a c a d e m i c p r o g r a m sCollege of Arts and Sciences
James R. Stellar, PhD, Dean
Timothy Donovan, PhD, Associate Dean, External Affairs
Edward L. Jarroll, PhD, Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs, and Director of the Graduate School
Alison Gerard, MS, Assistant Coordinator, International Programs
Malcolm D. Hill, PhD, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Affairs
Kimberly Irmiter, MA, Coordinator, Academic Student Services
Gail F. Leclerc, MEd, Academic Adviser
Mary Mello, MA, Director, Academic Student Services
Beth Rascoe, MA, Coordinator, International Study Programs
Andresse St. Bose, MA, Academic Adviser
Gail Stubbs, MEd, Associate Director, Academic Student Services
Jan Swindlehurst, MFA, Coordinator, Academic Student Services
Steven Viveiros, MS, Academic Adviseralso in this section: introduction
graduation requirements
interdisciplinary studies
interdisciplinary minors
interdisciplinary facilities
special programs
study abroadCurriculum Guide
A broad study of disciplines in the arts and sciences is the core of higher education. Most students in the University-no matter what career training they choose-devote a substantial portion of their studies to the arts and sciences.
The college as a whole emphasizes general education through the college core curriculum. In addition, a large number of interdisciplinary and extradisciplinary programs are available. These include national and international programs for study and experience; programs in field settings at sea and abroad; and programs involving affiliations in such areas as professional performing arts organizations, media organizations, and government offices. The college also emphasizes experiential education through cooperative education, service-learning, and other kinds of internships, student-faculty research collaborations, and study abroad.
In most programs, students may choose a four- or five-year experiential education plan. The five-year plan offers co-op opportunities for paid employment, often in an area related to the studentıs chosen academic area. Students are normally eligible to participate in co-op when they become sophomores.
Students may enter the college with a specified major or with an unspecified liberal arts major preference (LAMP). Students in the LAMP program, however, must declare a major by the end of the freshman year. Considerable flexibility exists, and many students change majors during the first two years. The college offers a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in most programs. In general, the Bachelor of Arts degree requires more college core curriculum courses as well as a foreign language or American Sign Language. The Bachelor of Science degree requires fewer core curriculum courses but more work in the specific majors.
Many programs are flexible enough to allow students to pursue a double major, and the college offers a number of specific integrated dual-major programs. Students who pursue either a double major or an integrated dual major are allowed unlimited double counting between their major and core curriculum courses. Students whose double major involves a BA and BS degree or two BA degrees may do the BS version of the core curriculum but must still complete the foreign language requirement.
The college also offers the option of an independent major for students whose interests and goals are not met by a specific major program. Interested students should consult an adviser in the deanıs office after their sophomore year.
Class Entrance Requirements In order to make normal progress, students in the College of Arts and Sciences are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative quality-point average of 2.0 and to earn 16 quarter hours of credit each quarter. Some majors have additional specific requirements in order to progress from year to year. For further details, refer to the College of Arts and Sciences Guidebook available in the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising in One Meserve Hall.
Transferring to Arts and Sciences Majors The criteria and process for transferring into each Arts and Sciences major may be found in the College of Arts and Sciences Guidebook. Although students may meet the criteria, acceptance into certain majors is also based on space availability.
Graduation Requirements
Quantitative. Candidates for either the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree must successfully complete a minimum of 176 quarter hours. In addition, a combination of no more than 4 quarter hours of (1 or 2 credit) physical education activity courses or ROTC credits may be used to meet this requirement.
Qualitative. Candidates must achieve a minimum cumulative average of 2.0 (grade of C).
Transfer credit. Transfer credit is granted initially for courses that fulfill major, college, or elective requirements in an arts and sciences program. Courses must be from an accredited college or university and credit will be granted only for courses in which the student earned a grade of at least C (2.0). Courses taken pass/fail are not eligible for transfer credit. To receive credit for courses in progress at the time of application, the student must submit an updated official transcript for review once grades for the courses have been posted. Students should contact a major or dean's office adviser prior to enrollment or during their first quarter to have transfer credits evaluated, both for major and college requirements. Students who believe that they should be granted additional transfer credit should consult with an academic adviser in Meserve Hall.
