Liberal Education at Chicago
Introduction
The Curriculum
General Education
Major Programs
Minor Programs
Electives
Other College Requirements
Degree Program Worksheet
Academic Integrity
Academic Advising
For a century the College of the University of Chicago has been an innovative leader in liberal education in the United States. Since the 1930s the curriculum of the College has varied in its details, but its intellectual foundations have been constant.
Undergraduate education at Chicago begins with a common core curriculum, conducted from the standpoint of multiple disciplines but beholden to none, which provides opportunities for critical inquiry and the discovery of knowledge. Chicago's longstanding commitment to a rigorous core of general education for first- and second-year students emphasizes the unique value of studying original texts and of formulating original problems based on the study of those texts. The objective of our faculty-taught general-education courses--which constitute the major component of the first two years in the College--is not to transfer information, but to raise fundamental questions and to encourage those habits of mind and those critical, analytical, and writing skills that are most urgent to a well-informed member of civil society.
Just as general education provides a foundation for addressing key intellectual questions, the major program of study insists upon depth of knowledge and sophistication in a defined field--whether a traditional academic discipline, an interdisciplinary program, or, in unusual cases, a program of the student's own design undertaken in conjunction with a tutor. Majors afford students invaluable opportunities to develop and defend complex arguments by means of extended scholarly research.
Liberal education does not, however, end with the core and the major. The faculty has always believed that maturity and independence of mind are enhanced by exploration in intellectual universes outside or transcending required programs of study. Electives--that is, courses drawn from other majors, independent research projects, programs of overseas study, and advanced training in a second language--provide a breadth and a balance that is critical to a true liberal education. Hence the Chicago curriculum allows up to one-third of a student's academic work to consist of electives that will build upon the work of our general-education courses, but do so on more advanced and more focused levels.
Many national figures in higher education have been identified with Chicago's undergraduate curriculum--including William Rainey Harper, Robert Maynard Hutchins, and Edward Levi--but learning at Chicago has never been the province of one person or one vision. Rather, the curriculum devoted to "the knowledge most worth having," and the critical cast of mind that it develops, has been the product of generations of collegial debate and constant re-examination, processes which are themselves a part of the intellectual adventure to which the curriculum is devoted.
The Curriculum
The Chicago curriculum has three components: general education requirements, a major, and electives.
General education requirements, which are described below, consist of integrated, often interdisciplinary, sequences. They cannot be replaced by other courses (except in the sciences as indicated below) and they should be completed by the end of the second year. Please note that substitutes for general education courses are seldom approved to accommodate a second major or a minor program or to avoid curricular and scheduling conflicts that result from postponing general education requirements until a student's third or fourth year.
Majors are described in detail in the Programs of Study section of the catalog.
Electives provide scope to a student's program of study. Students choose electives to pursue interests, wherever they fall in the College catalog, that are not covered by their general education sequences and their major. Depending on other choices, electives comprise about one-third of the degree program.
Students choose courses across the curriculum in consultation with College advisers and faculty counselors. Credit for forty-two quarter courses is required for the undergraduate degree. Students may count each quarter course only once in the degree program of forty-two courses.
General Education
Humanities, Civilization Studies, and the Arts (6 quarters)
An essential component of general education is learning how to appreciate and analyze texts intellectually, historically, and aesthetically. Through this general education requirement, students at Chicago learn how to interpret literary, philosophical, and historical texts in depth; how to identify significant intellectual problems posed by those texts; and how to discuss and write about them perceptively and persuasively. They also learn how to study a visual or performing art form. Finally, students learn how to study texts and art forms within a specific cultural and chronological frame. Students may choose from many options to meet these requirements.
Students take a total of six quarters in humanities and civilization studies, selecting one of the following three options. The letters in parentheses refer to the sections below.
1. A three-quarter humanities sequence (A), a two-quarter civilization studies sequence (C), and one course in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts (B).
2. A three-quarter civilization studies sequence (C), a two-quarter humanities sequence (A), and one course in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts (B).
3. A two-quarter humanities sequence (A), a two-quarter civilization studies sequence (C), and two quarter courses in the dramatic, musical, and visual arts (B).
