Academic Programs and requirements
College of Arts and Science Academic Catalog 2009-2010
THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM IN ARTS AND SCIENCES
The University of Mary Washington’s undergraduate curriculum represents a distinctive academic experience which prepares graduates to make choices that lead to fulfilling lives as responsible, contributing members of local, national, and global communities. Three interrelated components make up this experience: General Education, the Major, and Electives.
General Education is the foundation of a liberal arts and sciences education and is designed to cultivate the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind that are essential in every field of study and which enable graduates to make effective decisions as citizens of a rapidly changing, richly diverse, and increasingly interconnected world. The University’s General Education requirements introduce students to a variety of learning perspectives and methods of inquiry that combine to foster an appreciation for different ways of viewing, knowing, and engaging the world. General Education facilitates collaborative learning, individual intellectual development, and constitutes the basis for lifelong learning.
The Major develops expertise in a specialized area of study resulting from focused investigation in a particular academic discipline or disciplines (in the case of an interdisciplinary major). Majors are organized areas of inquiry and knowledge with defined learning goals and methodologies. Major requirements complement, reinforce, and extend the objectives of General Education while adding depth of study in coursework, individualized learning, and co-curricular experiences.
Electives offer students opportunities to explore personal interests, add variety to one’s studies, and advance particular academic, career, or professional goals (such as preparation for law or medical school). Electives also enable the study of an area of knowledge in greater depth through individually selected courses or experiences that build on a Major’s formal requirements.
The combination of experiences provided through General Education, the Major, and Electives enable students to achieve the following learning goals and to emerge fully prepared to contribute to the world beyond the University.
Learning Goals of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum
• University of Mary Washington graduates should be able to write and speak effectively in a variety of contexts;
• University of Mary Washington undergraduates, regardless of major, should acquire specific knowledge of and appreciation for the problems, methods, and contributions of the fine and performing arts, humanities,social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should be characterized by intellectual rigor, integrity, disciplinary depth, and attention to the individual student;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should include diverse learning experiences provided by the entire undergraduate course of study: General Education, the Major, and Electives;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should offer students an informed understanding of and engagement with global issues, thereby enabling them to graduate fully prepared to contribute in positive and substantive ways to the complicated and changing world beyond the university.
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should provide students with classroom-based and other educational opportunities to critically examine issues of identity (such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and nation), including explorations of how they relate to value systems, structured inequality, and cultural and institutional power. In addition to preparing Mary Washington students to contribute thoughtfully to the world beyond the university, a focus on issues of power and inequality is a critical component of the University of Mary Washington’s commitment to campus diversity.
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should ensure that students are in command of the technologies that define not only 21st-century communication but the emerging tools of different disciplines.
BACHELOR OF ARTS AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREES
The choice of major program determines which degree one receives. The Bachelor of Arts degree is for majors in American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Studio Art, Classics: Classical Archaeology, Classics: Classical Civilization, Classics: Latin, English, French, Geography, German, Historic Preservation, History, International Affairs, Music, Philosophy, Philosophy: Pre-Law Concentration, Political Science, Religion, Sociology, Spanish, and Theatre. The Bachelor of Science degree is for majors in Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science and Geology (both the Natural and Social Environmental Science Concentrations), Environmental Science and Geology (Geology Concentration), Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology.
Both the B.A. and B.S. degrees require 120 credits for completion. Both degrees also require an overall cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 (equivalent to a “C” average) on Mary Washington coursework, as well as a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 in each major program on Mary Washington coursework. The residence requirement is as follows: To be considered a degree candidate, a student must earn at least 30 academic credits at the University of Mary Washington, including at least half the credits required for the major program unless more are required by the major department. Students must also earn at least 15 of the last 21 credits at Mary Washington.
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR B.A./B.S. DEGREES
The following general education requirements are in effect for all students who enter the University of Mary Washington seeking a bachelor of arts or bachelors of science degree. No General Education coursework, except for the Experiential Learning Requirement, may be completed on a Pass/Fail basis. With the exception of courses marked as Writing Intensive or Speaking Intensive (WI or SI), one course taken fulfills only one general education requirement, even if the class is listed as an option in more than one category. A course that is listed as an option for both Global Inquiry and Human Experience and Society, for example, will be counted as satisfying only one of these categories. But a course that is an option in Global Inquiry and is also marked as writing intensive would be counted in both of those categories. It’s helpful for students to remember that they have four years to fulfill all graduation requirements, and they should not view the completion of general education requirements and the major as two separate activities. In fact, many of the courses that will satisfy general education requirements are upper-level courses that one might think about taking after selecting a major. In this way, the selected general education courses will connect well with the intended major course of study.
The B.A./B.S. degree general education requirements are as follows. See the list on page 52 for the courses that will meet the various requirements.
