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Students who started at Whitman College beginning Fall semester 2024

Students who initially enter the college in the Fall 2024 semester and subsequently are required to complete the following:

Foundations

Students must fulfill the writing proficiency requirement and take the First Year Seminars: 

Fall: GENS 175:  Exploring Complex Questions 

Spring: GENS 176:  Making Powerful Arguments 

 

Explorations

Students must take at least 3 credits in each of the seven categories listed below:

  1. Textual Analysis
  2. The Individual and Society
  3. Scientific Inquiry
  4. Quantitative Analysis
  5. Creative Production
  6. Global Cultures and Languages
  7. Power and Equity

 

Connections

At least 3 credits of the above, or an additional 3 credits, must count for each of the following:

      a. Writing Across Contexts

b. Studying the Past

While courses may satisfy more than one of the first seven categories, students may apply each course toward only one category in fulfilling their General Studies requirements. The exception to this is “Writing Across Contexts” and “Studying the Past,” which students may double-count with courses in categories 1-7 in fulfilling the requirement.

General Studies requirements may not be satisfied by credits obtained for work in high school (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate). Courses taken with the P-D-F grade option cannot be used to satisfy General Studies requirements.

Categories and Descriptions

1. Textual Analysis

Courses in this category emphasize close textual analysis across a range of humanistic disciplines. They focus on the skills of open-minded yet disciplined reading and the construction of critical arguments, with “text” interpreted broadly to include the study of visual, musical, and performing arts, as well as film, media, and digital humanities. Courses in this category pay particular attention to the ways that language, form, and genre shape ideas, as well as to the way different disciplines explore fundamental questions of human experience. They situate these explorations in a rich variety of literary, cultural, historical, intellectual, and formal contexts, modeling the interplay between text, context, and interpretation.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Analyze and interpret texts with precision and fidelity, considering form and content;
  • Articulate complex, evidence-based, and potentially competing interpretations of texts;
  • Develop layered understandings through critical lenses informed by language, genre, textual traditions, and cultural and historical contexts;
  • Trace genealogies of thought and forms of expression across individual texts and genres.

 

Courses that will satisfy the Textual Analysis (TA) requirement:

Anthropology: ANTH-201, 301, 303

Art History: ARTH-130, 135, 143, 146, 150, 153, 203, 210, 228, 229, 237

Classics: CLAS-201, 311, 312

English: ENGL-176, 177, 178, 179, 230, 231, 232, 233, 246, 290, 347, 377

Environmental Studies: ENVS-227, 230

Film and Medial Studies: FMS-105, 120, 160, 307

French and Francophone Studies: FREN-225, 310, 405

German Studies: GERM-215, 219, 303, 318

Global Literatures: GLIT-222, 225, 301, 305

Greek: GREK-205, 375

Hispanic Studies: HISP-143, 343,

History: HIST-106, 165, 188, 202, 206, 207, 208, 214, 320, 322

Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies: IRES-135, 180, 270

Latin: LAT-205, 375

Music: MUS-150, 251, 252, 271, 297, 298, 299, 354

Philosophy: PHIL-117, 125, 201, 202, 215, 227, 311, 312, 318, 321

Politics: POL-147

Religion: REL-110, 170, 180, 203, 205, 207, 217, 219, 236, 270, 303, 304, 307, 310, 370

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-121, 230, 255, 321, 330, 380

Theater and Dance: THDN-118, 210, 246, 345, 357, 360, 366

 

2. The Individual and Society

Courses in this category use social science methodologies to explore human behavior and social structures. Some courses focus more on individuals, and the factors that affect how people act individually or in the context of social groups. Other courses focus more on social structures, and the ways in which those structures are formed, sustained, and changed. All courses provide students with a foundation in theories or practices of the social science disciplines.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Describe mutual influences and intersections among individuals, groups, cultures, and/or societies;
  • Use qualitative or quantitative data to develop an understanding of social structures, individual behaviors, and/or cultural contexts;
  • Describe social science theories and methodologies that are used to study individuals, groups, cultures, or societies.

