Requirements for GraduationAcademic Catalog: 2019–2020

General Requirements

  1. Successful completion of 32 courses, including a maximum of one course credit in designated health and exercise science activities (HES-100 to HES-199). Courses taken in the January Interim do not count toward this total.
  2. In addition to the 32 regular semester course credits, students will complete at least two Interim Experience (IEX) course credits during the January Interims. Transfer students admitted with advanced standing are also required to
    complete two Interim Experience course credits.
  3. Two years (17 courses minimum) are required in residence, including the senior year. The senior year may be the last two semesters preceding the conferring of the degree or at least nine of the last 12 regular semester courses taken toward the degree. Exceptions to the senior year residency are made for
    students enrolled in Study Away Programs sponsored by the College and in cooperative programs with other institutions leading to a B.A. and professional degree. At least three courses of the 17 must be taken outside of the major department.
  4. Three designated writing courses from at least two different departments. One of these courses must be taken in the first year (normally in the First Term Seminar). At least one designated writing course must be a WRITI (Writing Intensive) and one must be a WRITD (Writing in the Disciplines).
  5. An approved major.
  6. A cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or higher. Each graded January IEX course will be included in calculating the grade point average.
  7. Completion of the core requirements from either Liberal Arts Perspective Curriculum or Three Crowns Curriculum (below).

Liberal Arts Perspective Curriculum (Distributive Core)

The Liberal Arts Perspective (LAP) course requirements represent approximately one-third of the total courses required for graduation and are intended to ensure that each student has had a broadly based liberal arts education.

  1. First Term Seminar: As part of their first semester course schedule, Liberal Arts Perspective students entering Gustavus Adolphus College as first-year students enroll in one course designated FTS-100: First Term Seminar. The FTS is a small, discussion-based course that introduces students to skills and habits central to the liberal arts: critical thinking, writing, speaking, and recognizing and exploring question of values. The FTS professor will serve as the first-year academic advisor. Each FTS carries a WRITI (writing) designation. A list and description of FTS offerings is published for entering students before registration.
  2. Completion of a Non-English Language Requirement: LAP students will pass the beginning sequence in a non-English language (the first two courses constitute the beginning sequence in all such languages) or will demonstrate equivalent proficiency. Students should contact the Academic Support Center (ASC) or the Office of the Registrar for information about demonstrating
    proficiency in a language (including ASL) that Gustavus does not regularly teach.
  3. General Education Liberal Arts Perspective Courses: Students completing the LAP curriculum must complete courses from each of the nine designated general education areas. No more than two courses from the same department may be counted.

Liberal Arts Perspective Courses

A Liberal Arts Perspective course teaches the principles of a particular domain of study, provides its context, questions the values of that domain, and builds bridges towards other disciplines.

  1. The Arts (ARTS). Through modes of expression such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, theatre, and film, artists clarify, intensify, dramatize, and interpret the world in all of its physical, social, and spiritual aspects. Courses meeting this requirement in the visual and performing arts develop a more comprehensive understanding of the creative process and foster a lifetime involvement with the arts. These experiences enable students to recognize and value the integral role that the arts play in society; such experiences enable students to express themselves and their ideas in creative ways.

Courses in this area will foster the development of personal expression and creativity, develop an understanding of the creative process, promote an understanding of the interaction among the arts, culture, society, artist and audience, develop analytical, interpretive, or evaluative skills appropriate to the study, performance, and/or creation of at least one of the visual and performing arts, and develop intellectual and experiential awareness of the form and content of at least one of the visual and performing arts.

  1. Biblical and Theological Studies (THEOL). The requirement of one regular semester course substantially in the Christian tradition is a curricular expression of the College’s long-standing institutional commitments, as articulated in its Mission Statement to develop students’ mature understanding of the Christian faith.

Courses in this area will foster in students a mature understanding of the Christian faith, including the role of religion in human life, encourage an understanding of the importance of religion as part of a liberal arts education through a biblical and theological study of the Christian tradition, and help students develop a critical understanding and appreciation of the Christian tradition as an important element in American society and other world cultures.

