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Undergraduate Catalog 07-08
Revised May 2007
Degree Requirements
GENERAL INFORMATION
The ultimate responsibility for satisfying all graduation requirements is the student's. Faculty academic advisers are expected to provide accurate, helpful information to students, and students are expected to be knowledgeable about the academic policies and procedures governing the completion of their degrees. The student and faculty adviser are expected to consult with each other regularly. Under West Chester University's advising program, all students have faculty advisers, appointed through their major departments, who counsel them on academic matters throughout their undergraduate years. Students who have not yet declared a major are advised by the Pre-Major Academic Advising Center in Lawrence Center. Students need to meet with their advisers before registration periods to discuss course enrollment and be given access ot online registration.
The West Chester University Undergraduate Catalog is produced annually in print and online versions. Regardless of the method of distribution, the catalog in effect for a student's year of admission dictates the general education requirements that the student must follow. Students are bound by the major, minor, and cognate requirements in the catalog for the academic year for which they are accepted into the major or minor. If any of the degree requirements change while students are matriculating, they may, but do not have to, meet changed requirements after their first semester of study as a declared major. In some instances, accrediting and/or certification standards necessitate the change in major, minor, and cognate requirements. In such situations, the respective school or college will formally inform each student that he or she must meet the new requirements. Readmitted students are bound by the requirements in place for general education at the time of readmission. Major, minor, and cognate area requirements are also bound at the time of readmission, except where permission is granted by the respective department.
Students are permitted to pursue dual majors under the same degree or dual degrees with the concurrence of the participating departments. (See "Dual Degrees" and "Dual Majors" in the "Academic Policies and Procedures" section of this catalog.)
Students who do not demonstrate basic proficiency in English or mathematics may be required to take Q00-level courses as prerequisites of their degree programs. These courses do not count towards graduation.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE
1. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours at or above the 100 level, distributed as shown in the curriculum for the student's major field. NOTE: Two programs - B.S.Ed. in biology and B.M. in music education - require 126 credits. Also, the B.S.Ed. in chemistry requires 124 credits.
2. Achievement of a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.000 (C) and an average of at least 2.000 (C) in the major field.
3. Attendance at West Chester University for at least 30 semester hours of the degree program, normally the final 30 semester hours of the degree program.
4. Fulfillment of any special requirements or program competencies that are particular to a department or a school.
5. Fulfillment of all financial obligations to the University, including payment of the graduation fee, and of all other obligations, including the return of University property.
6. Compliance with all academic requests, including filing an application for graduation in the Office of the Registrar.
BACCALAUREATE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
The General Education Goals Common to All Baccalaureate Curricula
A broad education emphasizes the enhancement of basic skills in English and mathematics, and encompasses experiences in the humanities, the social and natural sciences, and the arts. At the same time, this education must be versatile because of the many new courses and areas of study that are constantly becoming available.
West Chester University strives to have students meet the following general education goals:
1. Ability to communicate effectively
2. Ability to employ quantitative concepts and mathematical methods
3. Ability to think critically and analytically
4. Ability to demonstrate the sensibilities, understandings, and perspectives of a person educated in the liberal arts tradition
5. Ability to respond thoughtfully to diversity
6. Ability to make informed decisions and ethical choices
7. Preparation to lead productive, contributing lives
West Chester University is committed to fostering information literacy in its general education program. Specifically, we view information literacy as the array of knowledge and skills necessary to identify the information needed for a task and to locate, understand, evaluate, and use that information efficiently and effectively within appropriate ethical and legal limits. While information literacy is within general education in a variety of ways, the principles are most represented in Goals 1, 3, and 6.
West Chester University's curriculum has been planned to allow freedom of choice for the student within educationally sound limits.
This revised general education program applies to all students entering West Chester in August 2002 and thereafter (special provisions apply to honors program, see pages 111-112). All students should consult with their advisers and their department handbooks.
