Information found in this online edition of the 2008-09 catalog is unofficial and for informational purposes only. By authority of the dean of the College, some factual corrections to the printed version may appear here. The official document of record is the printed edition of the 2008-09 Catalog. For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate work at Lewis & Clark leads to the bachelor of arts degree. The basic requirements for the degree are as follows:*

Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 128 semester credits. A maximum of 60 semester credits in one academic department may be included in the 128 credits required for graduation.
Academic residency, defined as 60 semester credits taken at Lewis & Clark, including at least 28 of the final 32 semester credits.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or higher.
Satisfactory completion of the General Education requirements. (See details in following sections.)
Satisfactory completion of a major program approved by the chair of the appropriate department or by the Curriculum Subcommittee on Petitions, Appeals, and Student-Designed Majors. Students are required to complete at least 20 semester credits of coursework offered by the major department at Lewis & Clark.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or higher in all majors and minors.

* Graduation requirements in this catalog apply to students entering Lewis & Clark in Fall 2008 or later. Other students are subject to the requirements in effect when they entered and should refer to the appropriate catalog.

General Education Requirements

Lewis & Clark's General Education requirements consist of the core course Exploration and Discovery, described below, and other courses in the areas of international studies, scientific and quantitative reasoning, creative arts, foreign languages, and physical education/activity. In addition, content-area courses require students to demonstrate skills involving writing/rhetoric, bibliographic knowledge, and information/electronic competency.

Credit earned for independent study, practica, or internships may not fulfill General Education requirements.

Exploration and Discovery (8 semester credits)

Exploration and Discovery, a two-semester requirement for all first-year students, provides a substantially common experience. This innovative yearlong course seeks to ground students in humanity's enduring questions and to model the intellect's journey outward from these questions into today's diverse world of ideas. Primary and secondary sources, small-class discussion, and keynote lectures forge a shared intellectual culture between professors and students, who together analyze works and topics of lasting significance in the liberal arts tradition. Exploration and Discovery thereby provides students with a vital foundation for developing the informed and complex perspectives they will need in our changing modern world. In addition, this course offers students numerous opportunities to develop and hone their skills in critical thinking, reading and writing, conducting independent research, and effective speaking and listening.

Credits for this course may not be applied toward the fulfillment of any other General Education or major or minor requirement. Students normally may not withdraw from this course.

(See course descriptions under Core in the Programs of Study section in this catalog.)

Core Requirement For Transfer Students

Students transferring to Lewis & Clark in the fall with fewer than 16 semester credits¹ must take Exploration and Discovery--Core 106 and 107--in their first year. Those who enter in January must take Core 107 in the spring semester and Core 106 the following fall.

All transfer students with 16 to 28 semester credits,¹ of which 3 or more credits are from an approved writing-intensive course,² must take either Core 106 or 107. In those cases where a student has received no such transferable credit, both Core 106 and 107 are required.

Students who transfer to Lewis & Clark with more than 28 credits¹ must satisfy the Core 106-107 requirement either by transferring approved writing-intensive courses or by taking two courses from the approved writing-intensive course list.²

¹ AP and IB credit excluded.

² Courses used as Core substitutes may not be used to fulfill any other General Education or major or minor requirement.

Rhetoric In The First-Year Course

The first-year course provides students with a sustained opportunity to develop and hone their skills in reading, writing, and speaking. Over the two-semester course, students engage a diverse array of textual materials that call upon their critical skills as readers. They advance their strength and confidence as writers of college-level work through regular practice, constructive feedback from faculty and peers, and opportunities to revise and polish their work. One of the goals of Exploration and Discovery is to help first-year students improve as speakers in command of rhetorical choices and strategies. This purpose refers to the ability to speak persuasively and present ideas with some formality in front of a group as well as informally in class discussion. Class sessions are structured to foster thoughtful and articulate discussion of key texts and central ideas of the course.

International Studies (8 semester credits)

To become educated citizens of an interdependent world, all Lewis & Clark students are expected to engage in a significant manner with a region of the world other than the United States through study of historical experiences, cultural traditions, social and economic realities, and transnational issues.

