George Mason University 1999-2000 Catalog

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College of Arts and Sciences

STUDENT SUPPORT:

CAS Student Academic Affairs Office

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is the largest and most diverse academic unit within the university. Its teaching and research activities encompass the liberal arts, the humanities, the sciences, and the social sciences. In addition to the degree programs within its 15 departments, the college also offers many innovative interdisciplinary minors, majors, and graduate degrees.

Undergraduate students in the college attain both breadth, through a broad distribution of courses in general education, and depth, through a major field of study. Special opportunities for students include the Honors Program in General Education, honors programs within selected majors, internships and co-ops, travel abroad, and research experiences. Many undergraduates go on to graduate school and professional schools in medicine, law, and the ministry, and to pursue careers in public service, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector. Graduate students in the college engage in more specialized study at the master's and doctoral levels, which prepares them for first or second careers or job advancement and provides personal enrichment. Through its programs, the college exposes students to principles of sound reasoning and judgment, while providing the skills for understanding and using information and technology.

Faculty members in the college are committed to teaching that is grounded in scholarship and research. They strive to make their students rigorous thinkers and clear communicators, while encouraging in them an attitude of experimentation with new approaches and ideas. Students are thus prepared for their role as informed citizens in a complex, global society; they will be able to learn and, therefore, adapt to an ever-changing world.

Administration

Daniele C. Struppa, Dean
Doris A. Bitler, Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs
James K. Conant, Associate Dean for Financial Management
Dee Ann Holisky, Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Richard Klimoski, Associate Dean for Outreach
Walter Rankin, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs
Jo Ann Schrass, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs

Graduate Degree Programs

The college offers 17 masters degrees, including a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and 4 doctoral degrees. The requirements for each degree are described in the sections that follow.

Undergraduate Degree Programs

The undergraduate degree consists of course work in general education, course work in a major area of study, and electives. The college offers 18 bachelor of arts (B.A.) degrees, 11 bachelor of science (B.S.) degrees, and a bachelor of music (B.M.) degree. To earn a bachelors degree, students must complete 120 credits, of which at least 45 must be in upper-level courses (numbered 300 and above). All students who have not yet satisfied the analytical reasoning requirement are required to take the math placement test prior to enrollment.

Students are strongly advised to consult the "Academic Policies" chapter for information concerning university-wide requirements for undergraduate degrees.

General Education Requirements

The baccalaureate degree begins with general education, a range of courses designed to

provide students with a broad knowledge of the world,
develop in students the ability to think both conceptually and critically,
acquaint students with many different methods of inquiry, and
provide students with the skills to continue intellectual growth throughout their lives.

Because these goals can be achieved in many ways, students may select from a range of courses for completing the general education requirements. But general education involves more than fulfilling requirements. Students selection of courses should not only deepen their knowledge of things that interest them, but also expand the range of those interests. The general education courses enable students to link the present to the past, their culture to other cultures, and what is, to what could be. Learning to make these connections increases their ability to understand and enjoy the world in ways they may not yet imagine.

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may complete their general education program either by completing the number of credits in the courses listed below or by completing the interdisciplinary courses of the Honors Program in General Education. The Linked Courses program provides a way for them to register for two or more complementary general education courses at the same time. The professors of linked courses have coordinated readings and assignments.

Bachelor of Arts

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree must complete a general education program that includes the study of six general areas outlined below. This distribution enables students to develop a breadth of knowledge as well as the necessary skills to make the in-depth study of a major truly meaningful.

Communication: written communication, oral communication, and a foreign language.
Analytical reasoning: math, statistics, or logic. Students placing below a designated score on the math placement exam must fulfill this requirement by taking MATH 106.
Humanities: literature, fine arts, and philosophy or religious studies.
Social sciences: economics, geography, government, or history, and anthropology, psychology, or sociology.
Natural science (astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, or physics)
Non-Western culture

Degree Requirements		Credits
GENERAL EDUCATION		50-62
1. Communication [1]		9-21
	a. Written ENGL 101 or 100 and 302	6
	b. Oral COMM 100, 101, or 102	3
	c. Foreign Language A student must demonstrate intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language.	0-12
2. Analytical Reasoning [2]		3
	Mathematics [3] STAT 250, DESC 210, PHIL 173, or PHIL 376.
3. Humanities [4]		12
	a. Literature	6
	b. Fine Arts	3
	c. Philosophy or Religious Studies	3
4. Social Science [5]		12
	a. Economics, Geography, Government, or History	6
	b. Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology	6
5. Natural Science [5]		8
	A two-semester laboratory science sequence in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, or physics.
6. Non-Western Culture [7]		6
MAJOR Requirements for each major are listed in the departmental sections that follow. At least one course at or above the 300 level must be designated writing intensive.		30-42
ELECTIVES		16-40
TOTAL MINIMUM CREDITS (Forty-five of these must be upper-division credits.) See appropriate departmental sections of the catalog for required credits.		120

Bachelor of Science

Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree must complete a general education program that includes the requirements outlined below. The degree is designed to provide students with a more intensive approach to the core technical questions of their majors. This curriculum has a reduced number of courses in humanities and social sciences in comparison with the bachelor of arts degree to allow students to achieve greater depth in their majors.