 

Courses that will satisfy The Individual and Society (TIS) requirement:

Anthropology: ANTH-101, 201, 220, 223, 224, 225, 228, 303

Economics: ECON-100, 101, 102, 205, 215, 329, 353

Film and Media Studies: FMS-170, 307

German Studies: GERM-219, 318

History: HIST-128, 151, 155, 181, 182, 205, 206, 220

Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies IRES-180, 270

Music: MUS-160, 297, 298, 299

Philosophy: PHIL-127, 141, 318

Politics: POL-109, 110, 147, 228, 250, 254

Psychology: PSYC-110

Religion: REL-110, 115, 180, 203, 205, 207, 219, 223, 224, 225, 270, 303, 304, 307, 310, 370

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-175

Sociology: SOC-117, 209, 211, 212, 220, 229, 248, 251, 257, 258, 259, 267, 269,  278, 279, 325, 329, 337, 340, 353, 360, 368, 369

 

3. Scientific Inquiry

Courses in this category focus on methods for understanding the natural world: the development of hypotheses, collection of data through experiments and/or empirical observations, interpretation and evaluation of that evidence, and communication of results and engagement with others in the field. Courses in this area provide students with an understanding of how to approach today’s challenges, such as rapid technological and environmental change, from a scientific perspective. Courses that fulfill this area will include substantial attention to the evaluation of data and/or a laboratory or field component.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Demonstrate familiarity with a method of scientific inquiry;
  • Articulate fundamental principles in a field of science using appropriate terminology;
  • Analyze, interpret, and evaluate scientific data;
  • Given a problem or question about the natural world, formulate a hypothesis and design a realistic study to evaluate that hypothesis;
  • Investigate how scientific processes impact the quality of human lives and ecosystems.

 

Courses that will satisfy Scientific Inquiry (SI) requirement:

Astronomy: ASTR-110, 177, 178, 179, 227, 228

Biology:  BIOL-101, 102, 110, 115, 126, 127, 130

Chemistry: CHEM-100, 102, 125, 126, 135, 136, 140, 388

Geology: GEOL-110, 111, 120, 121, 125, 126, 140

Physics: PHYS-103, 105, 145, 146, 155, 156

Psychology: PSYC-225

 

4. Quantitative Analysis

Courses in this category provide students with an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to critically analyze numerical or graphical data, to develop abstract quantitative frameworks, and to develop a facility with quantitative reasoning techniques and their applicability to disciplines across the liberal arts.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Perform computations associated with a model and make conclusions based on the results;
  • Represent, communicate, and analyze ideas and data using symbols, graphs, or tables;
  • Analyze and interpret data using statistical methods;
  • Develop and evaluate arguments based on numerical or other quantitative evidence;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of abstract mathematical concepts and be able to apply these concepts to solve problems.

 

Courses that will satisfy Quantitative Analysis (QA) requirement:

Astronomy: ASTR-177, 178, 179

Chemistry: CHEM-100, 102, 125, 126, 135, 136, 140, 388

Computer Science: CS-167, 220

Economics: ECON-114, 227

Environmental Studies: ENVS-207

Mathematics and Statistics: MATH-124, 125, 126, 128, 220, 225, 247

Music: MUS-126

Physics: PHYS-103, 105, 145, 146, 155, 156

Psychology: PSYC-210, 210L

Sociology: SOC-208

 

 

5. Creative Production

Courses in this category focus on the production and performance of art with particular attention to the materials, forms, and processes of creative practice. These courses emphasize the creative act, exploring the ways we use different creative modes, materials, and artistic approaches to represent and interrogate ourselves and the world around us. Courses in this category also cultivate vocabulary for the examination and understanding of art, situating the student’s own creative production within theories and genealogies of the particular artform.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Engage in the creative process of making or performing;
  • Develop skills in the use of the unique materials/forms/processes associated with the different creative disciplines, and understand the significance and meaning of these methods;
  • Understand different theoretical approaches to creative production;
  • Solve problems in creative ways;
  • Critically analyze their own and others’ artistic work.