A. Interpretation of Historical, Literary, and Philosophical Texts. All humanities courses that meet general education requirements engage students in the pleasure and challenge of humanistic works through the close reading of a broad range of literary, historical, and philosophical texts. These are not survey courses; rather, they work to establish methods for appreciating and analyzing the meaning and power of exemplary texts. The courses concentrate on writing skills by including special tutorial sessions devoted to the students' writing.
The core sequences give students the opportunity to focus on a range of issues and texts. Once students begin a sequence, they are expected to remain in the same sequence. A three-quarter sequence in humanities is recommended for students preparing for medical school and for those students who expect to major in the humanities.
HUMA 11000-11100-11200. Readings in World Literature
HUMA 11500-11600-11700. Philosophical Perspectives on the Humanities
HUMA 12000-12100-12200. Greek Thought and Literature
HUMA 12300-12400-12500. Human Being and Citizen
HUMA 13500-13600-13700. Introduction to Humanities
HUMA 14000-14100-14200. Reading Cultures: Collection, Travel, Exchange
HUMA 16000-16100-16200. Media Aesthetics: Image, Sound, Text
B. Dramatic, Musical, and Visual Arts. These courses provide an introduction to methods for analyzing, comprehending, and appreciating works of dramatic, musical, or visual art by examining their formal vocabularies and how these vocabularies are used to create meaning. This objective is met either by the intensive study of selected masterpieces or by producing original works of art, drama, music, or performance.
The courses below are not specialized introductions to one single field or creative practice, but instead are expressly designed to broadly investigate the arts through study and practice. For that reason, only these courses satisfy the general education requirement in dramatic, musical, or visual arts. Substitutes will not be approved.
ARTH 10100. Introduction to Art
ARTH 14000 through 16999. Art Surveys
ARTH 17000 through 18999. Art in Context
COVA 10100-10200. Visual Language
ISHU 10100. Drama: Embodiment and Transformation
ISHU 10300-10400. Text and Performance
MUSI 10100. Introduction to Western Music
MUSI 10200. Introduction to World Music
MUSI 10300. Introduction to Music: Materials and Design
MUSI 10400. Introduction to Music Analysis and Criticism
C. Civilization Studies. Each sequence provides an in-depth examination of the development and accomplishments of one of the world's great civilizations through direct encounters with some of its most significant documents and monuments. Students who have completed (or plan to complete) three quarters of a humanities sequence and one quarter of the dramatic, musical, or visual arts and therefore need only two quarters of civilization studies, may take any of the three-quarter sequences as a two-quarter sequence. Students should plan to complete this requirement by the end of their second year in the College, unless they are planning to participate in one of the study abroad programs that feature civilization studies. NOTE: Not all of the sequences that follow are offered every year; consult departmental course listings.
ANTH 20701-20702. Introduction to African Civilization
EALC 10800-10900-11000.
Introduction to the Civilizations
of East Asia
HIPS 17300-17400-17500. Science, Culture, and Society in Western Civilization
HIST 13001-13002 (13003). History of European Civilization
HIST 13100-13200-13300. History of Western Civilization
HIST 13500-13600-13700. America in Western Civilization
HIST 16101-16202-16303. Introduction to Latin American Civilization
HIST 16700-16800-16900. Ancient Mediterranean World
HIST 18301-18302. Colonizations
JWSC 20000-20100-20200. Judaic Civilization
MUSI 12100-12200. Music in Western Civilization
NEHC 20001-20002-20003. History of the Ancient Near East
NEHC 20011 through 20085. Perspectives on Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
NEHC 20601-20602. Introduction to Islamic Civilization
SALC 20100-20200. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia
SOSC 24000-241000. Introduction to Russian Civilization
Students may also complete their civilization studies requirement by participating in one of the College's study abroad programs listed below. For more information about these programs, consult the Study Abroad Programs section of this catalog or see study-abroad.uchicago.edu.
SOSC 20800-20900-21000.