Core curriculum. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the college's core curriculum in order to graduate. The college believes that there are important areas of inquiry with which all students should have experience. The core curriculum is a set of course requirements intended to provide the breadth of experience essential to a well-rounded individual and the broad base of knowledge traditionally associated with a liberal arts education.
All students receive instruction in fundamental English and mathematics. In addition, students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree study a foreign language. The core curriculum is meant to complement studentsı major programs by providing opportunities to explore a range of disciplines in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and mathematics and sciences, as well as to learn the issues, perspectives, and analytical tools used in these domains. The core also familiarizes students with areas and approaches to learning not available strictly through their own major.
Students explore Western cultural history as it has shaped our society and the traditions of non-Western cultures that are becoming increasingly important in an interconnected world. The core curriculum introduces historically important world views, theories, and changes in intellectual history, as well as current issues and problems facing contemporary society.
The core curriculum has the additional function of providing students with crucial skills useful in all areas of study and in future life endeavors. Every course within the core emphasizes writing proficiency, analytical thought, and methods of inquiry. Writing is the key to communication and is necessary for clear thinking and the expression of one's ideas; methods of inquiry comprise ways of learning; and analytical thought comprises logical thinking, which is the construction of valid arguments. Instruction in core courses strives to emphasize all these skills, which provide a firm foundation for the well-educated and intellectually skilled student who will be able to apply his or her talents in any number of fields and undertakings.
The core curriculum consists of six categories:
Category I Basic Skills
- Freshman English (two or three courses depending on placement level upon entry to the University)
- College mathematics (one to three courses depending on placement level upon entry to the University)
- Modern language or American Sign Language through Intermediate 2 level (required of all Bachelor of Arts candidates)
Category II Methods of Inquiry
Category III The Western Cultural Heritage
Category IV Alternative Cultures and Societies
Category V Theoretical Perspectives and Changes
Category VI Current Issues in Perspective
For placement information on freshman English, college mathematics, or modern languages, students should consult the appropriate department or the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising, One Meserve Hall.
Descriptions for all College of Arts and Sciences courses are available here. Courses approved for the college's core curriculum are noted in parentheses at the end of the appropriate course descriptions. Students are required to complete courses in each category of the core, depending on the major and degree pursued. The College of Arts and Sciences Guidebook, available in the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising in One Meserve Hall, provides a list of courses that may be used to fulfill each category requirement and more specific details on the core curriculum.
Experiential Education Requirement.
All Arts and Sciences students are required to fulfill a college experiential education requirement. This requirement is made up of two components: (1) an approved learn-by-doing experience (e.g., co-op, internships, fieldwork or practica, study-abroad programs, service-learning projects, and others), and (2) an academic course that is designed to allow the student to reflect upon the experiential component. Students are considered to have fulfilled the college's experiential education requirement only when both components have been satisfactorily completed. Although the experiential requirement does not necessarily have to be fulfilled in the studentıs major, each department does have specific ways for its students to fulfill the requirement.The experiential education requirement should generally be completed during the middler, junior, or senior year. Academic courses that fulfill the course component of the experiential education requirement are listed and described in the College of Arts and Sciences Guidebook, which is available in the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising in One Meserve Hall. This guide gives more specific information about the requirement and informs students about how to plan for it. Academic departments and program offices also have information specific to the requirement for the majors that they offer, and every major has an experiential education adviser available to students who have questions about the requirement or who need advice on how to fulfill it. These advisers are also listed in the guidebook.
Foreign language.