Policy on General Education Requirements
Students, both those matriculating as freshman and transfer students, who have not completed the academic foundations requirements in mathematics and English by the time they have earned 60 credits toward graduation must have the permission of the dean of their school or college (or his or her designee) to schedule additional courses.
A total of 48 semester hours of general education requirements must be completed for a baccalaureate degree. Those 48 credits are allocated among English composition, mathematics, diverse communities, communication, science, behavioral and social sciences, humanities, the arts, interdisciplinary studies, and student electives. Credit requirements for each area are provided in the following list. NOTE: Except for the nine student elective semester hours under Category IV, courses taken to satisfy general education requirements may not be taken pass/fail. This includes courses taken to satisfy interdisciplinary, diverse community, and writing emphasis general education requirements. Readmitted students are bound by the requirements in place for general education at the time of readmission.
Specific general education courses may be required by a major or minor program, but no course may have its numeric credits duplicated in any application. A student may use the course from one major to meet the requirements of the second major. In this case, the adviser will work with the student to determine which course(s) should be used to address any remaining credits. But in no case may a student graduate with fewer than 120 credits at the 100 level or above. Students should be aware that, although general education requirements have been met, major degree requirements may necessitate a specific minimum performance level in general education courses, e.g., a grade of C- or better.
Following is an example of a general education course that also fulfills program requirements: BIO 110 is a biology requirement and serves as a general education option.
Consult your major degree program for guidance.
Students in the honors program should consult pages 111-112 concerning general education requirements.
General Education Components (48 semester hours)
I. Academic Foundations (18 semester hours)
A. English Composition (6 semester hours)
WRT 120, and one of the following: WRT 200, or 204, or 205, or 206, or 208, or 220
Policy for placement in English composition courses:
Students will be placed in their first-year composition courses based on SAT Verbal scores.
IMPORTANT: Credits earned in ENG Q20 are computed in the student's GPA. However, these credits will not be counted as part of the 120 college-level credits required for graduation. Non-native, English-speaking students seeking admission to ENG Q30, ENG 130, and ENG 131 must consult the English as a Second Language (ESL) program staff for a placement evaluation prior to registering for these courses. ENG 130 and 131 are comparable to WRT 120 and 200 for non-native, English-speaking students only. All students who do not place out of WRT 120 must take and pass WRT 120 (130) to graduate, and no substitution of other courses satisfies this requirement. A student who fails this course after three attempts will be dismissed immediately following the third failure regardless of GPA.
B. Mathematics (3 semester hours)
College-level mathematics course designated by the student's major department.
Policy for placement in mathematics: Placement in the appropriate mathematics course is determined by the student's math SAT score or performance on the Mathematics Placement Examination administered by the Department of Mathematics. All entering freshmen other than those specified below, with a math SAT score at 430 or below, are placed in MAT Q01. Students with a math SAT at 440, 450, 460, or 470, or who passed MAT Q01 with a grade of at least C- are placed in MAT Q00. Students with a math SAT 480 or higher may enroll in any of the general education mathematics courses. The following pertains to students planning on taking MAT 161 Calculus I. If their math SAT is 480 - 580 inclusive, they are placed in MAT 110, pre-calculus. If their math SAT is 590 or higher, they are placed in MAT 161. The following pertains to students in elementary, early childhood, or special education. If their math SAT is 470 or less, they are placed in MAT Q01 and must pass the course with a grade of C- before enrolling in MAT 101, mathematics for elementary teachers. If their math SAT is 480 or higher, they are placed in MAT 101.
IMPORTANT: Credits earned in MAT Q00 or Q01 are computed in the student's GPA. However, these credits will not be counted as part of the 120 college-level credits required for graduation.
C. Public Speaking (3 semester hours)
One communication course* will be required of all WCU students.
Choose from the following:
SPK 208 or 230
*WCU will continue to accept transfer equivalencies for SPK 101 and 216 as the public speaking general education requirement, provided the student successfully completed the course at an accredited institution prior to fall 2006.
