Nov 24, 2024

Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2018-2019

Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Core Curriculum Requirements

Bridgewater State University’s Core Curriculum was developed to serve as the educational foundation that all Bridgewater State University students will build on to complete their program of study. The Core Curriculum features a skills-centered, outcomes-based distribution model of general education that allows students a wide choice of courses and the flexibility to integrate the requirements of their major with the broader, liberal education that is required of responsible citizens of the 21^st century. Students who complete the BSU Core Curriculum will learn a significant body of factual knowledge as well as understand the intellectual foundations, conceptual frameworks, and methodologies of the major academic disciplines.

The BSU Core Curriculum is composed of four main areas:

Skill Requirements: All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the skill areas of writing, logical reasoning, mathematical reasoning and spoken communication.

Core Distribution Requirements: All students will learn about the arts, humanities, the natural and social and behavioral sciences, global culture, multiculturalism, application of quantitative skills and the U.S. and Massachusetts Constitutions.

Seminars: The First and Second Year Seminars are key features of the BSU Core Curriculum. These topic courses will allow students to explore an area of interest in a small, discussion-oriented course. The First Year Seminar is a writing intensive course designed to engage the student in university-level learning. The Second Year Seminar is either speaking or writing intensive and will engage students in the connections between classroom learning and the world. Second Year Seminars may be used for the major or minor, if specifically permitted by the major or minor.

Requirements in the major: To connect the core curriculum with each major, students will complete one writing designated course in their major and will be able to demonstrate information literacy and technology proficiency in their major.

NOTES:

Only certain BSU courses have been approved for use in the Core Curriculum. This site provides a complete list of approved courses and the most up-to-date information regarding the Core Curriculum.
Returning students who completed all of the GER’s (the general education requirements in place prior to fall 2006) before leaving BSU, should contact the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at 508.531.2616.
Appeals for substitutions of transfer courses of the Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning and the Natural Sciences requirements should be directed to the Associate Dean of Science and Mathematics at 508.531.2418. All other substitutions should be directed to the Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at 508.531.1218.

Core Skills Requirements

Writing Skills (CWR1, CWR2)

This requirement must be completed in the first year.

ENGL 101/101E - Writing Rhetorically (CWR1)
ENGL 102 - Writing Rhetorically with Sources (CWR2)

Foundations of Logical Reasoning (CLOR)

This requirement must be completed in the first year.

Complete one course, selected from the following:

COMP 111 - Logic and Computers
MATH 180 - Transition to Advanced Mathematics
PHIL 111 - Foundations of Logical Reasoning

Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning (CMAR)

This requirement must be completed before the end of the second year.

Complete one course, selected from the following:

MATH 105 - Mathematical Thought and Practice
MATH 110/MATH 110E - Elementary Statistics I
MATH 112 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I
MATH 113 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II
MATH 114 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers III
MATH 120 - Introduction to Linear Algebra
MATH 130 - Discrete Mathematics I
MATH 140/MATH 140E - Elements of Precalculus
MATH 141 - Elements of Calculus I
MATH 142 - Elements of Calculus II
MATH 144 - Applied Calculus for Business
MATH 150 - Precalculus with Trigonometry
MATH 161/161E - Single Variable Calculus I
MATH 162 - Single Variable Calculus II

Spoken Communication (CSPK)

This requirement must be completed by the end of the second year.

Complete one course, selected from the following:

COMM 102 - Introduction to Public Speaking
THEA 210 - Oral Interpretation

Seminars

Each seminar may also fulfill a Core Distribution Requirement and an Additional Distribution Requirement.

XXXX 199 First Year Seminar (CFYS) – Prerequisite: Open to all freshmen with a writing placement score of 3 or above or a SAT score of 500 or above or who have completed ENGL 101. Students with 24 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived.

and

XXXX 298 Second Year Seminar (Speaking Intensive) (CSYS) – Prerequisite: _ _ _ _ 199;
Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101, and the speaking skills (CSPK) requirement. Students with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived.

or XXXX 299 Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive) (CSYS)* – Prerequisite: _ _ _ _ 199;
Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101 and ENGL 102. Students
with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived.

*XXXX 299 Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive) CANNOT count toward the upper-level
Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM) requirement.

NOTES:

Bridgewater State University considers any student with fewer than 24 credit hours to be a first year student and any student with 24-53 earned credit hours to be a second year student.
Students who transfer more than 23 credits to BSU will have the CFYS (First Year Seminar) waived. Students who transfer more than 53 credits will have the CSYS (Second Year Seminar) waived. However, transfer students will still need to fulfill the Writing Intensive and Speaking Intensive requirements.
First Year Seminars may not count toward the major or minor. Second Year Seminars may be used for the major or minor, if specifically permitted by the major or minor.
Students may take only one First Year Seminar (XXXX 199) and one Second Year Seminar (XXXX 298 or XXXX 299).

Writing and Speaking Intensive Requirements

These requirements may be completed at any time.

Speaking Intensive (CSPI)*

Complete one course, selected from the following:

ANTH 130 - Monkeys, Apes and Us  (beginning Spring 2011)
ANTH 216 - Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
ANTH 318 - Anthropology of Childhood
ARTH 208 - Survey of Islamic Art and Architecture
ARTH 211 - Monuments as Cultural Symbols and Emblems of Power
ARTH 212 - Art and Culture in Latin America: From Independence to the Present
ARTH 218 - History of Photography
ARTH 219 - Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture  (beginning Fall 2018)
ARTS 116 - Introduction to Digital Photography
CHST 203 - Introduction to Childhood Studies
COMM 260 - Group Communication and Decision Making
LANG 260 - The Art of Zen
PHIL 220 - Ethics Bowl: Making the Case for What’s Right
SOCI 230 - Art and American Society
A speaking intensive Second Year Seminar (XXXX 298)
A second Spoken Communication Skills (CSPK) course, not already used to fulfill another requirement

*Alternatively, students may elect to take an additional Writing Intensive (CWRT) course.

