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The College Academic Program

All-College Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) at Colorado College

  1. Students must satisfactorily complete 32 units of academic credit. To achieve the breadth central to liberal learning, students must take and pass at least one full unit in each division, excluding adjuncts and extended-format courses. International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement credits will not substitute for this requirement.
  2. Students must satisfactorily complete a major course of study. No major may require more than 14 units in any one department and no more than 16 overall (including prerequisites). In departmentally based majors, the two units beyond the 14-unit limit can be courses outside the department or adjunct courses. There are more than 30 possible majors at Colorado College, including a major of the student’s own design, the liberal arts and sciences major. Students at Colorado College may complete a double major. The following rules must be observed:

    The two majors may be from traditional departmental majors or an interdisciplinary major and a departmental major as long as the latter is not a discipline making up part of the interdisciplinary major.

    • Both departments must approve the option.
    • In no case may more than three courses within the majors overlap.
    • The student must have an advisor in each major.
    • The student must complete all-college requirements.
    • The completed major(s) will be recorded on the student’s official transcript.
  1. Completion of the Critical Perspectives requirement: Diverse Cultures and Critiques (3 units); The West in Time (one two-block course, 2 units); Scientific Investigation of the Natural World (2 units, including at least one lab or field course). Courses may meet more than one designation (for example, a course may be designated both “West in Time” and “Diverse Cultures and Critiques”) but students must choose one designation or the other. Students may not count one course as fulfilling multiple Critical Perspectives requirements. Courses of one half unit credit, and, independent study and reading courses do not count toward Critical Perspectives requirements.
    1. Critical Perspectives: Diverse Cultures and Critiques helps students understand the unique perspective of their own culture by confronting other perspectives, both those within the culture and those outside it. In contrast to The West in Time requirement, this requirement urges students to consider the different arrangements of human society across space. These courses will examine one or more of the following:
      1. Some facet of a non-Western society;
      2. Some aspects of marginalized communities within the Western tradition;
      3. Critiques of the Western tradition;
      4. Students may take three unrelated courses or three courses that address a common theme, group, or area of the world.
    2. Critical Perspectives: The West in Time asks students to position their knowledge of the broader world not just through multifaceted inquiry into “the here and now” but through critical inquiry across time as well. As an all-college requirement, The West in Time acknowledges the crucial importance of understanding the past as the context out of which contemporary modes of inquiry and contemporary fields of study have grown.The West in Time is a two-block, two-unit course in which students will explore compelling aspects of the Western experience over a significant period of time (antiquity to the modern period or the Middle Ages to the modern period). This Critical Perspectives requirement acknowledges the modern Western propensity to create cultural and historical narratives that assume development and progress over time. It also insists on the importance of understanding the contemporary Western ‘self’ in the context of previous iterations of the ‘self.’ Courses in this area of inquiry will accomplish some combination of the following:
      1. Engage students in an exploration of the past through examination of ideas, events, cultural institutions, and practices;
      2. Enable students to expand their understanding of narratives of the development of the Western tradition over time and provide them with the analytical tools to critique those narratives;
      3. Engage students in critical analysis of the connections between the past and the present;
      4. Encourage students to consider how our understanding of contemporary events is informed by our grasp of the historical past.
    3. Critical Perspectives: Scientific Investigation of the Natural World enhances students’ understanding of the natural world and of the methods central to modern science. It gives students opportunities to explore the broader earth system and universe, a sphere of inquiry that includes but is not limited to humans. In a world influenced by science and technology, informed citizens need to be familiar with the distinctive ways of thinking characteristic of the sciences and need to cultivate skill in quantitative reasoning. This requirement complements The West in Time and the Diverse Cultures and Critiques requirements by addressing a distinct approach to the understanding of the world that originated in the West but currently exercises global influence. These courses will meet the description of the preceding paragraph and will accomplish some combination of the following:
      1. Explicitly address the nature of the scientific method;
      2. Give students direct experience in the gathering and analysis of scientific data;
      3. Emphasize the use of quantitative reasoning;
      4. Introduce the foundations and principles of scientific knowledge;
      5. Enhance scientific literacy.
