Untitled Document
|
 |
|
cat_sub1
|
|
Core Liberal Arts Curriculum
As part of the liberal arts approach to learning, every candidate
for the Bachelor of Arts degree at Concordia is required to take a
specific set of courses that comprise the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum.
These courses are designed to provide a solid foundation in written
and oral communication skills and to establish a broad background
of knowledge through the study of a variety of disciplines. Core courses
emphasize analytical and critical thought processes and the ability
to recognize, analyze and deal with significant problems constructively.
Through the Core Curriculum, students develop an appreciation for
other peoples and cultures and the capacity to adapt to change in
creative, effective ways.
The seven major parts of the Core Curriculum are:
• Principia - 1.0 credit
• Discourse - 2.0 credits
• Distribution - 7.0 credits
• Mathematics proficiency - 0 to 1.0 credit
• Integration - 1.0 credit
• Religion - 2.0 credits
• Physical Education - .5 credit
Courses used to fulfill core requirements are not eligible for the
pass/fail grading option.
Principia
Required during the first year, PRIN 101 - Principia: An Introduction
to the Study of Liberal Arts provides students with a common intellectual
experience that fosters a love of learning and develops foundational
skills and transferable intellectual capacities which will help students
adapt to the demands of college life. Principia is a full-semester,
1.0-credit course taught by faculty from across campus; it is offered
every semester. The entire structure and content of Principia underscores
Concordia's mission and Liberal Learning Goals. The theme, Active
and Contemplative Lives, reflects the commitment of Principia to our
College mission “to influence the affairs of the world by sending
into society thoughtful and informed men and women.” Students
will practice the art of contemplating well any ideas they encounter
so that they may come to a greater self-understanding and act with
reason, integrity and virtue. In order to develop an understanding
of perspectives, students will explore issues and ideas through three
world perspectives: Islam, Judeo-Christian and Native American. To
encourage responsible participation in the world, students will follow
two strands for investigation that represent significant issues with
which humans must come to grips in order to sustain healthy lives
and a healthy world: Social Justice and the Natural World. During
this course, students will address significant perennial issues and
practice the kind of thought processes and values-centered approach
to problem-solving that mark the liberally educated person.
The objectives of Principia are as follows:
• to provide the first-year class with a common intellectual
experience;
• to develop an awareness of the linkage between private lives
and public issues;
• to describe the skills of critical inquiry and to use these
skills in the examination of classical texts and disciplinary perspectives;
• to enable students to relate these texts and perspectives
to the analysis of current issues;
• to provide opportunities for oral and written inquiry into
historical and contemporary issues; and
• to help students understand their own values in light of those
of the classical thinkers.
Course
PRIN 101 - Principia: An Introduction to the Study of Liberal Arts,
1.0 credit. Offered every semester.
Discourse
Discourse is required during the first year. The purpose of the Discourse
program is to develop communication skills that lead to clear and
credible speeches and essays. Each course in the Discourse sequence
will train students to read and listen carefully and critically, and
will include instruction in the use of library and research materials.
The goals of the Discourse program are that every student should:
• understand that creating oral and written discourse is an
interactive process that includes planning, drafting and revising;
• be able to use the elements of the process to create a finished,
unified product appropriate to an audience and purpose;
• practice the principles of writing and speaking that will
be further refined and developed in other courses, in careers and
in everyday life;
• practice critical reading skills in a variety of genre;
• understand how ideas are generated and developed through speaking
and writing; and
• develop basic research skills, which include selecting a topic,
using the library, evaluating sources, organizing ideas and documenting
sources.
Normally, freshmen take 2.0 course credits of Discourse by satisfactorily
completing four .5-credit courses: DISC 101-103 - Composition I-III,
and DISC 109 - Oral Communication. While Discourse 101-103 concentrate
on written communication and Discourse 109 concentrates on oral communication,
they are interrelated and share many of the same goals. The Composition
courses are taken in sequence, but the Oral Communication course is
available in each of the four blocks of the academic year.
Advanced Placement (AP) credit is available for Discourse 101 and
102, if students have scored a 4 or 5 on the AP writing test. International
students who consider English to be their second language are required
to take the English placement examination for determining the appropriate
level and section of Discourse. Students may also challenge DISC 109
- Oral Communication for credit; for information about challenging,
contact the Communication Studies and Theatre Art Department. Students
wishing to challenge Discourse 109 should do so in their first semester
at Concordia.
Faculty
The Discourse Program is directed by a committee of the Discourse
faculty. The Discourse faculty are drawn from members of the English
and Communication Studies and Theatre Art Departments.
Courses
Detailed course descriptions.
DISC 101 - Composition I, .5 credit. Block 1, Block 2.
DISC 102 - Composition II, .5 credit. Block 1, Block 2, Block 3.