English composition
Literature
Course work outside the area of concentration
Additional required course work specified by the degree program

Specific details on the degree programs are provided in the departmental and program entries in the remainder of this chapter.

Degree Requirements		Credits
GENERAL EDUCATION		40-63
1. English Composition [1]		6
	ENGL 101, 302
3. Course work outside the area of concentration		12
	For majors in economics and geography: 12 credits from disciplines outside these fields, of which at least 6 credits must be in science or mathematics [8]
	For majors in psychology or public administration: 12 credits from disciplines outside these fields, of which at least 6 credits must be in science or mathematics [8]
	For majors in the natural sciences or mathematics: 12 credits from disciplines outside these fields, of which at least 6 credits must be from the social sciences [9]
4. Course work specified by the degree program		16-39
	Other required general education courses are listed with the degree program.
MAJOR Requirements for each major are listed in the departmental sections that follow. At least one course at or above the 300 level must be designated "writing intensive."		38-74
ELECTIVES		17-42
TOTAL MINIMUM CREDITS (Forty-five of these must be upper-division credits.)		120

NOTES

[1] Communication

For information on testing out of ENGL 101 or 302, contact the English Department.
Students must attain a minimum grade of C to use ENGL 100, 101, or 302 to fulfill degree requirements.
Non-native speakers of English with limited proficiency in the language are encouraged to substitute ENGL 100 for ENGL 101.
The foreign language requirement is fulfilled by completion of one foreign language course at the 202 level or above or by a satisfactory score on an approved proficiency test. International students should consult the CAS Student Academic Affairs Office about a possible waiver of this requirement.

[2] Students with scores below a designated point on the required math placement test must take MATH 106 to satisfy the analytical reasoning requirement.

[3] MATH 105, 271, or 272 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

[4] Humanities

The literature requirement may be fulfilled by any courses in literature at the 200 level in English, by any courses at the 300 level or above in foreign languages, or by PHIL 253.
The fine arts requirement may be fulfilled by any course in art, art history, dance, film, music, or theater, whether the course is delivered as lecture, studio, ensemble, or private lessons.
The requirement in philosophy or religious studies may not be fulfilled by a logic course.

[5] The requirement for six credits in economics, geography, government, or history may be fulfilled by any course in geography except GEOG 102 or 309.

[6] The natural science requirement may not be fulfilled by BIOL 124 and 125.

[7] Non-Western culture

Students who have attended a native school in a non-Western country for four or more years may request a waiver from this requirement through the Student Academic Affairs Office in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The following courses, which are designated as meeting this requirement, may also be presented in partial fulfillment of bachelor of arts requirements in communication, humanities, or social science.

ANTH 114, 300, 301, 302, 304, 305, 306, 311, 313, 332
ARTH 203, 319, 320, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385
DANC 118
ECON 361
FREN 451
GEOG 101, 316, 325, 330
GOVT 332, 333, 432
HIST 130, 251, 252, 261, 262, 271, 281, 282, 328, 329, 353, 354, 356, 387, 426, 460, 461, 465, 466
MUSI 103
RELI 211, 212, 313, 314, 315, 337, 490
RUSS 353, 354
STAM 303, 304

[8] This includes courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geology, geography (only GEOG 102 or 309), mathematics, or physics.

[9] This includes courses in anthropology, economics, geography (except for GEOG 102 or 309), government, history, linguistics, psychology, or sociology.

Bachelor of Music

The Bachelor of Music degree is a professional degree designed to provide students with more intensive work in musicianship and music teaching. This curriculum is for students who desire to become licensed to teach instrumental or vocal/choral music and for those who desire to become professional performers.

See the Music section of this chapter for more information on this degree.

Physical Education Courses

Activity courses offered by the Health, Fitness, and Recreation Resources Department cannot be counted toward the credits required for a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Teacher Licensure (Certification)

Students who wish to become elementary or secondary school teachers should consult the sections on licensure (certification) found in the "Graduate School of Education" chapter.

Minors

A student may elect to take a minor in addition to his or her major field of study. Minors require between 15 and 21 credits, at least six credits of which must be completed at George Mason. No more than three credits with a grade of D may be applied to a minor. Students interested in receiving a minor should complete the appropriate section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form.

George Mason University:2000-2001 University Catalog: Catalog Index: College of Arts and Sciences