Course Descriptions

Not all courses described in the catalog are offered each year.

Course Levels

Courses are offered at the following levels:

• 100 level: Introductory courses with no prerequisites; designed primarily for first-year students and sophomores but open to all students.
• 200 level: Intermediate courses, with or without specific prerequisites; or introductory courses designed for students who have had at least a semester of college-level academic experience. Intended primarily for students with sophomore or junior standing but open to first-year students in their second semester and seniors.
• 300 level: Advanced courses that either have specific prerequisites or are designed for students who have had more than a year of college-level experience; intended primarily for students with junior or senior standing but open to sophomores with permission.
• 400 level: Courses intended for advanced undergraduates, including those who are preparing for graduate study.
• 500 level: Graduate-level courses. The prerequisite for all graduate-level courses is the permission of the program director.
• Courses offered at more than one level: A course may be offered to students at more than one level. Special requirements for students taking it at a higher level will introduce greater complexity and depth in exploring the subject, and require greater independence by the student. The special requirements will be pervasive throughout the work in the course – not represented solely by an extra assignment. A student who has taken a course at one level may not take the same course at another level.

Prerequisites may be waived with the permission of the instructor.

Current Wilson College Credit System 

Wilson College uses a semester-hour system. All courses are 3 semester hours unless otherwise noted.

Course Formats

Traditional Course: A traditional course conducts all class sessions on campus in a synchronous manner. Traditional courses may use Web resources such as class notes, quizzes and other class resources. Web assignments for traditional courses may be asynchronous.

Online Course: An online course provides all instruction in an asynchronous manner and has no required on-campus components, with the exception of a possible orientation and proctored assignments when applicable. Synchronous chat room activities may be used when appropriate.

Hybrid Course: A hybrid course will have flexible learning formats to enhance student learning. It will include an in-class component, but the format may differ from a traditional course by using flexible class meeting times, online components and/or other delivery modalities (such as video, interactive video, cable media, etc.).

Complementary Modes of Learning Offered Across All Disciplines

The following courses are offered by all disciplines as faculty availability and student interest allows.

250         Independent Study

Independent investigation at the intermediate level of a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a faculty member.

255         Introductory Internship

Work experience relevant to the student’s career interests. May be arranged through the director of career services with permission of the student’s adviser for one-half or full credit. Does not fulfill graduation requirements.

350         Independent Study

Independent investigation at the advanced level of a topic selected by the student in consultation with a faculty member.

352         Collaborative Research

Research conducted with a member of the faculty that involves student participation in all aspects of the research project.

355         Internship

Work experience with significant academic content, having an appropriate, complementary role within the student’s academic program. Approval of the academic dean is required.

459, 460                Senior Advanced Study and Research

Independent, advanced study and research for the senior-level student in a specific phase of the major. Distinguished achievement in these courses provides a basis for the awarding of Honors in the Major. Academic policy states:

“Students who have completed at least 14 Wilson College courses and have shown a high degree of scholarly interest and achievement their academic work may be invited by the appropriate major area director to apply to the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures for permission to seek Honors in the Major by taking courses 459, 460. The application describing the project to be carried out under the direction of a faculty member must have the approval of the faculty director and the student’s adviser and must be submitted no later than the date designated by the registrar for mid-semester grades in the third semester before the student expects to complete work for the degree.”

Approval of the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures is required.

452         Collaborative Research

Advanced research conducted with a faculty member that involves student participation in all aspects of the research project. Prerequisite: 352 or appropriate research experience as determined by the faculty.

Capstone

The capstone is offered as a culminating experience for seniors in many of the disciplines that offer bachelor’s degrees through the Adult Learning Program (ALP). Students enrolled in the capstone work with a faculty director to plan a major paper, equivalent to a senior thesis, or to complete a project related to the major. Additional papers or requirements may also be assigned. In some majors, the capstone substitutes for another requirement, such as an internship, if completion of the internship is impractical or unnecessary (for example, for adults who are already employed full-time in the workforce).

Guided Study

Courses that are part of the regular curriculum may be offered through a guided study. Working under the guidance of a faculty member, students enrolled in these courses do a substantial amount of reading and writing independently to achieve the learning objectives of the course. Meetings are scheduled periodically between students and the faculty member to review assignments and discuss the material.

Topics Course (170, 270, 370, 570)

A course offered as needed to cover topics of interest to students and faculty that are not covered in depth in the regular curriculum.

Key to Codes for Liberal Studies Designations

Courses that have one or more of the abbreviations below in the course description satisfy liberal studies or writing-intensive (WI) requirements:

ART        The Arts

CC          Contemporary U.S. Culture

CD          Cultural Diversity

ES           Environmental Studies

ESL        Environmental Studies with a Lab

ETH        Frontiers of Knowledge and Beliefs

FWC       Foundations of Western Culture

HWC      History of Western Culture

LIT          Literature

NS          Natural Science

NSL        Natural Science with a Lab

NWC      Non-Western Culture

WS          Women’s Studies

WI           Writing Intensive