All Bachelor of Arts degree candidates must show proficiency in a modern foreign language or American Sign Language by earning a passing grade in Intermediate 2 level of a college course or by meeting a comparable criterion approved by the Department of Modern Languages.Conditional exemption from this requirement may be granted to students who earned an average of C or better in a full, four-year language sequence in secondary school. A conditional exemption must be confirmed by taking a proficiency examination during the first quarter at the University.
A sufficiently high score will verify the exemption; otherwise, the student will be advised of the appropriate language course to take in the following quarter.
Absolute exemption is granted to students for whom English is a foreign language or who receive a score of 550 or better in the Language Achievement Examinations.
The normal sequence for students with no prior preparation is two quarters of elementary-level language and two quarters of intermediate-level language. The Department of Modern Languages will determine an appropriate entry point at which students who have partial language preparation may begin completing the requirement. Students who plan to use German, Russian, or Italian to fulfill the foreign language requirement should begin study as early as possible; the college is not able to offer these courses on a regular basis.
Middler-year writing requirement.
The middler-year writing requirement (MYWR) may not be fulfilled until the student has successfully completed at least 80 quarter hours (including transfer credit) and should preferably be completed before 144 quarter hours. The requirement must be fulfilled in the full-time day programs at Northeastern. The College of Arts and Sciences strongly recommends intermediate writing (ENG 1350) to complete the MYWR. Students may, however, also satisfy the requirement by completing a four-credit writing course from the approved MYWR list (found in the College of Arts and Sciences Guidebook) with a grade of C or better. Students not participating in the cooperative education program should complete the MYWR in their junior year.Interdisciplinary Studies
The College of Arts and Sciences offers students the opportunity to study in a broad range of interdisciplinary programs suited to their curricular or career objectives and also permits students to design their own independent programs of study. Some of these interdisciplinary programs of study are freestanding majors; others are dual majors; and still others are minors or concentrations. These options allow students to design their interdisciplinary studies to complement full or abbreviated (as with dual majors) department-based majors or to stand alone as major areas of study; to explore the boundaries at the cutting edge of existing disciplines; and systematically to explore areas of secondary or personal interest while preparing for a career path either in Arts and Sciences or in one of the professional colleges at Northeastern. Many of these programs are coordinated through the College's Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (9 Holmes Hall), and information about them can be obtained from the Centerıs Director, Professor Gerald Herman, or from its Staff Assistant, Lisa Kolbe, at 617.373.2427. Each program has a faculty director (listed with the information about that specific program), who should be contacted concerning program enrollment or advice. The interdisciplinary programs of the College follow.
Interdisciplinary Majors
Behavioral Neuroscience See details.
Biochemistry See details.
Environmental Studies* See details.
Human Services* See details.
International Affairs* See details.
Linguistics* See details.
*A minor is also available.
Double Majors
Students with interests in two separate fields have traditionally pursued both by enrolling in a double major. A double major allows students to combine two majors of their choice. Students pursuing double majors complete all major requirements in both majors, the Bachelor of Science degree version of the college core curriculum, and the Bachelor of Arts degree language requirement. The College also allows unlimited double counting across core curriculum and major requirements for students in double majors.
Dual Majors
The integrated dual major allows students to link concepts across disciplinary boundaries. Dual-major options are limited to those combinations for which faculty from two majors have identified thirteen courses from each major, plus an additional two to four ³capstone² or integrative courses, that specifically help students link the concepts learned in both majors. As with double majors, students pursuing dual majors complete the Bachelor of Science degree version of the college core curriculum and the Bachelor of Arts degree language requirement, and there can be unlimited double counting between the core curriculum and major requirements. Fulfilling the Collegeıs Experiential Education requirement (see pages 3435) provides an additional opportunity for supervised work linking the two areas of study. Currently, the following dual majors are offered within the College of Arts and Sciences:
African-American Studies and Psychology
American Sign Language and Human Services
American Sign Language and Psychology
American Sign Language and Theatre
Art and History
Biology and Geology
Biology and Journalism
Biology and Mathematics
Biology and Physics
Chemistry and Environmental Geology
Cinema Studies and Communication Studies*
Cinema Studies and Journalism
Cinema Studies and Modern Languages*
Cognitive Psychology and Computer Science
Economics and Journalism
Economics and Philosophy
Economics and Political Science
Economics and Sociology
History and Journalism
History and Political Science
Journalism and Modern Languages
Journalism and Sociology
Linguistics and Psychology
Mathematics and Finance
Mathematics and Physics
Multimedia Studies and Art and Architecture*
(Animation concentration, Media Arts and Design Major, Photography concentration) Multimedia Studies and Music Technology*
(concentration) Music and Theatre, concentrating in either Musical Theatre or Sound Design
Philosophy and Environmental Geology
Philosophy and Political Science
Philosophy and Computer Science
Physics and Environmental Geology
Political Science and Sociology
*Available only in the combination listed.