  1. Literary and Rhetorical Studies (LARS). The purpose of the Literary and Rhetorical Studies requirement is to help students revel in, evaluate, and deploy the beauty and power of the word; understand and enjoy the life of the mind as embodied in formal written and oral communication; and place themselves within the global community of storytellers, poets, orators, essayists, playwrights, satirists, and critics.

Courses in this area will introduce students to literary and rhetorical genres, methods of analysis, and historical and cultural circumstances surrounding texts. These courses will help students formulate questions about issues of meaning and value, and will provide a context for the appreciation and personal expression of literature and rhetoric.

  1. Historical and Philosophical Studies (HIPHI). Philosophy investigates the nature of reality, knowledge, and values. History analyzes past events and constructs narratives that seek to explain those events. Thus, courses in Historical and Philosophical Studies critically interpret records of and reflections on human thought, action, and values across time and place and among diverse cultures and peoples.

Courses in this area promote understanding of human thought in the context of historical developments, and historical developments in the context of their relation to questions of meaning and value. Historical and philosophical inquiries require that we ask fundamental questions about the construction and creation of knowledge, the roles of objectivity and subjectivity in the search for truth, and the relationship of human agency to theories of historical causation. Philosophers undertake their inquiries with awareness of the historical context in which ideas develop. Historians consider the intellectual milieu in which past events unfold and are interpreted. Courses in this area will cover a range of times, places, cultures, and peoples.

  1. Mathematical and Logical Reasoning (MATHL). The Mathematical and Logical Reasoning requirement is intended to provide students with the opportunity to develop and acquire mathematical and logical habits of the mind. These habits of mind include analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication. Courses in this area will help students develop a conceptual understanding of mathematics, formal logic, or statistics; cultivate the ability for solving real-world problems in a mathematical, logical, or statistical context; and acquire the capacity for analytical reasoning through mathematical, logical, or statistical thought, reflections, explanations, and justifications.
  2. Natural Science Perspective (NASP). The purpose of the Natural Science requirement is to introduce students to the mechanics of natural and life processes, and the quantitative basis for understanding these processes. As such, the courses focus on the evidence, theories, and methods of the natural sciences and place them in a historical context. They also place some emphasis on the strengths and limitations of the methods employed, the philosophical assumptions, the boundaries and connections with other disciplines, and relationships to social, ethical, and political problems.

Courses in this area will provide students with factual information about the natural world, knowledge of concepts, principles, and theories that scientists use to organize and explain those facts, familiarity with the application of scientific concepts and principles to the solution of problems, acquaintance with the historical development and philosophical implications of the scientific concepts, and sensitivity to the ethical and social impact of science and technology. These courses include a laboratory component.

  1. Human Behavior and Social Institutions (SOSCI). The Human Behavior and Social Institutions requirement provides the knowledge and skills necessary to understand fundamental social institutions and social characteristics of human beings. Students learn the regularities and variations of human behavior at individual and group levels, including the contexts in which behavior occurs, using perspectives and methods normally attributable to the social and behavioral sciences.

Courses in this area will address theories and principles to explain human behavior and social institutions, the development of a particular social or behavioral science, methods of collecting and presenting information, and social and ethical issues concerning human behavior.

  1. Global Cultures and Perspectives (GLOBL). The nature of contemporary world events makes an understanding of global perspectives a necessary component of any good liberal arts education. It is increasingly necessary for people involved in business, politics, economic development, religious interaction, and everyday life to function across traditional linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Courses in this area will develop intercultural and/or cross-cultural understanding and empathy; guide students toward the competent use of epistemological models, analytic tools, and interactive/ participative opportunities that form the basis for intercultural and cross-cultural perspectives and understandings; and enable students to recognize difference and reflect on their place in a pluralistic and interconnected world.

