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Fall 2008 - Summer 2009
 
General Catalog Information:
Academic Regulations and Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

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Table of Contents

 

 

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Degrees Granted

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Sciences (B.I.Sci.)
Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (B.S.B.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (B.S.Ch.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.Cp.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering (B.S.I.E.)
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Master of Hospitality Management (M.H.M.)
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
Master of Music (M.M.)
Master of Science (M.S.)
Master of Science in Accountancy (M.S.Acy.)
Master of Chemical Engineering (M.Ch.E.)
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (M.S.Ch.E.)
Master of Civil Engineering (M.C.E.)
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.)
Master of Electrical Engineering (M.E.E.)
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (M.S.E.E.)
Master of Industrial Engineering (M.I.E.)
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (M.S.I.E.)
Master of Mechanical Engineering (M.M.E.)
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.)
Master of Petroleum Engineering (M.P.E.)
Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering (M.S.P.E.)
Master of Science in Pharmacy (M.S.Phr.)
Master of Science in Physiological Optics (M.S.P.O.)
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)
Master of Technology (M.Tch.)
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)
Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)
Doctor of Optometry (O.D.)
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

   

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Graduation Under a Particular Catalog

Students normally are entitled to graduate under the degree provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of their first completed semester of enrollment. These exceptions apply:

  1. A catalog more than seven years old shall not be used.

  2. The programs of students who interrupt their enrollment at the University of Houston for more than 13 months shall be governed by the catalog in effect at the time of the students' reentrance to the university. For these purposes, enrollment is defined as enrollment (registration) for and successful completion of at least one three-semester-hour course during a semester or summer session. Students forced to withdraw for adequate cause before completion of a course may petition the dean of the college of their major for a waiver of this provision at the time of withdrawal.

  3. Students who change their majors at this university, provided they do not interrupt their enrollment at the University of Houston for more than 13 months, are entitled to graduate under the general degree requirements in effect at the time they enrolled at the university, but must satisfy the college and major degree requirements in effect at the time the change of major becomes effective.

  4. Students who add a second major at this university, provided they do not interrupt their enrollment at the University of Houston for more than 13 months, are entitled to graduate under the general degree requirements in effect at the time they enrolled at the university, the college and primary major degree requirements in effect at the time their primary major became effective, and the major degree requirements of the second major (and, if the second major is in a different college from the primary major, the degree requirements of that college) in effect at the time their second major became effective.

  5. At the discretion of their college dean, students will be required to comply with all changes in the curriculum made subsequent to the years enrolled. Deletions and additions of courses will be of approximately equal credit so that no student will have an overall appreciable increase of total credits required for graduation.

  6. Any first-time college students who entered a Texas junior college on or after the beginning of Fall 1983 qualify, upon transfer to the University of Houston, to graduate under the catalog in effect when they entered the junior college provided:
    1. They followed the core curriculum provisions of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
    2. They did not interrupt their enrollment at the junior college for more than 13 months
    3. They transferred to the University of Houston within three calendar years of their initial enrollment at a Texas junior college

If studies are interrupted for more than 13 months at the junior college before transfer to the University of Houston, then they must qualify for graduation under the catalog in effect upon return to the junior college or upon matriculation at the University of Houston.

 

 


Degree Plan

Students are responsible for all requirements of the catalog under which they are graduating. Application for a degree plan should be made to the dean of the college or departmental advisor as soon as the student has completed 60 credit hours. Before applying to graduate, students must meet with their academic advisor. Before certification for graduation can be made, copies of the degree plan must be on file in the college dean's office and in the Registrar's Office, 128 Welcome Center.

 

 

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General Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

All candidates for a bachelor's degree at the University of Houston must meet certain minimum requirements. Additional requirements may be imposed by the individual department or college. Students should refer to the department or college section of this catalog for complete requirements and total number of hours prescribed for the specific degree.

The following are the minimum requirements for a bachelor's degree:

  1. Students must complete at least 120 semester hours of courses. At least 36 of the 120 semester hours must be advanced, according to the requirements of respective degree plans.

  2. A repeated course cannot be counted as elective credit toward satisfying the requirement for graduation or counted toward the minimum of 120 hours credit toward graduation, unless the course is identified in the Undergraduate Studies catalog as repeatable. Repeatable courses, such as Special Problems or Selected Topics courses, are often designed to be taken more than once for additional credits each time.

  3. Students must complete the state-mandated 42 hour core curriculum (see Core Curriculum Requirements section of this catalog).

  4. Students must complete all course requirements of the major as specified in the college section of the catalog, some of which may also satisfy university core curriculum requirements.

  5. Students must earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average in courses attempted at the university.

  6. Students must earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average in courses attempted in the major at the university.

  7. In addition to these general requirements, candidates for graduation must meet all special degree requirements as specified in the appropriate college sections in which the major is completed.

