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2020-21 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Core Curriculum Requirements
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The faculty has developed a core curriculum that must be completed by all baccalaureate students regardless of the major or type of baccalaureate degree. This curriculum is designed to give each student the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary to become a responsible and productive citizen of an increasingly international community. The core curriculum includes two sets of requirements: University Studies requirements and components in the major.
University Studies Requirements
University Studies, SOU’s student-learning, outcomes-focused, general education program, is designed to provide undergraduates with effective critical thinking, communication, and research skills. These requirements develop in students an awareness of the connections and relationships among the social, artistic, cultural, and scientific traditions of human endeavor. The desired outcome of the University Studies program is a person who is capable of resolving complex issues with intelligence, compassion, and understanding.
The University Studies program includes both lower and upper division requirements. The lower division requirements include the University Seminar, Quantitative Reasoning, and various Explorations courses. The upper division requirements include three Integration courses.
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Outline of the University Studies Curriculum
Foundation Strands
16 credits, earned through University Seminar and Math classes Strand A: Communication Goals
Strand C: Information Literacy
Strand D: Quantitative Reasoning
Explorations Strands (Lower Division)
36 credits, earned with 3 courses in each of the following categories: Strand G: Sciences - Physical, Biological, and Computer
Note: two of the three Strand G courses must include a lab. Qualifying courses include: BI 101, 102, 103, 211, 212, 213; CH 100, 101, 104, 201, 202, 203; ES 101, 102, 111/L, 112/L, 215/L; PH 100/103, 110, 112/114, 113/115, 201/224, 202/225, 221/224, 222/225, 223/226; SC 110, 120/L. Integration Strands (Upper Division)
9 to 12 credits, earned by one course in each of the following categories; two of the Integration courses can carry the same prefix and one must be different. Strand H: Science, Technology and Society
- EMDA 331 - The Art of Data 1-4 credits
- ARTH 330 - Art, Culture, and Technology 4 credits
- ARTH 347 - Medicine: Historical Perspectives in Art and Culture 4 credits
- BA 450 - Using GIS in Business 4 credits
- BI 351 - Microbiology 3 credits
and - BI 353 - Microbiology Laboratory 3 credits
- BI 382 - Biology and Society 3 credits
- BI 383 - How And Why Do Animals Behave 4 credits
- BI 384 - Where did we come from? A Scientific Explanation for the Origin of Life 4 credits
- BI 385 - Women in Science 3 credits
- BI 386 - Forest Ecology and Management 3 credits
- BI 388 - Conservation of Natural Resources 4 credits
- CS 346 - Computer Forensics 4 credits
- CH 300 - Forensic Investigation 4 credits
- CH 320 - The Elements of Disaster 4 credits
- CH 325 - The Chemistry of Drugs 4 credits
- CH 330 - Metals and Civilization 3 credits
- COMM 460D - Technology, Communication, and Culture 4 credits
- COMM 460E - Visual Communication 4 credits
- COMM 486 - Health, the Internet, and Technology 4 credits
- ED 437 - Science and the Young Child 4 credits
- ENG 383 - Intermediate Topics in Rhetoric 4 credits (when topic is Environmental Writing)
- ENG 456 - The History of Publishing: From Alphabet to E-Book 4 credits
- ENG 480 - Advanced Topics in Rhetoric 4 credits (when topic is Podcasting)
- ENG 497 - Language and Law: Forensic Linguistics 4 credits
- ES 353 - Oceanography 4 credits
- ES 354 - Marine Conservation: Science, Policy, and Management 4 credits
- ES 360 - Environmental Geology 4 credits
- ES 379 - Biodiversity 4 credits
- ES 386 - Environmental Data Analysis 5 credits
- ES 481 - Geomorphology 4 credits
- GSWS 313 - Fat Studies: Bodies, Culture, and Politics 4 credits
- HON 317 - Politics, Institutions, and Society 4 credits
- HON 319 - Science, Sustainability, and Nature 4 credits
- HST 393 - Oil, Politics, and the Environment 4 credits
or - PS 393 - Oil, Politics, and the Environment 4 credits
- HST 421 - Environmental History 4 credits
- INL 437 - Creative Thinking 4 credits
- NAS 331 - Language Revitalization 4 credits