Writing Intensive (CWRT)

Complete two courses, selected from the following:

AMST 220 - Introduction to American Studies (formerly INTD 220)
ANTH 110 - Introduction to Folklore
ANTH 111 - Myth and Culture
ANTH 212 - Africa Through Film
ANTH 213 - Latin American Peoples and Cultures (beginning Spring 2012)
ANTH 215 - The Caribbean
ANTH 230 - Culture, Health and Illness (formerly ANTH 330)
ANTH 307 - Anthropology of Religion
ANTH 324 - Seminar: New England Ethnic and Regional Communities (formerly ANTH 426)
ANTH 340 - Myths and Peoples of the Ancient Near East
ARTH 214 - Global Art History Study Tour
ARTS 215 - Global Studio Art Study Tour I
ARTS 415 - Global Studio Art Study Tour II
CRJU 241 - Women and Violence
CRJU 290 - Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System
CRJU 346 - Criminal Law and Procedure
CRJU 347 - Restorative and Transformative Justice
CRJU 350 - Behind the Walls: Crime and Justice
CRJU 369 - Gender, Crime and Justice
DANC 251 - Dance History
ENGL 200 - Personal and Public Writing
ENGL 201 - Technical Writing I
ENGL 202 - Business Communication
ENGL 206 - Sustainability: Reading and Writing the Environment
ENGL 211 - Literary Classics of Western Civilization to 1600
ENGL 214 - The Classical Tradition
ENGL 216 - Early Irish and Celtic Literature
ENGL 221 - Major British Writers to 1800
ENGL 222 - Major British Writers since 1800
ENGL 231 - Major American Writers to 1865
ENGL 232 - Major American Writers since 1865
ENGL 233 - Introduction to the African American Novel
ENGL 241 - Shakespeare
ENGL 251 - Literary Themes
ENGL 252 - Literary Types
ENGL 253 - Non-Western Literature
ENGL 254 - Literature for Elementary Education Majors
ENGL 255 - East Asian Literature in Translation
ENGL 261 - Film Study: Introduction to the Art
ENGL 262 - Film Study: Literature and Film
ENGL 269 - Topics in Children’s Literature
ENGL 280 - The Journalistic Essay
GEOG 381 - Latin America: Globalization and Cohesion
GEOG 386 - Geography of Canada
HIST 161 - History and Culture of Mexico
INTD 200 - Introduction to Canadian Studies (beginning Fall 2014)
LTAC 201 - Introduction to Latin American and Caribbean Studies
MUSC 260 - Introduction to Western Classical Music (formerly MUSC 160)
PHIL 155 - World Philosophy (formerly PHIL 257)
PHIL 213 - Philosophies of China and Japan
PHIL 222 - Philosophy of Law
PHIL 225 - Philosophy of Art
PHIL 228 - Philosophy of Religion
PHIL 231 - Amoralism, Egoism and Altruism
PHIL 234 - Free Will, Determinism and Responsibility
PHIL 261 - SEISMIC Problems: Science, Values and Society
PHIL 301 - Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 302 - Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 303 - Modern Philosophy
PHIL 304 - 19th Century Philosophy
PHIL 306 - 20th Century Philosophy
PHIL 307 - Classical Indian Philosophy (formerly PHIL 212)
PHIL 320 - Topics in Philosophy
PHIL 402 - Epistemology
PHIL 403 - Ethics and Action
PHIL 404 - Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 405 - Metaphysics
POLI 274 - Western Political Thought - Plato to the Present
POLI 285 - Law and the Judicial Process
READ 201 - Teaching Content Area Literacies in Elementary and Early Childhood Classrooms
SOCI 204 - Gender, Sexuality and Society
SOCI 211 - Homelessness in U.S. Society
SOCI 214 - Middle Eastern Societies
SOCI 219 - Population and Society
SOCI 226 - Food and Society
SOCI 232 - Understanding Japanese Society
SOCI 239 - Unequal Spaces
SOCI 256 - City Neighborhoods: Exploring the Formation of Urban Enclaves
SOCI 315 - Race and Ethnicity in America (beginning Spring 2014)
SOCI 337 - Environmental Sociology
SOCI 347 - Immigration and Migration: A Sociological Perspective
SOCI 353 - Experiencing World Cities (beginning Spring 2014)
SOCI 360 - Feminist Theory in Sociology
THEA 236 - The American Musical Theatre
THEA 319 - Latin American and Latino Theatre
WGSS 240 - Critical Perspectives in Women’s and Gender Studies (formerly INTD 240)

XXXX 199 First Year Seminars and writing intensive XXXX 299 Second Year Seminars may also be used.

NOTE: Writing Intensive (CWRT) courses, XXXX 199 First Year Seminars and writing intensive XXXX 299 Second Year Seminars, DO NOT count toward the upper-level Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM) requirement. CWRM is an additional requirement. CWRM courses may not be used to fulfill the CWRT requirement.

Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM)

Select one course for each major as described in the major requirements listed in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

NOTE: XXXX 299 Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive) CANNOT count toward the upper-level Writing Designated in the Major (CWRM) requirement.

Core Distribution Requirements

These requirements may be completed at any time.

These courses will not satisfy the Core Skills Requirements. A course may be applied to a Core Distribution Requirement and one or more of the Additional Distribution Requirements. All requirements must be met.