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Southwestern University
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Southwestern University: A Statement
The Academic Program
Degree Requirements
Academic Regulations
Course Descriptions
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Each student is responsible for meeting all Catalog
requirements for graduation. A Southwestern University degree requires:
1. A minimum of 121 semester hours of
academic work, of which at least 60 academic hours must be from a four-year
(senior) college or university and the last 33 semester hours from Southwestern
(see number 7 below). A minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 on all
college-level work attempted in addition to at least a 2.0 on all Southwestern
University work is required for graduation.
2. In addition to the overall minimum grade
point average of 2.0 for graduation, no grade below C- may be counted toward the
required semester hours in the major, minor, or area of concentration (except in
introductory courses) and at least an average of C (2.0) must be presented in
the major, minor, and area of concentration.
3. Every degree plan must present a minimum
of 60 semester hours of work above the introductory level. The major must
include at least 18 semester hours (nine hours above the introductory level) at
Southwestern, and the minor, if any, must include at least 12 semester hours
(six hours above the introductory level) at Southwestern.
4. Completion of the General Education
Requirements common to all degrees, described in the Catalog section of the same
name.
5. Completion of the major and minor
or area of concentration requirements for a given degree plan and the specific
additional requirements indicated in that degree plan by the student’s
major department. A major requires at least 30 semester hours, 18 above the
introductory level; a minor requires at least 18 semester hours, 12 above the
introductory level. Note that some majors require from 48 to 60 semester hours.
6. No more than 42 semester hours may be
credited on the degree plan for work in one subject area. (English
Composition is excluded from this rule for English majors.)
7. The last 33 semester hours must be
done in residence at Southwestern unless a student has undertaken the 3-2
engineering program or other similar program. Modification of this regulation
will be considered only for those students who have completed a majority of
their academic work at Southwestern University. Students who are candidates for
the combined degree programs, such as the 3-2 program in engineering, must have
their combined degree plans approved by the appropriate academic officer at
Southwestern University before enrolling in the cooperating school. The hours
completed by students in approved programs off campus or overseas apply to this
33-hour rule.
Seniors may complete any
remaining semester hours in summer school at a regionally accredited four-year
college or university on the following conditions: (1) they must have been in
residence at Southwestern University for a period of four semesters; (2) they
must have completed the requirements for the major and minor subjects at
Southwestern; (3) they must attend the commencement exercises on the scheduled
commencement date; and (4) they must apply for and receive approval for the work
in advance from the appropriate department chair and the Registrar.
All work attempted at other institutions
must be reported to Southwestern on official transcripts, in time to meet
deadlines for graduation certification.
8. A
department may provide for a general evaluation of the students’
competence in their fields before the beginning of the final year. The specific
techniques employed are adapted to the discipline involved, and may include
public performance (as in The Sarofim School of Fine Arts) or oral or written
examination or both. A senior oral examination or other departmental evaluation
may be required at the discretion of the department. Such requirements may be in
addition to the capstone experience of Area III Other General Education
Requirements.
9. Candidates for degrees must
file the necessary application for diploma and make satisfactory arrangements
for the payment of all accounts due the University before the degree is awarded.
10. Candidates are expected to be present for
the conferring of the degrees. Should a candidate have a compelling reason to be
absent from Commencement, he or she may petition to be graduated in absentia by
writing to the Provost. No candidate may participate in Commencement exercises
who has not completed all degree requirements.
A program of academic advising provides each student
guidance in choosing a course of study and in selecting appropriate courses each
semester to complete the student’s degree plan in a timely manner. The
Director of Academic Services and Advising assigns an academic advisor to each
new student who enters the university. After the first semester, a student may
request a change in academic advisor by completing the “Change of Academic
Advisor” form available in the Registrar’s Office.
Entering students at a liberal arts and sciences
university such as Southwestern are urged to explore the options offered before
making an official declaration of a major. However, some degree programs, such
as music, languages, or the natural sciences, require that students enter a
sequence of courses in their first semester in order to complete the program in
four years. The Director of Academic Services and Advising will assign entering
students who indicate interest in such programs to academic advisors who will
guide students accordingly.