Rome: Antiquity to Baroque
(Rome, Italy; Autumn)
SOSC 21300-21400-21500. Western Mediterranean Civilization (Barcelona, Spain; Winter)
SOSC 23001-23002-23003. South Asian
Civilization in India
(Pune, India; Autumn)
SOSC 24302-24402-24502. Latin American Civilization in Oaxaca (Oaxaca, Mexico; Winter)
SOSC 24600-24700-24800. Vienna in
Western Civilization
(Vienna, Austria; Autumn)
SOSC 26600-26700-26800. African
Civilization in Africa
(Cape Town, South Africa; Winter)
SOSC 27500-27600-27700. France in Western Civilization (Paris, France; Spring)
SOSC 27501-27601-27701. Civilisation Européenne (Paris, France; Autumn) PQ: Advanced knowledge of French.
SOSC 27800-27900-28000. Greek
Antiquity and Its Legacy
(Athens, Greece; Spring)
Natural and Mathematical Sciences (6 quarters)
Courses and sequences in the natural sciences are designed to explore significant features of the natural universe and to examine the exciting process of scientific inquiry. These courses consider the powers and limitations of diverse forms of scientific observation, scientific reasoning, and natural laws. Mathematical sciences courses develop powers of formal reasoning through use of precise artificial languages.
Students take six quarter courses in the following areas: at least two quarters of physical sciences (see section A and C); at least two in the biological sciences (see section B and C); and at least one in the mathematical sciences (see section D).
Students may meet the natural sciences requirement with a two- or three-quarter sequence in the physical sciences and a two- or three-quarter sequence in the biological sciences, or with four- or six-quarter natural science sequences that integrate the physical and biological sciences requirements. Students meet the mathematical sciences requirement with one or two quarters of computer science, mathematics, or statistics. Students should choose among the following options based on their major and/or preparation for the health professions.
A. Physical Sciences Sequences
1. Physical and biological sciences majors and students preparing for the health professions must complete chemistry or physics. The third quarter of these yearlong sequences is applied to a student's major or electives.
CHEM 11101-11201/11102-11202 (11301/11302). General Chemistry
CHEM AP/PT?-12200 (12300). Honors General Chemistry
PHYS 12100-12200 (12300). General Physics (Variant A)
PHYS 13100-13200 (13300). General Physics (Variant B)
PHYS 14100-14200 (14300). General Physics (Honors)
? For information, see Chemistry, Placement Tests, and Advanced Placement Credit sections elsewhere in this catalog.
2. These sequences are designed for students who do not plan to major in the physical or biological sciences. Enrollment in sequences with an asterisk (*) is limited to first- and second-year students and entering transfer students.
PHSC 10900-11000. Science and the Earth*
PHSC 10900-13400. Past and Future Climate of Earth*
PHSC 11100-11200. Foundations of Modern Physics
PHSC 11900-12000 (12700). Introduction to Astrophysics
PHSC 13200-13300. Paleoclimate, Earth Systems, and the Emergence of Humankind
PHSC 13400-13500. The Science of Global Environmental Change
B. Biological Sciences Sequences
1. Biological sciences majors must complete a five-quarter Fundamental Sequence. The final three quarters of the sequence are applied to the major. Nonmajors preparing for the health professions must complete three quarters of a Fundamental Sequence; these students apply the third quarter to free electives.
BIOS 20181-20182 (20183). Cell and Molecular Biology/Genetics?
BIOS 20191-20192 (20193). Cell and Molecular Biology/Genetics?
? Each of these sequences includes two additional courses. For descriptions, see the Biological Sciences section elsewhere in this catalog.
2. First- and second-year students who do not plan to major in the biological sciences or prepare for the health professions register for either (1) BIOS 10110 (Biological Issues and Paradigms) followed by a "topics" course (or courses) (BIOS 10111 to 19999), or (2) an alternative two-quarter sequence (BIOS 10400/10401).
C. Natural Sciences Sequences
The natural sciences sequences offer students in the humanities and social sciences two other choices for meeting the general education requirements in the physical and biological sciences. (These requirements can be met separately, of course.) These sequences are open only to first- and second-year students and to entering transfer students, with preference given to first-year students. Both sequences are at similar levels. Courses must be taken in sequence.
NTSC 10100-10200-10300-10400 (Evolution of the Natural World). This four-quarter sequence meets the general education requirements in the physical and biological sciences. If this sequence is chosen, then students must register for two appropriate courses in the mathematical sciences.
