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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Rev. Kail C. Ellis, O.S.A., Ph.D., Dean Office: 105 St. Augustine Center, tel. 610/519-4600 Set love as the criterion of all that you say, and whatever you teach,
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of Villanova University was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1842. The College traces its origins to old St. Augustine's Church in Philadelphia, which the Augustinians founded in 1796, and to its parish school, St. Augustine's Academy, established in 1811. In 1842, the Augustinians purchased "Belle Air", the country estate of John Rudolph, a Revolutionary War officer and Philadelphia merchant. There, they established the "Augustinian College of Villanova", under the patronage of St. Thomas of Villanova, a sixteenth-century Augustinian educator and Bishop of Valencia, Spain. Eventually the College came to be known as Villanova and gave its name to the town which grew up around it. Classes for the new College began on September 18, 1843, when thirteen students embarked on a traditional liberal arts curriculum. At the outset, however, difficulties plagued the new College. The anti-Catholic "Know Nothing" riots in Philadelphia in 1844 resulted in the burning of St. Augustine's Church. The need to rebuild the church and maintain the new college created a financial crisis for the Order. As a result, the College closed its doors on February 20, 1845. It was able to reopen in September, 1846, with a student population of twenty-four, and the first commencement took place on July 21, 1847. The following year, on March 10, 1848, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Francis R. Shunk, signed the Act of Legislature incorporating the College. In 1857, Villanova College closed for a second time. Demands on the services of priests through the expansion of parishes in the area created staffing problems for the Augustinians, while the Panic of 1857 brought on hard economic times. The onslaught of the Civil War in 1860 affected student enrollment and the College was not reopened until September, 1865. In the years that followed, the College prospered, increasing its student population and adding significantly to its physical facilities. Although in the first fifty years of its existence, the College concentrated exclusively on the liberal arts, it nevertheless remained open to the changes in the curriculum which were required to meet the needs of the time and the demands for specialization. Responding to the demands of the medical profession for new requirements, for example, the College inaugurated its Sciences unit in 1915, and established as the standard premedical course, a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Today, the College continues to offer a variety of educational programs which are aimed at the total growth of the individual, and which prepare students for viable careers. Graduates of the College have taken their place in almost every field of endeavor, serving in education, business, government, law, medicine and research, where they make vital contributions to the communities and the world in which they live.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences exists to provide an atmosphere of responsible learning to a varied group of students who will be called to intellectual, moral, and professional leadership. To fulfill these goals, the College seeks to promote intellectual curiosity and rigor within the University, to instill the fundamentals of critical insight, mature judgment, and independent thinking in its students, and to awaken in its students a sense of the importance of values and the moral responsibility of caring for others and working for the betterment of society. Villanova has always openly and proudly declared that it is a Catholic institution of higher learning. The University maintains a strong respect for the beliefs of its diverse community of faculty, students, and staff. In keeping with its central place in a Catholic University, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has a special commitment to the Christian belief that creation is an expression of divine truth through the redemptive life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. It also seeks to provide a Christian intellectual and moral environment and believes that it is the common right of all to participate in creation, to seek truth and to apply such truth attained to protect and enrich personal and communal life. Villanova's special Augustinian heritage enables the College to draw upon the dynamic legacy of St. Augustine whose passionate pursuit of wisdom, understood through the metaphor of one heart and one mind, inspires its own quest for knowledge in open, intelligent, responsible and mutually respectful interaction of points of view. This legacy is classically illustrated by the Augustinian Order's impact on the medieval universities, its distinguished cultivation of Renaissance art, and its fostering of the scientific discoveries of Gregor Mendel. It is further expressed in the conviction that all authentic human wisdom is ultimately in harmony with Divine Wisdom, and it invites collaboration with other Christians and peoples of other traditions who might share at least the general features and dynamics of this Augustinian vision. In light of this legacy, the College has developed a diversified academic program and a core curriculum which provide its students with a scale of well-defined universal values that equips them to be wise critics of the society in which they live, and which sustains a moral base and social consciousness that transcends economic barriers and questions of race, gender, and creed. Academic Mission The academic mission of the College is intimately connected with its Core Curriculum. The courses in the Core Curriculum treat a broad range of disciplines from a variety of approaches; at the same time, the Core strives to ensure depth of study and intellectual sophistication while recognizing that learning implies different modes of inquiry. The objectives of the Core are to:
