This page will help introduce you to some of the requirements for a degree at Bates. 
For complete requirements, see the college catalog available at:
http://abacus.bates.edu/catalog/?s=current&a=renderStatic&c=academic

Office of the Dean of Students

THE OVERVIEW

Educators often suggest that the core of the liberal arts program lies in the balance it attempts to achieve between a defined approach to specialization, that is a major, and exposure to diverse fields of study through general education requirements.  More recently, the value of interdisciplinary approaches to study has been verified as important in our increasingly global and flexible world.  Curricular planning by students at a liberal arts institution is crucially important to achieving the desired education  An imbalance in any direction detracts from the value and possibilities of the experience.

THE MAJOR

Bates offers majors in the fields listed below.  Students are urged to consider carefully the areas in which they might be interested in majoring.  They are advised to take introductory courses in those fields during the first year in order to become acquainted with the substance of potential majors.  At the same time, a too-heavy preoccupation with the need to take courses only in possible major areas detracts from desirable diversity in curricular selection, particularly in the early portion of the undergraduate years.  Majors are offered in:

STUDENT-DESIGNED INTERDISCIPLINARY MAJORS

Students who have a particular interest which crosses the boundaries of the established disciplines may develop an individual and specific program of study drawing on courses from two or more established major fields.  Such majors must be submitted for approval by the Curriculum and Calendar Committee.  Students must submit their proposals/programs for approval before they participate in the registration process during the spring semester of their sophomore year or the fall semester of their junior year.  A more complete description of guidelines is available from the registrar.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENT SEMINARS

The first-year seminar is an important part of your first year. Learn more about first-year seminars here. Students will have an opportunity to register on-line for their first-year seminars during the summer.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

The opportunity for students to concentrate or major in one of the academic disciplines is accompanied by the responsibility to complete a minimum of study in areas outside the major which are considered by the Faculty as having general and lasting significance for one’s intellectual life.  Through such study students gain critical appreciation of ideas, values, and artistic expressions, which make up traditions of civilization.  They also gain critical appreciation of the methods and theories of the natural sciences and social sciences.  Bates graduates are expected to be knowledgeable in the "major" area, but above all they are expected to be capable of understanding the self and its relationship to prior traditions and present environments. In order to help students fulfill these educational purposes, members of the Class of 2013 must meet the following requirements.  These requirements are stated in the 2008-09 College Catalog, pp. 20 and 21.

GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Two General Education concentrations.  In addition to their major, students successfully complete two general education concentrations, declared at the same time as their major.  A concentration consists of four courses chosen from a faculty-designed menu that is structured on the basis of a clearly articulated organizing principle.  These concentrations may also include relevant non-course-based experiences such as significant community service, orchestra, chorus, plays, volunteer work, etc., in lieu of courses.  Non-course-based experiences, though counting towards a concentration, may not be counted towards the 32 credits needed for graduation. 

Concentrations may be of two basic types: (1) concentrations focusing on a particular issue or topic or area of inquiry (2) concentrations within a single department, program, or major.  The latter might replace or be in addition to existing secondary concentrations, at the discretion of individual departments or programs.  All remaining retained secondary concentrations are renamed “minors.” 

Double-dipping rules: (i.e., satisfying two requirements with one course or non-course-based experience) Students may only “double-dip” once between their concentrations and their majors (i.e., only one of the eight courses or non-course based experiences they choose as counting towards their two concentrations may also be counted towards their major).  Alternatively, they may only double-dip once between their two concentrations (i.e., only one course [or non-course based experience] may count towards both concentrations).  The two concentrations together must thus have a minimum of seven distinct courses or non-course-based experiences.  When appropriate, concentration courses (but not non-course-based experiences) may be counted towards any other degree requirements (writing, scientific reasoning, laboratory experience, quantitative literacy), but only one general education concentration course may count toward the major.

Three writing-attentive courses.   Students successfully complete three writing attentive (“W”) courses, one at the first-year level (WI), one at the sophomore or junior level (WII), and one at the senior level (WIII). All First Year Seminar course sections will serve to fulfill the WI requirement. All courses fulfilling writing requirements will be identified as such in the College Catalog.

Double-dipping rules:  When appropriate, W-attentive courses may also be used to fulfill any other degree requirements at Bates (major, concentrations, scientific reasoning, laboratory experience, quantitative literacy).

Scientific Reasoning, Laboratory Experience, and Quantitative Literacy.  Students successfully complete three distinct courses:  (1) one course that includes a regularly scheduled laboratory component (in the laboratory or in the field), i.e., an “L” section; (2) one Scientific Reasoning (“S”) course, which may or may not have a laboratory component; (3) one course in quantitative literacy (“Q”).

Double-dipping rules: no double-dipping is allowed between L, S, and Q courses (i.e., these requirements must be met by three distinct courses). However, when appropriate, L, S, and Q courses may be used to fulfill other degree requirements (major, concentrations, and writing). 

Overall Implementation and Timetable.   The new Bates Education Requirements were introduced gradually, beginning with the class of 2011, in the Fall of 2007.  Students graduating before 2011 will not be given the option of fulfilling the new requirements, but will be expected to abide by the ones current at the time of their matriculation.   By the Fall of 2010, all students will be subject to the new requirements. 

Starting in the Fall of 2007, all fulltime faculty members are expected to offer at least one “W” or “L” or “S” or “Q” course per year, or one course per year that counts towards a concentration of type 1 (area of inquiry).  Exceptions to this may be granted by the Dean of the Faculty.

THE THREE-YEAR OPTION

Students who choose to complete the Baccalaureate Degree in three years register for five courses each semester and take a unit each Short Term.  Students should understand that, since the normal registration at Bates is four courses each semester, the three-year program allows less flexibility and requires the student to progress toward the completion of the degree at a more demanding pace.  Students considering the three-year option should seek counsel from their advisors or the deans office as soon as possible in order to complete all requirements in a timely fashion.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE OR BACHELOR OF ARTS

Although it should be remembered that no major in the College requires that a student do a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts Degree, students who major in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physics) often include in their curriculum: Mathematics 105-106, Chemistry 107-108, and Physics 107-108.  (These three course sequences comprise the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.) 

Students majoring in mathematics, the humanities, or social sciences do not normally fulfill the B.S. requirements.  They usually stand for the Bachelor of Arts degree - a fully equal Baccalaureate degree.

The decision on a B.S. or a B.A. is not binding upon a student at this time.  Students should make an effort to assess their interests as carefully as possible and register accordingly. The best advice is to choose courses of interest.

PASS/FAIL

Students may elect to take courses on a pass/fail basis according to the following stipulations:

 1. Students may take a total of two Bates courses on a pass/fail basis, with a maximum of one per semester.
 2. Students may declare or change a pass/fail option up to the final add day (end of second week of classes).
 3. Students taking a course pass/fail are not identified as such on class rosters.  Faculty members will submit letter grades for all students to the Registrar.  The Registrar will convert such grades to a pass or fail.  Unless the student wishes to inform the instructor, only the student, the Registrar, and the student’s advisor know the grading mode for a course.
 4. Departments and programs decide whether courses taken pass/fail can be used to satisfy major and secondary concentration requirements.
 5. Courses taken pass/fail do not affect the student’s GPA and do not count towards general education requirements.  A pass is equivalent to two quality points.

Pass grades may not be changed if the student later wishes to use the course to meet general education requirements, nor may a student change a letter grade to a pass grade, or vice versa, to affect their academic record.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Bates College participates in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board.  Please see the enclosed memorandum in the “Learning” section of this packet regarding AP credit policy and procedures.