Students may meet this requirement in one of three ways:

Completion of International Studies 240 and 241 on a Lewis & Clark overseas study program (8 semester credits).
Completion of a total of 8 semester credits from a Lewis & Clark overseas study program in coursework, not specified as International Studies 240 and 241, but dealing with the unique history and culture of the host country. If necessary, the registrar consults relevant departments to determine whether a particular course is applicable. Credits in language instruction do not apply.
Completion of two courses (8 semester credits) on campus from courses listed below.

Art 152, 153, 207, 254, 256, 352, 355, and 356
Chinese 230, 290, and 410
Communication 330 and 340
Economics 232, 280, 295, and 314
English 319
French 230, 330, 340, 350, 410, and 450
Gender Studies 231
German Studies 230, 410, 411 (Munich only), and 450
History 110, 111, 112, 120, 121, 141, 142, 209, 210, 211, 213, 215, 217, 218, 221, 222, 224, 225, 226, 228, 242, 259, 310, 311, 313, 316, 320, 323, 328, 345, 347, and 348
International Affairs: All courses
Japanese 230, 290, and 410
Music 105, 164, 276, 305, and 306
Philosophy 201 and 301
Political Science 102, 315, 317, 320, and 325
Psychology 190, 345, and 390
Religious Studies 241, 242, 243, 251, 273, 274, 354, 450, and 452
Russian 230, 290, 410
Sociology/Anthropology 225, 261, 266, 270, 273, 274, 275, 280, 281, 285, 291, 350, 352, 353, 356, and 377
Spanish 230, 380, 390, 410, 440, and 450
Theatre 251 (London)

Scientific And Quantitative Reasoning (12 semester credits)

Just as liberally educated people have knowledge and appreciation of the humanities, creative arts, and social sciences, and have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, they also have knowledge and appreciation of science and know how to reason scientifically and quantitatively. Therefore a liberal education must include the study of mathematics and the natural sciences and an understanding of their methods of inquiry. Such understanding includes familiarity with the observational procedures employed by all of the sciences: as in laboratory and field work; the theories and methods that constitute the tools and subject matter of scientific research; and the quantitative, qualitative, philosophical, social, and aesthetic dimensions of work in the natural and social sciences.

All graduates from Lewis & Clark College are expected to gain experience in quantitative reasoning, ranging from making rough quantitative estimates to solving word problems using algebra and logic, understanding graphically presented information, and using modern electronic devices such as calculators and computers.

To foster this understanding and experience, students at Lewis & Clark College must complete at least two courses in natural science study and an additional course in quantitative reasoning.

The scientific and quantitative reasoning requirement can be fulfilled by taking at least one course that includes a laboratory component (selected from the Category A course list) and two courses that include a significant amount of mathematical and quantitative reasoning (at least one selected from Category B and the other selected from the Category B or C course lists). Courses fulfilling the requirement are listed below.

Category A: Science Laboratory*
(All students must take one course.)
Biology: 100, 115, 141, 151, and all courses at the 200 level that include laboratory
Chemistry: 100, 105, 110, 120, 210, and 220
Geology: 150 and 280
Physics: 107, 141, 142, 151, 152, and 201

Category B: Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning: Sciences*
(All students must take one course, and may take two courses.)
Chemistry: 100, 110, and 120
Environmental Studies: 220
Mathematical Sciences: all mathematics and computer science courses in the department except Mathematics 055 and 115
Physics: 105, 107, 110, 141, 142, 151, 152, 202, 205, 251, and 252

Category C: Quantitative Reasoning: Humanities and Social Sciences*
(Students may take one course.)
Communication: 260
Economics: 100, 103, 212, and 215
Philosophy: 101
Political Science: 201 and 252
Psychology: 200, 300, and 311
Sociology/Anthropology: 201

So that mathematical and natural science students acquire a breadth of understanding of the sciences as a whole, they are expected to take the Category A and B requirements from disciplines outside their major department. Also, students are encouraged to take a third course in Category C to broaden their horizons.