Mission to its Students Faculty and Staff The College strongly adheres to the principles of the University Mission Statement which commits Villanova to "developing and sustaining an academic environment in which the potentialities of its members may be realized." In so doing, the College is guided by the teachings of Vatican II which emphasized that "the human spirit must be cultivated in such a way that there results a growth in its ability to wonder, to understand, to contemplate, to make personal judgements, and to develop a religious, moral, and social sense" (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 59). In order to fulfill its academic mission of transmitting, pursuing and discovering knowledge, the College commits itself to the hiring and retaining of outstanding teacher-scholars and dedicated staff personnel whose academic and professional interests will develop and foster the goals of the University's Mission Statement. In hiring faculty and staff personnel, the College further commits itself to the goal of maintaining a richness of diversity by actively recruiting women and minorities. In all hiring strategies and decisions, the College strives to utilize procedures that will reliably determine the best qualified applicants. While the College is committed to maintaining its Catholic identity, it does not seek a particular religious affiliation within its personnel. Rather, as formulated in the University's Mission Statement, it asks that all respect its "attempts to develop an environment in which students, faculty and staff may experience a Christian intellectual and moral perspective," and have a willingness to enter into the conversation that gives its mission life and character. The College is strongly committed to academic freedom which makes open discussion and inquiry possible. It believes that open discussion among scholars and students is a self-correcting process that is intrinsic to academic freedom and that this process is in accord with responsible freedom, a central value of the Christian tradition, and of the thought of St. Augustine, himself the great theologian of Christian freedom. The College seeks to encourage and equitably reward the valuable performance of its faculty and staff by offering competitive salaries and by making available opportunities which will enhance their professional development. It also seeks to promote a congenial work environment that is conducive to self-motivation. In recruiting students, the College will seek to ensure the best applicant pool possible. It will strive to retain students by offering excellent academic programs and by providing them with quality campus activities. . The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, Humanities, Classical Studies, Communication, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, French and Francophone Studies, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Liberal Arts, Geography, German, History, Honors Program, Human Services, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, and Theology and Religious Studies. A Bachelor of Science degree is offered in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Comprehensive Science, Computer Science, Secondary Education, Honors Program, Information Science, Mathematics, and Physics. The chemistry program is accredited by the American Chemical Society and the computer science program is accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, a specialized accreditation body. The requirements for degrees in these majors may be found under the departmental listings contained in this Catalog. Students must earn an overall 2.0 grade point average. See the section on Majors and Interdisciplinary Concentrations for additional information related to degree programs. In addition, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers the following Interdisciplinary Concentrations: Augustine in Dialogue with Faith and Culture, Africana Studies, Arab and Islamic Studies, Cognitive Science, Criminal Justice, East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Education Elementary, Education Secondary, Ethics, Irish Studies, Latin American Studies, Military Science, Naval Science, Peace and Justice, Russian Area Studies, Women’s Studies, and Writing and Rhetoric. The College also offers minors in most of the fields listed above as well as Business, Chinese, Japanese and Theater. See the section on Majors and Interdisciplinary Concentrations for additional information for these offerings. Baccalaureate Degree Requirements The requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree are:
Objectives Every degree program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is made up of three components: the Core Curriculum, Courses in the Major, and Electives. The courses in the Core Curriculum treat a broad range of disciplines from a variety of approaches; at the same time, the Core strives to ensure depth of study and intellectual sophistication while recognizing that learning implies different modes of inquiry. Fact learning alone is not enough to justify the existence of a Core Curriculum; rather the purpose of the core is to achieve a synthesis of knowledge that provides a basis for informed judgment. The Core also seeks to promote literacy as a foundation for intelligent discourse and the articulation of informed views. The Core aims to advance culture in a broad sense, training students to understand and to appreciate the interrelated patterns of customary beliefs and practices, social forms, aesthetics, and material traits that act to define a culture and its position within a larger historical and intellectual framework. This educational program does not simply look to the past, but acknowledges that culture is vibrant and continuously redefined. The Core challenges students to understand how the present is recognizably formed from past influences, and that in order to assess our culture and arrive at a view of its future, students must be trained to scrutinize and bring into perspective the relationship of the present culture with that of the past. In fostering active participation in learning, the Core