 

Courses that will satisfy Creative Production (CPROD) requirement:

Art History: ARTH-237

Art: ARTS-101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 114, 115, 116, 123, 125, 130, 160, 167, 170, 180

English: ENGL-150, 250, 251, 252

French and Francophone Studies: FREN-230

Music: MUS-101, 126, 127, 161, 162, 211, 212, 226, 227, 231, 232, 241, 251, 252, 253, 254, 260, 261, 262, 271

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-110

Theater and Dance: THDN-125, 126, 130, 131, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 245, 246, 249, 250, 259, 325, 345, 357, 360, 366

 

 6. Global Cultures and Languages

Courses in this category prepare students to be informed citizens in an interdependent world. Courses focus both on individual cultures and global interconnections and interdependencies; they explore the rooted traditions of different locales as well as cultural and geopolitical migrations, displacements, and cross-fertilizations. Language classes in particular examine how different cultures construct and communicate meaning through language, encouraging ethical participation in a globalized society and a comparativist understanding of world culture, while providing critical tools for interacting in a multilingual world.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Become familiar with at least one realm of global interconnection, such as migration, international financial markets, climate change, or the movement of ideas;
  • Examine how forces such as globalization, imperialism, and national identity have shaped ideas and interactions;
  • Engage with difference across cultures and critically examine their own place in the world and their assumptions about it;
  • Gain the skills necessary to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world;
  • Investigate, explain, and reflect on the nature of language and its connection to culture.

 

Courses that will satisfy Global Cultures and Languages (GCL) requirement

Anthropology: ANTH-101, 206, 217, 220, 223, 224, 225, 301, 303

Art History: ARTH-143, 146, 210

Chinese: CHIN-105, 106, 205, 206, 305, 306, 405, 406

Classics: CLAS-130, 139, 205, 217, 226, 319

Economics: ECON-205

Enlgish:ENGL-245

Environmental Studies: ENVS-205,  217,  226, 319

Film and Media Studies: FMS-160, 305, 307

French and Francophone Studies: FREN-105, 106, 205, 206, 225, 230, 305, 310

German Studies: GERM-105, 106, 205, 206, 215, 219, 303, 318

Global Literatures: GLIT-222, 301, 305

Greek: GREK-105, 106, 205, 375

Hispanic Studies: HISP-108, 143, 205, 206, 305, 306, 343

History: HIST-105, 109, 110, 120, 128, 165, 188, 205, 208, 214, 320, 322

Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies: IRES-270

Japanese: JPNS-105, 106, 205, 206, 305, 306

Latin: LAT-105, 106, 205, 375

Music: MUS-150, 241, 251, 252

Philosophy: PHIL-215, 318

Politics: POL-110, 120, 228, 255

Religion: REL-110, 115, 170, 203, 205, 207, 217, 219, 223, 224, 225, 236, 270, 303, 304, 307, 310, 370

Theater and Dance: THDN-118, 210

7. Power and Equity

Courses in this category help students explore issues related to power and equity across disciplines. In particular, courses address the ways in which inequalities are produced, experienced, and resisted. Courses engage critically with issues of diversity, inequality, and inclusivity, and address differences related to ability/disability, age, body size, citizenship status, class, color, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, geography, nationality, political affiliation, religion, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background, etc. They also investigate issues of power, privilege, and social justice, both domestically and globally, providing students with a critical framework for ethical and engaged participation in society.

Courses in this category provide opportunities for students to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of economic, political, legal, cultural, natural, historical, or social forces that affect public problems or civic issues and responses;
  • Engage critically with issues of difference, diversity, inequality, inclusivity, and justice;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how justice/injustice and equality/inequality have been distributed, enacted, problematized, and idealized in historical or contemporary settings.

 

Courses that will satisfy Power and Equity (PEQ) requirement

Anthropology: ANTH-217, 220, 223, 224, 225, 303

Art History: ARTH-130, 135, 153, 203, 210, 228, 229

Classics: CLAS-205

Economics: ECON-345

English: ENGL-231, 377

Environmental Studies: ENVS-205, 329, 353

Film and Media Studies: FMS-307, 315, 350

German Studies: GERM-219, 303

Gender Studies: GNDS-100, 210, 230, 238, 250

Hispanic Studies: HISP-143

History: HIST-106, 112, 120, 188, 208, 211, 214, 217, 220, 314, 322

Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies: IRES-105, 135, 180, 210, 220, 225, 230, 270