- OAL 470 - Environmental Physiology 3 credits
or - PE 470 - Environmental Physiology 3 credits
- PH 306 - Sustainability: Materials Technology and Design 3 credits
- PH 308 - Energy and the Environment 3 credits
- PH 309 - Energy Alternatives 3 credits
- PH 310 - Energy Policy 3 credits
- PH 312 - Space, Time, and the Cosmos 3 credits
- PH 313 - Acoustics, Sound, and Music 3 credits
- PH 314 - Light, Vision, and Optical Phenomena 3 credits
- PH 315 - Cosmology 3 credits
- PH 361 - Digital Electronics 5 credits
- PHL 329 - Science and Religion: Critical Explorations 4 credits
- PHL 330 - Science, Democracy, and Citizenship 4 credits
- PHL 339 - History and Philosophy of Science 4 credits
- PS 340 - Law, Science, and the Environment 4 credits
- PSY 437 - Creative Thinking 4 credits
- SOAN 350 - Human Evolution 4 credits
- SOAN 355 - People and Forests 4 credits
Strand I: Citizenship and Social Responsibility
- ARTH 342 - History of Collaborative Art and Social Practice 4 credits
- ARTH 345 - Activist Artists and Work in the Community 4 credits
- ARTH 346 - Art and Sustainability 4 credits
- BA 320 - Business, Government, and Nonprofits 4 credits
- BA 411 - Sustainable Tourism 4 credits
- BA 475 - Organizational Behavior 4 credits
- BA 476 - Business Ethics 4 credits
- BA 480 - Introduction to Nonprofit Organizations 4 credits
- BA 481 - Principles of Human Resource Management 4 credits
- BA 483 - Sustainability Leadership 4 credits
- BA 490 - Case Studies in Corporate Sustainability 4 credits
- CCJ 430 - Crime Control Theories and Policies 4 credits
- COMM 343 - Argumentation and Critical Thinking 4 credits
- COMM 442 - Global Communication and Social Change 4 credits
- COMM 446 - Risk and Crisis Communication 4 credits
- COMM 460B - Communication and Third-World Development 4 credits
- COMM 482 - Mass Media Ethics and Law 4 credits
- CS 310 - Information Technology: Legal and Ethical Issues 4 credits
or - PHL 310 - Information Technology: Legal and Ethical Issues 4 credits
- DCIN 363 - Film Theory & Practice: Documentary 4 credits
- EC 325 - Labor Economics 4 credits
- EC 340 - Gender Issues in Economics 4 credits
- EC 345 - Healthcare Economics 4 credits
- ED 459 - Philosophical Foundations of Education 3 credits
- ED 476 - Honors Foundations of Education 3 credits
- ENG 312 - Writing Workshop for Teachers 4 credits
- ENG 315 - Life Writing: Studies in Autobiographical Texts 4 credits
- ENG 329 - Grantwriting and Workplace Literacy 4 credits
- ENG 383 - Intermediate Topics in Rhetoric 4 credits
- ENG 410 - Community Engagement Writing: Internships and Practica 4 credits
- ENG 447 - Major Forces in Literature 4 credits (when topic is Utopian and Dystopian Literature)
- ENG 472 - Introductory Methods in Teaching Writing 4 credits
- ES 360 - Environmental Geology 4 credits
- ES 439 - Land Use Planning 4 credits
- ES 440 - Planning Issues 4 credits
- GSWS 410 - Feminist and Queer Theory in Action 4 credits
- HE 331 - Environmental Health 3 credits
- HE 362 - Community Health 3 credits
- HE 444 - Sexuality Education 3 credits
- HE 453 - Drugs in Society 3 credits
- HON 315 - Art, Culture, and Humanities 4 credits
- HON 317 - Politics, Institutions, and Society 4 credits
- HON 319 - Science, Sustainability, and Nature 4 credits
- HST 382 - Vietnam War and Film 4 credits
or - PS 382 - Vietnam War and Film 4 credits
- IS 375 - Human Rights in the Global Age 4 credits
- MUS 415 - Introduction to the Music Industry 4 credits
- NAS 301 - Tribal Critical Race Theory 4 credits
- NAS 360 - Boarding School Legacies 4 credits
- NAS 368 - Native American Topics 4 credits (when topic is Queer Indigenous Studies)
- PH 308 - Energy and the Environment 3 credits
- PH 309 - Energy Alternatives 3 credits
- PH 310 - Energy Policy 3 credits
- PHL 323 - Moral Theory 4 credits
- PHL 330 - Science, Democracy, and Citizenship 4 credits
- PHL 353 - Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction 4 credits
- PS 310 - Media and American Politics 4 credits
- PSY 445 - Organizational Psychology 4 credits
- PSY 472 - Sustainable Compassion 4 credits
- PSY 498 - Psychology Capstone 4 credits each
- PSY 499 - Psychology Capstone 4 credits each
- SOAN 304 - Poverty, Family, and Policy 4 credits
- SOAN 310 - American Culture 4 credits
- SOAN 311 - Community Studies 4 credits
- SOAN 322 - Schools and Society 4 credits
- SOAN 336 - Topics in Global/Local Interconnections 4 credits
- SOAN 372 - Social Inequality 4 credits
Strand J: Diversity and Global Awareness
- ARTH 311 - Art and Music of the Twentieth Century to Present 4 credits