prepares students to become active participants within society, to engage in the
process of informed political debate, and to encourage an understanding and
appreciation of the diversity of cultures and experiences, a respect for the
individual, and the development of a multi cultural and international
perspective. The Core thus encourages personal development in preparing
students to regard themselves as citizens living in a democratic society, as
belonging to a world community, and as therefore having communal
responsibilities. Summary of Core Curriculum General Course Requirements
The courses listed above, courses required by the Major, and available electives must have attributes that include the following: five writing intensive courses which include a sophomore year seminar, three writing enriched courses, and two diversity courses. Explanation of Course Requirements In general, once a sequence of courses is begun in a particular discipline, a student may not revert to a lower level course in that same discipline to fulfill a core requirement without prior approval from the Dean's Office. Courses or sections of courses that are approved to fulfill Core requirements are designated as such in the Pre-registration Master Schedule issued at pre-registration each semester. Retroactive approval of a course taken previously for fulfillment of a core requirement is not possible. Courses that are counted towards the Core requirements cannot also be count towards the major requirements. For example, an English course taken to fulfill the Advanced Literature requirement cannot be counted towards the major requirements for English. The Department of Humanities and Augustinian Traditions and the Honors program offer integrated, interdisciplinary curriculums. In some cases courses are designed to fulfill many of the general education requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Some offerings also offer alternative approaches to established courses in the Core Curriculum for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Consequently relevant Humanities and Honors courses will fulfill certain requirements for the Core Curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.Listing of Core Course Requirements1.) Core Humanities Seminar: 2.) College Ethics (1 Course) 3.) Fine Arts (1 course): 4.) Foreign Language (2 courses in most cases) Language Option A: Students who choose languages listed below under Language Option A to fulfill the two course language requirement are required to complete at least two courses in the same foreign language at or above the intermediate level. All students who decide to continue their study of French, German, Italian, or Spanish from high school are required to complete the online language placement examination for the language in which they will enroll. The online language placement examination consists of questions on vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension and generally takes about 25 minutes to complete. Based on the results of the test and a number of other factors (such as the number of years of study of the language in high school, study or time abroad, etc.) you will be placed by professors of the language of your choice. For important additional information on the online placement exam and to take the online examination, please refer to the following Website: http://www.artsci.villanova.edu/langtest/ Please note that if students choose a language listed below for Language Option A and have never studied the language before they must register for the first semester introductory course numbered 1111. They do not have to take the online placement examination. But in this case they must successfully complete 4 semesters of that language-the two introductory courses and two intermediate courses from the Language Option A list below in order to fulfill the language requirement. Two courses in the same language from the following list fulfill the requirement of two courses at or above the intermediate level:
Language Option B: The two course language requirement may also be satisfied with two semesters of study at the introductory level for Arabic, Chinese, Greek (ancient), Japanese or Russian as follows:
Language Option C: International students (for whom English is a second language) may choose to fulfill their language requirement in their native language by taking two advanced literature courses in the language. Or they may choose to fulfill the language requirement by taking a total of four English courses (ENG-1050 and three advanced literature courses at the 2100 level or above) to fulfill both the literature and foreign language core requirements. International students always have the option of selecting a third language for study. 5) History (2 courses)
6) Literature (2 courses)
7) Mathematical Sciences/Computing Sciences (2 courses)
All courses for which a student has the appropriate pre-requisites or equivalent experience may be used to satisfy this requirement. Beginning a course in a particular series does not obligate a student to finish that series. For example, a student taking MAT 1320 (Calculus I for the Liberal Arts) is not required to take MAT 1325 (Calculus II for the Liberal Arts). NOTE: Students intending to apply to medical, dental or veterinary medicine schools must take two semesters of Calculus. For additional information, contact Dr. Friede (Health Professions Advisor, x94833) Students anticipating a Business Concentration should take Introductory Statistics: MAT 1230 and 1235. 8 ) Philosophy (2 courses):
9) Theology and Religious Studies (2 courses):
10) Social Sciences (3 courses): Each student is required to take three social science courses; one introductory course in each of two distinct disciplines, and one advanced course (2000 level or above) in one of those two disciplines. The Social Sciences disciplines are: Criminology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. 11) Natural Sciences (2 courses with 2 labs): Each student is required to complete two semesters of natural sciences with accompanying laboratories by the end of the sophomore year. Each student may choose Option A or Option B as described below: Natural Sciences Option A Sequence 1:
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 2
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 3
NOTE: Offerings will vary from year to year. The required BIO 1505 is an introductory survey course that is suitable for any student. In special cases, a Theme course may be substituted for this course with permission from the Dean. Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 4
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 5
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 6
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 7
Natural Sciences Option A: Sequence 8
Natural Sciences Option B. A year-long sequence (two courses with labs) in one scientific discipline. These courses are generally taken by science majors. The following course sequences satisfy this option: Natural Sciences Option B: Sequence 1
Natural Sciences Option B: Sequence 2
Natural Sciences Option B: Sequence 3
Natural Sciences Option B: Sequence 4
Natural Sciences Option B: Sequence 5
Core Curriculum Distribution Requirements In addition to satisfying the curricular requirements listed above, students are required to satisfy certain distribution requirements. The distribution requirements may be satisfied by courses used to satisfy either core, major or elective requirements. Additionally, a single course may satisfy more than one of the distribution requirements. 1) Writing Requirement (8 courses): Each student must take at least five courses that are
designated as Writing Intensive; and at least three additional courses that are
designated as Writing Enriched. These designations will appear in the Master
Schedule available during pre-registration each semester. Writing Intensive Course Characteristics
Writing Enriched Course Characteristics
2) Integrative Sequences. (2 sequences of 2 courses each) Integrative courses enable a student to examine a topic or theme from the perspective of several disciplines. One of these sequences is to be in the humanities and the other is to be in the sciences. The two Core Humanities Seminars fulfill the former and the Natural Science core requirement fulfills the latter. 5) Research Seminar. A writing intensive seminar normally taken during the sophomore year. Each seminar focuses on a particular topic, theme or author. Science majors normally fulfill this requirement through one of their laboratory courses. Emphasis on appropriate research methodologies leading to a final research project. This seminar will usually fulfill a core distribution requirement or an elective. Diversity Requirement (2 courses). Each student is required to select one course in two of the following three areas:
NOTES:
Academic Seminars in Washington, D.C. Villanova University in conjunction with the Washington Center sponsors intense two week academic seminars in the District of Columbia in January, May and August. Seminars do not interfere with the University calendar. Upon successful completion of the program, three elective credits are awarded the students. Program details are available in the Internship Office, 451 St. Augustine Center (610/519-4661).
NROTC
(www.nrotc.villanova.edu) Participation in the NROTC Unit is through either the Scholarship or College Programs. Students in the NROTC Scholarship Program (national selection competition) receive a substantial subsidy from the Navy, including tuition, books, and fees. A monthly subsistence allowance is also provided as follows: Freshman $250 Sophomores $300, Juniors $350, and Seniors $400. Midshipmen participate in three summer cruises on board various naval ships and installations and receive active duty pay while on these cruises. NROTC College Program students (Non-Scholarship) apply directly to the Villanova NROTC Unit, usually prior to or early in the fall semester of their freshman year. Students in the College Program receive no government subsidy until their junior and senior years, during which they receive a monthly subsistence allowance of $350 for Juniors and $400 for Seniors. They participate in one summer cruise and receive active duty pay while on cruise. Scholarships are available each year to those NROTC College Program students who stand at or near the top of their College Program class in terms of overall academic performance and aptitude for commissioned service. The Professor of Naval Science nominates College Program students for these scholarships with the selection being made by the Commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC). In addition to the four-year programs described above, two-year NROTC Scholarships and two or three year Tweeddale Scholarships are available. Both may be offered to college students who have not previously participated in an ROTC or Service Academy commissioning program. Tweeddale is a specialized scholarship designed to attract students in technical majors, engineering specialties in particular. Students must apply for these programs early in the spring semester of their sophomore year (or as early as the spring semester of their freshman year for Tweeddale Scholars). Application packages are normally due to NSTC by 31 March each year. Those selected for the two-year programs must successfully complete a six- week training course at Newport, RI, during the summer preceding their junior year. Upon enrollment in the NROTC Program at the beginning of their junior year, two-year program students have the same benefits (tuition, books, fees and stipend), and assume the same active duty obligation, as four-year program students. All Scholarship and College Program students may select any major at the University; however, a shift in Navy Policy has placed great emphasis on students who excel academically in technical majors and some foreign languages. Midshipmen at Villanova study in a wide variety of majors in engineering, arts, sciences, business, and nursing. Detailed NROTC information may be obtained from the Naval Science Office, Room 103, John Barry Hall. NOTE: Applicants for the NROTC Program are not relieved of the necessity for payment of the registration deposit required by their letter of acceptance for admission to Villanova University.
