2022-2023 Course Catalog

General Education Learning Outcomes for Breadth Courses and Upper Electives Requirement

The Chatham general education curriculum requires students to complete a minimum of one course (3-credits or greater) from each of the following four disciplinary perspectives in order to understand diverse ways of knowing and enhance cross-disciplinary understanding. For the purposes of general education, Chatham counts "science course with lab" as one course, even if the lab component has a different course number. The lab must be associated with the lecture portion of the course.

• ART (ART, DAN, FDT, MUS, THT)
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles and elements used in the art form(s) under study.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret works of art contextualizing them in appropriate frameworks (e.g., social, cultural, political, psychological, environmental, etc.).
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret works of art using the language relevant to the art form(s) under study.
• Humanities (ENG, CST, LNG, PHI, REL, WGS)
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to identify the key concepts and central debates that define the humanities discipline under study.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret literary and cultural texts within historical paradigms.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to identify cultural patterns through the close study of literary and cultural texts.
• Science (BIO, CHM, PHY, ENV, SUS, EXS))
  • Students will demonstrate a foundational knowledge of a science discipline
  • Students will demonstrate the correct use of scientific methods as modes of inquiry as well as appropriate use of analytical tools.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate scientific evidence.
• Social Sciences (ECN, HIS, POL, PSY, CRM, SSC, SWK)
  • Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge of the discipline(s) under study.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to employ appropriate methods of inquiry to analyze the relationships among culture, institutions, and/or human behavior.

Transfer students may transfer approved courses in each breadth area or fulfill the requirement with approved Chatham courses. Equivalent courses for Art at other institutions include at least three credits in art, music, or theater courses. Equivalent courses for Humanities at other institutions include at least three credits in English, language, philosophy, or religion. Equivalent courses for Social Science at other institutions include at least three credits in economics, history, political science, psychology, or sociology. Equivalent courses for Science at other institutions are an approved science course with lab. Transfer courses for which there is no Chatham equivalent may still be accepted as satisfying the breadth requirement if they are from a discipline broadly associated with the liberal arts. Classes from professionally oriented disciplines cannot fulfill this general education requirement. Equivalent courses for Science at other institutions include at least four credits of an approved science course with lab.