D. Diverse Communities (3 semester hours)
Effective for all students entering fall 2002 and after, one diverse communities course will be required of all WCU students. Embracing the goal of graduating students who are committed to creating a just and equitable society, Diverse Community courses (or "J" courses) focus on historically marginalized groups and are framed by theories that lend understanding to the analysis of structural inequities. They seek to foster an informed and reasoned openness to an understanding of difference. The requirement for a diverse communities course may be fulfilled by any approved course with a "J" designation in the course schedule. Approved diverse community courses are noted in the catalog course description.
A diverse communities course may simultaneously fulfill another degree requirement or distributive requirement in general education if it has the same prefix as those in the science, behavioral and social sciences, humanities, or arts categories within the distributed requirements. (For example, PSC 301 could count as a course within the behavioral and social sciences category.) If a "J" course is used to fulfill one of the distributive area requirements, general education student electives increase from nine to 12 credits as needed to reach 48 general education credits and 120 credits for graduation. At no time can any course substitute within the academic foundations area.
NOTE: A diverse communities course may only transfer to WCU if the course from a student's prior institution has been submitted to and approved by the Diverse Communities Committee of the Curriculum and Policies Committee (CAPC) prior to matriculation.
E. Interdisciplinary Requirement (3 semester hours)
One interdisciplinary course will be required of all WCU students. This course, regardless of the academic department that offers it, places the emphasis on the relationship among three or more disciplines, requiring the student to think critically. The student will synthesize and/or integrate the disciplines in the investigation of a concept, culture, or idea resulting in a student who demonstrates the attributes of general education Goal 4 (able to demonstrate the sensibilities, understandings, and perspectives of a person educated in the liberal arts tradition.) Interdisciplinary courses may be fulfilled by any approved course with an "I" designation in the course schedule. Approved interdisciplinary courses are indicated by a pound sign (#) in the catalog course descriptions. Because interdisciplinary courses are, by design, treatment of a subject from different disciplines, interdisciplinary courses may not be used to fulfill a general education requirement in the distributive areas (science, behavioral and social sciences, humanities, the arts) or the foreign culture cluster requirements. In addition, a course may not simultaneously satisfy the interdisciplinary and diverse communities requirements.
II. Distributive Requirements (21 semester hours)
A. Science (6 semester hours)
Select courses from at least two of the following areas. Courses must be selected from outside the student's major department. Recommended courses are listed below:
1. Biology-BIO 100 or BIO 110
2. Chemistry-CHE 100, CHE 103, CHE 104, or CHE 107
3. Computer Science-CSC 110, CSC 115, or CSC 141
4. Earth Science-ESS 101, ESS 111, or ESS 170
5. Physics-PHY 100, PHY 105, PHY 130, PHY 140, PHY 170 or PHY 180
B. Behavioral and Social Sciences (6 semester hours)
Select courses from at least two of the following areas. Courses must be from outside the student's major department. Recommended courses are listed below:
1. Anthropology-ANT 102 or ANT 103
2. Psychology-PSY 100
3. Sociology-SOC 200 or SOC 240
4. Economics-ECO 101, ECO 111, or ECO 112
5. Geography-GEO 101 or GEO 103
6. Government-PSC 100, PSC 101, or PSC 213
C. Humanities (6 semester hours)
Select courses from at least two of the following areas. Courses must be selected from outside the student's major department. Recommended courses are listed below:
1. Literature-LIT 165, CLS 165, CLS 260, or CLS 261
2. History-HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 150, HIS 151, or HIS 152
3. Philosophy-PHI 101 or PHI 180
D. The Arts (3 semester hours)
Any courses in the following areas: art film/cinematography, dance, music, photography, and theatre.
III. Student Electives (9 semester hours)
Students are encouraged to choose electives in consultation with their major adviser.