During the
sophomore year, no later than the Spring advising period for pre-registration
for the junior year, students must declare a major from the list of majors in
the Catalog by submitting a completed “Request for Degree Plan” to
the Registrar’s Office. Students who experience difficulty in choosing a
major are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic Services. The Office of
Career Services offers several interest and personality inventories to assist
students in identifying how their interests and abilities may relate to a
particular major. Students who are still undecided should make a tentative
selection of a major and construct a course of study under a tentative degree
plan.
Each student’s progress toward graduation is
recorded on a degree plan specifying the courses, grades, semester hours, and
other requirements for the particular degree and major that the student has
chosen to pursue. Each student is responsible for meeting all Catalog
requirements for a particular degree and major. The degree plan assists the
student, the student’s academic advisor, and the Registrar’s Office
in tracking these requirements.
To guide
students in planning their courses of study, many of the courses listed in this
Catalog indicate the semester in which the course is normally offered. However,
the University does not guarantee that a course will be offered in a particular
semester, as changing circumstances may dictate an alteration in the usual
pattern of course offerings.
When a student
declares a degree program contained in a Catalog, the requirements for the
program, if changed in a later Catalog, will expire four and one-half years from
the date of the Catalog.
A candidate may receive more than one major by
completing all of the requirements in each of the majors (not in the same
subject area). Subjects normally offered for above-introductory-level electives
may be included in the second major and meet the overall requirement for 60
semester hours above the introductory level. No course may satisfy the semester
hour requirements in more than one major or a major and a minor or more than one
minor. The exception is paired majors, established by two departments or
programs with the approval of the Academic Affairs Council, in which as many as
six hours of specified courses may count in both majors. Students considering
more than one major should be aware that certain combinations of majors cannot
be completed in four years. This can affect the student’s total cost of
schooling, financial aid, etc.
To become eligible for a second baccalaureate degree,
students must complete the 121 semester hours required of the first degree plus
a minimum of 30 additional semester hours in residence, of which 18 semester
hours must be above the introductory level. Additional courses necessary to meet
the specific requirements of the second degree must also be offered. Each degree
must be different and have its own distinctive major. Two undergraduate degrees
can be awarded simultaneously to the same person.
The General Education Program contains two components
requiring 13 general education courses and a third component fulfilled as
students pursue their areas of specialization and concomitant degree
requirements and electives. This program is outlined below. These courses are
normally three semester hours each. These courses may not be taken Pass/D/F,
except for certain courses specifically designated as Pass/D/F.
General Education Requirements Common to All
Degrees
(Note 1) 38 hours
I. Area One: Foundation Courses: (Note 2) 8
hours
A. First-year Seminar (offered fall
only) 05-012
B. English Composition (Note
3) 10-013
C. Mathematics (Note 4) 3 hours
II. Area Two: Perspectives on Knowledge:
(Note 5) 30 hours
A. American and Western
Cultural Heritage 3 hours
B. Other Cultures
and Civilizations 3 hours
C. The Religious
Perspective 3 hours
D. Values Analysis 3 hours
E. The Natural World (Note 6) 6 hours
F. Aesthetic Experience (Note 7) 6 hours
G. Social Analysis (Note 8) 6 hours
III. Area Three: Other General Education
Requirements (Note 9).
A. Computer Skills:
Persons who are to function effectively in today’s society must have some
knowledge of computers and how they can be used to organize, analyze, and
communicate information. Courses within majors may accomplish this through
assignments which require the use of word processing, web-based resources for
research, spreadsheets, e-mail, or other kinds of discipline-related
software.
B. Continued Writing Experience:
Students should demonstrate mastery of basic communications skills as well as
the specialized communications requirements of their chosen major discipline.
