Undergraduate Curriculum

The Core Curriculum
Major Field of Study
- Alternative Majors
- Double Majors
Minor Field of Study

Core Curriculum Goals and Requirements
International Student Requirements

Undergraduate students at Saint Mary’s College face the challenge of choosing a suitable program of study from the various sets of undergraduate courses offered by the College. The choices made can be deeply personal, and have profound consequences for the life of each individual student. Students can be confident that every course of study offered by the College is guided by, and is consistent with the College mission statement.

All undergraduates pursue an educational experience comprised of two integrated components: the core curriculum, required of all students, and a major field of study, selected by the individual student. To graduate from Saint Mary’s College, a student must complete 36 Saint Mary’s course credits or approved equivalencies, of which at least 17 are upper division, and must satisfy the following Core Curriculum and Major requirements.

The Core Curriculum

Through the Core Curriculum, graduates of Saint Mary’s College will share a common experience of integrated, rigorous intellectual development. The Core consists of three major areas of student learning, each containing four learning goals:

HABITS OF MIND. Considered fundamental to a liberal education, habits of mind foster each person’s development as one who seeks to know the truth and is preparing for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge.
PATHWAYS TO KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge takes many forms and arises from a variety of methods. Training in diverse pathways to knowledge provides a cross-disciplinary approach to learning.
ENGAGING THE WORLD. Students explore justice, civic responsibility, and social, economic, and cultural differences, examining and reflecting on what it means to be a citizen in local and global communities.

The Core Curriculum embodies the spirit of the liberal arts, especially through its emphasis on genuine inquiry. The Core initiates students into the examined life, provides a solid foundation of integrated and developmental learning, and enables them to contribute meaningfully to community life. Each major program of study builds upon this foundation by engaging the student in particular methods of inquiry, allowing the student to access the results of inquiry, and strengthening the student’s own powers of inquiry.

Courses approved to satisfy Habits of Mind, Pathways to Knowledge, and Engaging the World requirements can be found here: Core-Designated Courses .

Major Field of Study

Defined as a group of coordinated courses within a particular discipline, ordinarily including at least two preparatory courses at the lower-division level, and at least eight courses at the upper-division level. Certain majors may require additional background course work in related fields. The regular major groups available to students in the various curricula of the College are listed in the Majors and Minors section this catalog. A student may declare or change majors on the appropriate petition form available in the Registrar’s Office. A student graduating with a double major will receive only one degree even if the majors are in two different schools.

Students choose a major field of study, an in-depth concentration in a specific academic area, and elective courses according to their interests. (Those who have not determined a program or major field of study at entry are encouraged to take introductory courses in various fields, and to settle on a major field of study only as their interests develop a sharper focus. Ordinarily, students must declare their major field of study by the end of their first year.)

Alternative Majors

The College offers the option of an alternative major program of study, including a Split Major, an Interdisciplinary Major, an Individualized Major, or completion of comprehensive alternative programs. Information on the alternative comprehensive programs can be found in the Curriculum Section of this Catalog under these headings: Integral Program, Justice, Community and Leadership, Pre-Professional Curricula, and 3 + 2 Engineering Program.

SPLIT MAJORS. Combines work in two departments, must be approved by the chairs of the departments concerned, and by the Registrar. Such majors ordinarily comprise nine upper-division courses (six courses in one field and three in another), in addition to the lower-division prerequisites of both departments.
INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJOR. Includes the following: Global and Regional studies major, e.g., European studies; Latin American studies, student-directed studies (see director of Global and Regional Studies); allied health science major (see Allied Health Science advisor, School of Science); health and human performance major (see chair, Department of Kinesiology); cross-cultural studies major (see dean, School of Liberal Arts).
INDIVIDUALIZED MAJOR. A student who believes that their academic needs and purposes would be better served by a distinctive program of studies may present an individualized major plan. Besides fulfilling requirements for a major, this plan must satisfactorily lead the student toward the goal of liberal education, which the College sees as essential for all of its graduates. Students wishing to pursue an individualized major must submit their proposal to the Vice Provost for Student Academics, who will forward it to the Chair of the Undergraduate Educational Policies Committee for consideration. The guidelines for the proposal can be found online through the Registrar’s Office.

Double Major

A student is allowed to complete two separate major fields of study. A student must fulfill all the requirements of each major as specified by each program or department, including those regarding senior projects and courses that overlap between majors. Requirements vary by major and are included in each program or department’s curriculum description.

Split majors may not double major with either of the disciplines that make up the split major, and must consult with both major advisors when considering an additional major. Individualized majors may complete another major field, upon UEPC approval. Interdisciplinary majors must consult with the department or dean in charge of the interdisciplinary program when considering another major field.

A student who double majors receives only one degree in one school, even if the second major is in another school. The diploma will carry the name of the degree chosen by the student from the two completed; the transcript will indicate two majors were completed.

Minor Field of Study

The College offers the option of a minor field of study, defined as a combination of at least five courses from a discipline other than that of the major field, at least three of which must be upper division. Requirements for the minor, including policies on courses that overlap with the major, vary by department and are included in each program or department’s curriculum description.

Core Curriculum Goals and Requirements

The Core Curriculum requires that graduates of Saint Mary’s accomplish a common set of twelve learning goals, independent of their school or major. These goals are organized into three broad categories: Habits of Mind, Pathways to Knowledge, and Engaging the World. Within each category, students may choose from among a variety of courses across disciplines to fulfill the learning goals.

The current list of courses that satisfy each of these goals may be found at Core-Designated Courses .

Students in the Integral Program are responsible for meeting all Core Curriculum learning goals, but many of these will be achieved through the Integral Program’s regular course of study. Students should contact the Director of the Integral Program for details.

Habits of Mind

The cornerstone of a liberal education, the Habits of Mind course consists of the following learning goals:

CRITICAL THINKING. Students will recognize, formulate, and pursue meaningful questions about their own and others’ ideas.
SHARED INQUIRY. Students will reason together about common texts, questions, and problems.
WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION. Students will develop strong written and oral communication skills.
INFORMATION EVALUATION AND RESEARCH PRACTICES. Students will learn how information is gathered and evaluated in society.

These goals are accomplished through the following required course of study:

4 Collegiate Seminars (one taken in each year of residence, beginning in the spring of the student’s first year);

3 writing classes, in developmental sequence (ENGL 004 , generally to be taken in the fall of the student’s first year; ENGL 005 , generally to be taken in the spring of the first year; and an advanced writing course taken in the major). Refer to English Composition placement for further information.

Pathways to Knowledge

Students will be exposed to a variety of methodologies and subject matters by completing courses that fulfill the learning goals below. Note that courses that meet major and minor course requirements, and/or those that are designated as meeting learning goals in Engaging the World, may concurrently be used to achieve these learning goals:

MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING. Students will apply abstract and logical reasoning to solve mathematical problems, and communicate mathematical ideas. Students will also learn about the natural and physical world from an empirical perspective, and engage in scientific inquiry.