Courses taken to satisfy the distributive area of general education requirements and the courses taken to satisfy the diverse communities, interdisciplinary, or writing emphasis requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
All students are encouraged to complete the above program in their first two years at West Chester.
Additional Baccalaureate Requirements
IV. Writing Emphasis Courses (9 semester hours)
The rationale for writing emphasis courses is that writing is integral to all academic learning in liberal and professional studies. These courses are not foundational. They are intended to enhance; the University regards writing as much more than a set of basic language skills. Syllabi for writing emphasis courses shall clearly state that improving the student's writing abilities is an objective of the course and specifically indicate the percentage of the final course grade that is derived from writing assignments. Writing emphasis courses will provide the student with both formal and informal writing opportunities, direct classroom instruction in the techniques of composition, and at least one opportunity to review written work with feedback from the instructor. The University curricula provide for:
(1) Writing-emphasis courses each semester in traditional liberal studies (for example, English literature, history, anthropology, sociology, chemistry, and physics) and in professional studies (for example, criminal justice, early childhood education, nursing, and public health)
(2) A general requirement that all students must take three of these writing emphasis courses, in addition to English composition.
All students who take their entire general education program at WCU must complete three approved writing emphasis courses. All students who enter with fewer than 40 credits must take at least three approved writing emphasis courses at WCU. Transfer students who enter with 40-70 credits must take two writing emphasis courses. Students who transfer more than 70 credits must take one writing emphasis course. All students entering the University fall 2002 and later (native or transfer) must take one writing emphasis course at the 300-400 level. WRT 120, 200, 204, 205, 206, 208, or 220 do not count as writing emphasis courses. Each writing emphasis course may simultaneously fulfill another degree requirement.
Note: Writing emphasis courses may not be transferred to WCU.
Approved Diverse Communities Courses
| ANT | 321 | American Indian Today |
| ANT | 347 | The Culture of Cities |
| CLS | 165 | Introduction to World Literature |
| CLS | 203 | African Studies |
| CLS | 258 | Women's Literature I |
| CLS | 259 | Women's Literature II |
| CLS | 260 | World Literature I |
| CLS | 335 | Latino Literature in the U.S. |
| COM | 250 | Intercultural Communication |
| ECE | 407 | Diversity Perspectives in Early Childhood Education |
| EDA/EDE | 230 | Inclusive Classrooms |
| EDA/EDR | 341 | Inclusion and Reading in the Content Area |
| EDE | 352 | Self Group Processes in Diverse Classrooms |
| ESP | 324 | Latinos in the U.S. |
| ESP | 335 | Latino Literature in the U.S. |
| GEO | 204 | Introduction to Urban Studies |
| GEO | 312 | Urban Geography |
| HEA | 110 | Transcultural Health |
| HEA | 200 | Nutrition and Culture |
| HIS | 351 | Women in America |
| HIS | 362 | Violence in America |
| HIS | 373 | African-American History |
| HON | 312 | Education Systems and Social Influence |
| KIN | 246 | Sport, Culture, and Society |
| KIN | 254 | Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Disabilities |
| KIN | 380 | Women and Sport |
| LIN | 211 | Language Communities in the U.S. |
| LIT | 303 | Multiethnic American Literature |
| MHL | 125 | Perspectives in Jazz |
| MUE | 332 | Music Methods and Materials II |
| NSG | 109 | Health Issues of Women |
| PHI | 180 | Introduction to Ethics |
| PSC | 101 | The Politics of Diversity in the United States |
| PSC | 301 | Gender and Politics |
| PSC | 323 | The Politics of Race, Class, and Gender |
| PSC | 340 | Latin American Cultures |
| PSC | 343 | Culture and Politics of Asia |