  1. Lifelong Fitness (FIT and ACT). Courses in Lifelong Fitness provide opportunities to explore movement and discover lifetime activities that promote health and wellbeing. By engaging in a variety of fitness activities, and through acquisition of knowledge and skills, students are better able to appreciate the importance of disease prevention and health promotion. To fulfill the Lifelong Fitness and Activity requirement, students complete both the Personal Fitness (FIT) requirement (.5 course) and the Lifetime Activity (ACT) requirement (.5 course equivalent). No more than one FIT course and a maximum of .5 ACT courses may be counted toward completion of the requirement.
    1. The Personal Fitness requirement (FIT) encourages exploration of cardiorespiratory fitness and its importance. Students learn how to set appropriate goals to improve fitness, engage in regular aerobic exercise, and acquire knowledge regarding health promotion, disease prevention, wellbeing, and relaxation.

      Courses in this area will explore multiple dimensions of personal well-being, with emphasis on the physical dimension; encourage the development of physical skills necessary for participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities; promote health enhancement through participation in moderateto-vigorous physical activity; encourage healthy exercise patterns, safety, and goal-setting within an exercise program; and foster an appreciation for the importance of a physically active lifestyle.

    2. The Lifetime Activity requirement (ACT) encourages students to select 9 courses across a range of activity areas based on personal interest to develop an appreciation for lifetime physical activity and skills associated with such activities.

      Courses in this area will allow students to explore a variety of lifetime activities based on personal needs, interests, and abilities; encourage students to use physical activity as an avenue for self-expression; engage students through physical activity designed to promote elements of fitness such as muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and healthy body composition; explore the connection between mind and body; and help students appreciate lifetime activity and its potential impact on health promotion and reduction of risk behavior.

3 Crowns Curriculum: Connections, Ideas, and Values (Integrated Core)

The Three Crowns Curriculum is a unique way to fulfill general education requirements. It is a core curriculum in which integrated courses build upon each other to create a common body of knowledge. Students remain in a cohort of 60, getting to know one another and Three Crowns faculty in a way that is unique to this tailormade curriculum. A theme of “the individual and community” is seen throughout the program as it examines the Western tradition within a global perspective. Students are challenged to address ethical values questions both in class and in Three Crowns-sponsored cultural, social, and intellectual activities. The courses listed below are open to Three Crowns Curriculum students only. The program is available, by application to any entering first-year student, subject only to a limitation of 60 students per entering class. It is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and enrolls students from all the major fields of study.

First Year Fall: CUR-100 Historical Perspectives I, CUR-140 Biblical Traditions

First Year Spring: CUR-110 Historical Perspectives II, CUR-120 Individual and Morality

Second Year: CUR-210 Individual and Society, CUR-220, 230 or 240 Fine Arts, CUR-250 Literary Experience

Third Year Fall or Spring: CUR-260 Natural World

Fourth Year Fall or Spring: CUR-399 Senior Seminar

  1. Non-English language through the third semester equivalent (FRE-201, GER-201, GRE-201, JPN-201, LAT-201, RUS-201, SPA-103, or SWE-201).
  2. One quantitative reasoning course, MCS-115, The Nature of Math, MCS-121, Calculus, MCS-140, Statistics or PHI-236 Formal Logic.
  3. HES-100, Personal Fitness and .5 course equivalent in physical education activities (ACT). (See #9 in Liberal Arts Perspective Courses.)

The Three Crowns Curriculum recognizes that flexibility in scheduling is sometimes necessary; in cases of serious academic conflicts, students may petition to use appropriate substitutions, including courses taken abroad, to fulfill Three Crowns requirements. See the director for further details.

3 Crowns Curriculum Courses (CUR)

100 Historical Perspectives I (1 course) This course investigates key people, ideas, and events in history from the beginning of record keeping in ancient Mesopotamia to the European Renaissance, including a comparative study of China and Rome. Students engage in historical inquiry, generating and answering significant questions about the past in response to a variety of sources, as they prepare to become citizens who think critically, detect bias, and understand their lives within a broader historical context. WRITI.

110 Historical Perspectives II (1 course) This course picks up where Historical
Perspectives I leaves off in an overview of global history. It explores the overarching themes of interconnectedness and the interdependence of the world from approximately 1500 until the present. The course examines points of convergence as well as divergence between cultures as we address the major themes of the Enlightenment, globalization, empire, significant ideologies – imperialism, fascism, communism, racism, capitalism, liberalism, etc. – as well as the relationship between society and the individual. The course also seeks to develop an awareness of the “history of history,” and what it means to think and work as historians.

