BSC College Catalog

CATALOG DATE : 2003-2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2003-04 Comprehensive Index

Course Listing

Accounting (AC)
Art (AR)
Asian Studies (AN)
Astronomy (AS)
Biology (BI)
Business Administration (BA)
Chemistry (CH)
Classics (CL)
Computer Science (CS)
Dance (DA)
Economics (EC)
Education (ED)
Educational Psychology (EPy)
English (EH)
Environmental Studies (ES)
French (FR)
German (GN)
Greek (GK)
Hebrew (HE)
History (HI)
Honors (HON)
Interdisciplinary Courses
Latin (LA)
Leadership Studies (LS)
Mathematics (MA)
Music(MU)
Music Comp. and Theory (MU)
Music Ed. and Pedagogy (MEd)
Music History and Lit.(MU)
Music Performance (MS)
Philosophy (PL)
Physics (PH)
Political Science (PS)
Psychology (PY)
Religion (RE)
Sociology (SO)
Spanish (SN)
Speech (SP)
Theatre Arts (ThA)

Note: Students who elect an interdisciplinary major must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in the required courses in each of the disciplines in order to meet graduation requirements.


Biology-Psychology (17 units)
Bachelor of Science

The biology-psychology major comprises a specific combination of courses designed to provide students with an understanding of the biological basis of behavior and thought. The major is designed to prepare students for a number of graduate programs, including those in the neurosciences, physiology, physiological psychology, and behavioral biology. It also provides good preparation for students planning to go into one of the health professions.

  • BI 105, 115, and 125
  • BI 301
  • BI 303
  • BI 315
  • one elective unit in BI from the following list:
    • BI 402 Cell Biology
    • BI 405 Recombinant DNA Technology
    • BI 408 Biochemistry
    • BI 425 Comparative Vertebrate Embryology
    • BI 442 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
    • BI 493 Independent Study
  • CH 121 and 122

  • PY 101
  • PY 204
  • PY 312
  • PY 408 or PY 407
  • two electives in PY, one of which must be from the following list:
    • PY 214 Developmental Psychology
    • PY 217 Drugs, Brain and Behavior
    • PY 307 Psychology of Motivation
    • PY 313 Psychological Disorders
  • two units fulfilling a senior capstone experience for either the Psychology major (PY 470 and PY 472) or the Biology major (two semesters of directed research in biology from BI 470, 472, and 499)

Computer Science Mathematics (15 units)
Bachelor of Science

The interdisciplinary major in computer science and mathematics offers courses that meet the needs of a wide variety of students. Majors in this program might enter graduate studies or gain employment in the fields of computer science, applied mathematics, computer or business/computer professions, actuarial science or teaching, among others. Students with interests in any of these fields may wish to combine the interdisciplinary major with courses in business administration, economics, or other courses in their chosen area. Students interested in this major are encouraged to meet with computer science and mathematics faculty as soon as possible for advising concerning the student’s intended goals.

  • CS 170
  • CS 250
  • CS 290
  • CS 499
  • four additional CS units at the 300 level or above, at least one of which must be a 400-level course
  • MA 231
  • MA 232
  • MA 240
  • MA 310
  • MA 454
  • two additional MA units chosen from MA 311, MA 317, MA 421

As part of the senior interim experience, all students are required to participate in an assessment process. This may include, but is not limited to, a standardized test, an exit interview, an oral examination, or some combination of the above.

History Political Science (15 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The history-political science major provides intensive study of both disciplines and offers the opportunity for a student to recognize and create intellectual connections between the two related fields. The major emphasizes the development of analytic and writing skills needed in graduate study or professions such as teaching, law, and business.

History (7 units):

  • HI 102 and 103 (or HI 110); or HI 151 and 152; or HI 181 and 182
  • HI 270
    two additional units in HI at the 200 level
  • two additional units in HI at the 300 level

Political Science (7 units):

  • PS 101 or PS 238
  • PS 204 and PS 304
  • PS 470
  • three elective units in PS
  • one additional unit in HI 470 or PS 472

International Studies (14 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The international studies major is intended to provide students interested in global affairs with an intensive course of study of international topics. The major requires ability in a foreign language, completion of an interdisciplinary set of courses, and a significant international experience with the strong expectation that this experience will involve study abroad. Students interested in this major are encouraged to meet with the international studies program coordinator at the earliest possible date.

Components of the major

Five components comprise the international studies major. The first is the international studies core curriculum, which introduces the concepts of culture and diversity, the historical interaction between cultures and nations, and the essential methods to study them. The second component is a concentration of courses that focus on a specific region, culture, or discipline. The third element in the major is intensive training in a foreign language, either ancient or modern, in order to enable the student to study primary documents in context, to travel and work abroad, and to think and communicate beyond national borders. The fourth element is the Senior Capstone, in which the student synthesizes his or her knowledge and skill into a work of original research.

The fifth component of the major is the strong expectation that the student integrate a study abroad program into the major. Study abroad can take place during a regular semester, during interim, or through a summer program. It may involve participation in an established program or may be individually contracted. The International Studies Committee must approve each student's proposed international experience.