Army ROTC
(http://www.widener.edu/rotc)
The Army ROTC Program involves undergraduate courses taken during the freshmen
and sophomore years, and advanced courses taken during junior and senior years.
Students may enroll in the introductory courses without incurring any military
or financial obligation and may withdraw at any time, subject to Villanova
University's course withdrawal policy. Students who participated in Junior ROTC
in high school or have prior military service may receive placement into the
advanced courses as determined by the Army Professor of Military Science. The
introductory course requirements may also be satisfied through attendance at the
28-day Leader’s Training Course (LTC) at the end of the sophomore year. Students
in the advanced courses are required to attend the 33-day Leadership Development
and Assessment Course (LDAC) between their junior and senior years. Students
enrolled in the advanced courses receive a stipend of $350 to $400 per month and
may incur an active duty obligation of up to three to four years. National Guard
and Reserve Forces options are also available. Four year, three year, and two-year Army ROTC scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Scholarships pay up to $20,000 per year for tuition, $900 annually for books, and a tiered $250-400 per month stipend. Additionally, up to five four-year scholarship winners receive full tuition payments through an agreement with Villanova University. Applications for the three year Army ROTC scholarships should be submitted early in the spring semester of the freshman year; applications for the two year Army ROTC scholarships should be submitted early in the sophomore year. Applications for attendance to the LTC must be submitted early in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Detailed information may be obtained from the Scholarship and Enrollment Officer, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, (610) 490-7035 / 4098 or by the Villanova Campus Army ROTC representative at 610-519-5953.
Air Force ROTC
(www.det750.com) The program of Aerospace Studies offers a one to four year curricula leading to a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. Students are under no contractual obligation to the Air Force until they accept an Air Force scholarship as sophomores or higher or enter the Professional Officer Corps. Air Force ROTC offers 1, 2, 3 and 4 year scholarships on a competitive basis to qualified applicants. Four-year scholarships are available to high school seniors in various fields. The scholarships are offered to cadets enrolled in the AFROTC program and to college entrants to AFROTC. All scholarships cover tuition, lab fees, reimbursement for books, plus a $250-$400 tax-free monthly stipend, depending on academic year.
Detailed information may be obtained from the Professor of Aerospace Studies,
AFROTC Det 750, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131,
(610) 660 3190. Elementary Education Certification -- Rosemont Colleges Villanova, in cooperation with neighboring Rosemont College, offers students a program leading to a Pennsylvania-approved program in elementary education certification. Students planning to teach are admitted to the teacher certification program in the sophomore year after interviews and scholastic averages indicate they have the acceptable qualifications. A Villanova student may be recommended for certification in elementary education by Rosemont College by satisfactorily completing (1) all major and core requirements of Villanova University, (2) the professional education requirements of Rosemont College, and (3) the necessary psychology and education courses at Villanova.Interested students must make application to the Office of the Dean through the Director of Liberal Arts, St. Augustine Center, room 451, in the fall semester of their sophomore year and must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.00. An interview with the Director of the Education Program at Rosemont College is required. A limited number of students may be accommodated in this program. Students should arrange their own transportation. Students in the Elementary Education Program are required to complete professional courses, and student teaching during the first semester of the senior year. To be eligible for the student teaching experience, students must fulfill the following requirements:
Villanova University's secondary teacher education program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as satisfying the requirements for teacher certification in twelve subject areas. Students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Education program are also enrolled in the teacher education program. Upon successful completion of the degree and the National Teachers Examination (NTE/Praxis) in communication skills, general knowledge, professional knowledge and subject specialization, the student will be eligible for certification. Students in other departments may be admitted to the teacher education program upon the approval of the Undergraduate Committee. Students admitted to the teacher education program must complete the same requirements as the candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Education, including student teaching. With the exception of Education 4220, 4281, 4282, 4283, 4284, 4285, 4286, 4291 and 4292, Education courses may be taken as electives by students in other departments of the University. Students enrolled in the Teacher Education Program will have their work reviewed each semester by a department committee to determine progress and professional development for certification. Students must achieve a 3.0 cumulative average in their teaching specialty and a 3.0 overall before they are permitted to do student teaching. Students who do not achieve the required cumulative average by senior year will not be allowed to continue in the education major All Education majors will select a Content Area in which to be certified; they are also encouraged to earn a second major in the Content