Southwestern University
2000-2001 Catalog

Academic Calendar

Southwestern University: A Statement
The Academic Program
Degree Requirements
Academic Regulations

Course Descriptions

Brown College of Arts & Sciences
 Biology
 Chemistry
 Classics
 Communication
 Economics & Business
 Education
 English
 History
 Kinesiology
 Math & Computer Science
 Modern Languages & Literatures
 Physics
 Psychology
 Religion & Philosophy
 Sociology & Anthropology

Sarofim School of Fine Arts
 Art
 Music
 Theatre

Interdisciplinary Programs
Special Academic Programs

Admission & Financial Aid
Student Life
Cultural Activities
History & Governance
Endowments & Scholorships

University Directory
Board & Officers
Faculty
Administration
 

  

THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

 

ACADEMIC STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY

The academic and instructional program at Southwestern University is organized through The Brown College of Arts and Sciences and The Sarofim School of Fine Arts. The Brown College of Arts and Sciences is composed of three divisions: The Division of Humanities, The Division of Social Sciences, and The Division of Natural Sciences. The Sarofim School of Fine Arts is composed of the Department of Art, the Department of Music, and the Department of Theatre. In addition, the University supports a series of team-taught, interdisciplinary courses including fields represented both by The Brown College of Arts and Sciences and The Sarofim School of Fine Arts.

Divisions/School

The Brown College of Arts and Sciences, named in honor of the George R. and Herman Brown families of Houston for their generosity in supporting Southwestern’s academic program, is composed of 16 academic departments making up three divisions: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The Sarofim School of Fine Arts is named in honor of Fayez Sarofim of Houston for his generous support of Southwestern.

Division of Humanities

Classics

English

History

Modern Languages and Literature

Religion and Philosophy

Division of Social Sciences

Communication

Economics and Business

Education

Kinesiology (Physical Education)

Political Science

Psychology

Sociology and Anthropology

Division of Natural Sciences

Biology

Chemistry

Mathematics and Computer Science

Physics

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts

Art

Music

Theatre

PLAN OF STUDY

General Education Program at Southwestern University:
Organization and Rationale

Southwestern University has adopted a comprehensive educational program with a dual set of commitments, both of which are of equal importance in the education of its students. 1) Through its program of majors, areas of concentration, and related subject areas of emphasis, the University is committed to provide a quality program of specialized training that will enable its graduates to enter the leading graduate and professional schools or to enter directly into careers in a chosen profession or field. 2) Through its general education program, especially (but not limited to) the all-University requirements, the University is committed to the goals of a liberal arts education.

Stated simply, the goals of a liberal arts education are to develop literate, informed persons capable of making the world more humane and civilized. To become such persons, students must acquire the skills of communication: reading and thinking critically, writing and speaking cogently. Because cumulative learning develops their powers of reasoning and analysis, they must achieve depth in some field of knowledge. They also need to acquire breadth by becoming familiar with the different specialized modes of acquiring knowledge of themselves and their social and natural environments. Such persons should understand their own cultural heritage and the values that underlie their history, preferably in an international context. Further, they should develop moral, religious, and aesthetic awareness that will enable them to make informed and discriminating decisions. Southwestern has the resources to maintain the strength and the integrity of both specialized and general education.

Objectives of General Education

The University’s general education program is designed:

A. To help students develop a set of basic academic skills that are the marks of an educated person and are fundamental to the successful completion of any program of study, viz:

1. Fluency in written and spoken English.

2. Competence in analytical and critical thinking.

3. The ability to do mathematics and carry out quantitative analysis.

4. An understanding of electronic computers, their operation, and their role in problem solving.

5. The ability to use bibliographic and other systems of stored data or information to seek out new information and assess its relevance.

6. The ability to relate diverse information and techniques from different subject areas in order to understand and assess problems.

7. Proficiency in a classical or modern language other than English at the fourth-semester level.

B. To introduce students to the various perspectives on knowledge and the modes of reasoning, thinking, and acquiring knowledge that are fundamental for understanding personal existence, human community, and the natural environment and that are necessary for continuing self-education in the modern world, viz:

1. An understanding of our cultural past and an appreciation of its impact on the present.

2. An understanding of other cultural traditions in order to expand students’ cultural experience and to provide fresh perspectives on their own cultural assumptions and traditions.