| SCE | 350 | Science Education in Secondary School |
| SWO | 225 | Race Relations |
| SWO | 351 | Human Behavior in Social Environment II |
| THA | 250 | Race and Gender in American Theatre |
| WOS | 225 | Women Today |
| WOS | 250 | Women's Self-Reflections in Writing, Art, and Music |
| WOS | 315 | Third-World Women |
Approved Interdisciplinary Courses
| ACC | 300 | Fraud Examination for Managers |
| AMS | 200 | American Civilization |
| AMS | 210 | Mass Media and Popular Culture |
| AMS | 250 | Myths and Modernization |
| BIO | 102 | Humans and the Environment |
| CLS | 201 | Classical Mythology in the 20th Century |
| CLS | 270 | Life, Death, and Disease |
| CLS | 329 | Gender and Peace |
| CLS | 352 | Modernity/Postmodernity |
| CLS | 368 | Culture, Myth, and Society |
| CLS | 371 | Law, Literature, and Communication |
| COM | 340 | Political Communication |
| ECO | 344 | American Economic Experience |
| EDF | 300 | Democracy and Education |
| EFR | 220 | French Civilization (in English) |
| EGE | 322 | German Civilization (in English) |
| EGE | 323 | Austrian Civilization, 1848-1938 |
| ENG | 215 | Views on Literacy |
| ENV | 102 | Humans and the Environment |
| ERU | 309 | Soviet Russian Culture (in English) |
| ESP | 319 | Civilization of Spain (in English) |
| ESP | 300 | Latin-American Culture and Civilization (in English) |
| ESP | 324 | Latinos in the U.S. |
| ESP | 362 | New World: America |
| ESS | 102 | Humans and the Environment |
| GEO | 204 | Introduction to Urban Studies |
| GER | 321 | German Civilization (in German) |
| HIS | 302 | Modern India |
| HIS | 306 | Chinese Civilization |
| HIS | 308 | An Introduction to the Islamic World |
| HIS | 323 | Austrian Civilization |
| HIS | 329 | Gender and Peace |
| IND | 401 | Applied Environmental Science |
| KIN | 246 | Sport, Culture, and Society |
| LIN | 330 | Introduction to Meaning |
| LIT | 162 | Literature of the Apocalypse |
| LIT | 250 | Victorian Attitudes |
| LIT | 309 | Martin Luther King |
| LIT | 329 | Medieval Women's Culture |
| LIT | 370 | Urbanism and Modern Imagination |
| MAT | 301 | The Scientific Revolution |
| MHL | 201 | Form and Style in the Arts |
| MHL | 301 | Music and the Related Arts |
| NSG | 222 | Transcultural Health Delivery |
| PHI | 102 | Introduction to Religious Studies |
| PHI | 174 | Principles of the Arts |
| PHI | 330 | Introduction to Meaning |
| PHI | 371 | Biomedical Ethics |
| PSC | 204 | Introduction to Urban Studies |
| PSC | 318 | International Political Economy |
| SCB | 210 | The Origin of Life and the Universe |
| SMD | 210 | Psychosocial Perspectives of Sport/Recreational Injuries |
| SOC | 349 | Perspectives on Mental Illness |
| SSC | 200 | Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies |
| SSC | 201 | Global Perspectives |
| SWO | 225 | Race Relations |
| WOS | 225 | Women Today: An Introduction to Women's Studies |
| WOS | 250 | Women's Self Reflections in Writing, Art, and Music |
| WOS | 315 | Third-World Women |
| WOS | 329 | Gender and Peace |
| WOS | 335 | Gender and Science |
| WOS | 405 | Feminist Theory |
NOTE: There are particular honors courses that have been approved as interdisciplinary at the 300 and 400 levels. Honors students should discuss these courses with the director of the honors program.
Foreign Language and Culture Requirements for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music Degree and Certain B.S. Degree Candidates
A. West Chester University believes that college students today require exposure to global cultures, and the University integrates this belief into courses and programs in various ways. Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Public Affairs, and the School of Music, particularly, see a need for students earning bachelor of arts degrees to gain competency in foreign language and cultures as a critical aspect of their education. The University provides options for these students based on varying levels of language competency deemed appropriate by major departments for study in their field. Questions regarding foreign language requirements should be directed to the department chairperson.