The following dual majors are offered by the College of Arts and Sciences in conjunction with other colleges at the University:
Mathematics and Computer Science
Mathematics and Finance (College of Business Administration)
Mathematics and Finance/Actuarial Science (College of Business Administration)
Physics and Computer Science
Psychology (Cognitive Psychology concentration) and Computer Science
Psychology and Linguistics
Students interested in these dual majors should contact the participating college or department, or consult interdisciplinary major details. Information can also be obtained at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, 9 Holmes Hall, 617.373.2427. Other dual majors, both within the College of Arts and Sciences and across colleges, are currently under development or undergoing the University's review process.
Teacher Training All teacher training programs in the College of Arts and Sciences require that students combine an Arts and Sciences major with a program in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education, certification in Special Education, or minor in Secondary Education at the School of Education (in some instances including courses in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences: Counseling Psychology, Rehabilitation, and Special Education, or Physical Education and Dance Studies programs). Completion of these combined programs enables students to obtain advanced provisional certification, which is recognized in Massachusetts and other states as well. See the Education Department section for details or contact the School of Education (54 Lake Hall) at 617.373.3302.
Independent Major
Eligible students may propose an independent major to the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee. Information concerning eligibility, procedures, and requirements for independent majors is available at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, 9 Holmes Hall. Students interested in proposing an independent major should meet with a Deanıs Office adviser in One Meserve Hall before beginning this process. The adviser will help to identify faculty who may be interested in assisting the student to develop the proposal, as well as faculty member(s) who may be interested in serving as adviser(s). Proposals must be approved by the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee before the student can be considered an independent major.
Interdisciplinary Minors
Students may choose a concentration in East Asian studies (China, Japan, Korea) or Middle Eastern studies. Courses cover a range of academic disciplines including anthropology, history, music, philosophy and religion, sociology, language, and political science. In each concentration, three core courses and four electives are required.
Concentration in East Asian studies. Students may choose a language track or nonlanguage track concentration. HST 1637, Modern Japan; PHL 1275, Eastern Religions; and POL 1371, Government and Politics of China. Choose four electives: HST 1150, Introduction to Third World History; HST 1633, Modern China; HST 1634, Contemporary China; POL 1332, Government and Politics of Japan; HST 1641, Recent Leaders of Asia; LNC 1101, Elementary Chinese 1; LNC 1102, Elementary Chinese 2; LNC 1103, Intermediate Chinese; LNJ 1101, Elementary Japanese 1; LNJ 1102, Elementary Japanese 2; LNJ 1103, Intermediate Japanese; PHL 1130, Ethics: East and West; PHL 1255, Indian Philosophy; PHL 1250, Chinese Philosophy; PHL 1293, Mysticism: East and West; POL 1372, China's Foreign Relations; and SOC 1104, Contemporary Japanese Culture and Society.
Concentration in Middle Eastern studies. See program director or faculty in the Department of History or Modern Languages.
For both concentrations, it is strongly recommended that students gain proficiency in an Asian language. Chinese and Japanese courses are currently taught in the program.
