • Coreq: corequisite
  • H: honors content of significant difficulty
  • M: multilisted courses
  • Prereq: prerequisite

Sample Course Listings

The following examples are from Biology (BI):

BI 122. [BI lower-division course number] Introduction to Human Genetics. [course title] 4 credits. [course credits] Basic concepts of genetics as they relate to humans. Blood groups, transplantation and immune reaction, prenatal effects, the biology of twinning, selection in humans, and sociological implications. Lectures, discussions. [course description]

BI 523. [BI graduate course number] Human Molecular Genetics. [course title] 4 credits. [course credits] Advanced topics in genetics that relate to human development and disease. The human genome, sex determination, X-chromosome inactivation, chromosomal abnormalities, trinucleotide repeat expansions, cancer. [course description] Prereq: BI 320. [course prerequisite]

BI 607. [BI graduate-only course number] Seminar: [Topic]. [course title] 1–3 credits. [course credit range] Topics may include neurobiology, developmental biology, ecology colloquium, genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. [course description] Repeatable. 

Subject Codes

The following subject codes are used at the University of Oregon. They appear in University of Oregon catalogs and class schedules, on student schedules, degree audits, transfer articulation reports, and transcripts.

  •  
  • AAAP Historic Preservation
  • ACTG Accounting
  • AEIS Academic English for International Students
  • AFR African Studies
  • ANTH Anthropology
  • ANTM Museum of Natural and Cultural History
  • ARB Arabic
  • ARCH Architecture
  • ARH Art History
  • ART General Art
  • ARTC Art: Ceramics
  • ARTD Art: Art & Technology
  • ARTF Art: Fibers
  • ARTM Art: Metalsmithing and Jewelry
  • ARTO Art: Photography
  • ARTP Art: Painting
  • ARTR Art: Printmaking
  • ARTS Art: Sculpture
  • ASIA Asian Studies
  • ASL American Sign Language
  • ASTR Astronomy
  • BA Business Administration
  • BE Business Environment
  • BEHT Behavioral Health
  • BI Biology
  • BIOE Bioengineering
  • BLST Black Studies
  • CAS College Scholars Colloquium
  • CDS Communication Disorders and Sciences
  • CFT Couples and Family Therapy
  • CH Chemistry
  • CHN Chinese
  • CINE Cinema Studies
  • CIT Computer Information Technology
  • CLAS Classics
  • COLT Comparative Literature
  • CPSY Counseling Psychology
  • CRES Conflict and Dispute Resolution
  • CRWR Creative Writing
  • CS Computer Science
  • DAN Professional Dance
  • DANC Dance Activity
  • DANE Danish
  • DSCI Data Science
  • DSGN College of Design
  • EALL East Asian Languages and Literatures
  • EC Economics
  • EDLD Educational Leadership
  • EDST Education Studies
  • EDUC Education
  • ENG English
  • ENVS Environmental Studies
  • ERTH Earth Sciences
  • ES Ethnic Studies
  • EURO European Studies
  • FHS Family and Human Services
  • FIN Finance
  • FLR Folklore and Public Culture
  • FR French
  • GEOG Geography
  • GER German
  • GLBL Global Studies
  • GRK Greek
  • GRST Graduate Studies
  • HBRW Hebrew
  • HC Honors College
  • HIST History
  • HPHY Human Physiology
  • HUM Humanities
  • IARC Interior Architecture
  • ICH Ichishkíin
  • IST Interdisciplinary Studies
  • ITAL Italian
  • J Journalism
  • JC Joint Campus
  • JDST Judaic Studies
  • JPN Japanese
  • KRN Korean
  • LA Landscape Architecture
  • LAS Latin American Studies
  • LAT Latin
  • LAW Law
  • LERC Labor Education and Research Center
  • LIB Library
  • LING Linguistics
  • LT Language Teaching
  • MATH Mathematics
  • MDVL Medieval Studies
  • MENA Middle East/North Africa Studies
  • MGMT Management
  • MIL Military Science
  • MKTG Marketing
  • MUE Music Education
  • MUJ Music: Jazz Studies
  • MUP Music Performance
  • MUS Music
  • OBA Operations and Business Analytics
  • PD Product Design
  • PEAQ Physical Education: Aquatics
  • PEAS Physical Education: Aquatics Scuba
  • PEC Physical Education: Certification
  • PEF Physical Education: Fitness
  • PEI Physical Education: Individual Activities
  • PEIA Physical Education: Intercollegiate Athletics
  • PEL Physical Education: Leadership
  • PEMA Physical Education: Martial Arts
  • PEMB Physical Education: Mind-Body
  • PEO Physical Education: Outdoor Pursuits
  • PERS Physical Education: Racquet Sports
  • PERU Physical Education: Running
  • PETS Physical Education: Team Sports
  • PEW Physical Education: Weight Training
  • PHIL Philosophy
  • PHYS Physics
  • PORT Portuguese
  • PPPM Planning, Public Policy and Management
  • PREV Prevention Science
  • PS Political Science
  • PSY Psychology
  • REES Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
  • REL Religious Studies
  • RL Romance Languages
  • RUSS Russian
  • SBUS Sports Business
  • SCAN Scandinavian
  • SOC Sociology
  • SPAN Spanish
  • SPD Sports Product Design
  • SPED Special Education
  • SPM Sports Product Management
  • SPSY School Psychology
  • STAT Statistics
  • SWAH Swahili
  • SWED Swedish
  • TA Theater Arts
  • UGST Undergraduate Studies
  • WGS Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • WR Expository Writing