First Year Seminar. One course designated as a first year seminar. Transfer students who enter the University with more than 30 credits do not have to meet this requirement.
Quantitative Reasoning. Two courses focusing on the role of quantitative information in various settings and on the ability to reason abstractly.
Natural Science. One two-course sequence, one course which must include a laboratory, focusing on the scientific mode of inquiry and the ways in which the natural sciences affect students’ everyday experiences and choices as citizens.
Global Inquiry. One course focusing on global interconnections related to economic, political, cultural, social, public health, or environmental issues.
Language. Intermediate competency in a second language.
Arts, Literature, and Performance. Two courses focusing on art, literature, or performance. One course provides an opportunity for exploring the process of creating artistic work while the other course encourages the appreciation and the interpretation of artistic expressions.
Human Experience and Society. Two courses from two different disciplines that explore the forces shaping human activity, relationships, social structures, institutions, and intellectual systems.
Experiential Learning. One faculty supervised experience involving a significant experiential learning component designed to challenge students to go outside of the bounds of the typical classroom.
Writing Intensive Requirement. Four courses designated writing intensive (WI). Any course designated WI, whether taken for general education, for the major, or as electives will satisfy this requirement.
Speaking Intensive Requirement. Two courses designated speaking intensive (SI). Any course designated SI, whether taken for general education, for the major, or as electives will satisfy this requirement.
B.A./B.S. MAJOR PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
A major program within a single discipline requires at least 30, but no more than 48, credits. All must be graded credits. Students must take at least one-half of the major program at Mary Washington, earning a grade-point average of 2.00 in the courses. Many students complete two major programs to satisfy diverse personal interests. The details and course requirements for each major program are described in the “Courses of Study” section of this Catalog.
In addition to majors in the traditional arts and sciences disciplines, the University offers a special major program. A student and faculty advisor may design a special major program by selecting, from two or more departments, courses that define a coherent field of concentration. Examples of recentlyapproved Special Majors include programs in Biochemistry, Creative Non- Fictional Writing, Italian Studies, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Public Affairs, Journalism, Rhetoric and Communication, and Women’s Studies. Any student interested in developing a special major program must apply to the Curriculum Committee prior to completing 15 credits in the proposed special major program. The approval of the Committee is required before a special major program can be undertaken.
ELECTIVES
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a General Education requirement or Major Program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
TRANSFER COURSES AFTER MATRICULATION
Students admitted to degree programs at Mary Washington may use courses taken at other colleges and universities to meet Mary Washington degree requirements by obtaining prior approval from the Office of the Registrar. All courses must be approved in advance for transfer credit. Courses to be counted in the major program must also be approved by the student’s major advisor or Department Chair, who helps the student select coursework related to major requirements at Mary Washington. Pre-approved transfer credit will be applied to an UMW degree only if the Office of the Registrar receives an official transcript of that coursework by the University’s final deadline.
BACHELOR OF LIBERAL STUDIES (BLS) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree is designed for adults who want to major in a traditional arts and science discipline and who have at least one of the following characteristics: graduated from high school six or more years ago, is a veteran or active-duty member of the U.S. armed services, is married, has legal dependents other than a spouse, or is financially selfsupporting. Unlike a traditional baccalaureate degree, the BLS offers greater flexibility in the timetable leading to graduation because it does not require full-time study, extended residence at the University or foreign language requirements (unless you major in a foreign language). A maximum of 90 semester hours of transfer credit may be used to fulfill the requirements for the BLS degree. These credits may include a maximum of 30 credits earned through military service and a maximum of 30 credits earned through a life/work portfolio. The BLS degree program offers more than 30 majors in the liberal arts and sciences, including options to double major or create a selfdesigned/interdisciplinary major.
The BLS degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, distributed in three categories: general education, major, and electives. Students must also take courses listed as writing intensive and speaking intensive. In addition, students must satisfy the classroom experience and residential credit requirements listed below. A grade-point average of 2.00 on all work at the University of Mary Washington is also required, with no more than six credits in physical education courses counting toward the degree.
Students who have registered for classes in the B.A./B.S. program at UMW within the past calendar year and who have completed more than 30 credits at the University are not eligible to enroll in the BLS program.
Students are encouraged to complete Liberal Studies 100, Orientation. Others may wish to enroll in Liberal Studies 101, Portfolio Development, for assistance in developing portfolios that document learning gained through life and work for possible conversion to academic credit.
General Education Requirements: The BLS degree general education requirements are as follows; see the list on page 52 for the courses that will meet the various requirements.
Quantitative Reasoning: Three credits focusing on the role of quantitative information in various settings and the ability to reason abstractly.
Natural Science: Four credits focusing on the natural sciences and including a laboratory component focusing on the scientific mode of inquiry and the ways in which the natural sciences affect students’ everyday experiences and choices as citizens.