Ordinarily, courses in Area Two: Perspectives on Knowledge and some courses in
all major fields have writing components. There is no specific course or set of
courses designated to satisfy this requirement. It is satisfied within existing
courses which fulfill degree requirements.
C.
Integrative or Capstone Experience: The capstone experience may be a special
course or project in which students are expected to bring together and apply
what they have learned, a comprehensive written examination, or other experience
appropriate to the area of specialization. Oral examinations alone will not
satisfy this requirement; oral examinations must be related to a course,
project, or seminar and have a focused content requiring careful student
preparation. If a comprehensive written examination is used to satisfy this
requirement, students must be provided with preparation materials such as: a
syllabus or detailed outline of the material that the examination will cover, a
bibliography of readings that they will be expected to utilize in answering
questions, and a statement of the criteria that will be used to assess
satisfactory and unsatisfactory performance on the examination. Specific details
for satisfying successfully this requirement are described in departmental
course descriptions.
D. Fitness and
Recreational Activity: Two semester hours of Fitness and Recreational Activity
courses are required for all degrees. Repeat courses are not allowed in the
attainment of the required two semester hours. FRA courses are evaluated on a
Pass/D/F basis. One additional hour of FRA credit may be counted as elective
credit toward the total semester hours required for a degree.
NOTES:
(These apply to all degrees)
Note 1: Certain
degree plans may specify particular courses that satisfy general education
requirements. Consult specific degree plans for the various majors.
Note 2: These courses are to be completed in
the first year.
Note 3: Student may receive
credit by a score of at least 4 on the Advanced Placement English Language exam.
Note 4: Entering students with a score of at
least 620 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT mathematics examinations will be exempted
from this requirement. Otherwise, this requirement can be satisfied by at least
4 on an Advanced Placement mathematics exam or, by credit in any approved
college-level mathematics or computer science course taught at Southwestern.
Note 5: No more than two approved courses in
one academic department may be counted toward the general education requirements
in this area, except that for the purpose of granting Perspectives on Knowledge
credit, Religion and Philosophy are treated as two separate departments.
Note 6: Two approved laboratory science
courses, one from the physical sciences and one from the life or experimental
behavioral sciences.
Note 7: Two approved
courses, one in the classroom/lecture format and one in performance or the
production of artworks (or the equivalent semester hours of Ensemble or Applied
Music).
Note 8: Two approved courses
representing two different academic departments, at least one from the social
sciences.
Note 9: These requirements are
fulfilled with already existing courses as students pursue their degree plans.
These are the approved Area Two: Perspectives on Knowledge courses. Courses will be added to and removed from this list in subsequent years. These courses are described in the departmental course listings and are designated by a † symbol in the margin before the course number. No more than two Area Two courses may be taken in one department, except as noted for Religion and Philosophy.
AMS 01-423 A Journey Through the Civil Rights
Movement
CLA 07-203 Greek and Roman
Mythology
07-313 Greek Civilization
07-323 Roman Civilization
COM 75-683 Mass Communication
ECO 31-623 History of Modern Economic
Thought
ENG 10-153 Survey of English
Literature I
10-163 Survey of English
Literature II
10-173 Survey of American
Literature
10-203 Greek and Roman
Mythology
10-593 Studies in World Drama
10-603 Medieval Literature
10-613 Renaissance Literature
FRE 11-353 French Culture and Civilization
FST 04-313 History of the Theatre
I
GER 12-353 German Civilization
12-453 German Civilization: The 20th
Century
HIS 16-203 Early Modern Europe
16-213 Modern
Europe
16-233 U.S.