Area. The specific courses in the Content Area are determined by the Department and the subject area department. Student Teaching is normally taken in the second semester of the senior year. The core curriculum for Education majors differs in some respects from the normal Arts and Sciences core and interested students should contact the Department of Education and Human Services. Students who possess a bachelor's degree and want to pursue Teacher Certification on a part-time or full-time basis should apply through the Department of Education and Human Services. . Villanova University's secondary teacher education program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as satisfying the requirements for teacher certification in twelve subject areas. Students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Education program are also enrolled in the teacher education program. Upon successful completion of the degree and the National Teachers Examination (NTE/Praxis) in communication skills, general knowledge, professional knowledge and subject specialization, the student is eligible for certification. Students in other departments may be admitted to the teacher education program upon the approval of the Undergraduate Committee. Students admitted to the teacher education program must complete the same requirements as the candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Education, including student teaching. With the exception of Education 4220, 4281, 4282, 4283, 4284, 4285, 4286, 4291 and 4292, Education courses may be taken as electives by students in other departments of the University. Students enrolled in the Teacher Education Program will have their work reviewed each semester by a department committee to determine progress and professional development for certification. Students must achieve a 3.0 cumulative average in their teaching specialty and a 3.0 overall before they are permitted to do student teaching. Students who do not achieve the required cumulative average by senior year will not be allowed to continue in the major All Education majors will select a Content Area in which to be certified; they are also encouraged to earn a second major in the Content Area. The specific courses in the Content Area are determined by the Department and the subject area department. Student Teaching is normally taken in the second semester of the senior year. The core curriculum for Education majors differs in some respects from the normal Arts and Sciences core and interested students should contact the Department of Education and Human Services. Students who possess a bachelor's degree and want to pursue Teacher Certification on a part-time or full-time basis should apply through the Department of Education and Human Services. Exchange ProgramsVillanova University enjoys cooperative exchange arrangements with neighboring Rosemont College and nearby Bryn Mawr College, allowing Villanova students the opportunity to take classes at the other schools. Students who participate in the exchange program must possess a cumulative average of 2.75. Superior juniors and seniors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may take courses at Bryn Mawr College on a limited basis. Courses taken at Bryn Mawr must be in the student's field of study and not offered at Villanova. Registration is through the Honors Program Office, St. Augustine Center, Room 103 (610/519-4650).
Honors Program Human Services Program International Studies Internships Law School Advisement Master of Business Administration (MBA) Advisement Juniors and seniors who are candidates for a degree in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, whose academic achievements reflect the goals of Phi Beta Kappa, and who meet the following specific criteria shall be eligible for consideration for election to Phi Beta Kappa:
In choosing candidates for election, the Chapter seeks evidence of academic achievement that is of exceptional distinction, and gives weight to the breadth and the quality of the overall program of courses taken by each candidate. Election to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is wholly within the discretion of the members of the Chapter, subject only to the limitations imposed by its Constitution and By Laws. Fulfillment of the minimum qualifications does not assure election to the membership. Pre-Professional Health Related Science
Additional information is available from the Health Science Adviser in 151 Mendel Science Center (610/519 4833) or from the Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Naval Science
Academic Policies and InformationUnless otherwise noted, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences follows the general academic policies and regulations listed in the University section of this Catalog. It is the responsibility of the student to know and comply with all academic policies and regulations of the University and of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Such policies may change without prior notice. Policies specific to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences follow, and can be seen in greater detail in Enchiridion: The Undergraduate Handbook: Advising A student’s mentor and academic advisor may be called upon for assistance in making decisions, but it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand the requirements of the chosen degree program and to plan for the orderly fulfillment of graduation requirements. Undeclared Arts student may declare a major at any time prior to the end of their sophomore year: but must declare a major by the end of the sophomore year. Degree Audit-CAPP Student’s should consult CAPP prior to meeting with their mentor or advisor
during the pre registration process , and immediately after registering in order
to insure appropriate continual progress toward completion of their degree. Course Pre-registration The registration day and time assigned is based on a priority of the total
number of earned credit hours within the achieved class status of the student.
