Human impacts on the earth`s ecosystem are profound and far-reaching. The faculty of Cook College is committed to educating students to understand and sustain the integrity of this ecosystem, as both specialists within their fields of concentration and well-informed citizens. The programs of study offered by Cook College apply the natural and social sciences to this dynamic system.

The curricula are designed to achieve the following goals for graduates of Cook College:

To understand and appreciate the interaction between the natural and social sciences as they relate to the earth`s ecosystem, students master the basic knowledge and approaches of a field of concentration related to the environment, natural resources, food, or agriculture, and are introduced to multidisciplinary perspectives that locate their field and its contributions in this larger context.

Students learn to evaluate issues critically so they may become autonomous, versatile, and productive people who understand that they are inextricably related to the natural world and other people. Mastery of both quan-titative and qualitative modes of inquiry develops each student`s ability to deal with the complexity and dynamism of real-world issues.

To understand and appreciate human impacts on the earth`s ecosystem, students develop a historical, global, and multicultural consciousness in order to expand their bases for decision making.

To sustain the integrity of the global ecosystem, students develop the ethical sensitivity and analytical skills necessary to address questions of social responsibility, environmental ethics, moral choice, and social equity.

Cook College offers bachelor`s degree programs in twenty-four curricula, many with several areas of further concentration ("options"). All programs of study are designed to achieve the goals outlined above and specify course requirements that must be satisfactorily completed in each of eight areas: interdisciplinary critical analysis; introductory life and physical sciences; humanities and the arts; multicultural and international studies; human behavior, economic systems, and political processes; oral and written communication; experience-based education; and proficiency in a field/concentration. Credits indicated in the text that follows are the minimum requirements established by the Cook College faculty for all bachelor`s degree programs. Many programs further specify and/or exceed the requirements in one or more of these areas. Students should consult the requirements for each program that they are considering before selecting courses. Lists of courses currently offered that fulfill the various requirements are sent to academic advisers and posted at the Office of Academic and Student Programs and on the Cook College web site: (www.cook.rutgers.edu/www/students/ requirements/core/).

I. College Mission: Interdisciplinary Critical Analysis (5-6 credits)

The undergraduate program`s goals are to help students develop the abilities to think critically; address problems with a variety of modes of inquiry; and recognize and assess ethical problems related to the environment, natural resources, food, and agriculture, in order to make decisions based upon an understanding of the long- and short- term implications of the various choices. As a means of meeting these goals, students are required to complete the following courses:

  11:015:101  Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment (2)

  11:___:___  a junior/senior colloquium course (3)

Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment is offered in the first ten weeks of the fall term only and introduces students entering Cook College with fewer than 24 credits to the range of problems addressed by the programs of the college. The course provides opportunities to address selected problems both individually and in working groups, using a variety of modes of inquiry and emphasizing ethical, logical, historical, and factual analysis. The course requirement is waived for transfer students who enter with at least 24 credits.

The junior/senior colloquium course is a capstone, integrative educational experience for students concluding their undergraduate studies, enabling them to synthesize information and techniques gained in previous courses. Working cooperatively with peers who have different capabilities and interests and using the case study method, students in these courses devise creative, interdisciplinary solutions to multifaceted problems with ethical, social, political, and technical content in the college`s mission areas.

Fall registration for both courses is initially restricted to first-year students and seniors, respectively. Transfer students and juniors may register for open sections in the weeks before the beginning of the fall term. Current lists of the sections of 11:015:101 and the junior/senior colloquium courses offered are posted in August on the Cook College web site: (www.cook.rutgers.edu/www/students/ requirements/core/).

Students who are unable to register for, who withdraw from, or who fail the Perspectives course are required to substitute another course that meets the objectives of interdisciplinary critical analysis of problems in agriculture and/or the environment. Lists of appropriate courses are posted during registration on the Cook College web site. The substituted course may not also be used to fulfill another major requirement.

II. Introductory Life and Physical Sciences

To provide a foundation for understanding and evaluating important questions related to the life and physical sciences, students are required to complete courses in both of those areas as follows:

A. Life Sciences (4-8 credits). Introductory courses in plant and animal biology, ecology, and evolution with a laboratory:

  01:119:101-102  General Biology (4,4)* or

  01:119:101  General Biology (4) and 11:067:142 Animal Science (3) or

  01:119:101  General Biology (4) and 11:704:351 Principles of Applied Ecology (4) or

  01:119:103  Principles of Biology (4)

B. Physical Sciences (3-5 credits). A basic chemistry or physics course or an introductory course that applies the physical sciences to earth systems, such as:

  01:160:127  Impact of Chemistry (3)

  01:160:161  General Chemistry (4)

  11:375:101  Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3)

  01:450:101  Earth Systems (3)

  01:450:102  Global Environment (3)

  01:460:101  Introduction to Physical Geology (3)

  01:460:102  Introduction to Historical Geology (3)

  01:460:202  Environmental Geology (3)

  01:460:204  The Water Planet (3)

  01:460:209  Exploration of the Oceans (3)

 11:628:200  Marine Sciences (4)

 11:670:201  Elements of Meteorology (3)

 11:670:202  Elements of Climatology (3)

 01:750:140  The Greenhouse Effect (3)

 01:750:193  Physics for the Sciences (4)

 01:750:201  Extended General Physics (5)

 01:750:203  General Physics (3)

 Many programs of study require specific courses and additional credits in the life and physical sciences. Students should consult the requirements of the specific program(s) of study they are considering before selecting courses from this list.