* To register for Category B and many Category A and C courses, the student must meet one of the following criteria: a) passing a quantitative reasoning proficiency examination administered during New Student Orientation or during the school year; b) receiving a SAT I math score of 630 or higher; c) receiving an ACT math score of 30 or higher; d) completing a high school calculus course with a grade of B or better; e) receiving a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam in Calculus AB or BC, Computer Science, or Statistics; f) receiving a score of 5, 6, or 7 on an International Baccalaureate higher level or standard level mathematics exam; g) successfully completing Mathematics 055. Some courses in all categories have additional prerequisites. (See course descriptions.)

Creative Arts (4 semester credits)

The distinctive element of the creative arts lies in the creative process itself, the mobilization of often nonverbal, intuitive, and emotional resources in providing new understandings about and insights into human existence. The practice and study of the creative arts can increase students' appreciation of the artistry of others, and stimulate and enhance learning of all kinds. Students at Lewis & Clark College should therefore acquire, as part of their general education, an appreciation for and understanding of this unique way of knowing and experiencing the world.

Students may fulfill the creative arts requirement either by engaging in the creative process itself through courses in studio art such as ceramics, design, pottery, or drawing; or in artistic performance (music, dance, theatre, creative writing); or by the historical and theoretical study of artistic production, including, where possible, a studio component. In recognition of the importance of arts in our culture, students are encouraged to explore a broad range of courses in the arts.

Students majoring in the creative arts must satisfy this requirement outside their majors. Courses that may be applied toward the creative arts requirement are listed below.
Art: All courses
English 200, 201, 208, 300, and 301
Gender Studies 300
Music: All courses
Philosophy 203
Theatre 106, 107*, 108*, 113, 207*, 208*, 209, 213, 214, 216, 218, 220, 234, 250, 251, 252*, 275, 281, 282, 283, 308, 313, 350, 351, 381, and 382

* The requirement may be met by taking one beginning and one advanced technique course in the same area such as ballet or contemporary dance forms, or by taking one technique course and Theatre 355. Four semester credits are required to fulfill the creative arts requirement.

Foreign Language (proficiency requirement)

The acquisition of a language other than one's own has always been a hallmark of a liberal education. In today's increasingly interdependent world this is all the more true. Only by learning the language of another people is one able to adequately understand the subtleties and nuances of its culture, for language is the gateway to all cultures.

At Lewis & Clark College in particular, studying a second language has a place of central importance--both because of Lewis & Clark's historical commitment to international studies and because providing all students with an encounter with another culture has become a defining feature of the undergraduate program of studies. Not only does language study open up our appreciation for and sensitivity to other parts of the world, it also better enables us to understand and appreciate our own native language. For these reasons, Lewis & Clark College requires of its students the serious study of at least one language other than English.

Lewis & Clark has a foreign language proficiency requirement for all students. This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

Completion of a foreign language through the 201 level.
Completion of an approved language-based overseas program. (The list of approved programs is available from the Office of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs.)
Placement into 202 or above on the foreign language placement examination.
A score of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement Language or Literature Examination; or a score of 5, 6, or 7 on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Language Examination.

International students whose first language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement.

Physical Education/Activity (two semester courses)

Physical education is one facet of a total educational program that stresses the interrelationship and interdependence among the physical, mental, and social dimensions of human experience. Therefore, students are required to take a minimum of two semester courses during their degree program that engage them in physical exercise. In these courses, students are encouraged to recognize the importance of physical activity as a lifelong pursuit.

Physical Education and Athletics courses that may be counted toward this requirement are numbered 101, 102, 141, and 142. Theatre dance courses that may be counted toward this requirement are 106, 107, 108, 207, 208, 252, 308, and 350. Theatre courses counting toward this requirement may be taken credit-no credit. Music Performance 150 may be counted toward this requirement.

Students may register for no more than one 101 course per semester. The maximum credit in Physical Education and Athletics 101, 102, 141, and 142 courses that may be applied toward the 128 credits required for graduation is 4 semester credits.

Library Use, Bibliographic Instruction, and Information/Electronic Competency

Information literacy means having the ability to locate, acquire, analyze, synthesize, and structure information. This includes the ability to understand the variety of contents and formats of information; to understand systems for organizing information; to retrieve information; and to evaluate, organize, and manipulate information. As students complete content courses in all academic departments, they also learn to locate and apply information available in libraries, in electronic databases, and on the Internet. Students also work with a variety of computer software appropriate to their academic fields and interests.

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