Integrative Learning Core: LSU’s General Education Program

The Integrative Learning Core (ILC) curriculum is composed of two components.

First, students are required to complete 39 hours that provide a breadth of knowledge across the following six Louisiana Board of Regents statewide disciplinary areas:

English Composition (six hours)
Mathematical/Analytical Reasoning (six hours)
Fine Arts (three hours)
Humanities (nine hours)
Natural Sciences (nine hours)
- 2 courses in biological or physical science area sequence and one in the other area
Social/Behavioral Sciences (six hours)

The second component of the ILC curriculum will complement course content by incorporating proficiencies designed to cultivate leaders and produce nimble minds, minds that can take LSU graduates in any direction outside their specific discipline.

ILC proficiencies:

Civic Engagement
Ethical Reasoning
Global Learning
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
Inquiry and Analysis
Oral Communication
Problem Solving
Quantitative and Formal Reasoning
Written Communication

Regulations

Students must complete the 39-hour ILC requirement prior to graduating from LSU. It is recommended that students complete the requirement during their first four semesters at the university.
Only those courses on the approved list below may be used to satisfy the ILC requirement.
An entering student may receive three or six hours of credit in English composition on the basis of ACT scores and/or performance on approved placement tests.
An entering student may receive credit for one or more of the required mathematics courses on the basis of placement test scores.
Advanced placement and advanced standing credit may be used to satisfy the ILC requirement.
ILC courses will be graded on the “A+,” “A,” “A-,” “B+,” “B,” “B-,” “C+,” “C,” “C-,” “D+,” “D,” “D-,” “F” system. No courses taken on a pass/fail basis will count toward the ILC requirement.
Appeals for an exception to the ILC requirements: A “Request for an Exception to the ILC requirements” must be submitted to the dean of the student’s college using the appropriate form. Please note that the ILC curriculum is a highly intentional aspect of undergraduate education. Courses are listed in the ILC curriculum on the basis of criteria associated with clear expectations for student achievement. Accordingly, appeals of this type are discouraged and will be considered only in extreme circumstances. Scheduling difficulties or allegations of poor advising do not constitute a reasonable basis for an appeal, nor does the perception that the content of a course adequately substitutes for a course listed in the curriculum. Requests are heard by the Faculty Senate Integrative Learning Core Committee. Where students intend to substitute a course for an existing approved ILC course, they should obtain a decision prior to taking the course intended for substitution.

Transfer Course Approval

Deans, or designees, are to determine the applicability of transfer courses to a requirement of LSU’s ILC program.

Courses without an LSU equivalent that are deemed applicable by the student’s dean or designee should be entered as a course substitution on the Student Records and Registration database, indicating that the course is accepted for ILC credit. Documentation concerning this decision should be kept on file in the college.

If it is determined that a course is equivalent to an LSU course, colleges should notify the Office of Enrollment Management so the Admissions Transfer Table can be updated.

If the college does not approve a transfer course for ILC credit, the student may petition the Faculty Senate Integrative Learning Core Committee for a decision, then Office of Academic Affairs for final decision.

Regents’ Statewide Articulation

LSU participates in the Board of Regents’ Statewide Articulation Consortium. Students who plan to transfer to another Louisiana public institution should consult the Office of Enrollment Management for information about the course transfer agreement.

ILC Courses

In the list of courses in the “**COURSE SEARCH** ” section of this catalog, ILC courses are designated within the course description.

In the list below, cross-listed courses are identified by information enclosed in parentheses.