Music: MUS-150, 160, 354

Philosophy: PHIL-120, 222, 262

Politics: POL-110, 120, 147, 228, 250, 254

Psychology: PSYC-218, 239

Religion: REL-110, 115, 170, 180, 203, 205, 207, 217, 219, 223, 224, 225, 270, 303, 304, 307, 310, 370

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-230, 250, 255, 332, 380

Sociology: SOC-117, 209, 211, 212, 220, 229, 248, 251, 257, 258, 259, 267, 269, 278, 279, 325, 329, 337, 340, 353, 360, 368, 369

Theater and Dance: THDN-250

 

A. Writing Across Contexts

​​Effective writing is a skill acquired over a lifetime, not mastered in one course or a single year. Whitman supports students’ development as writers throughout their studies, as they move into more specific areas of interest and more sophisticated academic work. First Year Seminars and RWPD 170 engage students in writing to learn, to persuade, and to communicate with different audiences. Writing across Contexts courses, taken primarily in the second or third year, challenge students to develop writing practices relevant to specific disciplinary areas of study. Writing across Contexts courses may be taken in a student’s major, in a related field, or in a different area of interest chosen in consultation with their advisor. As with the Studying the Past requirement, students may double-count courses in this category with courses counting toward categories 1-7.

 Courses in this category provide students with opportunities to do all of the following:

  • Employ writing as a method of increased engagement with course content;
  • Select and use evidence in writing as appropriate to specific fields of study;
  • Recognize and apply writing practices and conventions within distinct genres and academic disciplines;
  • Reflect on their writing practices and revise their writing.

 

Courses that will satisfy Writing Across Contexts (WAC) requirement

Anthropology: ANTH-301

Biology: BIOL-225, 287, 338

Chemistry: CHEM-252, 320, 352

Classics:  CLAS-139, 205, 217, 226, 311, 312

English: ENGL-230, 232, 377

Environmental Studies: ENVS-205, 217, 226, 227, 230, 329, 353

Film and Media Studies: FMS-105, 307

German Studies: GERM-215, 318

Global Literatures: GLIT-305

History: HIST-299

Music: MUS-150, 298

Philosophy: PHIL-117, 127, 215, 227, 261, 311, 312, 318, 321

Politics: POL-250

Psychology: PSYC-220

Religion: REL-110, 170, 203, 304, 307, 310

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-180, 210, 225, 230, 255, 321, 380, 387

Sociology: SOC-212, 325, 329, 337, 353, 360

Theater and Dance: THDN-118

 

B. Studying the Past

Courses in this category focus on the study of historically remote cultures, texts, and phenomena, encouraging students to acquire temporal as well as disciplinary breadth within their studies.  Courses broaden students’ perspectives beyond the present by engaging with historical difference, processes of change, and continuities between past and present. As with the Writing Across Contexts requirement, students may double-count courses in this category with courses counting toward categories 1-7.

Courses in this category provide students with substantive opportunities to:

  • Investigate distant eras of history;
  • Analyze and evaluate various types of historical evidence;
  • Understand and critique diverse and potentially competing interpretations of past events;
  • Develop a sense of chronology and how it’s documented and measured.

 

Courses that will satisfy Studying the Past (STP) requirement

Anthropology: ANTH-101, 303

Art History: ARTH-130, 135, 143, 146, 150, 203, 210, 228

Astronomy: ASTR-227

Biology: BIOL-110

Chemistry: CHEM-100, 102, 320, 388

Classics: CLAS-130, 139, 201, 205, 217, 226, 311, 312, 319

Economics: ECON-102

English: ENGL-230, 231, 232, 233, 246

Environmental Studies: ENVS-205, 217, 226, 227, 319

Film and Media Studies: FMS-160, 170

French and Francophone Studies: FREN-305, 405

Geology: GEOL-110, 111, 120, 121, 125, 126

German Studies: GERM-215, 219, 303, 318

Greek: GREK-105, 106, 205, 375

History: HIST-105, 106, 109, 110, 112, 120, 127, 151, 155, 160, 165, 180, 181, 182, 183, 188, 202, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 211, 214, 217, 218, 219, 220, 297, 314, 320, 322

Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies: IRES-135 270

Latin: LAT-106, 205, 375

Music: MUS-126, 160, 211, 212, 231, 232, 253, 254, 297, 298, 299, 354

Philosophy: PHIL-201, 202, 215, 227, 311, 312, 318, 321

Politics: POL-120

Religion: REL-110, 170, 205, 219, 270, 303, 370

Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse: RWPD-255, 321

Sociology: SOC-212, 251, 368

Theater and Dance: THDN-210

 

Students who started at Whitman College prior to Fall 2024

Students who entered the college prior to the Fall 2024 semester are required to complete the following:

All students are required to complete the following Distribution Requirements:

  1. The cultural pluralism requirement focuses primarily on underrepresented cultural perspectives. In addition, courses in this area foster a greater understanding of the diversity or interconnectedness of cultures. Such courses must offer in-depth coverage of, and must focus on, at least one of the following: cultural pluralism; power disparities among social groups; methodological or theoretical approaches used in the interpretation of cultural difference; marginality within categories such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or class; and/or the perspectives of non-dominant groups.

Cultural Pluralism – Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Engage with ideas and people that expand one’s cultural perspectives.
  • Articulate how different cultural backgrounds affect interactions or relationships with others.
  • Articulate complex relationships arising from the intersection of various aspects of culture, such as language, gender, history, values, politics, religious practices, and unequal distributions of power and resources.
  • Navigate differences by drawing on relevant cultural frames of reference and adapting perspectives accordingly.
  • Apply different methodological and theoretical approaches to interpret cultural difference.

Students must complete two courses totaling at least six credits designated as fulfilling the requirement in cultural pluralism. These courses include:

Anthropology 101, 153, 201, 210, 223, 224, 225, 228, 233, 238, 240, 246, 303, 313, 320, 321, 345, 350, 358

Art History 135,143,146, 210, 257, 260, 325, 353, 356, 357, 495

Art History 135,143,146, 210, 257, 260, 325, 353, 356, 357, 495

Indigeneity, Race, And Ethnicity Studies— all courses

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies — all courses

Japanese — all courses

BBMB 430

Latin — all courses 

Chinese — all courses

Music 115, 129, 160, 258, 310, 354, 360

Classics 200, 205

Philosophy 110, 216, 218, 219, 222, 235, 247, 251, 318, 340, 360, 365, 415, 461

Economics 258, 266, 345

Politics 114, 119, 120, 125, 207, 228, 250, 254, 255, 260, 301, 308, 311, 312, 325, 330, 333, 334, 335, 349, 350, 359, 363, 365, 367

English  245, 246, 346, 376

Psychology 218, 231, 239, 309

Environmental Studies 205, 302, 335, 339, 345, 350

Religion 100, 109, 110, 115, 116, 117, 134, 153, 170, 180, 205, 207, 208,  217, 219, 220, 223, 224, 225, 236, 260, 270, 290, 291, 292, 303, 304, 307, 310, 321, 325, 350, 358, 370

Film and Media Studies 255, 305, 307, 340, 345, 350

Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse 250

French and Francophone Studies — all courses (except 491, 492)

Sociology 117, 205, 209, 229, 235, 251, 257, 258, 259, 267, 269, 270, 278, 279, 309, 325, 337, 360, 369

Gender Studies — all courses

Theater and Dance 118, 210, 250

German — all courses (except 352, 391, 392)

 History 109, 110, 112, 120, 121, 127, 128, 188, 205, 208, 209, 210, 214, 215, 217, 218, 219, 220, 223, 225, 230, 235, 241, 243, 246, 247, 248, 254, 264, 265, 267, 268, 280, 283, 286, 287, 288, 300, 302, 310, 313, 314, 319, 322, 323, 332, 344, 348, 349, 360, 364, 366, 370, 384, 393, 394, 395, 494

Global Literatures 210, 222, 225, 230, 301, 305, 309, 312, 320, 322, 325, 338, 395, 407

 Greek — all courses

Hispanic Studies — all courses (except 491, 492)

  

Note: Some departments offer special topics in any given year that may or may not be applicable toward the cultural pluralism requirement. For more information, see the individual course descriptions.