3. An appreciation of the impact of religious ideas and traditions on the development of human consciousness.

4. An understanding of the place of value questions in human knowledge and the development of skills to assess value considerations within one’s own life.

5. An understanding of how knowledge of the natural world is acquired by the use of scientific methods of inquiry and application of experimental techniques.

6. An appreciation of the creative dimension of human existence and of aesthetic experience as a distinctive mode of understanding.

7. An understanding of the relationship between the individual and the social environment and of the ways in which that relationship can be understood.

Program of General Education

The general education program contains two components requiring thirteen general education courses and a third component fulfilled as students pursue their areas of specialization and concomitant degree requirements and electives. This program is described below in terms of guidelines that are intended to create a framework for defining and developing general education courses in each area. These courses are normally three semester hours each.

I. AREA ONE: FOUNDATION COURSES (To be completed in the first year)

A. First-year Seminar (1 course)

The purpose of the First-year Seminar is to provide a common intellectual experience for first-year students that develops their competence in analytical and critical thinking, writing, and speaking. This course also provides a context for the student’s transition into a liberal arts learning environment and the challenging intellectual demands of college-level course work. In this course, which is taught only in the fall, frequent papers and recitations are assigned based on readings and weekly lectures. First-year Seminar normally is taken concurrently with English Composition unless the student has received advanced placement in English Composition or circumstances dictate that the student must take English Composition in the spring. First-year Seminar and English Composition, then, are intended to lay a foundation for skills in writing, speaking, and using bibliographic sources that will be carried over into the student’s entire educational career at Southwestern.

B. English Composition (1 course)

Writing is considered a significant form of thinking, a process of discovering and communicating ideas. This course is designed to involve students directly in this process of writing as thinking, to stimulate them to develop their ideas, and to increase their facility with the English language and the use of bibliographic sources. Readings from the work of good writers expose students to effective writing and encourage them to respond accurately and intelligently to the language and ideas of others, but the emphasis of this course is on the students’ own writing of expository prose, including the research paper.

C. Mathematics (1 course)

The mathematics requirement is designed to insure that students have an appropriate mastery of computational skills as well as an appreciation of the nature of mathematical reasoning. Courses designed to satisfy this requirement may focus either on basic skills in algebra and geometry or more advanced mathematical skills or on understanding and applying statistical methods and concepts. Mathematics courses which are required within specific degree plans meet these objectives.

II. AREA TWO: PERSPECTIVES ON KNOWLEDGE (No more than two courses in one academic department may be counted by a student toward the general education requirements in this Area except as noted below.)

A. American and Western Cultural Heritage (1 course)

This requirement is designed to aid students in understanding the forces of the past that have influenced the West and the United States today. Courses meeting this requirement assist students to view their life experiences in a wider context and help them provide historical orientation to issues in the contemporary world. Appropriate courses are concerned with, although not limited to, political thought, international conflicts, literary and artistic movements, social organization, economic theory, and intellectual history.

B. Other Cultures and Civilizations (1 course)

The aim of this requirement is to expand the student’s cultural experience through the study of different cultural traditions. Through the study of other cultures’ histories, social systems, religious and ethical values, intellectual trends, and literary and artistic achievements, these courses seek to identify the distinctive patterns of thought, belief, and action that account for a culture’s particular configuration or ethos.

C. The Religious Perspective (1 course)

Courses satisfying this requirement introduce students to reflections on the meaning of human existence, community, and the universe from the perspectives of the major religious traditions of humankind. Specific courses may focus upon a segment of religious and philosophical tradition or on several religious traditions in comparison. These courses show how religious tradition molds and shapes human consciousness and provides individuals with self definition and meaning.

D. Values Analysis (1 course)

Courses that satisfy this requirement accomplish two aims: 1) they expose students to an appreciation of questions of value in the assessment of human activity and knowledge; 2) they develop in students the analytical and critical skills necessary to assess value considerations within one’s own life. Courses designed for this purpose introduce students to the analysis of value presuppositions and normative relations within human thought and activity and make students aware of the intricacies of ethical arguments, so that they can come to grips with individual questions of choice and value.