Seniors register first; freshman register last. There is no guarantee that a
student will have available to them a particular professor or a course section
offered at a particular time. To ensure appropriate degree progress students are
encouraged to register for courses and sections within a reasonable amount of
time from the pre-registration date and time assigned to them by the Registrar’s
Office. Course Load: Overloads and Underloads
The normal course load each semester is five courses excluding labs. Students who wish to take an overload (greater than 5 courses excluding labs) during the fall and spring semesters, and greater than 12 credit hours during the summer semester, must request permission by completing the Overload Request Form available in the Dean’s Office. In order to be granted permission for an overload, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, ( 3.0 for the summer); or have achieved senior status and need a sixth course to fulfill graduation requirements. Students who enroll in an extra course without proper permission will be dropped from the course. Some Arts Students in Military Science, Naval Science or Education may have
to enroll for more than 15 credits in a given semester as required by their
curriculum. In addition, some students taking Japanese, Chinese, Arabic or
Russian to fulfill their language requirement may need to have their credit
limit raised in order to register on line. In both cases students must complete
and submit the Overload Request Form available in the Dean’s Office. In no case
will permission be given for a seventh course.
Closed Sections
before submitting the request to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Courses numbered 7000-7999 are graduate courses ordinarily available to
qualified undergraduates for undergraduate credit.
Dropping/Adding courses
(course adjustment) After this period, students may request an authorized withdrawal from any course, up to the commencement of final examinations, by providing to the Dean a written statement of justifiable cause for withdrawal as well as the written recommendation of the instructor and the student’s chairperson. Withdrawal from the course will be contingent upon the Dean’s approval. Justifiable cause is a reason such as illness, which is extrinsic to the nature or difficulty of a course, and which would prevent a student from completing the substantial requirements of the course. The proper form for this procedure may be obtained in the Dean’s office, Saint Augustine Center, Room 105. Students who do not have a justifiable cause to withdraw from a course without academic penalty, may still withdraw from the course and receive a grade of “W”. The grade of “W” is equivalent of an “F” grade and is included in computing the student’s quality point average
Repeat Freshman Year
The College will accept up to a maximum of four courses, commonly
referred to as distance learning or online courses, taken at Villanova or at
another accredited college or university towards a degree program within the
college. The College reserves the right to test the student in order to assess
the outcome of that course. The prior approval form to allow students to take DL
courses is available in the Dean’s Office, 105 St. Augustine. Transfer Credit will not be awarded for Accelerated or Fast Forward courses. In order for an non professional three credit course to be considered for transfer credit the course must have met on at least 15 different days and with a minimum total meeting time of at least 37 hours. For courses in question the student must provide documentation stating the manner in which the course along with course description. In all cases permission to enroll in summer courses at other institutions must be obtained from the student's adviser and from the Dean's Office before enrolling in the course(s). Transfer credit will not be accepted without having been approved before the student registers the class. If the summer courses are to be taken abroad permission is also required by International Studies Office.
Students seeking prior approval must complete the form,
Request To Enroll in Summer Courses At Another Institution, available in the
Dean’s office and attach a copy of the course description(s) usually available
on the institution’s web site. The form and descriptions must be submitted to
the Dean’s office for approval no later than May 15th. Transfer credit will be awarded on the Villanova transcript only for pre approved courses in which a student earns a grade of "C" or better. The actual grade received at the other institution does not transfer and is not calculated into the student's cumulative grade point average.
Transfer credits may be used for no more that half the courses
required for the degree, no more than half the courses for the major and no more
than half the courses required for the core curriculum.
Study Abroad No student will receive study abroad transfer credit for any course that has not received prior approval. Students on Leave of Absence, Suspension or Unofficial Withdrawal will not receive study abroad transfer credit.
Courses taken abroad (except for Villanova courses) are
considered transfer credit and require a “C” grade or better in order for the
credits to transfer. The actual grades received at the other institution are not
calculated into the student’s cumulative grade point average. Students wishing
further information should contact the Director of International Studies in
Middleton Hall, Second Floor (610-519-6412). |