Cinema Studies
The Cinema Studies program at Northeastern University is unique in the Boston area, offering a broad interdisciplinary curriculum. Students who choose the Cinema Studies minor learn to approach the film and television medium from a range of aesthetic, historical, international, and sociological perspectives. They may also learn to integrate these analytical approaches with practical experience in videography and the study of broadcast technology. The diverse course offerings and carefully structured program have enabled our graduates to do well in the ever-expanding world of video production, distribution, and marketing, as well as to pursue careers as film scholars and teachers. Students take eight courses: two required courses, a video production requirement, and five electives. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws from courses in several departments.
Required courses. INT 1320, Exploring the Humanities through Film, or LNF 1550, Introductory Film Analysis; LNF 1551, Film Theory; and one of the following: ART 1180, Video Basics; or CMN 1450, Television Studio Production. Choose five electives: AFR 1133, History of Blacks in the Media and the Press; ART 1233, Contemporary Directions in Cinema; ART 1235, History of Film; ART 1236, The American Film; ART 1238, Documentary Film; ART 1281, Video Project; CMN 1451, Foundations of Electronic Media; CMN 1453, Broadcast Management; CMN 1454, Programming for Radio and Television; CMN 1455, Television Field Production; CMN 1554, Special Topics in Media (when appropriate); CMN 1620, Television Criticism; ENG 1288, Film and Text; ENG 1289, Shakespeare on Film; ENG 1290, Topics in Film (may not be counted more than twice); ENG 1291, Popular Culture; ENG 1294, Modern Film; ENG 1295, American Film and Society; ENG 1297, Approaches to Film; HST 1494, History and Film; HST 1575, History of Media in America; HST 1591, American Images of China; INT 1320, Exploring the Humanities through Film; INT 1321, Modernism; JRN 1421, Television Newswriting; JRN 1422, Television News Production; JRN 1423, Documentary Production; LNC 1553, Chinese Film: Gender, Ethnicity, and Urbanity; LNF 1521, French Film and Culture; LNF 1560, Film and Psychoanalysis; LNF 1557, Modernism: Art, Film and Literature; LNF 1660, International Perspectives in Cinema; LNG 1554, Modern German Film and Literature; LNJ 1500, Japanese Popular Culture; LNJ 1550, Japanese Film; LNR 1550, History of Soviet Cinema; LNS 1550, Spanish Civil War in Spanish Film; LNS 1551, Masterpieces of Latin American Film; MUS 1139, Film Music; PSY 1268, Psychology and Film; SOA 1120, Camera on Culture: Visual Anthropology; THE 1316, Acting for the Camera; THE 1849, Special Topics.
Possibilities also exist for students to receive credit for their work at The Boston Film/Video Foundation. For further details, see Lisa Kolbe at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, 9 Holmes Hall, 617.373.2474.
For more information, contact the co-directors of cinema studies, Professor Inez Hedges (429 Meserve) and Professor Kathy Howlett (427 Meserve) at 617.373.3654 and 617.373.4554, respectively.
Independent Minor
The eligibility, procedural, and approval regulations for the Independent Major also apply to the Independent Minor. Specific curricular guidelines for the minor are available at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, 9 Holmes Hall.
Jewish Studies
The minor in Jewish studies provides students an opportunity to undertake the study of Jewish religion, culture, and history at Northeastern or in combination with courses at Hebrew College in Brookline, Massachusetts, and courses under the study-abroad program. Students take seven courses. A minimum of four courses must be taken at Northeastern.
All students must take PHL 1285, Introduction to Jewish Religion and Culture, and a senior-level directed study or seminar that involves a major research project.
Additional courses at Northeastern. HST 1539, American Jewish History; INT 1450, Jewish Studies Module (a 1 quarter-hour course that can be used as a Jewish studies module in conjunction with a 4 quarter-hour course); POL 1384, The Arab-Israeli Conflict; PHL 1315, Understanding the Bible; ENG 1558, Jewish Themes in Literature (Literature in Context); MUS 1185, Music of the Jewish People; SOC 1350, Jewish Women in U.S. Culture; PHL 1325, Responses to the Holocaust; and up to two of the following courses: ED 1423, Ethnic and Multicultural Education; PHL 1110, Introduction to Religion; POL 1338, Religion and Politics; POL 1345, Government and Politics in the Middle East; SOC 1470, Sociology of Religion; SOC 1140, The Sociology of Prejudice.
