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New Brunswick Undergraduate Catalog 2007-2009 School of Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements Requirements Liberal Arts Distribution Requirements  

Liberal Arts Distribution Requirements


The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) requires that all students complete a set of liberal arts distribution requirements, as well as an approved major and an approved minor.  The distributions requirements include 12 courses totaling at least 36 credits. No course may be used to fulfill more than one distribution requirement, but a course used to fulfill a distribution requirement may also be used to fulfill a major or minor requirement.

1.  Writing Requirement

Expository Writing 101 and one additional course, degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, from a list of approved courses.

Students receiving a score of 4 or above on the AP English composition or literature tests are exempted from Expository Writing 101, and for such students the writing requirement becomes a one-course requirement. Transfer credits from courses taken in high school will not satisfy this requirement, even if they carry a college transcript.

Writing courses on the approved list consist of courses nominated by departments. Such courses are above the 100 level, require 15 pages or more of writing in English (excluding exams), including at least one sustained piece of analytical or interpretive prose, and provide regular detailed feedback on writing.  For the SAS approved writing intensive course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/writing.html.

2. Quantitative Reasoning Requirement

Two courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, consisting of one course in Mathematics (640) and one additional course in Mathematics, Computer Science (198), Operations Research (711), Statistics (960), or a discipline specific course strongly emphasizing either analytic or quantitative methods. For the SAS approved quantitative reasoning course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/quantitative.html.

Students who place into calculus on the mathematics placement exam are exempt from taking the 640 course, and for such students, the requirement becomes a one-course quantitative reasoning course requirement. Students who use calculus placement to satisfy the mathematics requirement may not use precalculus to satisfy the second part of this requirement. Transfer credits from courses taken in high school will not generally satisfy this requirement.

3. Natural Sciences Requirement

Two courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, chosen from: Astrophysics (105), Chemistry (160), Geological Sciences (460), Life Sciences (119, 146, 447, 694), Marine and Coastal Sciences (628), Meteorology (670), and Physics (750), plus a list of select courses in other science disciplines.  For the SAS approved natural sciences course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/naturalscience.html.

Courses need not be in the same subject. Independent study, internships, and research courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

4. Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Requirement

Four courses, each degree credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, in the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies, with one course from each of the three subdivisions shown below and one additional course from any one of the three subdivisions.

Humanities:
  African Languages and Literature (013), Armenian (078), Art and Visual Arts (080, 081), Catalan (145), Chinese (165), Classics (190), Comparative Literature (195), Dance (203, 206), French (360), German (470), Greek (489, 490), Hindi (505), Hungarian (535), Italian (560), Japanese (565), Korean (574), Latin (580), Music (615), Philosophy (730), Polish (787), Portuguese (810), Religion (840), Russian (860), Spanish (940), Theater Arts (965), Ukrainian (967), plus a list of select courses in other related disciplines.  For the SAS approved humanities course list, see  http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/humanities.html.

Social Sciences:
  Communication (189,192), Criminal Justice (202), Economics (220), Education (300), Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior (374), Geography (450), Labor Studies and Employment Relations (575), Planning and Public Policy (762), Political Science (790), Psychology (830), Public Health (832), Sociology (920), plus a list of select courses in other related disciplines.  For the SAS approved social sciences course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/socialsciences.html.

Interdisciplinary Studies:
  Africana Studies (014), African Area Studies (016), American Studies (050), Asian Studies (098), Cinema Studies (175), East Asian Languages and Literatures (214), European Studies (360), History (506, 508, 510, 512), Interdisciplinary Studies (556), Latin American Studies (590), Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies (595), Medieval Studies (667), Middle Eastern Studies (685), South Asian Studies (925), Women's and Gender Studies (988), plus a list of select courses in other related disciplines.  For the SAS approved interdisciplinary course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/interdisciplinary.html.

5. Diversity Requirement


One course, credit-bearing and worth at least 3 credits, from an approved list of courses.  Courses fulfilling this requirement engage students in theoretical issues and political debates pertaining to questions of "diversity," namely race, ethnicity, language, migration and diasporas, gender, and sexualities. These courses must juxtapose two or more visions or methods, which would enable an understanding of an increasingly globalized world. Sample topics include the following: histories of religion, social movements, cultural conflicts, racial tensions, visual culture and representation of transnational identities and differences, international feminisms, and sexual prejudice. Study abroad does not automatically satisfy this requirement, although individual courses taken abroad may qualify. For the SAS approved diversity course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/diversity.html.

6. Global Awareness Requirement

One course, credit bearing, worth at least 3 credits, from an approved list of courses.  The Global Awareness requirement promotes enhanced knowledge of the interconnectedness of the world's peoples, cultures, environments, regions, or nations whether historically, politically, economically, socially, linguistically, technologically, ecologically, or epidemiologically. Courses in this category deepen area-based knowledge and encourage analysis of global or transnational processes. They help students to recognize the need for an understanding of local, regional, international, transnational and/or global dynamics that inhibit or promote solutions to contemporary world problems. Introductory language courses do not fulfill this requirement. Study abroad does not automatically satisfy this requirement, although individual courses taken abroad may qualify.  For the SAS approved global awareness course list, see http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/requirements/degree/global.html.

 
For additional information, contact RU-info at 732/932-info (4636) or colonel.henry@rutgers.edu.
Comments and corrections to: Campus Information Services.

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