Special Opportunities for Students

The Four-Year Graduation Plan
Foreign Language Incentive Program
Mathematics Incentive Program
University of Iowa Honors Program
Graduation with Honors
National Honor Societies
University College
Study Abroad
Career Development and Internships

The Four-Year Graduation Plan

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences participates in The University's Four-Year Graduation Plan. Students eligible to participate in the plan can choose from almost all of the programs and degrees offered by the College. Participating students sign an agreement that lists general requirements for continuation in the Four-Year Graduation Plan.

Specific requirements for each available major program are found on departmental web sites and in the departmental sections of the University's General Catalog. "Checkpoints" indicate what course work must be completed by the beginning of the third, fifth, seventh, and eighth semesters. The "checkpoints" listed for each major represent only the minimum requirements, and many students will want to supplement the minimum work with additional course work in the major. Failure to meet a checkpoint or satisfy the other requirements of the plan does not mean that a student cannot graduate in four years, but it does void the guarantees of the Four-Year Graduation Plan Agreement.

Students who take noncredit course work must take additional credit-earning courses to earn the semester hours required for the degree and to satisfy the semester-hour requirement stated in the checkpoints.

Students who intend to study abroad or to complete an internship as part of their degree must plan very carefully in order to graduate in four years. In some cases, students may find that the Four-Year Graduation Plan is not a feasible option.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides remedies if graduation in four years would be delayed by the unavailability of a course if a student has met all checkpoints and all the terms of the Four-Year Plan Agreement.

Students often wish to earn two majors, or two degrees, or to add minors or certificates to their programs, and many find it possible to make graduation plans that allow them to achieve these desires. However, the remedies of the Four-Year Graduation Plan are provided to students only for one major.

Failure to meet the academic standards of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences voids the guarantees of the agreement.

Additional information on the Four-Year Graduation Plan is available from students' advisors or from CLAS Academic Programs & Services, 120 Schaeffer Hall. Notification forms to be used when a needed course is unavailable are available from departments, the Academic Advising Center, and CLAS Academic Programs & Services.

Foreign Language Incentive Program

The Foreign Language Incentive Program (FLIP) allows degree-seeking undergraduate students who have already completed the General Education Foreign Language requirement to earn up to eight additional semester hours of college credit while studying a foreign language or languages. Please visit the FLIP rules and policies page.

While enrolled in a FLIP course, students should request evaluation for FLIP credit by submitting this form. The form should be submitted by November 12 for evaluation of a fall course and by April 16 for the evaluation of a spring course in order for the credit to appear on the next student record.

A paper form, for those who would rather use it, is available in 120 Schaeffer Hall.

Questions may be addressed to CLAS Academic Programs & Services.

Mathematics Incentive Program

The Mathematics Incentive Program (MIP) enables entering Liberal Arts and Sciences students to earn extra college credit.

Entering students who wish to earn MIP credit must take the MPT Level 3 exam. A score of 16 or higher on the MPT Level 3 exam places a student into MIP eligible course work.

Students who complete a MIP-eligible course with a grade of B or higher earn 4 s.h. of credit for the prerequisite course.

The credit is ungraded but counts toward the hours required for graduation. MIP credit is counted as UI and CLAS residence credit. To receive MIP credit, a student does not need to fill out a form; the earned credit will appear on the transcript.

Please note the additional MIP policies:

• Students with Advanced Placement credit for Calculus AB or BC are not eligible for the Mathematics Incentive Program.
• Students who took calculus before attending The University of Iowa and received college credit for the course are not eligible for MIP credit.
• Students are eligible for incentive credit only during their first and second registrations at The University of Iowa and only for the first mathematics course taken.
• Students should consult with their advisors and the Department of Mathematics for help in choosing an appropriate MIP course. It is especially important that students with CLEP or IB credit in mathematics consult their advisors, the Department of Mathematics, or the professional staff in CLAS Academic Programs & Services before registering for a MIP eligible course.
• Students who were previously enrolled in an incentive course and failed to earn a B, or who enrolled in but dropped a MIP-eligible course after the third week of the semester, cannot earn MIP credit in a subsequent semester.

For more information consult CLAS Academic Programs & Services.

University of Iowa Honors Program

Students and faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are active participants in the University of Iowa Honors Program (UIHP). The University of Iowa Honors Program offers special academic and extracurricular opportunities to outstanding students. Each year the Associated Iowa Honors Students plans a variety of recreational, social, cultural, and academic activities.