III. Humanities and the Arts (6 credits)

To develop an understanding and appreciation of the humanities, art forms, and modes of critical response and interpretation, students are required to complete a minimum of 6 credits in the following courses or subject areas. Upper-level literature and art courses in a foreign language may satisfy this requirement, but elementary and intermediate foreign language courses (i.e., conversation, grammar, and composition courses) do not satisfy this requirement. The two courses selected may be from the same or different disciplines.

Any of the following courses:

 11:550:230  Environmental Design Analysis (3)

 11:550:330  History of Landscape Architecture (3)

 11:554:301  The Use of Animals (3)

 11:554:305  Ideas of Nature (3)

 11:554:346   Environmental Documentation in Photography, Film, and Video (3)

 11:554:347  Environmental Photography (3)

 01:590:201  Introduction to Latin American Civilization and Culture (3)

Any courses in the following subject areas: 

American studies (01:050)

art (critical studies) (07:080)

art (studio) (07:081)

art (history) (01:082)

classical humanities (01:190)

comparative literature (01:195)

dance (07:203 and 07:206)

European history (01:510)

American history (01:512)

music theory/history/analysis (07:700)

music performance (07:701)

philosophy (01:730)

theater arts (07:965 and 07:966)

Any courses in literature and the arts (but not language) from the following subject areas:

African languages and literatures (01:013)

Chinese (01:165)

English literature (01:350)

English literature and creative writing (01:351)

English: literary theory (01:353)

English: film studies (01:354)

French (01:420)

German (01:470)

Modern Greek (01:489)

Ancient Greek (01:490)

Hungarian (01:535)

Italian (01:560)

Jewish studies (01:563)

Japanese (01:565)

Korean (01:574)

Latin (01:580)

Polish (01:787)

Portuguese (01:810)

Russian (01:860)

Slavic and Eastern European (01:861)

Spanish (01:940)

IV. Multicultural and International Studies (6 credits)

To encourage students to see the world through the eyes of people whose culture differs from their own, students are required to complete a minimum of 6 creditsin multicultural and international studies. These courses are intended to expose students to international, cross-cultural, and historical perspectives, to acquire an appreciation for the diversity and variability of institutions, cultures, and individuals, and to consider the complex and changing interactions of cultural, situational, and institutional factors that affect human behavior.

Several programs of study require specific courses or additional credits in multicultural and international studies. Students should consult their advisers and/or the requirements of the specific majors they are considering before selecting courses from the list.

Any of the following courses:

 11:300:327  Applications of Psychology in Education (3)

 11:374:101  Introduction to Human Ecology (3)

 11:374:269  Population, Resources, and Environment (3)

 11:374:314  Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management (3)

 11:374:315  International Environmental Policy (3)

 11:374:331  Culture and Environment (3)

 11:374:341  Social and Ecological Aspects of Health and Disease (3)

 09:910:352  Groups at Risk in Contemporary Society (3)

Any courses from the following subject areas:

Afro-American studies (01:014)

Asian studies (01:098)

general/comparative history (01:506)

African, Asian, and Latin American history (01:508)

Middle Eastern studies (01:685)

Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean studies (01:836)

Women`s and gender studies (01:988)

Any course in a modern foreign language (excluding courses in literature and the arts)

Selected courses as indicated from the following areas:

 cultural anthropology (01:070:101, 210, 216-308, 312, 320-340, 356-380)

  cultural geography (01:450:103, 205, 222, 335, 336, 338, 341, 342, or 361)

  psychology (01:830:362, 375, 376)

  religion (01:840:112, 211, 212, 320, 322, 323, 324, 326, 332, 334, 346, 350, 351)

 sociology (01:920:108, 111, 216, 270, 303, 304, 306)

Students who have studied outside the United States at an accredited institution for one term or more may waive 3 credits of this requirement.

V.  Human Behavior, Economic Systems, and Political Processes (9 credits)

Civic engagement in our democratic society is enhanced by an understanding of human behavior and of the political processes and institutional frameworks within which public policies are developed, and by the ability to evaluate policy issues through the application of economic concepts and theory. To develop these understandings, students are required to complete courses in human behavior, in economic systems, and in political processes, as follows:

A. Human Behavior (3 credits)

One course from the following:

  01:070:102  Introduction to Human Evolution (3)

  01:070:204  Introduction to Social Evolution (3)

  01:070:213  Environment and Human Evolution (3)

  01:070:310  Human Aggression (3)

  01:070:313  Culture, Language, and Cognition (3)

  01:070:350  Primatology and Human Evolution (3)

  01:070:393  Cultural Resource Management (3)

  11:374:322  Environmental Behavior (3)

  11:374:335  Social Responses to Environmental Problems (3)

  01:830:101  General Psychology (3)

  01:920:101  Introduction to Sociology (3)

B.  Economic Systems (3 credits)

One of the following introductory economics courses:

 11:373:101  Economics, People, and the Environment (3)

 11:373:121  Principles and Applications of Microeconomics (3)

 01:220:102  Introduction to Microeconomics (3)

 01:220:103  Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)

 01:220:200  Economic Principles and Problems (3)

Some majors require specific courses and additional credits in economics. Students should consult the requirements of the specific program(s) of study they are considering before selecting from the above list. Students should thus note that Economics, People, and the Environment (11:373:101) does not fulfill any of the prerequisites of more advanced economics courses.