E. The Natural World (2 courses)

Courses that satisfy this requirement help students gain an appreciation for science. In this context, "science" refers to both methodology and a body of information. Thus, these courses consider not only what scientists believe to be true (this involves in-depth treatment of selected principles), but also include how those principles have been developed, tested, and confirmed. Students will complete two laboratory science courses, each dealing with a volume of information and with the methodologies used in obtaining that information, one from the physical sciences and one from the life or experimental behavioral sciences.

F. Aesthetic Experience (2 courses)

Courses designed to satisfy this requirement have three purposes: 1) to develop in students an understanding and appreciation of the arts as one of humanity’s principal ways of perceiving and understanding the world, 2) to instill in students an understanding of the significant role of the arts in the development of civilizations, and 3) to develop a sense of discipline that can be used throughout a student’s life. From a variety of courses in literature, music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts, students should select one course in the classroom/lecture format, concerned with significant artistic achievements of individuals or cultures, and one which involves the student more directly in the creative processes of performance or production of artworks (or the equivalent hours in Ensemble or Applied Music).

G. Social Analysis (2 courses)

The objective of this requirement is to acquaint students with the ways of developing knowledge about individuals, social environments, and social processes. Students will take two courses, each of which develops at least one of the important perspectives in the social sciences. Each course should include a discussion of the background assumptions on which the theoretical perspective is based, the types of evidence that may be used to support the theoretical perspective, and relate the theoretical perspective to at least one significant social issue. The two courses taken will represent at least two different departments.

III. AREA THREE: OTHER GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Rather than being statisfied by specified courses as in Area One and Area Two, the requirements of Area Three are fulfilled with already existing courses as students pursue their areas of specialization and concomitant degree requirements and electives.

A. Computer Competence

Persons who are to function effectively in today’s society must have some knowledge of the operation of electronic computers and how they can be used to solve problems. Courses designed to do this within the major may address questions about appropriateness of computer use within the field, but they must also provide "hands-on" experience in the use of computers and appropriate software.

B. Continued Writing Experience

In order to achieve the goals of a liberal arts education, students must not only learn to write cogently but must also practice and refine communication skills as they progress through their various courses of study. Different majors or areas of concentration have different writing styles and requirements, and liberal arts graduates should be able to communicate effectively in their own and other fields. Ordinarily, courses in Area Two, Perspectives on Knowledge, and some courses in all major fields of study have writing components.

C. Integrative or Capstone Experience

One of the objectives of the study of a subject in depth is the development within students of the ability to organize and integrate their knowledge and experience within the field. A major or area of concentration is not simply a collection of courses; it involves the mastery of the subject and the ability to interrelate that knowledge. Each department and major program shall design its major(s) to include an appropriate summary or capstone experience. This may be a special course, a project in which students are expected to bring together and apply what they have learned, a comprehensive written and/or oral examination, or other experience appropriate to the area of specialization.

D. Fitness and Recreational Activity

The objective of the Fitness and Recreational Activity program is to develop knowledge, skills, and physical abilities that contribute to the enjoyment of various sports and leisure time activities throughout life as well as to acquire techniques in developing and maintaining personal physical fitness. Students are encouraged to develop and practice a life style that promotes wellness, physical fitness, and incorporates recreational activities on a regular basis.

See p. 21 for an outline of how General Education Requirements are fulfilled.

Majors and Minors Available at Southwestern

The depth of understanding achieved through "majoring" in a discipline is a characteristic of the well-educated person. Southwestern requires that students achieve competence within a particular field. Most majors involve study in a subject area within a particular academic department; some majors are interdisciplinary and are so indicated in the list below. Majors and minors regularly available are:

Majors

All majors require at least 30 semester hours (18 above the introductory level); however, some majors may require from 48 to 60 semester hours. Students are cautioned to check these requirements when considering a double major as certain combinations of majors cannot be completed in four years, and no course may satisfy hours requirements in more than one major. The exception is paired majors (see pages 18, 21).