      6. At least one of the two units must involve significant laboratory or field experience.
  1. Basic competency in a foreign language (two blocks elementary or the equivalent).
    Colorado College believes that learning a language gives any student an important intellectual experience of cultural difference. A student may learn about other cultures in a variety of ways, but we believe interpreting and expressing individual experience and cultural values in another language is necessary for enhanced international and multicultural awareness. This requirement reflects the conviction that a liberal education is incomplete when it includes no language study. Learning a language other than one’s native tongue is not equivalent simply to acquiring a tool for practical use. It is a means to enter fully and directly into the vital perspectives and unique workings of another culture.
    The language requirement may be fulfilled in any one of the following seven ways:
    • The study of the same non-English language for four full years in high school;
    • An acceptable score (at least 5) on the International Baccalaureate language examination or an acceptable score of the Advanced Placement language examination (3, 4, or 5, depending on departmental policies in different languages at CC;
    • The placement examination administered by the language departments, with a score allowing placement at, or above, the 201 level, or a special proficiency examination administered by a certified proficiency examiner;
    • A beginning course in any of the languages offered at Colorado College, ordinarily a course numbered 101 (two units), unless the student is approved by the office of disability services for a course substitution based on evidence of a disability that significantly impacts the student’s ability to complete the foreign language requirement.
    • An acceptable language program at any accredited college or university, in any non-English language, equivalent to the 101 level at Colorado College, if approved by the registrar’s office;
    • Substantial use of a non-English language either in course work or in the living situation (Programs abroad will be assessed and certified by the registrar’s office independently to determine which programs fulfill the requirement);
    • Students who are native speakers of a language other than English are considered to have satisfied the requirement.
            -   FYE — A two-block course required of all first-year students addressing issues likely to stimulate debate and including critical reading, effective writing, and a research project.
  2. The Writing Proficiency Requirement: Beginning in the 2010-11 academic year, all students must submit and pass a first-year writing portfolio assessment as part of their requirements for graduation. Writing portfolio evaluations will be based upon quality of thought, rhetorical sophistication, and writing mechanics. Students failing to achieve a passing mark may fulfill the college’s requirement in their second year by either:
    • Successfully completing an adjunct Writing Enhancement (WE) course, taken in conjunction with a Writing in a Discipline (WD) course,
    • Or successfully completing a Writing Intensive (WI) course.
    Should students not satisfy this requirement by the end of their second year, they must individually negotiate with the director the Writing Center and the Associate Dean of the College how best to meet the Writing Requirement.
  3. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.
  4. All students must complete 32 units of credit to qualify for a Colorado College B.A. degree. Those students who have one unit or less to complete toward their 32 units (in both all-college and the major requirements) may be allowed to march in commencement ceremonies without receiving a diploma. There are no exceptions and no appeals to this policy. As described below, a specified number of the 32 units must be taken in residence, here at Colorado College, or through Colorado College-sponsored programs, including those affiliated off-campus and ACM programs detailed elsewhere in this catalog.
       The following rules apply to the academic residence requirement:
    • Students who enter Colorado College as first-semester, first-year students must complete 24 units at Colorado College or Colorado College-affiliated, off-campus, or ACM programs. Transfer students are required to complete a minimum of 16 units at Colorado College or Colorado College-affiliated, off-campus, or ACM programs.
    • All Colorado College students are required to complete their last eight units at Colorado College, except for students participating in Colorado College-affiliated, off-campus, or ACM programs. Students who have completed 16 units at Colorado College may petition to the Dean’s Advisory Committee to waive up to four units of the eight-unit rule.
    • Because different departments have their own residence requirements for their major, students should consult their major department before conducting any off-campus study in their major. These policies should not be confused with residential life policies regarding college housing.
  5. In extended-format courses, students may take no more than one extended-format course per semester (one-half unit) and one extended-format course spanning the year (one unit) unless the dean of the college grants permission for an overload.
  6. In each adjunct course, students may earn one-quarter unit toward their degree requirement for each semester of work. Students may take no more than three adjunct courses per semester, unless the registrar’s office grants permission for an overload. In no case may students count more than two total units of adjunct credit towards the general education degree requirements.

Requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree (MAT) at Colorado College

Colorado College offers two distinct MAT programs — one for college graduates who wish to become licensed to teach elementary school, K–12 art, or at the secondary level in English, French, German, Latin, mathematics, music, science, social studies, and Spanish and one for experienced teachers.

The MAT programs for prospective elementary, secondary school, or K–12 art teachers are designed for liberal arts graduates who have taken few, if any, education courses. Each program is 14 months in length, consisting of two Summer Sessions and one intervening academic year. After successful completion of the program and receipt of a passing grade on the appropriate state license examination, students receive the MAT degree and are recommended to the state of Colorado for licensure.

The program for elementary school teachers is appropriate for all general teaching positions in elementary schools. The K–12 art program is appropriate for teaching art in elementary, middle/junior high, and senior high schools. The secondary school teaching program is appropriate for teaching English, French, German, Latin, mathematics, music, science, social studies, or Spanish in middle/junior high school and senior high school. Information about the program for prospective teachers is available through the education department (www2.coloradocollege.edu/dept/ed).

Four MAT programs are offered in the Summer Session for experienced teachers: arts and humanities for secondary school teachers, liberal arts for elementary school teachers, integrated natural sciences, and Southwest studies for teachers of all grade levels. These programs are designed to offer degree candidates opportunities to expand their knowledge in a variety of fields, acquire knowledge they can apply to their profession, and examine new developments in the field of education.

Degree candidates are required to complete a minimum of eight Colorado College units (32 semester hours), write one master’s research paper, pass an oral defense of the research paper, and complete two colloquia — weeklong afternoon seminars on current topics of concern to educators. The degree must be completed in no more than six summers. Up to four semester hours of graduate credit earned within the past seven years at other accredited colleges or universities may be applied toward the degree.

Most experienced teacher MAT candidates complete the majority of their requirements through the interdisciplinary arts and humanities, integrated natural science, and Southwest studies institutes. These two-unit institutes are designed to explore in depth a different topic each summer.

Information about these programs, special teacher tuition scholarships, and applications are available at the Summer Session office.

Academic Minors

A minor is a course sequence of at least 5 units within an area of study providing a degree of specialization within that area, a specialty within a discipline, or a specialty integrating several disciplines focusing on significant themes. The Colorado College curriculum features departmental (disciplinary) and thematic (interdisciplinary) minors that provide coherent plans of study. A minor at Colorado College is an optional program of study to matriculated baccalaureate students. The minors are designed to provide opportunities for in depth study outside of the major field of study.

Students may declare a minor up to, but no later than two blocks prior to  graduation. However, students are strongly encouraged to declare a minor as early as possible. There are two restrictions on choosing a minor in relationship to majors: Students cannot choose a minor that makes up the same departmental name as their major. For example, history–political science majors may not choose a history minor. Also, a course may not be used to count for two minors. 

The Summer Session

Academic Programs

The Summer Session offers Colorado College students an opportunity to make progress toward their degrees, take courses not offered during the spring or fall, or engage in intercultural study programs offered only through the Summer Session. Courses are generally offered during three three-week blocks during the summer, but some courses have special schedules. Most courses are also open to students in good standing at other undergraduate institutions, juniors or seniors in high school whose academic credentials indicate preparation for college-level work at Colorado College, or other qualified community members.

The Summer Session provides special support to those who are or want to become educators. In addition to offering graduate courses leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching, the Summer Session offers a tuition scholarship to teachers with a current contract. Institutes developed each summer for educators cover topics including science, the humanities, and Southwest studies.