A number of B.A. degree programs require a foreign language proficiency gained from completing the second half of the intermediate year (202) of a foreign language. At this level, students may be expected to have a working knowledge of the language and culture of a foreign country. These programs are as follows:
Biology
English
Foreign Languages (in a second foreign language)
History
Liberal Studies
Mathematics (limited to French, German, and Russian)
Political Science (B.A. in international relations only)
B. Other B.A. degree programs offer students the following options:
(a) demonstrating foreign language proficiency through the intermediate level (202) or
(b) demonstrating foreign language proficiency through the Elementary II (102) level of a language and further acquiring a cultural foundation through taking three culture cluster courses within the same foreign language area. It is not necessary for students to complete the Elementary II (102) level before taking culture cluster courses.
While this option does not give students the depth and focus of language study, the three courses will help them understand a foreign culture. (In this option, students may elect to further their foreign language skills by taking an additional semester of the language, plus two culture cluster courses.)
The foreign language plus culture cluster option is open to students who entered after May 1980.
Degree programs offering the culture cluster option are as follows:
Anthropology
American Studies
Art (B.A. only)
Communication
Communicative Disorders
Economics (B.A. only)
Geography (B.A. only)
Philosophy
Political Science (B.A. general and public management only)
Psychology
Sociology
Theatre Arts
C. Some B.S. degree programs also require a foreign language. Students should see their advisers.
D. The B.M. in music degree requires three hours of a foreign language for students in the elective studies in an outside field program of study.
E. The Department of Foreign Languages handles testing and placement.
F. Course substitutions to the foreign language requirement of a department will be granted if the student meets one of the following criteria:
1. The student is able to demonstrate proficiency through successful testing by the Department of Foreign Languages.
2. The student holds a diploma from a secondary education institution in another country. This institution must be at least the equivalent of a U.S. high school, and instruction must be in a language other than English.
G. Students who may request course substitutions because of a disability should refer to page 32, "Services for Students with Disabilities."
H. Students should take note of the policies regarding taking courses out of sequence; see page 43.
Of the three required culture cluster courses, students who choose that option may take no more than two in the same department, except that only one may be taken in the department in which they major. Students are encouraged to begin taking their culture cluster courses as soon as possible after completing the 102 level of the language. The 201 level of language courses is acceptable for use as one of the three culture cluster courses. Any exceptions to these conditions must be etitioned. A student may not use one course to simultaneously fulfill a general education distributive requirement and a culture cluster requirement.
I. Classical Civilization (Latin or Greek)
Approved courses:
ARH 382, CLS 201, CLS 367, CLS 368, HIS 318, HIS 319, HIS 348, PHI 270
II. France and Francophone Area (French)
Approved courses:
ARH 383, ARH 385, EFR 230, EFR 320, EFR 330, EFR 350, GEO 303, HIS 420, HIS 427, HIS 435, PHI 415, PSC 342
III. Germany (German)
Approved courses:
EGE 322, EGE 323, EGE 403, EGE 404, EGE 405, EGE 408, EGE 409, GEO 303, HIS 323, HIS 330, HIS 420, HIS 423, HIS 435, PHI 272, PHI 273, PSC 342
IV. Italy (Italian)
Approved courses:
ARH 384, EIT 321, EIT 360, GEO 303, PSC 342
V. Spanish (Spanish or Portuguese)
Approved courses:
ANT 224, ANT 322, ANT 324, ANT 362, CLS 311, CLS 335, ESP 305, ESP 306, ESP 307, ESP 311, ESP 319, ESP 324, ESP 333, ESP 335, ESP 403, GEO 302, HIS 315, HIS 316, HIS 317, PSC 340
VI. Russia and Eastern Europe (Russian or an Eastern European language)
Approved courses:
ERU 309, ERU 310, GEO 304, HIS 324, HIS 425, PSC 346