Quantitative Reasoning or Natural Science: Three credits focusing on the role of quantitative information and the ability to reason abstractly, or natural science, or mathematical applications such as computer science, logic or music theory.
Human Experience and Society: Six credits from two different disciplines that explore the forces shaping human activity, relationships, social structures, institutions, and intellectual systems.
Global Inquiry: Three credits focusing on global interconnections related to economic, political, cultural, social, public health, or environmental issues. An approved study abroad or other field program can fulfill this requirement if it includes a satisfactory evaluation of written reflection of a student’s experience in that program by a University of Mary Washington faculty member.
Arts, Literature, and Performance: Six credits focusing on art, literature, or performance, with at least one course focusing on the appreciation and interpretation of artistic expressions. The other course may provide an opportunity for exploring the process of creating artistic work, by pursuing a course in the “process” sub-category, or provide an opportunity for further work (a second course) within the sub-category of “appreciation.”
Across the Curriculum Requirements. These requirements may be met by general education, major, or elective courses.
Writing Intensive: Three courses designated writing intensive (WI), which may include English Composition (English 101) or its equivalent.
Speaking Intensive: One course designated speaking intensive (SI).
Major: A student may select from many liberal arts majors offered by the University or create an approved, coherent interdisciplinary concentration from the offerings of at least two departments. At least fifteen credits in the major must be earned at the University of Mary Washington. Students must also earn a grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.0 in the major/concentration area.
Electives: To reach 120 credits, students may take as many as fifty-one credits in electives.
SECOND DEGREE OR POST-BACCALAUREATE MAJOR
A student who has earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington and wishes to pursue further undergraduate work may either complete a post-baccalaureate major and have it noted on the permanent record (with the date of completion) or earn a second degree if it is different from the first degree (for example, a subsequent B.A. or BLS, if the first degree was a B.S.).
Second Degree. The student must apply for admission to the new degree program through the Office of Admissions and must earn at least 30 additional credits at Mary Washington after completion of the first degree. No more than 14 of these credits can be completed prior to matriculation for the second degree. The most appropriate 90 credits will be selected to count toward the second degree. The student must complete the major program and General Education requirements in the Academic Catalog in effect at the time of matriculation into the second degree.
A student who earned his or her first degree from another institution must enter Mary Washington as a transfer student, then complete the Major Program and General Education requirements of the second degree as defined in the Academic Catalog in effect at the time of matriculation into the second degree.
Post-Baccalaureate Major. A student who has earned a degree at UMW who is completing only an additional major must complete the Major Program requirements printed in the Academic Catalog at the time of major declaration if the student has not discontinued enrollment at UMW for more than two semesters. A student returning after an absence of more than two semesters will be required to complete the Major Program requirements listed in the Academic Catalog in effect at the time of re-enrollment. Any B.A./B.S. student wishing to pursue a post-baccalaureate major must apply in the Office of the Registrar. A BLS student must apply in the BLS Office.
TAKING GRADUATE COURSES AS AN UNDERGRADUATE
An undergraduate student with 18 or fewer hours of coursework remaining for degree completion may take up to six hours of graduate credit beyond the undergraduate degree requirements. Such graduate credit may be counted toward a master’s degree at the University, but will not be used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. The student must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average and must receive permission from his/her academic advisor and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The University also offers Accelerated Degree Programs in which undergraduate and graduate degrees have a maximum of four common 3-credit classes (12 hours). These credits are offered at the graduate level, and may be taken by students who apply for and are conditionally admitted to the graduate program during their undergraduate studies. The hours may count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees if formal admission to the graduate degree program is received within five years of the award of the undergraduate degree. All graduate hours applied to the undergraduate degree will count in the undergraduate grade point average.
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE LIST
First Year Seminar — Any First Year Seminar 100 course or History 201 or 202.
Quantitative Reasoning
| Business Administration 353 | Philosophy 151 |
| Computer Science 105, 110, 125, 220, 230 | Physics 317 |
| Economics 361 | Psychology 360 |
| Mathematics 110, 115, 121, 122, 125, 200, 207, 210 | Sociology 364 |
| Music Theory 181 |
Natural Science — Students should check the requirements of their intended major program in order to select the sequence that will meet the needs of the major.