Civilization
16-283 History of
Science
16-313 Greek Civilization
16-323 Roman
Civilization
16-403 The French Revolution
and Modern France
16-423 A Journey Through
the Civil Rights Movement
16-523 British
History, 1688 to the Present
16-713
African-American History
MUL 80-383 Music
in the United States
PSC 32-113 American
Politics
32-273 Film, Literature, and the
Cold War
SOC 34-423 A Journey Through the
Civil Rights Movement
SPA 15-343 Visions
and Representations of the Hispanic World
THE
74-233 History of the Theatre I
74-243
History of the Theatre II
ANT 35-103 Introduction to
Anthropology
35-113 Peoples and Places:
World Regional Geography
35-313 Pre-Hispanic
Mesoamerica
ART 71-123 History of Art III:
Asian Art
ECO 31-443 Economic Development
ENV 49-453 Economic
Development
FST 04-033 Women in World
History
HIS 16-013 World Civilizations to
1500
16-023 World Civilizations since 1500
16-033 Women in World
History
16-043 World History: Exploration,
Discovery, and Colonization
16-063 World
History: Colonial and Post-Colonial
Worlds
16-073 The “Nation” in
World History
16-223 Latin American
Civilization
16-253 Chinese
Civilization
16-263 African History
16-273 Japanese Civilization
16-433 Modern South African
History
MUL 80-363 World Music
PSC 32-463 Russian Politics
SSC 39-103 People and Places: World
Regional Geography
39-313 Pre-Hispanic
Mesoamerica
REL 19-103 Introduction to the Christian Tradition
19-123 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
19-133 Introduction to the New Testament
19-143 Introduction to Islam
19-153 Introduction to Judaism
19-163 Dimensions of Religion
19-173 Introduction to Hinduism
19-183 Introduction to Buddhism
EDU 40-553 Schools, Society and
Diversity
FST 04-253 Theories of
Race
04-543 Gender and
Science
HIS 16-543 Gender and
Science
PHI 18-103 Introduction to Ethics
18-113 Contemporary Moral Problems
18-253 Theories of Race
18-273 Biomedical Ethics
18-283 Values and the Liberal
Arts
PSC 32-653 American Political Thought
PSY 33-123 Parenting: Theories and
Realities
Physical Science (one course)
CHE 51-053 Chemistry Appreciation
51-153,151 Chemical Concepts and Properties
I
51-173,171 Accelerated Chemical Concepts
and Properties
KIN 48-714
Biomechanics
PHY 53-053 Exploring the
Universe: An Appreciation of the Cosmos
53-063 Musical
Acoustics
53-104 Introductory Physics
53-114 Introduction to Physics
I
53-154 Fundamentals of Physics I
Life or Experimental Behavioral Science
(one course)
BIO 50-102 Cell Biology
50-112 Biological Diversity and
Interactions
50-122 Classical and
Population Genetics
50-132 Life Processes
Note: Successful completion of any
two of the above four
courses
yields POK credit.
50-113 Human Biology
Today
50-123 Biology of
Food
50-133 Microbes in Everyday Life
50-143 Environmental
Science
50-153 Native Plants of Texas
50-163 Biology of Perception
ENV 49-123 Biology of
Food
49-143 Environmental
Science
49-153 Native Plants of
Texas
KIN 48-704 Physiology of Exercise
Classroom/lecture (one
course)
ART
71-103 History of Art I
71-113 History of
Art II
71-323 Greek Art
71-343 Italian Renaissance Art
71-353 Baroque
Art
71-363 Modern Art I:
1780-1860
71-373 Modern Art II:
1860-1945
71-383 Modern Art III:
1945-Present
71-703 World Architecture
I
71-713 World Architecture II
CLA 07-103 History of Art
I
07-353 Greek
Art
07-363 World Architecture
I
COM 75-653 Narrative Communication
DAN 79-243 History of Dance
ENG 10-143 Masterpieces of Literature
10-523 Movies and Cultures
FRE 11-453 Women Writers in French
FST 04-453 Women Writers in
French
MUL 80-103 Introduction to Music
80-113 Music Literature I
MUT 76-103 Fundamentals of Music Theory
76-113 Music Theory
I
THE 74-103 Theatre
Appreciation
74-113 Theatre Arts in London
(Semester in London only) Performance/production (one course or 3 semester
hours of any combination)
ART 69-703 Architectural Studio I:
Introduction to Drafting and
Programmatic
Design
69-753 Design
I
70-203 Drawing I
70-323 Printmaking: Intaglio
70-333 Printmaking: Lithography
70-403 Sculpture: Figurative