NTSC 12100-12202-12300-124XX-12500-126XX (Environmental Sciences). This six-quarter sequence meets the general education requirements in the mathematical sciences as well as the physical and biological sciences.
D. Mathematical Sciences Courses and Sequences
These courses develop the powers of formal reasoning through use of precise artificial languages found in mathematics, computer science, statistics, or formal logic. They present broadly applicable techniques for formulating, analyzing, and solving problems, and for evaluating proposed solutions.
Only courses beyond the level of precalculus may be used to meet the mathematical sciences requirement. Students must first register for MATH 10500-10600, or place into MATH 13100, 15100, 16100, or 11200, before taking any of the courses below. NOTE: Both precalculus courses together will be counted as one elective credit.
Students must meet this requirement with the first two quarters of a calculus sequence if they are preparing for the heath professions or if they anticipate majors in the physical or biological sciences, economics, psychology, or public policy studies. Other restrictions may apply. Students should consult their College adviser or departmental counselor about course choices.
CMSC 10200. Introduction to Programming for the World Wide Web
CMSC 10500-10600-10700. Fundamentals of Computer Programming
CMSC 11000-11100. Multimedia Programming as
an Interdisciplinary Art
CMSC 15100-15200. Introduction to Computer Science
CMSC 16100-16200. Honors Introduction to Computer Science
MATH 11200-11300. Studies in Mathematics
MATH 13100-13200. Elementary Functions and Calculus
MATH 15100-15200. Calculus
MATH 16100-16200. Honors Calculus
STAT 12500. Quantitative Methods in Environmental Science
STAT 20000. Basic Concepts in Statistics
STAT 22000. Introductory Statistics with Applications
NOTE: MATH 13100, 15100, and 16100 may be used to meet the mathematical sciences requirement only if MATH 13200, 15200, or 16200 is also taken.
Social Sciences (3 quarters)
These sequences cultivate an understanding of fundamental concepts, theories, and philosophies in the social sciences and demonstrate how the social sciences formulate basic questions and inquire about the nature of social life through acts of imagination as well as through systematic analysis. All of the sequences present some of the main ideas, theories, and inquiries of the social sciences, and show how they enhance our understanding of central issues facing the world. Classical social-scientific texts and methodologies are given close attention in discussion and lecture settings. Courses must be taken in sequence.
"Power, Identity, and Resistance" concentrates on various aspects of power, from the roles of markets and states to the social structures that determine individual, class, and gender inequalities.
"Self, Culture, and Society" studies problems basic to human existence. The sequence starts with the conceptual foundations of political economy, as well as theories of capitalism and modern society. Students then consider the relation of culture, society, and lived experience. Finally, students consider the social and cultural constitution of the person, with examination of race, gender, and sexuality.
"Democracy and Social Science" examines the public role of empirical social science, using a combination of classic texts, quantitative data, and computer resources. These themes are developed through a detailed examination of a major empirical study and applied to a specific policy domain, such as education or urban policy.
"Mind" draws from psychology, anthropology, and philosophy to consider how the human mind functions, focusing on rationality, learning, and language.
"Classics of Social and Political Thought" reads classical texts to investigate criteria for understanding and judging political, social, and economic institutions.
SOSC 11100-11200-11300. Power, Identity, and Resistance
SOSC 12100-12200-12300. Self, Culture, and Society
SOSC 13100-13200-13300. Democracy and Social Science
SOSC 14100-14200-14300. Mind
SOSC 15100-15200-15300. Classics of Social and Political Thought
Major Programs (9 to 19 quarter courses)
Majors complement the breadth of the Chicago general education requirements with an opportunity to come to grips with the depth of knowledge and the complexities of developing knowledge in a particular area of inquiry. More than a set of course credits, a sound major is an effort to understand the methods and experience of a discipline or interdisciplinary field. Majors range from nine to thirteen courses, and in special cases up to nineteen courses.
The number of courses required for a major determines the number of electives; together they total twenty-seven courses. Programs that specify thirteen courses require fourteen electives; programs that specify twelve courses require fifteen electives, and so on.