or - MUS 311 - Art and Music of the Twentieth Century to Present 4 credits
- ARTH 343 - Globalization and Contemporary Art 4 credits
- ARTH 344 - Art, Culture, and Politics 4 credits
- ARTH 450 - Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Art 4 credits
- BA 447 - International Marketing 4 credits
- BA 475 - Organizational Behavior 4 credits
- BA 476 - Business Ethics 4 credits
- BA 477 - International Business 4 credits
- CCJ 361 - Juvenile Delinquency 4 credits
- FR 350 - Topics in French Film 4 credits
- DCIN 364 - Film Theory & Practice: Narrative Cinemas 4 credits
- COMM 441 - International Communication 4 credits
- COMM 460A - Women Transforming Language 4 credits
- COMM 460C - Culture, Identity, and Communication 4 credits
- EC 389 - America in the Global Economy 4 credits
- ED 398 - Teaching Global Perspectives Through Children’s Literature 4 credits
or - ENG 398 - Teaching Global Perspectives Through Children’s Literature 4 credits
- ED 438 - Children Around the World 4 credits
- ED 460 - Multicultural Education 3 credits
- ED 477 - Honors Multicultural Education 3 credits
- ENG 341 - Class, Culture, and Feminism in Victorian and Edwardian England 4 credits
- ENG 347 - Slumming in the Nineteenth Century 4 credits
- ENG 443 - Chicanx Literature 4 credits
- ENG 447 - Major Forces in Literature 4 credits
- ENG 448 - Major Figures in Literature: James Baldwin 4 credits
- ENG 454 - U.S. Ethnic Literature 4 credits
- ENG 457 - Decolonization: Literature and Theory 4 credits
- ENG 491 - History of the English Language 4 credits
- GSWS 301 - Global Gender Movements 4 credits
- GSWS 302 - Contemporary U.S. Women’s Movements 4 credits
- GSWS 311 - Masculinities 4 credits
- GSWS 312 - Trans Histories, Trans Futures 4 credits
- GSWS 343 - Gender and the Body 4 credits
or - SOAN 343 - Gender and the Body 4 credits
- GSWS 417 - Sexual Politics in U.S. History 4 credits
- HON 315 - Art, Culture, and Humanities 4 credits
- HON 319 - Science, Sustainability, and Nature 4 credits
- HST 320 - Religion in America 4 credits
- HST 342 - Modern Europe 4 credits
- IS 350 - World Politics 4 credits
- IS 370 - Topics in International Political Economy 4 credits
- IS 380 - Regional and Country Studies 4 credits
- MUS 360 - Music History 1 3 credits
- MUS 361 - Music History 2 3 credits
- MUS 362 - Music History 3 3 credits
- NAS 318 - Native North America 4 credits
- NAS 375 - Representing “el indio” in Latin American Anthropology, Literature, and Culture 4 credits
- NAS 440 - American Indian Identities 4 credits
- PHL 373 - Philosophy and Sexuality 4 credits
- PS 320 - International Law 4 credits
- PSY 313 - Human Behavior and Film 4 credits
- PSY 369 - Human Sexuality 4 credits
- PSY 432 - Personality 4 credits
- PSY 479 - Abnormal Psychology 4 credits
- SOAN 310 - American Culture 4 credits
- SOAN 319 - Cultures of the World 4 credits
- SOAN 323 - Sociology of Sports 4 credits
- SOAN 333 - Global Culture, Media, and Politics 4 credits
- SOAN 334 - Anthropological Perspectives on the Native American Frontier 4 credits
- SOAN 336 - Topics in Global/Local Interconnections 4 credits
- SOAN 337 - Racial and Ethnic Relations 4 credits
- SOAN 339 - Vikings in Anthropology, History, and Contemporary Society 4 credits
- SOAN 340 - Anthropology and Sociology of Gender 4 credits
- TA 349 - Fashion Through the Centuries 4 credits
- TA 458 - Topics in Drama 4 credits
- UGS 325 - Diversity Dialogues 4 credits
Components in the Major
Each academic major leading to a bachelor’s degree includes two upper division requirements for students completing that major. Writing and Research Component
Demonstrate writing and research skills within the academic field of study chosen as a major. This upper division requirement is in addition to the University Studies writing requirement. It is met through coursework in the major that is designed to encourage the use of professional literature. Students who have achieved the writing and research goals will be able to: - systematically identify, locate, and select information and professional literature in both print and electronic formats within the knowledge base of the specific discipline;
- critically evaluate such materials;
- use the materials in a way that demonstrates understanding and synthesis of the subject matter; and
- develop cohesive research papers that use data and professional literature as evidence to support an argument or thesis following the style and conventions within the discipline of the major.