70-413 Sculpture: Abstract
70-463 Ceramics: Hand-Building
70-473 Ceramics: Wheel-Forming
70-493 Ceramics:
Raku
70-503 Painting I
70-603 Computer
Imaging
70-613 Photography I
70-623 Photography II
70-703 Architectural Studio I:
Introduction to Drafting and
Programmatic
Design
70-753 Design I
APM 8X-NNN All Applied Music
COM 75-173 Introduction to Performance
Studies
DAN 79-203 Ballet
79-403 Modern Dance
79-413 Theatre Dance
79-503 Jazz Dance
79-603 Tap Dance
ENG 10-423 Creative Writing
ENS 78-101 Southwestern University Wind
Ensemble
78-201 Southwestern University
Jazz Ensemble
78-301 Southwestern
University Chamber Orchestra
78-401
Southwestern University Singers
78-501
Southwestern University Chorale
78-601
Thai Music Ensemble
FST 04-173 Introduction
to Performance Studies
THE 73-101 Theatre
Performance Practicum
73-111 Theatre
Laboratory
73-173 Introduction to
Performance Studies
73-201 Theatre
Performance Practicum
73-211 Alexander
Technique
73-273 Creative Dramatics:
Theatre for Youth
73-293 Introduction to
Acting
73-413 Theatre Dance
AMS 01-403 Chicago: Studies in Urban
Sociology
ECO 31-013 Principles of
Macroeconomics
EDU 43-403 Survey of
Exceptionalities
ENV 49-053 Ecological
History of the World
FST 04-103
Introduction to Feminist
Studies
HIS 16-053 Ecological History of the
World
PSC 32-503 Texas Politics
32-533 Legislative Politics
PSY 33-103 Principles of Psychology
SOC 34-113 Social Patterns and Processes
34-123 Social Problems
34-263 Social Psychology
34-273 Chicago: Studies in Urban
Sociology
NOTES:
1. Perspectives on Knowledge courses (POKs)
are approved until there is a substantial change in the content of the course,
in which case the course must be resubmitted for POK approval.
2. Selected topics courses (303) are approved
as Perspectives on Knowledge courses on a one-time-only basis.
Transfer students’ transcripts are evaluated on an individual basis to determine which courses will be counted toward Southwestern’s General Education Program. If there is a question about whether a course from another institution presented by a transfer student actually meets the objectives of a given requirement, a Southwestern faculty member who teaches in the relevant discipline may be asked to interview the student. Final responsibility for assessing transcripts and transfer credit rests with the Registrar. Additionally, if there is doubt concerning the level of competence a transfer student has in mathematics or English composition, the University may require a test to determine whether the student has achieved the necessary level of skill. In certain circumstances, students matriculated at Southwestern University may be allowed to take work at another institution to satisfy General Education Area Two requirements, but they must secure approval in advance from the appropriate Southwestern department chair. Forms for this purpose are available in the Registrar’s Office. Transfer students are exempt from the First-Year Seminar requirement.
Southwestern University students must demonstrate
proficiency at the fourth-
semester level in
order to fulfill the foreign language requirement in programs
requiring a foreign language. Incoming
students have the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency by achieving advanced
placement on the regularly scheduled placement examinations. Through the
sustained study of literature or other forms of cultural expression in the
target language, students gain a foundational understanding of communities and
heritages other than their own. Students thereby become conversant in an
increasingly interconnected global environment where proficiency in foreign
languages provides access to intellectual inquiry (including cultural and
literary expression) otherwise inaccessible in a monolingual setting. With
Modern Languages and Literatures Department permission, the foreign language
requirement may be fulfilled by demonstrating proficiency at the equivalent of
the fourth-semester level in a language not offered at Southwestern University.