More than half of the requirements for a major must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers. Courses used to meet general education requirements cannot also be counted toward a major.
The following major programs are available. Programs with asterisks offer minor programs to students in other majors.
In the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division (BSCD):
Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences with Specialization in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Biological Sciences with Specialization in Ecology and Evolution
Biological Sciences with Specialization in Immunology
Biological Sciences with Specialization in Microbiology
Biological Sciences with Specialization in Neuroscience
In the Humanities Collegiate Division (HCD):
Ancient Studies Medieval Studies
Art History Music*
Cinema and Media Studies Near Eastern Languages and
Classical Studies* Civilizations*
Comparative Literature Philosophy
Early Christian Literature Philosophy
East Asian Languages and Philosophy and Allied Fields
Civilizations Religion and the Humanities
English Language and Literature Romance Languages and
Gender Studies Literatures*
Interdisciplinary Studies Slavic Languages and
in the Humanities Literatures*
Germanic Studies* South Asian Languages and
Jewish Studies Civilizations
Linguistics Visual Arts
In the New Collegiate Division (NCD):
Environmental Studies Religious Studies
Fundamentals: Issues and Texts Tutorial Studies
Law, Letters, and Society
In the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division (PSCD):
Biological Chemistry Physics
Chemistry Physics
Computer Science* Physics with
Geophysical Sciences Specialization in
Mathematics* Astrophysics
Applied Mathematics Statistics
Mathematics
Mathematics with
Specialization in
Economics
In the Social Sciences Collegiate Division (SSCD):
African and African-American International Studies
Studies* Latin American Studies*
Anthropology Political Science
Economics Psychology
Geography Public Policy Studies
History Russian Civilization
History, Philosophy, and Social Sociology
Studies of Science and Medicine South Asian Studies
Human Development
* These programs offer both majors and minors.
Minor Programs
Some majors offer minors to students in other fields of study. For requirements please see descriptions of the programs noted above. A minor requires five to seven courses. Courses in a minor cannot be (1) double-counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors or (2) counted toward general education requirements. Courses in a minor must be taken for quality grades, and more than half of the requirements for a minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers. Courses taken to complete a minor are counted toward electives.
Electives (8 to 18 quarter courses)
Elective courses may be taken in any subject matter or discipline, including the same discipline as the student's major. They provide each student the opportunity to shape their studies toward their distinctive curiosities and interests. At their broadest, they provide an opportunity to explore freely across the richness of opportunities for learning at Chicago.
Courses taken in exploration of alternative majors and in study abroad programs, as well as course requirements completed by examination, are often included in electives. Some students also choose to use groups of electives to create minors or second majors. These options, though suitable ways to formalize students' interests outside their major, should not be undertaken in the mistaken belief that they necessarily enhance every student's transcript. Courses taken as electives should not displace courses in, and should not displace attention to, the student's general education program and major.
When MATH 10500-10600 are required, both precalculus courses together will be counted as only one elective. Language credit, whether it is earned by course registration or examination, is usually counted toward electives, unless a major requires or permits language courses or credit as part of the major. Courses taken to complete a minor are counted toward electives.
Up to six credits earned by examination (Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programme tests taken in high school, and Placement Tests taken during Orientation) may be used as electives. For more information, see the Course Credit and Credit by Examination section elsewhere in this catalog.
Other College Requirements
Language Competence
The College requires that students demonstrate competence, equivalent to one year of college-level study, in a language other than English. This is an all-skills competence: reading, writing, listening, and (where appropriate) speaking. The requirement can be met with a score of 3 or above on an AP examination in a language or with a passing score on a College administered competency examination.
The competency examination may be administered as part of a placement test or as the final examination in a language course, or it may be a separate, but required component, of these examinations, depending on the language being tested. Students who take a placement examination or register for language courses will receive instructions from the placement test proctor or the course instructor about registering for a separate competency examination, if one is required.
Students are strongly urged to complete the competency requirement in the first two years. More information on meeting the requirement is available at dos-college.uchicago.edu/information/languagerequirement.html.