120 Individual and Morality (1 course) This course explores the historical and social context in which moral problems develop and in which human beings and their communities respond to them. It investigates the ways in which politics, science, art, and religion (for example) influence the formulation and resolution of moral problems. Non-Western approaches to ethics, morality, and individuality may be used in comparative analysis. We raise questions about the widely held view that values in morals, politics, science, art, and religion are merely matters of taste.

140 Biblical Traditions (1 course) This course uses the Bible as a primary source to study the role and major contributions of the Jewish and Christian traditions to the development of world culture, with some attention to the Islamic tradition. The course also examines biblical perspectives on certain themes, such as human nature, evil and suffering, ethical reasoning, ideals of community, the course of history, and humanity’s relationship to the natural world, and it considers how these themes have been explored in later literature, art, and other types of cultural expression.

210 Individual and Society (1 course) This course explores the relationship between individuals and their communities. It examines individual agency, behavior, and participation within social relationships, interactions, and institutions, including contemporary democracies. This course challenges students to consider how we make decisions concerning the “self” and “others” within a variety of personal, communal, and cultural settings. It explores the basic assumptions, issues, and methods of the behavioral and social sciences, and students are asked to reflect on the role of the social sciences in understanding and evaluating society.

220 Musical Understanding (1 course) This course provides students with an understanding and appreciation of the nature and place of music in contemporary culture. Music is a rich source of diversity in cultural influences as well as musical periods, styles, and media. The composer’s perspective, the performer’s role, and the listener’s responsibility provide points of departure for considering the individual’s contributions to music and communal reaction to differing types of music or musical developments. Students listen to music, attend musical productions, and participate directly in musical performance.

230 Visual Experience (1 course) This course provides a basis for understanding and appreciating the visual arts in human experience. It examines artistic periods, ideas, artists, and individual works of art in a variety of settings, including those that shape contemporary art today. As students explore connections between the visual arts and a wide range of personal and cultural experiences, they are asked to assess the nature of visual communication, discuss art on view at on-campus and off-campus exhibitions, and discover their own artistic creativity through hands-on studio projects and assignments.

240 Theatre Arts (1 course) This course provides the basis for understanding and appreciating the nature of theatrical art. Students gain a critical understanding of drama or dance through the study of significant texts and historical contexts, and an appreciation of the processes of theatrical art through the study of the physical and imaginative nature of performance. The relationship of the individual and the community is approached from the viewpoint of one or more artists: the playwright, the designer, the actor, the director, the choreographer, and the dancer. Comparisons will also be made with non-Western theatres or between minority and mainstream traditions in the West.

250 Literary Experience (1 course) This course analyzes works of various literary traditions in the context of the development of Western civilization and examines the scope and importance of reading literature critically. Influential texts of diverse world literatures are also read and discussed. The course encourages students to think and write critically; to make aesthetic, intellectual, and moral discriminations; to enjoy literature; and to compare the kind of truth literature offers with that of other forms of art and inquiry. WRITD.

260 Natural World (1 course) This course provides an historical view of the evolution of human understanding of the physical universe. It traces the development of natural science from classical Greece to the rise of modern science in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course points out the changing view of nature as represented by introducing working models and theories of science in their historical context. We explore the relationship between the drive for unity and the perception of diversity within scientific inquiry.

291, 391 Independent Study (Course value to be determined.) Opportunities exist in the Three Crowns Curriculum for students to develop independent projects under the supervision of a Three Crowns professor.

268, 368 Career Exploration, Internship This internship is designed to place students in situations where their Three Crowns integrated liberal arts studies are highly valued. Prerequisites: At least three semesters of Three Crowns Curriculum courses completed.

399 Senior Seminar (1 course) As a capstone course for the Three Crowns Curriculum, this seminar calls upon students to contemplate questions concerning values in the context of the relationship between the individual and the community. Through vigorous discussion of books and articles that raise issues concerning values in contemporary life from diverse cultural perspectives, students reflect upon their own moral and intellectual autobiographies. The course’s main product is a major paper in which students account for their own values from both theoretical and personal perspectives. WRITI.