Distributed Studies Program

Students who are working toward a B.A. degree may elect a major in a Distributed Studies Program. Distributed Studies is probably the most misunderstood degree at CU-Colorado Springs. It is not a "general studies" degree with assorted coursework in a variety of subjects. Instead, it is a large major, requiring 60 semester hours, with at least 30 hours in a primary area and the other 30 hours in one or two secondary subjects. Distributed studies was initiated before we offered minors at CU-Colorado Springs; it served the need of students who wanted a concentration of courses outside the major. Now that we offer minors, most students complete a major and minor rather than a Distributed Studies.

Distributed Studies is a degree that is structured out of courses offered by two or more programs. There are two approaches to a distributed studies degree - structured programs and programs built from stand-alone minors. Courses taken as part of a distributed studies major can be counted toward the college area requirement.

Structured Interdisciplinary Program Options

These include Business Economics, and Public Administration. These programs include a standard set of courses and options. Students should check with department advisors before enrolling.

Business Economics

The Department of Economics offers a Distributed Studies major in Business Economics.

Primary Area: Economics (30 Hours)

General Requirements:

You must complete a minimum of 30 hours in economics courses, at least 18 hours must be for courses numbered 300 and above.

Math Requirements

MATH 111 Topics in Linear Algebra and either

MATH 112 Calculus for Business and Economics

or

MATH 135 Calculus I. These requirements should be completed before taking any upper division economics courses.

Economics Requirements:

ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics

ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics

ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomic

ECON 302 Introduction to Macroeconomic

ECON 281 Introduction to Economic Statistics & Quantitative Methods (Students may substitute Quan 201 Business Statistics for this requirement).

Each of these five required courses should be completed before the beginning of your senior year.

Economics Electives:

Any five additional upper division courses in Economics (not including ECON 100)

Recommendations

It is recommended that you take at least one 400 level economics course. Additionally, it is recommended that you take one of the following concentration areas:

International Economics (ECON 341 International Economics and Econ 441 International Economics)

OR

Economics of Government (ECON 321 Economics of the Public Sector and ECON 423 Public Expenditures Evaluation and Policy Analysis)

Secondary Area: Business (30 Hours)

Business Requirements:

ACCT 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting

ACCT 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting

FIN 305 Basic Finance

FIN 400 Advanced Corporate Finance

FIN 410 Cases and Concepts in Finance

Choose five courses from the following:

FIN 420 Investment and Portfolio Management

FIN 430 Bank Management

FIN 440 International Financial Management

FIN 450 Money and Banking

MK 300 Principles of Marketing

MK 330 Marketing Research

MK 480 Marketing Policies and Strategies

ORMG 330 Introduction to Management and Organization

ORMG 335 Groups and Teams in Organizations

ACCT 301 Intermediate Accounting

B L 200 Business Law

Comments:

1. Economics is both a social science and a business field (or discipline). On many campuses students can choose to major in Economics in either the business school or in arts and sciences. However, here at CU-Colorado Springs a student interested in both business and economics must choose between these interests by majoring in Economics (LAS) or majoring in Business (COB). This proposed distributed studies major in Business Economics would be one way to give students a formal opportunity to pursue both interests. Note that the proposed distributed studies major does not require the creation of any new courses.

2. The requirements for a distributed studies major involve a primary subject area with at least 30 semester hours of required course work of which at least 15 hours must be at the upper division level, and also a secondary subject area with at least 30 hours of course work of which at least 15 hours must be at the upper division level. The major requires at least 60 hours of course work total. The proposed distributed studies major in Business Economics is consistent with this framework. The primary area will be economics, and it will require at least 30 semester hours of economics courses. The secondary area will be business and it will require 30 semester hours of business courses. In both primary and secondary areas, the minimum number of upper division hours will also be satisfied.

3. In choosing the requirements in the primary area of economics the idea was to make this part of the distributed studies major in Business Economics be as close as possible to the regular major in Economics, the required courses and the math requirements are identical. The only change is from the minimum 36 hours for the regular major to a minimum of 30 hours in economics for the major in Business Economics.

4. In choosing the requirements in the secondary area of business the idea is to emphasize courses that fit with both students’ interests in Business Economics as well as the nature of many of the employment opportunities for business, economics majors, i.e., in the financial sectors of the economy.

5. This proposed distributed studies major in Business Economics means that students would choose to enroll in CLAS. Of course, some students may be interested in the curriculum found in the College of Business. The Department of Economics is also pursuing opportunities with the College of Business to make it possible.

Public Administration

Students taking a distributed studies major in Public Administration must complete 45 semester hours of required courses (or suitable substitutes) and must choose, with advice and consent of the Chair of the Public Administration Program, an additional 15 semester hours of coursework in a primary subject field so that a total of 30 semester hours is accumulated in one primary subject (either Economics, Political Science or Sociology).

ECON 101-3 Introduction to Microeconomics

ECON 421-3 Economics of the Public Sector and Fiscal Policy

ECON 422-3 Economics of Federalism

ECON 423-3 Public Expenditures Evaluation and Policy Analysis

ECON 425-3 Urban Economics

P SC 110-3 The American Political System

P SC 404-3 Political Interest Groups

P SC 407-3 Urban Politics

P SC 432-3 Public Administration

P SC 446-3 Administrative Law

SOC 111-4 Introduction to Sociology

SOC 212-3 Introduction to Social Research

SOC 317-3 Statistics

SOC 322-3 Urban Sociology

SOC 431-3 Social Inequalities

In addition to the above requirements, it is highly recommended that Public Administration students also take as many of the following courses as possible:

ACCT 200-3 Introduction to Financial Accounting

COMM 102-3 Interpersonal Communication

COMM 365-3 Mass Media and Society

COMM 424-3 Advanced Organizational Communication

MATH 104-3 College Algebra

PSY 100-4 General Psychology

PSY 340-3 Social Psychology

SOC 435-3 Formal Organization

Individualized Distributed Studies Built on Stand-alone Minors

Students may design a Distributed Studies major around a core curriculum provided by the following stand-alone minors:

Energy Science           German            Ethnic Studies            Professional Writing

Film Studies               Theatre                 French                     Women’s Studies

In this option a stand-alone minor becomes the primary curriculum for the degree. Because a minor requires only 18 credit hours, the student must negotiate the remaining 12 hours of primary subject with the director of the minor program. 30 hours of course work must carry grades of C or better, and at least 15 hours must be from upper division courses. No more that 8 credit hours of Independent Study can be applied to the primary area of concentration.

The student, in consultation with the director of the primary subject, would then select a secondary subject area in which he or she would complete 30 credit hours (these cannot include credit hours taken to complete the primary subject requirement). The secondary concentration will consist of 30 credit hours in one discipline, or 30 credit hours divided between two (15 and 15, or 18 and 12).

The degree requires 60 total credit hours, and students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in all course work included in the program.

Before embarking on such a program of study, a student must negotiate a distributed studies contract with the director of the stand-alone minor that will constitute the primary area of the program.