Musical Theatre (17 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The musical theatre major provides students with a combination of courses in dance, music, and theatre that is intended to prepare them for careers as performers in musical theatre. Given its emphases on acting, ballet, voice, piano, jazz, and music theory, the musical theatre major is more specialized than the theatre major, and a successful audition at the end of the sophomore year is required to gain admission to the program.

  • MS 110 and 310 (1 unit)
  • MS 320 (2 units)
  • MU 150, 151, 153, 159; or MU 151, 152, 153, 154, 159, 160 (2 units)
  • ThA 230
  • ThA 111
  • ThA 120 and 320
  • ThA 210
  • ThA 220
  • ThA 221
  • ThA 323 and 324
  • two units of dance, at least one in ballet
  • a minimum of four performance experiences in on campus productions; these should include one dramatic and one musical performance and one experience as a technician. Students should thus enroll for a minimum of one-and-one-half units of ThA 102, 202, 302, and/or 402.
  • ThA 499

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (16 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The major in philosophy, politics, and economics is designed to enable students to deal more adequately with the broad range of questions raised by contemporary social, economic, and political issues. Ethical questions that require philosophical reflection are always raised by social issues as they concern what we owe others and the character of the social world we ought to be building for ourselves. And political and economic considerations are always directly involved in considering the question of the feasibility of implementing any social program. Whether we are concerned with the pursuit of a socially responsible health care system, the future of social-welfare programs, the role of the nation state in an increasingly global economy, arguments about affirmative action, or questions surrounding the multi-cultural character of modern societies, we must always be asking what we ought to do and what political and economic arrangements are appropriate and feasible to realize those ends. In addition to being better prepared to understand and deal with such social issues, the major is an excellent preparation for a number of professional careers in such areas as law, business, or public service.

(1) Each student must complete the following interdisciplinary core of courses:

  • PL 251
  • PL 252
  • PL 255
  • one additional unit in PL at the 300 level or above
  • PS 250
  • PS 331
  • PS 306 or PS 400
  • one additional unit in PS at the 300 level or above
  • EC 201
  • EC 202
  • EC 420
  • one additional unit in EC at the 300 level or above

(2) Each student must select either PL, PS, or EC as area of concentration and the following:

(a) Two additional units in that discipline at the 300 level or above, to be chosen in consultation with an academic advisor from the PPE program in that area of concentration

(b) A unit of formal/quantitative study: for philosophy, PL 102; for political science, PS 204; for economics, either PL 102, PS 204, or EC 311 (unless EC 311 has been used to fulfill item 1 above)

(c) A senior interim in the area of concentration

(3) Each student is required to pursue an independent research project in his or her senior year that is interdisciplinary across at least two of the programmatic disciplines. To this end the student seeks out a faculty sponsor for his or her research project in one of the programmatic disciplines and a co-sponsor from one of the other remaining programmatic disciplines. The research can be pursued either in relation to an existing course for which the project is relevant (in which case the student should designate the instructor of that class as his or her primary faculty sponsor) or through a contracted tutorial. If this course is at the 300 level or above and is in the student's area of concentration, it may apply toward requirement (2)(a) above. The research project may employ a variety of research methods tailored to the empirical or theoretical aims of the project, but it should strive to integrate philosophical, economic, and political considerations with a minimum of two of these dimensions developed. The product is graded jointly by the faculty sponsor and co-sponsor.

Graduation with Disciplinary Honors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

A student majoring in PPE may graduate with honors by fulfilling the following requirements:

(1) Complete the requirements for a major in philosophy, politics, and economics.

(2) Attain a 3.50 or better grade point average in all courses taken at Birmingham-Southern College.

(3) Attain a 3.50 or better grade point average in all courses counting toward the PPE major.

(4) Attain a minimum grade of “A-” on the senior research project.

Religion-Philosophy (13 units)
Bachelor of Arts

This major provides a basic historical orientation in the fields of religion and philosophy as well as experience in the current issues dealt with in these academic disciplines.

  • PL 250
  • PL 251 and 252
  • three additional units in PL, at least one of which is 300 level or above
  • RE 201
  • RE 205
  • RE 215
  • RE 311 or 315
  • two additional units in RE
  • RE 499 or PL 499

Sociology-Political Science (11 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The sociology-political science major is a course of study that shows the interconnections between the two disciplines. The two areas have a common methodology and share an interest in the study of relationships of power and authority in society. Students who choose this major may go on to graduate study in either discipline or professional study in a field such as law.

  • PS 101
  • SO 101
  • PS 204 or SO 204
  • PS 304 or SO 304
  • SO 335 or SO 339 or SO 383
  • additional units in PS for a total of five
  • additional units in SO for a total of five
  • PS 472, PS 499 or SO 499

Sociology-Psychology (13 units)
Bachelor of Arts

The sociology-psychology major encourages students to see the methodological and theoretical relationships between sociology and psychology, and it allows them to take a social psychological approach to the analysis of human behavior and social interaction. Students who select this major may continue their study in a variety of graduate programs in psychology, sociology, or social work. They may also pursue additional training in law, medicine, or the health professions.

  • PY 101
  • SO 101
  • PY 204 or SO 204
  • PY 215 or SO 215
  • PY 303 or SO 303
  • PY 304 or SO 304
  • PY 407 or PY 408
  • additional units in PY for a total of six
  • additional units in SO for a total of six
  • PY 499 or SO 499