A special tuition rate for the Summer Session makes summer study especially attractive. In addition, after one semester of study at Colorado College, each Colorado College student is provided a Wild Card that can be used once before graduation to cover the tuition for one block of regularly scheduled classes. Limited financial aid is available to Colorado College students who receive aid during spring or fall. Colorado College students may also apply for intercultural funds to offset some of the costs of programs with a significant intercultural component, including all international courses. See the current Summer Session catalog for more details. 

Summer Independent Study Courses

Each member of the faculty may work with one or two off-campus students in a summer reading course. The instructor and the dean of summer programs must approve each independent study. This program permits students to enrich and, in some cases, accelerate their education. The tuition charge is the regular Summer Session rate, and the Wild Card may not be used for this program. 

The Summer Festival of the Arts

Colorado College has a long tradition of offering summer programs of extraordinary quality and unusual programming in the performing arts. The music festival brings to the college performers with international reputations who present a series of chamber music concerts. The dance program provides a one-unit course, as well as workshops involving young dancers and instructors and a dance concert. The vocal arts symposium offers training in voice and stagecraft by distinguished faculty and includes a series of public performances. A new music symposium features the works of contemporary composers from all over the world. Colorado College faculty members direct each of these programs. The Summer Festival of the Arts includes a number of other performances as well, often presented by Colorado College alumni/ae. 

The First-Year Experience

(www2.coloradocollege.edu/fye)

FYE courses in Blocks 1 and 2 for fall-start students and 5 and 6 for winter-start students offer first-year students a stimulating introduction to Colorado College, provide opportunities for students to enhance their research and writing skills, and reinforce in students a pleasure in rigorous analysis and creative expression.

The First Courses consist of two-block courses or two linked one-block courses taught by one or more Colorado College faculty members in Blocks 1 and 2 or 5 and 6. First Courses include a substantial writing component and a research project. The seminar format and class size encourage active student involvement. The First Course also introduces students to the Colorado College library, the Writing Center, and other academic support systems at the college, as well as the honor system. All first-year students have a student mentor throughout their first year at CC. Mentors are upper-level students who work with First Course faculty to introduce first-year students to life at the college. Mentors assist first-year students in course selection for their subsequent (non-FYE) blocks, and again during course preregistration for the following year. Mentors organize joint activities across first-year courses and provide opportunities for first-year students to get together in informal settings outside of class.

 

Special Studies and Interdisciplinary Courses

The college offers a series of special programs and courses outside of regular departments. Students with special interests in American ethnic studies, environmental studies, North American studies, Southwest studies, or studies in war and peace, may choose from a variety of suggested courses and in some areas organize them into an approved liberal arts and sciences (LAS) major. Other interdisciplinary studies such as Asian studies and feminist and gender studies are now offered as majors, and requirements are listed under Departmental Courses. Many interdisciplinary courses are offered under the rubrics of general studies, studies in the humanities, and studies in natural sciences. First-year seminars differ considerably from the usual departmental offerings. Some seminars are designed to help students improve their writing, as are some other one- and two-block offerings in standard courses that carry the designation “With Emphasis on Writing.” All of these programs and courses are described in greater detail under the heading Interdisciplinary Studies and Courses. 

Professional and Cooperative Programs

Business

Graduate study and careers in business are open to students with an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts. The nation’s best universities, as well as employers hiring into management-track positions, value the breadth of knowledge that a liberal arts degree provides. The major a student takes to prepare for business can be selected from any offered at Colorado College; what is important to graduate admissions committees and employers is a demonstrated capacity to think critically, analyze complex issues, and communicate effectively in both oral and written forms. To supplement their interest in a business career, students should consider taking introductory courses in accounting and economics, a law course, and statistics. Advice on a course of study while at Colorado College and opportunities for graduate work and employment can be obtained by consulting the pre-business adviser as well as the Career Center.