Students may petition the Jewish studies coordinator to gain Jewish studies credit for any courses not on this list for which there is evidence of substantial Jewish Studies content.
Courses at Hebrew College. Students take courses approved by the coordinator of Jewish studies at Northeastern. Students should contact the University registrar for more information about enrolling at Hebrew College. Study abroad. Students take courses at Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, or Ben Gurion University of the Negev under the study-abroad program. Courses must be approved by the coordinator of Jewish studies at Northeastern. For more information contact the Jewish studies director, Professor Debra Kaufman, at 617.373.4270.
Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies
This minor offers students an interdisciplinary program drawn from six academic departments (African-American Studies, History, Music, Political Science, Modern Languages, and Sociology/ Anthropology). Latin American Studies combines historical, social-scientific, ecological, and cultural- aesthetic approaches to the study of Latin American society. Latino studies explores the large, long-standing, and growing Latin American presence in communities outside Latin America, especially in North America. The minor helps students prepare for more specialized work in fields such as business, social services, diplomacy, health, law, education, and international relations with Latin American and Latino populations both in the United States and abroad. The minor includes a strong link to the co-op program, to community-based internships, and to study-abroad programs. It is strongly recommended that students pursuing the minor achieve proficiency in Spanish. Students take six required courses and either complete an internship or co-op experience in a community-based agency or participate in a study-abroad program. All students must take INT 1121, Introduction to Latino, Latin American and Caribbean Studies; one course in history; one course in language, literature, and music; one course in social science; and two comparative courses that include Latin American, Caribbean, or U.S. Latino populations. Students should consult with the academic adviser for the minor to make final determination of courses included.
History: AFR 1196, The Black Experience in the Caribbean; HST 1537, Latin America and the Caribbean in Boston; HST 1538, Latinos(-as) in the U.S.; HST 1604, Modern Latin America; HST 1605, The Modern Caribbean History.
Language, literature, music, and religion: ENG 1600, Topics in Literature: U.S. Latino/a Writers; LNS 1250, History of the Spanish Language; LNS 1315, Latin American Literature 1; LNS 1316, Latin American Literature 2; LNS 1500, Backgrounds in Hispanic Culture; LNS 1501, Backgrounds in Latin American Culture; LNS 1511, Introduction to Caribbean Literature; MUS 1184, Music of Latin America and the Caribbean; and PHL 1265, Latin American Religions.
Social science: POL 1368, Government and Politics of Latin America; POL 1396, Latino Politics in the U.S.; SOA 1133, The Americas from an Indigenous Perspective; and SOA 1430, Latin American Society and Development.
Comparative Studies (courses that include Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latino Society in a comparative context): AFR 1155, Foundations of Black Culture; AFR 1248, Race Relations in America; AFR 1294, Third World Political Relations; ECN 1170, Economic Issues in Minority Communities; ECN 1191/ IAF 1330, Development Economics; ECN 1315, Income Inequalities and Discrimination; HST 1121, World Civilization to 1648; HST 1122/IAF 1122, World Civilization Since 1648; HST 1644, Third World Women; LNS 1500, The Backgrounds of Spanish Culture; LNS 1550, Spanish Civil War in Spanish Film; MUS 1180, Introduction to World Music; POL 1316, Contemporary Revolutionary Politics; POL 1338, Religion and Politics; POL 1386, International Law; SOA 1100, Peoples and Cultures; SOA 1104, Cultures of the World; SOA 1146, Rural Workers in the Third World; SOC 1146, Environment and Society; SOC 1170, Race and Ethnic Relations; SOC 1171, Race and Ethnic Relations: A World Perspective; SOC 1255, Sport in Society; SOC 1455, Sport and Culture.