Courses and examinations are offered in the following languages:
Akkadian |
Hebrew (modern and classical) |
Persian |
After meeting the language competency requirement, students are urged to work toward an Advanced Language Proficiency Certificate. To qualify to sit for the three-hour proficiency examination, students are required to complete a minimum of intermediate and advanced language study at levels set by the departments and spend a quarter abroad in an intensive language program approved by the University of Chicago. Details are available online at dos-college.uchicago.edu/information/language-certificate.html.
Physical Education (3 quarters)
The physical education program is designed to cultivate physical fitness, basic athletic skills, and an appreciation of the value of recreational physical activity. Courses available to meet this requirement include
Aikido Movement Improvisation
Archery Personal Fitness (conditioning,
Badminton free weight training, jogging,
Ballet (elementary and intermediate) step aerobics, water aerobics,
Community First Aid and Safety and weight training)
(American Red Cross--ARC) Racquetball
CPR/First Aid/AED (ARC) Social Dance (elementary and
CPR for the Professional Rescuer intermediate)
(ARC) Swimming (novice and
Emergency Response (ARC) elementary)
Golf (Introduction to the Swing) Tennis (elementary and
Jazz Dance intermediate)
Lifeguard Training (ARC) Yoga
Modern Dance (elementary and
intermediate)
Students normally take three quarters of physical education in their first year. A physical fitness classification test and swimming test will be given during Orientation. Depending on their physical fitness classification test scores, students may place out of one, two, or three quarters of physical education. Students who do not pass the swimming test must take one quarter of swimming. Physical education is required for graduation. However, physical education courses are not included among the forty-two academic courses counted toward a degree and they are not counted toward the number of courses that determine full- or part-time status. For details, see athletics.uchicago.edu.
Academic Integrity
As students and faculty of the University of Chicago we all belong to an academic community with high scholarly standards of which we are justly proud. Our community also holds certain fundamental ethical principles to which we are equally deeply committed. We believe it is contrary to justice, to academic integrity, and to the spirit of intellectual inquiry to submit the statements or ideas or work of others as one's own. To do so is plagiarism or cheating, offenses punishable under the University's disciplinary system. Because these offenses undercut the distinctive moral and intellectual character of the University, we take them very seriously, and punishments for committing them may range up to permanent expulsion from the University of Chicago. The College therefore expects that you will properly acknowledge your use of another's ideas, whether that use is by direct quotation or by paraphrase, however loose. In particular, if you consult any written source and either directly or indirectly use what you find in that source in your own work, you must identify the author, title, and page number. If you have any doubts about what constitutes "use," consult your instructor; consult "Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement," which is available from the Office of the Dean of the College (HM 241) or online at www.doscoll.uchicago.edu under "General Information"; or simply cite the source.
Academic Advising
Office of the Dean of Students in the College. Upon matriculation every student is assigned to a professional academic adviser on the staff of the dean of students. Students typically work with the same adviser throughout their four years in the College. The primary responsibility of advisers is to support students as they address the range of decisions they will make during college. Advisers help students discover how to pursue their interests within the curricular requirements of the College and plan an appropriate program of study leading to a degree in their selected major. Students should direct questions about courses and programs of study and about University rules and regulations to their College advisers. Advisers are also a good first source of assistance with personal problems.
College advisers can provide students with information about the full range of educational opportunities available in the University community and can assist students in preparing for careers and graduate study. Information about study abroad, fellowships and scholarships, and careers (health professions, law, business) is provided by advisers with expertise in those areas.
A list of the staff of the dean of students in the College is available at www.doscoll.uchicago.edu.
The Collegiate Divisions. The masters of the Collegiate Divisions (Biological Sciences, Humanities, New Collegiate Division, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences) have curricular and staffing responsibilities for their divisions. The senior advisers of the divisions, assisted by faculty committees, rule on interpretations of the general education requirements in response to questions from advisers or students.
A list of the masters, their administrative assistants, and the senior advisers for each Collegiate Division is available at www.doscoll.uchicago.edu.
The Major Programs. After students choose a major they should have regular contact with faculty counselors in the program. Among the topics that students discuss with counselors are questions about requirements, study and research opportunities, graduate school and career planning, and departmental events, both social and academic. For information about how to contact faculty counselors, see the following Web site: www.doscoll.uchicago.edu.