For students selecting a major in economics, it is possible to pursue the study of business in additional depth through a number of elective courses dealing directly with the role and operation of business in society. These same courses are available to students majoring in any subject as long as the individual course prerequisites are satisfied. The individual courses in the economics and business department offerings that focus directly on business are listed in the Departmental Courses section under economics and business.

“Perspectives on Business in a Changing World” is an ongoing program of visiting faculty, executives-in-residence, lectures, symposia, and other activities designed to discuss and evaluate business and economics as institutions in our society. Faculty and students from different disciplines come together with visitors experienced in business and the economy to explore the social, political, ethical, and technological dimensions associated with the varied and rapidly changing roles of business and economics in the world. 

Engineering

For students interested in engineering, the college has cooperative arrangements with Columbia University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Southern California, and Washington University. Recommendation by the faculty of Colorado College at the end of the pre-engineering program strongly supports the student admission to the selected cooperative school of engineering. This does not mean, however, that the student is restricted to one of the cooperating schools. Almost all engineering schools accept transfer students from accredited liberal arts colleges such as Colorado College. Specific details regarding the pre-engineering program and cooperative arrangements with engineering schools may be obtained from the physics department.

Health Professions

At the beginning of the academic year, usually during Block 1, the health professions advising staff holds a meeting to answer questions and give general advice to students interested in pursuing medical careers. Although most are interested in becoming physicians, more students each year show interest in other careers, such as dentistry, nursing, physical therapy, physician’s assistant programs, or veterinary medicine.

Most new students who are interested in preparing for a career in the health professions have some time to explore their options before diving into a strict program, and the college encourages students to explore the liberal arts curriculum and declare a major at the end of the sophomore year. Students who are interested in the health professions will often major in one of the sciences, but many professional schools value applicants with diverse academic backgrounds, and aspiring physicians may choose to major in any discipline. Regardless of the major, a student must do well in courses for the major and in the required science courses. Consideration for admission to a professional school after graduation is based primarily on grade point average and performance on the required entrance tests. Personal interviews, letters of evaluation and student experience will then factor into the admission decision.

Detailed information about various medical professions is available in the health professions advising office in Olin Hall. Jane Byrnes, the health professions advising manager, is available to answer questions. Bruce Kola in El Pomar Sports Center is the adviser for physician’s assistants and physical therapy programs.

Law

Law schools select students who show general excellence and high promise in the analysis of abstract texts and in written and oral expressions. The Pre-Law Committee advises students on their selection of courses, law school requirements, and general preparation for admission to law schools. Students interested in law careers choose various majors depending on their interests and the recommendation of their advisers.

Colorado College has a cooperative program with Columbia University School of Law, under which students, if selected by Colorado College and admitted by Columbia University, may enter an accelerated interdisciplinary legal education program after three years at Colorado College. Upon successful completion of the three-year program at Columbia University, the student will receive the bachelor of arts degree from Colorado College and the juris doctor degree from Columbia University. It is expected that only extraordinary students will qualify, and the program will normally select no more than one person. Interested students should obtain specific details from the prelaw advisers. 

Military Science

The U.S. Army’s military science program is available to Colorado College students. The four-year program is organized under the provisions of the ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964. Two- and three-year scholarships are available to qualified students. Completion of the military science program leads to commission as an officer in the United States Army, Army Reserve, or National Guard. Additional information and description of courses are available by contacting Professor of Military Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. 

Teacher Education

Colorado College offers a teacher education program leading to licensure for teaching in the secondary school (art, English, French, German, Japanese, Latin, mathematics, music, science, social studies, and Spanish) or the elementary school. The program is designed to make full use of the resources of a liberal arts college for the preparation of teachers and is approved by the state of Colorado. Students wishing to be recommended by the college for a teaching license must have a solid liberal arts background and be well prepared in the subjects they wish to teach. In addition, they must complete education coursework. The teacher education program stresses performance-based education courses, preparation in subject matter, and a minimum of 800 hours of field experiences that are integrated into professional preparation. Student teaching is required.

Prerequisites and admissions procedures for the teacher education program are described under the Departmental Courses section.