The student wishing to fulfill Southwestern’s foreign language requirement
in this manner is responsible for supplying pertinent documentation to the
Modern Languages and Literatures Department and to the Registrar’s Office,
including official transcripts and/or expert verification of fourth semester or
equivalent proficiency in the target language, once the course of study is
completed.
Southwestern University offers four baccalaureate
degrees. Degree plans typically have the following four components: general
education requirements common to all degrees, specific additional requirements
for the particular degree, an area of specialization (major, minor, or area of
concentration), and approved electives to total a minimum of 121 academic hours.
A general outline of the requirements for each degree is given below. The
departmental sections supplement this information with detailed requirements for
majors and minors within a particular degree.
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires a minimum of 121
semester hours.
General Education Requirements
Common to All Degrees
38 hours
Specific Additional Requirements for the BA
Degree:
Religion 3 hours
(Must be above introductory level)
Foreign Language, through sophomore level
(Note 1) 14 hours
Specialization:
A—The Major 30 hours
(18 hours must be above the introductory
level)
The Minor (optional) 18 hours
(12 hours must be above the introductory
level)
B—The Area of Concentration 48 hours
An area of concentration permits a student
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: 1) 24
semester hours from one department, 18 of which are above the introductory
level, and 2) 24 additional semester hours in other departments, 18 of which are
above the introductory level. The area of concentration must be designed in
consultation with the chairs of the Divisions/School and departments involved
and must be approved by the Division/School in which the 24-hour block of 1)
above is taken. The capstone experience required will be dictated by the subject
area in the first 24-hour block of courses.
Fitness and Recreational Activity 2 hours
Approved Electives 18 hours
Total, including approved electives, to
complete a minimum of
(Note 2) 121 hours
Note 1: If the foreign language requirement
for any degree is met by a placement or proficiency examination on which credit
hours are not awarded, the needed hours toward the 121 total may be earned as
approved electives.
Note 2: No more than three
semester hours of Fitness and Recreational Activity (FRA) courses may count in
the minimum 121 hours required for any degree.
The Bachelor of Science degree requires a minimum of
121 semester hours.
General Education
Requirements Common to All Degrees 38 hours
Specific Additional Requirements for the BS
Degree:
Biology 50-102, 112, 122, and 132 8
hours
Chemistry 51-153, 51-151, 51-163, and
51-161 8 hours
Mathematics 52-154 and 52-253
or 52-213 7 hours
Physics 53-154 and 53-164 8
hours
Foreign Language, through sophomore
level 14 hours
(French or German preferred)
Specialization:
The Major 30 hours
(18 hours must be above the introductory
level)
The Minor 18 hours
(12 hours must be above the introductory
level)
The major and the minor must each be
selected from one of the subject areas of the Division of Natural Sciences. See
specific course requirements for majors and minors listed under departmental
program descriptions.
Fitness and Recreational
Activity 2 hours
Total, including approved
electives, to complete a minimum of 121 hours
The Bachelor of Music degree requires a minimum of 121
semester hours.
General Education Requirements
Common to All Degrees 38 hours
Foreign
Language, through sophomore level 14 hours
Specific Additional Requirements for the BM
Degree hours vary
Specialization (Area of
Emphasis):
Theory/Literature hours vary
Ensembles hours vary
Principal Instrument hours vary
Keyboard Proficiency hours vary
Other music courses specific to each area of
emphasis hours vary
Fitness and Recreational
Activity 2 hours
Approved Electives hours vary
Total, including approved electives, to
complete a minimum of 121 hours
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree requires a minimum of
121 semester hours.
General Education
Requirements Common to All Degrees 38 hours
Foreign Language, through sophomore level 14
hours
Specific Additional Requirements for the
BFA Degree hours vary
Specialization (Area of
Emphasis) hours vary
Fitness and Recreational
Activity 2 hours
Approved Electives hours
vary
Total, including approved electives, to
complete a minimum of 121 hours
NOTE: Consult
with the chairs of the departments in The Sarofim School of Fine Arts for
details concerning BM and BFA degree programs.