Before submitting a petition, please review the Area Distribution Requirements page, including the Area Distribution Definitions accordion on the LSA website. For a list of Distribution courses offered this term, use the LSA Course Guide to search under Distribution Req.
You may petition for a Distribution exception if you feel that a course you've taken is appropriate for Distribution but does not currently have a designation. The Office of Student Academic Affairs does not overturn or change existing designations. For example, if a course is already labeled as Humanities (HU), we would not consider a request to use it for Social Science (SS).
What should I include in my petition?
Petitions should explain how the course is appropriate for the Distribution category you are choosing as well as how it fits within the general guidelines for a distribution course listed below:
In general, Distribution courses should:
- Be broad in scope rather than narrowly focused
- Be accessible to students with no background in the subject
- Be introductory in nature rather than a specialized upper-level course
These types of courses will not be approved for Distribution:
- Non-LSA courses
Independent studies, experiential, and research courses
- Courses designed to develop or hone specific skills (e.g. introductory composition and language courses)
How and where do I submit my petition?
To submit a Petition for an Exception to the LSA Distribution Requirement, please visit the Academic Requests tab on your MyAdvising page.