Accounting page 62

American Studies (Interdisciplinary) page 158

Animal Behavior (Interdisciplinary) page 158

Art page 130

Biology page 45

Business page 62

Chemistry page 52

Child Study and Language Development page 68

Classics page 56

Communication page 59

Composite Science (teaching field) page 71

Composite Social Studies (teaching field) page 71

Computational Mathematics page 97

Computer Science page 97

Economics page 62

English page 77

Environmental Studies (Interdisciplinary) page 159

French page 102

German page 102

History page 81

Independent Major (Interdisciplinary) (Area of Concentration) page 18, 157

International Studies (Interdisciplinary) page 161

Kinesiology page 89

Latin page 56

Mathematics page 97

Music page 138

Philosophy page 116

Physical Science (dual-degree program) page 168

Physics page 108

Political Science page 109

Psychology page 113

Religion page 116

Sociology page 122

Spanish page 102

Theatre page 149

Women’s Studies (Interdisciplinary) page 169

Minors

A minor requires at least 18 semester hours in a subject area (12 above the introductory level). Please check the requirements for each minor, as some may exceed the 18 semester hour minimum.

Anthropology page 122

Architectural Studies page 130

Art History page 130

Biology page 45

Business page 62

Chemistry page 52

Communication page 59

Computer Science page 97

Dance page 149

Economics page 62

English page 77

Environmental Studies page 159

French page 102

Generic Special Education page 68

German page 102

Greek page 56

History page 81

Kinesiology page 89

Latin page 56

Mathematics page 97

Music page 138

Philosophy page 116

Physics page 108

Political Science page 109

Psychology page 113

Religion page 116

Sociology page 122

Spanish page 102

Studio Art page 130

Theatre page 149

Women’s Studies page 169

Areas of Emphasis

Certain majors require students to choose from prescribed sets of course offerings in the subject area that focus on an "area of emphasis" within the major. The majors with "areas of emphasis" are listed below:

Art

Art History

Studio Art

Kinesiology

Athletic Training (optional)

Human Performance (optional)

Sport & Recreation Management (optional)

Music (Bachelor of Music only)

Music Education

Music Literature

Music Theory

Performance

Sacred Music

International Studies

East Asian

European

Latin American

Religion

Christian Education (optional)

Paired Majors

Certain departments and programs have agreed to "pair" majors, which allows up to six hours of specified courses to count in both majors. Contact the chairs of the applicable department or programs for details about these paired majors. The approved majors are:

Communication/Women’s Studies

Economics/Accounting

Economics/Business

English/Women’s Studies

History/Women’s Studies

International Studies/French

International Studies/German

International Studies/Spanish

Philosophy/Women’s Studies

Psychology/Child Study and Language Development

Religion/Women’s Studies

Sociology/Women’s Studies

Theatre/Women’s Studies

The Independent Major (Area of Concentration)

The independent major (area of concentration) within the Bachelor of Arts degree is an alternative to a regularly offered major and minor. It gives students greater freedom to design an interdisciplinary course of study focusing on a theme or career plan. It must consist of no fewer than 48 semester hours, chosen in accordance with an overall plan that gives unity and coherence to the integrated course of study: 1) 24 semester hours from one subject area (defined as one group of courses sharing a numerical prefix, e.g. 70-XXX-Studio Art), 18 of which must be above the introductory level; and 2) 24 additional semester hours from other subject areas, 18 of which must be above the introductory level.

Students’ programs must be designed in consultation with the chairpersons of the division/School and the departments involved and must be approved by the division/School in which the first 24-hour block falls. The capstone experience is dictated by the requirements of the subject area in the first 24-hour block.

General

A student may credit no more than 42 hours in a single subject area to his or her degree plan (excluding three hours of English Composition for English majors). Of the 121 semester hours (minimum) required for any degree, 60 semester hours must be above the introductory level.

Degrees Available at Southwestern

Southwestern University offers four degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and the Bachelor of Music. Requirements for earning specific degrees vary, and details are given in summary form beginning on page 27 of this Catalog.