  8. Students cannot satisfy any degree requirements in their major with advanced courses that were completed more than seven years before the semester in which the degree is awarded, unless they receive permission from their college dean.

  9. Students must complete at least 25 percent of the semester hours required for a degree in residence or if 25 percent includes a fraction of a semester hour, the requirement must be rounded up to the nearest whole number of a semester hour.
    1. These residence hours are not to include credit by examination, special problems, or individual research courses taken at the University of Houston.
    2. A minimum of nine semester hours of advanced work in the major field must be completed in residence.

  10. The last 30 semester hours to be applied toward a bachelor's degree must be taken in residence.

 

 

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Bachelor of Arts Degree
Special Requirements

Candidates for any Bachelor of Arts degree must complete at least six semester hours at the 2000-level in one foreign language. Students may satisfy part or all of this requirement by foreign language courses at a higher level or by placement examination with credit.

Deans may waive this requirement for students majoring in their college who can demonstrate that they meet at least one of the following requirements:

  1. students presented a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score to qualify for admission to the university, or
  2. successfully completed ENGL 1309 and 1310 in residence, or
  3. completed at least eight years of formal education in schools where English was not the primary language of instruction.

 

 

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Bachelor of Science Degree
Special Requirements

Candidates for any Bachelor of Science degree must complete at least 12 semester hours in the quantitative or formal sciences, i.e., mathematics, computer science, formal logic, statistics, or other disciplines in which quantitative or formal analytical reasoning plays a major part. At least 6 semester hours must be in mathematics. Courses applied to this requirement must either be core-approved mathematics or mathematics/reasoning courses or have at least 6 hours of such courses as prerequisites.

 

 

 

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Requirements for a Minor

In most fields of study at the undergraduate level, students may earn a minor by satisfying certain requirements. The general requirements are as follows:

  1. Students must complete a minimum of 15 semester hours of work in the minor field.

  2. At least nine of the 15 semester hours must be advanced.

  3. At least six of the nine advanced semester hours must be taken in residence.

  4. Students must earn a 2.00 minimum cumulative grade point average on courses attempted in the minor at the University of Houston.

Departments and colleges may include additional requirements but cannot require more than 21 semester hours of work in the minor field of study.

Not all departments and colleges offer minors, but those that do provide academic advice for the students who seek minors in their areas.

Students should consult the general and departmental requirements listed in the college sections of this catalog for more detailed information on the availability of and requirements for minors.

 

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Core Curriculum

Senate Bill (SB) 148, enacted in 1997 by the 75th Texas Legislature, requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules that include "a statement of the content, component areas, and objectives of the core curriculum" which each institution is to fulfill by its own selection of specific courses.

The University of Houston has adopted the core curriculum guidelines described below. These are predicated on the judgment that a series of basic intellectual competencies (reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy) are essential to the learning process in any discipline and thus should inform any core curriculum and indeed, all of undergraduate education. Although students can be expected to come to college with some experience in exercising these competencies, they often need further instruction and practice to meet college standards and, later, to succeed in both their major field of academic study and their chosen career or profession.

Reading:

Reading at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials-books, articles, and documents. A core curriculum should offer students the opportunity to master both general methods of analyzing printed materials and specific methods for analyzing the subject matter of individual disciplines.

Writing

Competency in writing is the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience. Although correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation are each a sine qua non in any composition, they do not automatically ensure that the composition itself makes sense or that the writer has much of anything to say. Students need to be familiar with the writing process including how to discover a topic and how to develop and organize it, how to phrase it effectively for their audience. These abilities can be acquired only through practice and reflection.

Speaking

Competence in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience. Developing this competency includes acquiring poise and developing control of the language through experience in making presentations to small groups, to large groups, and through the media.

Listening

Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies. Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking; it is used to address an identified task.

Computer Literacy

Computer literacy at the college level means the ability to use computer-based technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information. Core-educated students should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated with the use of technology, and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new technologies as they become available.

 

 

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Core Curriculum Requirements

All bachelor's degrees require completion of a core curriculum. Further information on core eligibility and on courses that satisfy core curriculum requirements can be obtained by consulting the current class listings, an academic advisor, or the core curriculum Web site, www.uh.edu/academics/corecurriculum).

NOTE: Special Topics and Special Problems courses (courses numbered xx94-xx98) may not be used to meet any Core requirements.