| Biology 121 - 122 | Geology 111 - 112 |
| Biology 125 - 126 | Geology 111 – Environmental Science 210 |
| Biology 121 - 127 | Geology 111 - 221 |
| Biology 121 - 204 | Physics 101 - 102 |
| Chemistry 105 - 106 | Physics 101 - 108 |
| Chemistry 105 - 107 | Physics 103 - 104 |
| Chemistry 111 - 112 | Physics 105 - 106 |
| Environmental Science 110 – Geology 112 |
Physics 105 - 110 |
| Geography 110 -111 | |
| Geography 110 - 240 | |
| Geography 110 - 325 |
Global Inquiry
| American Studies 333 | German 317 |
| Anthropology 101, 318, 333 | History 122, 141, 142, 356, 357, 358, 360, 361, 362, 366, 368, 371, 372, 375, 377, 381, 383, 384, 385, 386, 390 |
| Art History 470 | Interdisciplinary Studies 350F |
| Chemistry 331 | Linguistics 202, 205 |
| Classics 380 | Modern Foreign Languages 201 |
| Computer Science 104, 310 | Music History and Literature 154 |
| Economics 382, 383, 384 | Political Science 102 |
| English 206 | Religion 210 |
| French 316 | Studio Arts 454 |
| Geography 101, 102, 332, 336, 338 | |
| Note: An approved study abroad or other field program can fulfill this requirement if it includes a satisfactory evaluation of a written reflection of a student’s experience in that program by a University of Mary Washington faculty member. | |
Language — Intermediate competency in a second language may be demonstrated by: (1) completion of 202 or higher in a language; (2) a score of 620 or higher on any language SAT II subject test; (3) a score of 4 or higher on any language AP Exam or on any Language and Literature AP Exam (including the Latin Vergil AP Exam); (4) a score of 5 or higher on any group 2 (second language) higher-level IB Exam; (5) a passing score on the University of Mary Washington language competency exam; or (6) submitting pertinent documents which verify that a student has had a high school education conducted in a language other than English or has lived extensively in and become fluent in the language of a non-English-speaking country.
Arts, Literature, and Performance – Process
| Communication 207, 209 |
| Computer Science 106 |
| Dance 225, 226, 243, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306 |
| English 202, 380 |
| Music Performance 341D, 341E, 341F, 341G, 341H, 342, 344, 344A, 344B, 344D, 344E, 441 |
| Music Theory 170, 369, 370, 483 |
| Spanish 413 |
| Studio Art 105, 120 |
| Theatre 113, 131, 132, 218, 225, 226, 240, 261, 290, 291, 321, 331, 335, 336 |
Arts, Literature, and Performance – Appreciation
| Anthropology 309 |
| Art History 114, 115 |
| Classics 110, 130, 202, 204 |
| Education 311 |
| English 205, 206, 245, 251 |
| French 326, 327, 328 |
| German 311 |
| Greek 306, 308, 309 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies 204 |
| Latin 305, 307, 352, 353, 354, 358, 434 |
| Music History and Literature 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, 263, 362, 368 |
| Religion 205, 206, 301 |
| Theatre 111, 211, 212 |
Human Experience and Society
| Anthropology 101, 318 |
| Art History 460 |
| Classics 101, 110, 211, 310 |
| Economics 201, 202 |
| Geography 102, 221, 222, 331, 337 |
| Historic Preservation 101 |
| History 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, 142, 305, 315, 325, 327, 328, 334, 341, 356, 357, 358, 360, 361, 362, 366, 368, 371, 372, 375, 377, 381, 383, 384, 385, 386, 395 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies 207 |
| Linguistics 101, 202, 301, 302, 305, 307 |
| Math 207 |
| Philosophy 102, 201, 202, 210, 220, 225, 244A, 283, 284, 301, 302, 318, 320, 335 |
| Political Science 101, 201 |
| Psychology 100 |
| Religion 101, 102, 103, 205, 206, 210, 250, 251, 276, 283, 284, 305, 318 |
| Sociology 105, 155 |
| Theatre 361, 362 |
Experiential Learning — All courses numbered 491 and 492 (individual studies) and all Undergraduate Research 197 courses meet this requirement. The following courses also satisfy this requirement: American Studies 470, 485, Anthropology 480, Chemistry 493, Classics 485, Communication 481, Computer Science 391, 430, Economics 490, Education 303, 440, English, 380, Environmental Science 481, Geography 485, History 485, 486, Music Theory 490, Philosophy 485, Psychology 321, Psychology 350, Religion 401, Sociology 364, Spanish 301, and THEA 482. Internships (499) that have a final project/paper that is to be evaluated by the sponsoring faculty member will also meet this requirement. The “community service option” offered by a number of departments also fulfills this requirement (see the following sections of this Catalog for details: Biology, Psychology, and Spanish). The Chemistry Department’s summer research experience also fulfills this requirement (see the Chemistry section of this Catalog).
Speaking Intensive (SI) — SI courses are indicated in the online schedule of courses. The course must be designated as SI in the semester in which it is taken in order to satisfy the requirement. Some sections of a particular course may be designated as SI while others are not; students should be aware of this fact when selecting courses for their schedule.
Writing Intensive (WI) — WI courses are indicated in the online schedule of courses. The course must be designated as WI in the semester in which it is taken in order to satisfy the requirement. Some sections of a particular course may be designated as WI while others are not; students should be aware of this fact when selecting courses for their schedule.