Membership
Entering students with strong academic records are admitted to the University of Iowa Honors Program and any current student whose University of Iowa grade point average meets or exceeds the required minimum (3.33) and who has fewer than 72 credit hours of college course work will automatically become a member of the Honors Program. (Students with more than 72 credit hours of college course work with a UI GPA of 3.33 or greater may be admitted to the program based on a student-initiated request.) Transfer students must have a GPA of 3.50 or above and 24 credit hours in college coursework. (For more specific information on membership requirements, visit the membership page.)

Honors Courses
Every semester a number of honors seminars are offered by senior faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These seminars, for first year students and sophomores, can be used to complete the General Education Program; some of them also can be applied to the requirements of a major. Other courses approved for General Education offer special honors sections. Students may also chose to have courses designated as honors courses. At the junior and senior levels, most departments offer honors seminars, independent research, and the opportunity to pursue a senior project under the guidance of a faculty member and earn a degree "with honors." For more specific information, visit the Honors' Courses page.

Graduation with Honors

Honors Commendation
University of Iowa Honors students who have completed 12 semester hours of Honors course work with a minimum grade of "B" in each of the graded courses before they have completed their second year or their first 59 semester hours, whichever comes last, will receive Honors Commendation. Students earning Honors Commendation will receive an award letter and
certificate signed by the President of the University of Iowa.

Honors in the Major
Students who go beyond the basic requirements of their major and attain a deeper level of mastery of their subject graduate with Honors in the major.  Requirements vary with each department but typically include:

• Maintaining a specific GPA in both general education and major area course work
• Successful completion of an honors project (usually original research or a creative work) under the supervision of a faculty member
• Specified honors course work in the major (such as an honors seminar).

National Honor Societies

The College helps sponsor several opportunities for students to participate in national honor societies.

Phi Beta Kappa is represented on campus by the Alpha of Iowa chapter. Outstanding students who are eligible, primarily seniors, are invited to join each semester. The University also hosts two national honor societies whose criteria include scholarship, leadership, and service. These are Mortar Board (the Staff and Circle Chapter) and Omicron Delta Kappa. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are among those invited to apply each spring.

Several CLAS departments sponsor chapters of national honor societies related to specific academic disciplines, including geoscience, journalism, music, political science, psychology, and sociology.

University College

The University College, administered by the Senior Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, oversees a number of courses and programs of interest to undergraduates in the CLAS, including College Transition and Transfer Transition, two courses designed to help new students succeed at Iowa. University College also offers courses in Lifetime Leisure Skills. These courses do not count toward the CLAS residence requirement, but semester hours earned through courses offered in the University College do count toward the 120 s.h. minimum for a CLAS degree and toward the UI residence requirement. Late adds and late drops for University College courses need to be approved in the Office of the Provost, 111 Jessup Hall, rather than in CLAS Academic Programs & Services.

Study Abroad

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences encourages all students to consider study abroad. There are many ways to include academic credit for study abroad in a plan of study. Students interested in studying abroad should visit the Office for Study Abroad web site for initial information on the many programs offered. Assistance is also available on a drop-in basis from peer advisors at 1111 University Capital Center, just south of the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City on the corner of Washington and Clinton. Students may also visit with a Study Abroad advisor or browse through information in the office's resource room. The office is open Monday-Friday from 9-12 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. (319) 335-0353.

All students are advised to seek prior approval of their programs to assure that the credit they earn will be accepted toward degree requirements and that studying abroad will not prevent them from fulfilling the college's residence requirement.

Career Development and Internships

The University of Iowa Marvin A. and Rose Lee Pomerantz Career Center offers students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences access to career development and full-time job and internship openings. Services of the center include workshops on a variety of career topics including resume and cover letter writing, internship and job search, and interviewing skills. Career Advisors specializing in majors from the arts and sciences help students develop career strategies, choose majors, take interest assessments and conduct job and internship searches. Students seeking internships and full-time positions can take advantage of an online recruiting system or career fairs offered throughout the year.

The Pomerantz Career Center is located at 100 Pomerantz Center, Suite C310 (third floor) in the Pomerantz Center on Market Street . Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with walk-ins welcome between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. for resume and cover letter reviews as well as general questions. Visit www.careers.uiowa.edu for more information or call (319) 335-1023