 

 

I. Communication
(6 hours English rhetoric/composition)

The objective of a communication component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to communicate effectively in clear and correct prose in a style appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Communication. See the current Class Schedule, published each semester, for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

  • ENGL 1303: Freshman Composition I
  • ENGL 1304: Freshman Composition II
  • ENGL 1309: English Composition for Nonnative Speakers I
  • ENGL 1310: English Composition for Nonnative Speakers II
  • ENGL 1370: Freshman Composition II-Honors
  • ENGL 2361: Western World Literature II-Honors
  • TELS 3372: Communicating Science, Engineering and Technology Issues and Trends Within the Global Workplace

 

II. Mathematics
(3 hours college-level algebra or equivalent)

The objective of the mathematics component of the core curriculum is to develop a quantitatively literate college graduate. Every college graduate should be able to apply basic mathematical tools in the solution of real-world problems.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Mathematics. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

  • MATH 1310: College Algebra
  • MATH 1311: Elementary Mathematical Modeling
  • Or any more advanced mathematics course for which the student is qualified upon enrollment.

 

III. Institutionally Designated Option:
Mathematics/Reasoning

(3 hours)

The University of Houston includes in its core curriculum courses that build students' skills in mathematical and logical thinking, including approved courses in mathematics, logic, computer science, statistics, and music theory.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Mathematics/Reasoning. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

IV. American History
(6 hours)

The objective of the history component of a core curriculum is to increase students' knowledge of how historians discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in American History. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

V. Government
(6 hours)

The objective of a government component of a core curriculum is to increase students' knowledge of and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Government. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

  • POLS 1336: U.S. and Texas Politics and Constitutions
  • POLS 1337: U.S. Government: Congress, President, and Court

 

VI. Humanities
(3 hours)

The objective of the humanities in a core curriculum is to expand students' knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought.

Through study in disciplines such as literature and philosophy, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation of the humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.

Humanities courses require substantial writing (at least 3000 words, including at least one piece of work done outside of class and returned to the student prior to the end of the semester or term with the instructor's written evaluation of grammar, style, and content).

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Humanities. See the current current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

VII. Visual and Performing Arts
(3 hours)

The objective of the visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand students' knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought.

Through study in the visual and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation of the arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society.

Critically oriented Performing/Visual Arts courses require substantial writing (at least 3000 words, including at least one piece of work done outside of class and returned to the student prior to the end of the semester or term with the instructor's written evaluation of grammar, style, and content). Experientially oriented Performing/Visual Arts courses require graded assignments in a performing or visual art.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Visual and Performing Arts. See the current current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

VIII. Natural Sciences
(6 hours)

The objective of the study of a natural sciences component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to understand, construct, and evaluate relationships in the natural sciences, and to enable the student to understand the bases for building and testing theories.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Natural Sciences. See the current current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

IX. Social and Behavioral Sciences
(3 hours)

The objective of a social and behavioral science component of a core curriculum is to increase students' knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in ad-dressing the issues facing humanity.

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Social and Behavioral Sciences. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

X. Institutionally Designated Option:
Writing in the Disciplines

(3 hours)

The objective of a writing in the disciplines component of a core curriculum is to enable the student to communicate effectively in clear and correct prose in a style appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

Writing intensive courses require substantial writing (at least 3000 words, including at least one piece of work done outside of class and returned to the student prior to the end of the semester or term with the instructor's written evaluation of grammar, style, and content).

The following courses satisfy the core requirements in Writing in the Disciplines. See the current class listings for prerequisites and other restrictions, additions, and deletions.

 

 

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Summary of Core Hours

Core Curriculum Requirements

Hours


Communication
6
Mathematics
3
Mathematics/Reasoning
3
U.S. History
6
American Government
6
Humanities
3
Visual/Performing Arts
3
Natural Sciences
6
Social Behavioral Sciences
3
Writing in the Discipline 3

 

 

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History and Constitutions Requirements

Senate Bill 254, passed by the 54th Legislature and amended by House Bill 935 of the 60th Legislature, provides that no individuals may receive an undergraduate degree unless they have credit for six semester hours or its equivalent in American history and six semester hours credit in the constitutions of the United States and Texas.

Three semester hours of the constitutions requirement and up to six hours of the American History requirement may be satisfied by advanced placement or advanced standing examination. For additional information on advanced placement and standing, consult the Counseling and Testing Service, 200 Student Service Center.

Students may satisfy the state requirements in American history and in the constitutions of the U.S. and Texas in any one of the following ways:

American History

  1. American History: HIST 1377 and 1378 or equivalent.

  2. Up to six semester hours of courses in United States history at the 2000- and 3000-levels, as long as one course falls into the general chronological time period before 1877 and the other course falls into the general time period after 1877. Students may also choose to take one 2000- or 3000-level course in United States history in combination with either HIST 1377 or 1378, as long as the time period of this 2000- or 3000-level course is not the same as the time period covered in HIST 1377 or 1378. Only three semester hours of Texas history may count toward fulfilling the United States history requirements.