Many courses taken while on a study abroad program or on a domestic urban studies program may be approved to fulfill this requirement. Contact the Off-Campus Studies Office or the General Studies Committee for more information.

2. Courses in the fine arts develop creative problem solving skills, the ability to exercise artistic expression, and an understanding of theoretical and analytical approaches to the process of making a work of art. Courses in this area engage students in artistic production and help students critically analyze their own or others’ works of music, visual and verbal art, dance, film, media and theater.

Fine Arts – Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Solve problems in creative ways
  • Recognize the techniques used in at least one art form
  • Understand different theoretical approaches to artistic production
  • Develop their ability to express themselves artistically
  • Critically analyze their own and others’ artistic work.

Students must complete a minimum of six credits in the fine arts. This requirement is satisfied by courses in:

Art — all courses

Art History — all courses

Classics 224, 319, 377

Hispanic Studies 322

English 150, 250, 251, 252, 320, 321, 322

History 224

Environmental Studies 314, 319, 347

Music — all courses

Film and Media Studies 260, 360

Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse 110

French 230, 260

Theater and Dance (except 235, 372)

Note: Courses designated Independent Study may not be used to satisfy the fine arts distribution requirement. A student may not use more than eight credits from any one department to satisfy the requirements in humanities and fine arts.

3.  Courses in the humanities focus attention on the ways that human beings have understood and interpreted the world around them as well as the processes by which humans come to see life as meaningful. Study in the humanities equips students with the tools to analyze and interpret texts, artistic works, material objects, beliefs and values through close reading and consideration of components such as cultural and historical context, genre, and language.

Humanities – Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Read texts, be they literary, philosophical, artistic, religious, or material in nature, with precision and generosity
  • Analyze and interpret texts with precision, assessing their form and content both on the texts’ own terms and through critical lenses informed by other texts
  • Understand how language, genre, cultural and historical context can shape a text and our interpretation of it
  • Effectively communicate, through written and spoken words, insights drawn from the works they are reading and interpreting
  • Recognize and appreciate the aesthetic, moral, and linguistic dimensions of complex problems

Students must complete a minimum of six credits in the humanities. This requirement is satisfied by courses in:

Anthropology 223, 224, 225, 303, 345, 350

 Art History — all courses
Art 114
 		 Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 105, 106, 301
Chinese — all courses Classics — all courses (except 400)
 
English (except 150, 250, 251, 320, 321, 322, 389) Environmental Studies 202, 203, 205, 217, 226, 227, 230, 235, 247, 302, 308, 335, 339, 340, 345, 347, 349, 350, 358, 360, 365
Film and Media Studies — all courses (except 260, 360) French and Francophone Studies — all courses 
 
Gender Studies 250, 330, 331 German — all courses (except 352)
Global Literatures — all courses Greek — all courses
 
Hispanic Studies — all courses (except 322) History 165, 180, 215, 224, 225, 226, 313
Indigeneity, Race, And Ethnicity Studies 180, 225, 230, 305, 325 Japanese — all courses
 
Latin — all courses Music 297, 298, 299
Philosophy — all courses (except 200, and 488) Politics 121, 260
 
Religion — all courses
 		 Theater and Dance 118, 210, 218, 234, 235, 250, 281, 330, 357, 372, 373, 377, 381
Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse — all courses (except 110, 205, 263) 
 		  

Note: Courses designated Independent Study may not be used to satisfy the humanities Distribution Requirement. A student may not use more than eight credits from any one department to satisfy the requirements in humanities and fine arts.

4.  Courses with a significant quantitative focus students develop the skills necessary to critically analyze numerical or graphical data, to develop abstract quantitative frameworks, and to develop a facility and acumen with quantitative reasoning techniques and their applicability to disciplines across the liberal arts.

Quantitative Analysis – Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Perform computations associated with a model and make conclusions based on the results
  • Represent, communicate, and analyze ideas and data using symbols, graphs, or tables
  • Analyze and interpret data using statistical methods

Students must complete one course of three or more credits in quantitative analysis. This requirement is satisfied by the following courses:

Astronomy 110, 177, 178, 179  Chemistry 100, 102, 125, 126, 140
Computer Science 167, 215, 220, 275 Economics 227, 327, 479
Environmental Studies 207 Mathematics 124, 125, 126, 128, 215, 225, 247 
Music 426 Philosophy 200,  488
Physics 101, 102, 103, 105, 155, 156, 245, 267 Psychology 210
 
Sociology 208  

Note: Courses designated Independent Study may not be used to satisfy the quantitative analysis Distribution Requirement.