For more information, please contact the Latino/a Student Cultural Center in 104 Forsyth Hall, or call 617.373.5845.
Marine Studies
The marine studies minor allows students from all majors to explore the marine environment. Students may focus on either the scientific or social science/humanistic approach to studying the ocean. The program is designed to develop specific marine-related skills and requires completion of an independent study. Students are encouraged to participate in marine field courses such as Northeastern's East-West Program, which focuses on biological research, or the Sea Semester Program, which focuses on oceanographic research and includes sail-training on a tall ship.
For more information contact Professor Peter Rosen, marine studies coordinator, 14 Holmes Hall, 617.373.4380.
Media Studies
The media studies minor is intended for students who seek an intense education in the field of mass communication through an exposure to course work in a number of academic disciplines. Course work includes theory, criticism, and production. The minor may be taken as a complement to a major in any department or college at the University. Individual programs may be developed with the approval of the chair of the Department of Communication Studies or the director of the School of Journalism. Consult your adviser to determine the course of study most appropriate for your educational goals. Students must complete four courses from the following list to fulfill the minor: CMN 1250, Media, Culture, and Society; CMN 1450, Television Production*; CMN 1451, Foundations of Electronic Media*; HST 1575, History of Media in America; JRN 1512, Journalism Ethics and Issues. In addition, students must complete four other courses, including one course from each area of the following: technical/production: ART 1281, Video Basics; CMN 1452, Radio Production*; CMN 1455, Television Field Production; JRN 1421, Television Newswriting; JRN 1422, Television News Production; management: CMN 1453, Broadcast Management*; CMN 1454, Programming for Radio and Television*; JRN 1508, Law of the Press; criticism: CMN 1317, The Audience in Mass Communication*; CMN 1620, Television Criticism*; HST 1494, History and Film; INT 1320, Exploring the Humanities through Film. Special Topics courses may apply to the minor when the topics are focused on media. They may be used to fulfill any of the above elective areas.
For further information about the program, contact Professor Nicholas Daniloff, 102 Lake Hall, or Associate Professor David Marshall, 101 Lake Hall, 617.373.5518.
Technical Communication
Technical communication combines written, oral, and graphics skills with a background in science or technology. The minor in technical communication prepares students for careers as technical writers, or for careers in which technical communication is a significant part of the job. Students in English or other liberal arts studies may elect the minor, as may students from a variety of technological or scientific fields. A student does not have to be enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences to declare the minor.Eight courses are required: ENG 1125, Technical Writing; ENG 1370, Technical Writing 2 or ENG 1371, Writing for the Computer Industry; ENG 1352, Advanced Writing or ENG 1380, Writing for the Professions: Health Services or ENG 1381, Writing for the Professions: Business Administration; CMN 1116, Public Speaking or CMN 1331, Advanced Interpersonal Communication; JRN 1440, Design and Graphics (or an equivalent in another department or college); COM 1101, Algorithms and Data Structures 1; and two of the following, preferably both within the same discipline: BIO 1106, General Biology; BIO 1107, Animal Biology; CHM 1111, General Chemistry 1; CHM 1112, General Geology; IIS 1125, COBOL Programming 1; PHY 1221, Physics for Science and Engineering Students 1; PHY 1222, Physics for Science and Engineering Students 2; PHY 1223, Physics for Science and Engineering Students 3.
Urban Studies
Students must take seven courses: SOC 1147, Cities and Society; POL 1324, Urban Politics; ECN 1320, Urban Economics; and one course from each of the following areas:
Urban problems and policies: SOC 1346, Suburb and Metropolis; POL 1308, Politics of Poverty; POL 1318, State and Local Government; ECN 1321, Urban Economic Problems and Policies.
Urban humanities: HST 1543, American Urban History; ENG 1608, The City in Literature.
Urban form and design: ART 1111 and ART 1112, Introduction to World Architecture 1 and 2; ART 1226, Modern Architecture: The Twentieth Century.