  3. Up to six semester hours of courses in United States history at the 4000-level, according to the guidelines in 2, above, as long as students have received the permission of the appropriate instructor or have successfully passed the advanced placement or advanced standing exam in United States history.

Constitutions of the U.S. and Texas

Students may satisfy the state requirements in the constitutions of the U.S. and Texas in any one of the following ways:

  1. By successfully completing POLS 1336 and 1337.

  2. By receiving three hours of credit in American government by examination (AP or CLEP) and credit for Texas government by examination (departmental exam).

  3. By successfully completing POLS 1336H and three additional hours of advanced political science credit from the subfields of public administration, public law, and American politics, or from POLS 3331, 3349, 4361, and 4366.

 

 

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Double Major

At the University of Houston, students may earn a baccalaureate degree with two majors (i.e., a double major) provided they meet all the following requirements:

  1. The baccalaureate degree must be the same for both majors (e.g.: B.A., B.S., B.B.A., B.F.A.).

  2. Students must satisfy the college and major degree requirements for their primary major that were in effect at the time they were admitted into the primary major and those for their second major in effect at the time they were admitted into the second major.

  3. Students may not add a second major to a baccalaureate degree they have already received.

  4. Students may not receive official university recognition in a single degree for having earned both a major and a minor in the same field of study.

  5. Students must earn a 2.00 minimum grade point average in all courses attempted in each major at the university.

  6. Students must complete a minimum of nine semester hours of advanced work in residence in each major.

Students pursuing a double major must identify one of the two majors as the primary one for purposes of establishing an academic home of record. Students pursuing a double major should apply for one degree plan for both majors to the dean of the college or departmental advisor of their primary major no later than the beginning of their junior year. The college of the student's primary major will issue the university diploma.

Students pursuing a double major who complete all degree requirements for one major but not the other may graduate with a single major but only after they obtain written approval from the dean of the college of their primary major (and, if their second major is in a different college, from the dean of that college) to change from double- to single-major status.

The University of Houston does not recognize a triple major or any number of majors above two for a single baccalaureate degree. Students who want official university recognition for more than a double major must earn more than one baccalaureate degree.

 

 

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Additional Bachelor's Degree

Before being awarded a second bachelor's degree, a student must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours in addition to the minimum hours needed for the first degree, regardless of whether the two degrees are awarded simultaneously or successively. For the third and further bachelor's degree, students must earn a minimum of 30 additional semester hours for each additional bachelor's degree. The minimum number of hours a student must earn for a third or further bachelor's degree will be based on the total number of hours required for the previous bachelor's degree with the greatest number of hours.

All requirements are exactly the same for a second or additional baccalaureate as for the first degree.

 

 

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Degree Requirement Exceptions

Students may petition for exceptions to university or college degree requirements with good reason. A petition should be filed with the major department, and it will be forwarded to the office of the dean of the college. College requirements may be decided by the dean, but university requirements (e.g., residency requirements) must be forwarded to the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for final action.

 

 

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Binding and Distribution of Senior Honors Thesis for Undergraduates

Two originals and two copies of the approved honors thesis should be submitted to the office of the dean of the college responsible for the academic field of study in which the thesis was written for binding before or on the college's binding deadline. Students who fail to meet these deadlines may be required to refile applications for graduation for a subsequent semester.

Two original copies of the thesis are retained by the M.D. Anderson Library for public access, one copy goes to the Honors College, and one copy may go to the major department/college responsible for the academic field of study in which the thesis was written. Binding fees for theses vary. Students should check with the office of the dean of the college responsible for the academic field of study in which the thesis was written for specific procedures and requirements.

 

 

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Graduation Application

Degrees are not awarded automatically upon completion of scholastic requirements. To be considered a candidate for a degree, students must meet with their academic advisor and submit an application for graduation via the Web at https://my.uh.edu. Candidates for graduation, previously disapproved, must reapply for graduation. Applications should be filed the semester in which students plan to graduate. Applications deadlines may be found on the academic calendar.

Diplomas will be mailed within four to six weeks following approval of completion of degree requirements.

 

 

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Cap and Gown

Students are responsible for ordering and paying for caps and gowns at the University Bookstore for all commencement exercises.

 

 

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Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College, including a senior honors thesis or senior honors project, are graduated with "University Honors and Honors in Major." Undergraduate students who have completed all requirements of the Honors College except for the thesis or project are graduated with "Membership in the Honors College." (See University Honors College.)

Undergraduate students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis or senior honors project and who are not members of the Honors College are graduated with "Honors in Major."

Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last sixty-six (66) hours completed at the University of Houston.

3.75 to 4.0 Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors)
3.50 to 3.74 Magna Cum Laude (with high honors)
3.25 to 3.49 Cum Laude (with honors)

Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final sixty-six (66) hours was completed.

 

 

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Last updated:
Friday, May 8, 2009 - 4:00 PM