COURSE OFFERINGS DIVISIONS OF STUDY The academic departments and courses of instruction are grouped according to the following three divisions: HUMANITIES, including Classics, English, Fine Arts, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Religion, and Rhetoric. NATURAL SCIENCES, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Physics and Astronomy. SOCIAL SCIENCES, including Economics and Business, Government and Foreign Affairs, History, and Psychology. COURSE CLASSIFICATION Each course listed in this catalogue is identified by the name of the department which offers it and a course number. (Courses which include significant content from more than one discipline are listed under Interdisciplinary Studies rather than under one of the academic departments.) At the right of the course number are parentheses which contain the credit hours per semester granted for passing the course. There are two variations. For example, Biology 108 (3) meets for one semester only and carries three semester hours of credit. French 201202 (3-3) comprises two semesters of work, each earning three hours of credit, and the student may take one or both semesters. One hour of semester credit is awarded for fifty minutes per week of in-class lecture or discussion time for fourteen weeks. For laboratory classes, one semester hour of credit is awarded for 150 minutes of laboratory time per week for fourteen weeks. Performance studies classes in Fine Arts (choral music, instrumental ensemble music, and theatre production) follow the general pattern of laboratory courses, that is, one hour of credit for 150 minutes of class time per week for fourteen weeks. For directed reading, independent study, and senior thesis courses, credit is awarded in accordance with the time commitment required for the expected product.
There is necessarily some variation in the way course levels are assigned in the various disciplines because of differences in the character of the disciplines themselves. In general, however, courses are numbered according to the following guidelines: courses at the 100-level are introductory or survey courses suitable for freshmen or students taking such courses to complete core requirements; courses at the 200-level, suitable for freshmen and sophomores, are more focused or specialized than 100-level courses and may require some background in a discipline; courses at the 300-level are designed for students with formal background in a discipline; courses at the 400-level are typically junior- or senior-level courses building on relatively sophisticated knowledge of a discipline gained from taking lower-level courses. The expected background for both 300- and 400-level courses is typically reflected in prerequisite or recommended classes. 185, 285, 385, or 485. Special Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours). A course of study, not regularly offered, in an area other than one described in the course listings. Special topics courses intended to fulfill core requirements must be approved by the Academic Affairs Committee prior to registration. 395. Internship (1, 2, or 3 hours). Combines work done normally in the summer with ongoing course work that might include a research paper, a portfolio or a daily journal recording the internship experiences and the student’s reactions to them, interviews with professionals, or book reviews. To qualify, a student must be in good standing academically at the time of application. 201, 301, or 401. Professional Internship (1 hour). A work-related internship that must be at least 140 hours. At the end of the internship, the student will receive a grade of either Pass or Fail based on the written recommendation of the internship supervisor. To qualify, a student must be in good standing academically at the time of application. A student may complete no more than 3 professional internship courses during the student’s tenure at Hampden-Sydney College.