Capstone Experience
Complete a capstone experience designed to focus on and provide understanding of the major field of study. Each program specifies the manner in which its majors must meet these requirements. There is variation among fields of study. Please refer to the program listing of major requirements for details regarding the implementation of these requirements. Assessment
SOU is committed to improving the quality of instruction by assessing student outcomes. The University determines the progress of the learning process by relating outcomes to clearly defined learning objectives. During their collegiate careers, students actively participate in the outcomes assessment process. Student participation contributes to curriculum design and the evolution of the learning community. Transfer Student Policies
Students entering SOU with transfer credit from an accredited institution must meet one of the following lower division general education requirement options listed below. In addition, all students must complete three upper division University Studies Integration courses at SOU. Students entering SOU with transfer credit will be assigned to one of the following options: Lower Division University Studies Requirement Options
Students entering SOU with transfer credit will be assigned to one of the following options: 2.
Option 2. Completion of any one of the following: Associate of Arts-Oregon Transfer degree (AAOT), Associate of Science-Oregon Transfer degree (ASOT), Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) as certified by an Oregon community college, Direct Transfer Associate Degree (DTA) as certified by a Washington college, or an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA/AS Transfer) as certified by a California community college. 3.
Option 3. Completion of general education requirements at an accredited four-year institution of higher education. Students must provide documentation from the institution stating that general education requirements were met. 4.
Option 4. Completion of Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University requirements, or an Articulated Program Agreement with Southern Oregon University. Students must provide documentation stating this curriculum was completed. Upper Division University Studies Requirements
Integration Courses
All students (in all transfer options) must complete one upper division Integration course from each area: - Strand H: Science, Technology, and Society (3-4 credits)
- Strand I: Citizenship and Social Responsibility (3-4 credits)
- Strand J: Diversity and Global Awareness (3-4 credits)
For the most recent list of upper division Integration courses in the University Studies program, see the class schedule on the SOU website. Guidelines for Normal Progress
The following serves as a guide for students and advisors to assess the rate at which students should complete University Studies and major requirements. - At the completion of 45 credits of study applicable to a bachelor’s degree, the student should have:
- a 2.0 or better cumulative GPA; and
- completed 12 credits of the University Seminar and at least 12 credits of lower division Explorations courses.
- At the completion of 91 credits of study applicable to a bachelor’s degree, the student should have:
- a 2.0 or better cumulative GPA;
- completed all 36 credits of the lower division Explorations courses and a Quantitative Reasoning course or sequence; and
- declared a major. Registration is blocked for any student who has not declared a major after the completion of 91 credits.
- At the completion of 144 credits of study applicable to a bachelor’s degree, the student should have:
- obtained a 2.0 or better cumulative GPA;
- completed at least one of the three upper division Integration courses;
- completed at least half of the credits in the declared major; and
- completed at least 30 credits of upper division coursework.
- At the completion of 180 credits of study, the student should have completed all requirements for the baccalaureate degree.
Guidelines for Normal Progress Notes
- Most baccalaureate degree programs at Southern Oregon University are designed to be completed in four academic years at an average academic load of 16 credits a quarter. Some students, however, pursue the degree at an average rate of fewer than 16 credits a quarter and complete the degree in a proportionately longer period of time. The guidelines above address the content of the program rather than the rate at which the student pursues the degree. Consequently, these guidelines are applicable to both full-time and part-time students.
- The guidelines above are designed for a student whose total academic program is at Southern Oregon University. A transfer student’s normal progress toward a degree should be evaluated on the basis of credits accepted for transfer to SOU by the Admissions Office plus credits completed at the University.
- Some majors, particularly in the sciences and preprofessional programs, require a heavy academic load in the major and supporting areas during the first two years due to the sequential structure of the major program. Students in these majors may need to delay certain elements of the University Studies program until their junior or senior year. These students and their advisors may need to modify items 1b, 2b, and 3b of these guidelines to accommodate the special needs of the major.
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