Study-Abroad Subject Codes

  • OAKI Overseas Studies: Akita International University, Akita, Japan

    OANG Overseas Studies: Angers, France

    OANU Overseas Studies: Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    OATH Overseas Studies: Athens, Greece

    OBER Overseas Studies: University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    OBIK Overseas Studies: Sustainable Bicycle Transportation Field Seminar, Europe

    OBLN Overseas Studies: Berlin, Germany

    OBRI Overseas Studies: Bristol University, Bristol, England

    OBRT Overseas Studies: London Theatre Arts, England

    OBWU Overseas Studies: Universities in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    OCBS Overseas Studies: Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

    OCET Overseas Studies: Intensive Chinese Language, China

    OCFP Overseas Studies: Chinese Flagship Program

    OCHL Overseas Studies: Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    OCIE Overseas Studies: Council for International Educational Exchange

    OCUR Overseas Studies: Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    ODIS Overseas Studies: Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Copenhagen, Denmark

    ODUB Overseas Studies: Dublin, Ireland

    OECN Overseas Studies: East China Normal University, China

    OFES Overseas Studies: Fes, Morocco

    OFIB Overseas Studies: Florence, Italy

    OGAL Overseas Studies: Galway, Ireland

    OGHA Overseas Studies: Journalism Program, Accra, Ghana

    OGSI Overseas Studies: Global Studies Institute

    OGWI Overseas Studies: GlobalWorks Institute Internship

    OHAR Overseas Studies: Harbin, China

    OHAU Overseas Studies: Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea

    OHKU Overseas Studies: University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    OHOU Overseas Studies: Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    OHUJ Overseas Studies: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    OINT Overseas Studies: Internship Program

    OJCU Overseas Studies: James Cook University, Australia

    OJIL Overseas Studies: Journalism in London, England

    OJWU Overseas Studies: Japan Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan

    OKUN Overseas Studies: Korea University, Seoul, South Korea

    OKYO Overseas Studies: Landscape Architecture, Kyoto, Japan

    OLAT Overseas Studies: La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

    OLEC Overseas Studies: Lecce, Italy

    OLEI Overseas Studies: University of Leicester, Leicester, England

    OLON Overseas Studies: British Studies, London, England

    OLTV Overseas Studies: University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

    OLYO Overseas Studies: Universities in Lyon (I,II,III and Catholic Faculties), France

    OMBI Overseas Studies: Marine Biology in Panama

    OMEI Overseas Studies: Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan

    ONEO Overseas Studies: Neotropical Ecology, Ecuador

    ONGO Overseas Studies: Non-Governmental Organizations in Southeast Asia

    ONTU Overseas Studies: National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    ONUI Overseas Studies: Research in Rapa Nui

    ONUS Overseas Studies: National University of Singapore, Singapore

    OOVI Overseas Studies: Oviedo, Spain

    OPAV Overseas Studies: University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    OPAY Overseas Studies: Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    OPOI Overseas Studies: University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France

    OPRE Overseas Studies: Pre-Freshman Studies

    OQAI Overseas Studies: Intensive Arabic in Amman, Jordan

    OQUE Overseas Studies: Querétaro, Mexico

    OQUI Overseas Studies: University San Francisco, Quito, Ecuador

    ORIM Overseas Studies: Revolutionary Imagination

    OROM Overseas Studies: Rome, Italy

    OROS Overseas Studies: Rosario, Argentina

    OSBG Overseas Studies: Sports Business Global Studies

    OSCI Overseas Studies: Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies), France

    OSEG Overseas Studies: Segovia, Spain

    OSEN Overseas Studies: Senshu University, Tokyo, Japan

    OSIE Overseas Studies: Siena, Italy

    OSIT Overseas Studies: School for International Training

    OSLO Overseas Studies: University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    OSPE  Overseas Studies: Special Education in Mexico

    OSSP Overseas Studies: Dakar, Senegal

    OTAM Overseas Studies: University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    OTSP Overseas Studies: Trans-Atlantic Science Student Exchange Program (TASSEP)

    OUAB Overseas Studies: University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland

    OUDB Overseas Studies: Barcelona, Spain

    OUEA Overseas Studies: University of East Anglia, Norwich, England

    OUNA Overseas Studies: UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    OUOT Overseas Studies: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    OUPP Overseas Studies: University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden

    OVAN Overseas Studies: Vancouver, Canada

    OVIC Overseas Studies: Vicenza, Italy

    OVIE Overseas Studies: Vienna, Austria

    OWAS Overseas Studies: Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    OXAF Overseas Experimental Program: Africa

    OXAO Overseas Experimental Program: Asia and Oceania

    OXEU Overseas Experimental Program: Europe

    OXFA Overseas Experimental Program: Faculty Led

    OXGL Overseas Studies: Global Leadership

    OXLA Overseas Experimental Program: Latin American

    OXMC Overseas Experimental Program: Multiple Countries

    OXME Overseas Experimental Program: Middle East

    OYON Overseas Studies: Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

  •  

Course Numbering System

Except at the 500 and 600 levels, courses in University of Oregon catalogs are numbered in accordance with the course-numbering plan of the schools in the Oregon University System. Institutions vary in their treatment of 500- and 600-level courses.

1–99

Remedial, terminal, semiprofessional, or noncredit courses that do not apply to degree requirements

100–299

Lower-division (freshman- and sophomore-level) courses

300–499

Upper-division (junior- and senior-level) courses

500–599

Courses that offer graduate-level work in classes that include undergraduate students

600–699

Courses for graduate students only

700–799

Except in the School of Music and Dance, professional or technical courses that apply toward professional degrees but not toward advanced academic degrees such as the MA, MS, or PhD. Both 600 and 700 numbers in the School of Music and Dance indicate graduate courses only.

Temporary Multilisted and Area-Satisfying Courses

100

Temporary lower-division area-satisfying course

200M

Temporary lower-division multilisted course

298

Temporary lower-division area-satisfying course

300

Temporary upper-division area-satisfying course

400M

Temporary upper-division multilisted course

500M

Temporary graduate-level multilisted course

600M

Temporary graduate-level multilisted course

Generic Courses

Certain numbers are reserved for generic courses that may be repeated for credit under the same number. Except in the School of Law, courses numbered 503, 601, and 603 are offered pass/no pass only.

Credit is assigned according to the work load in a particular course. Credit ranges indicate minimum and maximum credits available in a single course for a single term, and departments determine their own credit ranges.

196 Practicum: [Topic] or Field Studies: [Topic]

198 Workshop: [Topic] or Laboratory Projects: [Topic]

199 Special Studies: [Topic]

299 Special Studies: [Topic]

399 Special Studies: [Topic]

401 Research: [Topic]

402 Supervised College Teaching

403 Thesis

404 Internship: [Topic]

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] or Special Problems: [Topic]

406 Practicum: [Topic] or Field Studies: [Topic]

407/507 Seminar: [Topic] or Colloquium: [Topic]

408/508 Workshop: [Topic] or Laboratory Projects: [Topic]

409 Terminal Project or Capstone

410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic]

503 Thesis

601 Research: [Topic]

603 Dissertation

604, 704 Internship: [Topic]

605, 705 Reading and Conference: [Topic] or Special Problems: [Topic]

606, 706 Practicum: [Topic] or Field Studies: [Topic]

607, 707 Seminar: [Topic] or Colloquium: [Topic]

608, 708 Workshop: [Topic] or Laboratory Projects: [Topic]

609, 709 Terminal Project or Capstone

610, 710 Experimental Course: [Topic]


Catalog Expiration and Requirements Policies

The University of Oregon Catalog lists requirements for active degrees offered by the university.

Each catalog goes into effect at the beginning of fall term the academic year of issue. It expires at the end of summer session the seventh academic year after publication.

Advisors and other university employees are available to help, but students have final responsibility for satisfying degree requirements for graduation.

Undergraduate Students

To receive an undergraduate degree, a student must have satisfied, at the time of graduation, all requirements for the degree listed in one of the following:

  1. the unexpired catalog in effect when the student was first admitted and enrolled at the University of Oregon, or
  2. any subsequent catalog that has not yet expired

To fulfill major or minor program requirements, a student must complete the requirements in effect

  1. when the student first declared the major or minor, or
  2. when the student changed to a different major or minor

Exceptions to major or minor requirements may be made by the department or program offering the major or minor.

Graduate Students

To receive a graduate degree, a continuously enrolled student must have completed, at the time of graduation, all requirements described in the department and Division of Graduate Studies sections of the catalog in effect when the student was first admitted and enrolled at the University of Oregon. A student who has not maintained continuous enrollment is subject to the requirements described in the department and Division of Graduate Studies sections of the catalog in effect the first term the student was readmitted by the Division of Graduate Studies and reenrolled at the University of Oregon.

Requests for exceptions to graduate degree requirements must be submitted in writing to the Division of Graduate Studies prior to graduation.

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this catalog, the University of Oregon has the right to make changes at any time without prior notice. This catalog is not a contract between the University of Oregon and current or prospective students.