5.     Courses in the sciences give students the background necessary to inquire about how the natural world is structured and operates. Students will be exposed to methodologies and techniques that allow them to form hypotheses, then to examine, justify, or refute their hypotheses through scientific evidence and analysis of observations.

Sciences – Learning Outcomes

 Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Demonstrate familiarity with one or more scientific methods of inquiry
  • Articulate fundamental theories in a science using precise terminology of the field
  • Formulate a hypothesis, given a problem or questions, and design a valid experiment to test it.
  • Collect, interpret, and analyze scientific data
  • Apply the principles of scientific inquiry to civic and personal issues.

Students must complete a minimum of six credits in science, including at least one course with a laboratory. This requirement is satisfied by courses in:

  • Astronomy — all 100 and 200-level courses       
  • BBMB — no courses apply
  • Biology — all 100-level courses, 205, 210
  • Chemistry — 100, 102, 125, 126, 135, 136, 140, 245
  • Geology — all 100 and 200-level courses (except 140, 158, 258)
  • Physics — all 100 and 200-level courses (except 115, 116, 135)
  • Psychology 215, 225
  • Science 180

Note: Any laboratory or course with a regularly scheduled laboratory may be used to fulfill the laboratory component of this requirement — see the individual course descriptions.

Note: Courses designated Independent Study may not be used to satisfy the sciences Distribution Requirement.

6.    Studies in the social sciences help students analyze complex relationships and interconnections within and/or among individuals, social formations, texts and institutions across time and/or across local, national, and/or global contexts.

Social Sciences - Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to do one or more of the following:

  • Compare and contrast social institutions, structures, and processes across a range of historical periods, cultures, and societies around the globe.
  • Analyze complex behavior and relationships within and across individuals and social contexts.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with social science methods in the context of explaining or predicting individual and collective behavior and decision-making.
  • Apply social science principles to personal, social, and/or organizational issues.

Students must complete a minimum of six credits in the social sciences. This requirement is satisfied by courses in:

  • Anthropology — all courses
  • Classics 221
  • Economics — all courses
  • Environmental Studies 307, 322, 329, 345, 350, 362
  • Gender Studies 330, 331
  • Hispanic Studies 456
  • History — all courses
  • Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies 305
  • Politics — all courses
  • Psychology — all courses (except 210, 215, 325 and some courses designated Seminars or Tutorials — see the individual course descriptions)
  • Religion 223, 224, 225, 260, 303, 325, 350
  • Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse 342, 360
  • Sociology — all courses

Note: Courses designated Independent Study may not be used to satisfy the social sciences Distribution Requirement.

Additional information regarding Distribution Requirements:

All courses in sports studies, recreation and athletics, and those courses in environmental studies not specifically designated in the distribution areas listing above, do not count toward the completion of the Distribution Requirements.

A student may not apply any individual course toward more than one of the distribution areas, with the exception of the courses used to fulfill the requirement in quantitative analysis. For example, a student may use History 212 to meet either the requirement in social sciences or the requirement in cultural pluralism but not both. In the event that the same cross-listed class applies to different distribution areas, the course may be applied to either distribution area referenced by the indicated departmental registration rubric. For example, Classics 224 cross-listed with Art History 224 may be applied to the fine arts or humanities distribution area.

Distribution Requirements may not be satisfied by credits obtained for work in the high school (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate). With the exception of Economics 493/494, courses taken with the P-D-F grade option cannot be used to satisfy Distribution Requirements.

Five of the six Distribution Requirements should be completed by the end of the sixth semester of college work. The total requirements must be fulfilled not later than the student’s seventh semester.

Transfer students entering with fewer than 58 acceptable credits (i.e., below junior level) must complete the First-Year Experience unless, upon appeal, the Board of Review finds that they have passed comparable courses at another institution.