DISC 103 - Composition III, .5 credit. Block 1, Block 2, Block 3,
Block 4.
DISC 109 - Oral Communication, .5 credit. Block 1, Block 2, Block
3, Block 4.
Religion
The Core requirement in religion for graduation is 2.0 course credits:
• REL 100 - Christianity and Religious Diversity, 1.0 credit.
This course introduces students to the academic study of religion
and to Christianity and should be taken during the first or sophomore
year.
• 1.0 credit to be taken from the following courses during the
junior or senior year. These courses are designed to build upon REL
100 - Christianity and Religious Diversity and to support in-depth
examination of various topics within the discipline of religious studies
(click for detailed course descriptions):
• REL 313 - Jesus the Jew - Jesus the Christ, 1.0 credit
• REL 314 - Paul: Apostle or Apostate, 1.0 credit
• REL 315 - Origins of Liturgical Life, 1.0 credit
• REL 316 - Texts and Community in the Old Testament, 1.0 credit
• REL 324 - The Legacy of Luther, 1.0 credit
• REL 325 - The Christian Tradition I: Communities and Rites,
1.0 credit
• REL 326 - The Christian Tradition II: Theologies and Ethics,
1.0 credit
• REL 334 - Monotheisms: Jewish, Christian and Muslim, 1.0 credit
• REL 338 - Religions of Asia, 1.0 credit
• REL 342 - God - The Question and the Quest, 1.0 credit
• REL 344 - Christian Ethics in Human Community, 1.0 credit
• REL 349 - Christian Ethics in the Material World, 1.0 credit
Mathematics Proficiency
In order to graduate, all students must demonstrate an ability to
comprehend and apply fundamental quantitative concepts. The core mathematics
proficiency requirement can be satisfied in any of the following ways:
• by taking and passing a mathematics course at Concordia. Exceptions:
MATH 97 - High School Algebra, MATH 102 - Fundamental Concepts of
Modern Mathematics, MATH 250 - Pre-May Seminar, and MATH 300 - May
Seminar cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. See the Mathematics
and Computer Science Department pages for information about placements
in specific courses
• by transferring mathematics credit from another institution
at the qualifying level
• by scoring at the college-bound 50th percentile or higher
on the quantitative section of an ACT or SAT test
• by passing a College-administered mathematics proficiency
exam (additional information about this exam may be obtained from
the Mathematics Department)
• through mathematics credit awarded for AP, CLEP or International
Baccalaureate
Wellness and Physical Education
In order to graduate, each student at Concordia is required to complete
two .25-credit courses of physical education:
• P ED 111 - Wellness, .25 credit. This course is designed to
teach concepts in health-related fitness, nutrition, alcohol education
and STI/HIV prevention.
• One class from the options available in P ED 112 - Physical
Education Activities, .25 credit.
Although these classes may be taken any time, students are encouraged
to complete them during the first year. Additional activity courses
may be selected during the sophomore, junior and senior years.Distribution
Courses
The purpose of the Distribution requirement is to give students a
well-rounded experience in a variety of academic disciplines. To satisfy
this requirement, at least 7.0 course credits must be chosen from
the five areas listed below, including at least 1.0 credit from each
area but no more than 2.0 credits from any area. With the exception
of language courses, no more than 1.0 credit from any one department
can be counted in a single distribution area. The distribution courses
are listed, by area, in each class schedule. Distribution courses
taken in excess of the requirements are applicable as electives.
Distribution Group
The following departments typically offer courses that carry credit
for specific Distribution areas:
A. Science and mathematics: biology, chemistry, family
and nutrition sciences, mathematics and computer science, physical
education, physics and earth science
B. Social and behavioral sciences: business, communication
studies, economics, education, political science, psychology, social
work and sociology
C. World languages: French, German, Greek, Biblical
Hebrew, Latin, Norwegian, Russian and Spanish. Chinese and Japanese
are also available through Tri-College University and will satisfy
this requirement.
The minimum requirement is successful completion of the second-semester
level of a language. Up to two courses in Core Distribution area C
may be satisfied by 112 or higher-level courses in French, German
and Spanish or by 111 or higher-level courses in other languages.
International students whose native language is other than English
are exempt from the area C requirement. See individual world language
department pages of this Catalog for specific descriptions of procedures,
including information on alternative ways to satisfy the world languages
requirement.
D. Foundations and premises of civilization: history,
humanities, philosophy and religion
E. Literature and fine arts: art, communication studies
and theatre art, English and music
Integration Courses
An integration course is designed to show the student how two or more
disciplines relate to each other or how a number of disciplines contribute
to the solution of a problem. A list of approved integration courses
is published each semester in the class schedule. Students satisfy
their integration course requirement by taking the equivalent of 1.0
course credit from the approved list during their junior or senior
year.
|
|
Registrar's
Office