C.  Political Processes (3 credits)

One of the following introductory political science or policy courses focusing on the processes and institutions associated with the development of public policy:

 11:374:102  Global Environmental Processes and Institutions (3)

 11:374:279  Politics of Environmental Issues (3)

 11:374:313  Environmental Policy and Institutions (3)

 01:790:105  American Politics: Public and Private (3)

 01:790:201  American Government (3)

 01:790:237  Political Economy and Society (3)

 01:790:305  Public Policy Formation (3)

 01:790:318  Comparative Public Policy (3)

 01:790:341  Public Administration: American Bureaucracy (3)

 01:790:342  Public Administration: Policy Making (3)

 01:790:350   Environmental Politics - U.S. and International (3)

 Some majors require a specific course in political processes. Students should consult the requirements of the specific program(s) of study they are considering before selecting from the above list.

VI. Oral and Written Communication (6 credits)

To develop the speaking and writing skills essential for success in both the university and in the professions that students are preparing to enter, written and oral presentations are incorporated into all Cook College courses, where feasible. Students are further required to complete a minimum of 6 credits in the following courses:

 01:355:101  Expository Writing I (3) or

 01:355:103  Exposition and Argument (3)

                                           and

Intermediate-level courses designed to be taken in the first or second years:

 04:192:220  Fundamentals of Speaking and Listening (3)

 01:355:201  Research in the Disciplines (3)

 01:355:202  Technical Writing Essentials (3)

 01:355:203  Business Writing Essentials (3)

 04:567:324  News Reporting and Writing (3)

                                          or

Courses intended for advanced students:

 01:355:301  College Writing and Research (3)

 01:355:302  Scientific and Technical Writing (3)

 01:355:303  Writing for Business and the Professions (3)

 01:355:312  Writing for Biology and Natural Sciences (3)

 01:355:315  Writing Grant Proposals (3)

 01:355:342  Science Writing (3)

 01:355:352  Writing as a Naturalist (3)

 01:355:365  Technical Editing (3)

 01:355:425  Web Authoring (3)

 10:832:339  Public Health Literature (3)

Several programs of study require specific courses and additional credits in oral and written communication. Students should consult the requirements of the specific program(s) of study they are considering before selecting courses from this list.

VII. Experience-Based Education (0-3 credits)

To develop ability to apply curricular and extracurricular-based learning, including leadership development and personal as well as interpersonal management skills, within settings appropriate to their fields, each of the college`s programs of study specifies a course or mechanism of study. Examples of currently available options are cooperative education, practica, internships, independent research, and the George H. Cook Scholars Program.

Students completing two major programs offered by Cook College must complete at least one experience-based education course, approved by both curricula.

VIII. Proficiency in a Field/Concentration

To develop proficiency in a field/concentration related to the environment, natural resources, food, or agriculture, each curriculum specifies required courses, elective courses, and, where applicable, option requirements. Every program of study also specifies minimum requirements in quantitative skills, computer competence, and professional ethics as they apply to the particular field/concentration for which it prepares its students.

Quantitative Skills. The quantitative skills objective develops mathematical literacy and skills for analytical reasoning, including an understanding of statistical methodologies. All Rutgers graduates, regardless of college or degree program, are required to have attained the mathematical proficiency required for college-level mathematics, as indicated by a placement at the precalculus level or above.

Computer and Information Technology Competence. The objective of the computer and information technology requirement is to develop the ability to use computers and to understand their use in accessing, assimilating, analyzing, modeling, and interpreting information within the field. This requirement either is waived for students demonstrating an appropriate level of competence or is satisfied by a specific course designated by each field.

Professional Ethics. The professional ethics objective develops the ability to recognize, assess, and respond to ethical problems that could be encountered in the careers students are preparing to enter.

Additional Requirements. Each degree program stipu- lates additional required courses in the field and may require students also to fulfill requirements in more specialized options.

IX. Unspecified Electives

All students must complete a minimum of 128 credits for the bachelor`s degree (or 159 credits for the five-year bioresource engineering curriculum). The minimum credit requirements to satisfy areas I-VIII sum to 125 credits or less for at least one option in every major available at the college (with the exception of the 5-year bioresource engineering major). The additional 3 or more credits required for graduation may be fulfilled by any courses for which the student has met prerequisites. Students who have completed at least 60 credits of coursework may register for up to two of these unspecified elective courses (no more than one per term) on a Pass/No Credit Basis.

* This two-term General Biology sequence (119:101-102) is a prerequisite for most advanced life science courses.