African-American studies: AFR 1261, Economics of Urban Poverty; AFR 1275, Urban Political Issues; AFR 1475, Public Policy Analysis.
To obtain credit for the minor, students must file a petition form with the College of Arts and Sciences. Interested students should confer with an adviser as soon as possible. Advisers are Professor John Portz, political science, 303 Meserve Hall, 617.373.2796; Professor George Thrush, art and architecture, 309 Ryder Hall, 617.373.2083; Professor Gregory Wassall, economics, 317 Lake Hall, 617.373.2196.
Women's Studies
The Women's Studies program offers students an opportunity to work with respected scholars in a variety of disciplines to examine the human experience through the perspectives of women. This interdisciplinary program examines the importance of gender in societies around the world, past and present. The curriculum encourages students to learn and think about how changing beliefs about women and men have affected research and scholarship in the arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences. Students learn about gender stereotypes, the various ways ideas about gender and sexuality have developed, and the changing situation for women and men today. Key questions are posed that change how people see the world: How does gender influence the kinds of questions we can ask of the world around us? What information can become data when you use gender as a central part of examining a problem? The Womenıs Studies program coordinates the Boston Area Colloquium on Feminist Theory lecture series, sponsors talks by scholars on campus, produces the Working Papers in Gender Studies Series, and sponsors the Visiting Research Scholars in Womenıs Studies series. Womenıs Studies also works closely with the independent, student-run Women's Center to sponsor programs for Womenıs History Month and other events of special concern to women students.
To minor in Women's Studies, students take a total of seven courses: SOC 1150 or INT 1150 or HST 1490, Introduction to Womenıs Studies; SOC 1302 or INT 1302, Feminist Perspectives on Society; and five electives. This minor includes a link with community-based internships and the co-op program.
Undergraduate elective courses. AFR 1241, Black Family; AFR 1121, African-American Literature 1; AFR 1133, History of Blacks in the Media and the Press; AFR 1251, Survey of Black Drama; AFR 1442, African-American Women; CJ 1616, Women and the Criminal Justice System; CMN 1232, Gender and Communication; CRS 1503, Human Sexuality and Family Dynamics; ECN 1312, Women in the Labor Market; ENG 1551, Gender Roles in Literature; ENG 1600, Topics in Literature (when gender related); ENG 1602, Major Figure (when gender related); ENG 1678, Early African-American Literature; HST 1472, The Family in European History; HST 1473, Women in Modern Europe; HST 1554, Women in America; HST 1644, Third World Women; LNF 1560, Film and Psychoanalysis; LNS 1306, Spanish Golden Age Theatre; LNS 1500, Backgrounds of Spanish Culture; LNS 1510, Saints and Sinners; MUS 1106, Women, Gender, and Music; MUS 1800, Directed Study (when gender related); NUR 1303, Life Crisis: Analysis and Response; NUR 1606, Womenıs Health Choices; PHL 1295, Medicine, Religion, and the Healerıs Art; POL 1327, Gender Politics; POL 1328, Women in Public Management; POL 1346, Gender and Politics in the Middle East; PSY 1218, Psychology of Women; PSY 1251, Food, Behavior, and Eating Disorders; SOA 1100, Peoples and Cultures; SOA 1146, Rural Workers in the Third World; SOA 1160, Sex, Sex Roles, and the Family; SOA 1301, Human Origins; SOA 1303, Sexuality and Culture; SOA 1430, Latin American Society and Development; SOC 1155, Sociology of the Family; SOC 1160, Sex-Gender Roles in a Changing Society; SOC 1177, Social Roles in the Business World; SOC 1178, Women Working; SOC 1217, Women, Health, and Social Change; and SOC 1350, Jewish Women in U.S. Culture. New courses are being developed.
Undergraduate students who want to integrate their interest in womenıs studies with a major discipline can consult with the Womenıs Studies coordinator to develop an interdisciplinary major. Plans are under way for a dual major.
Interdisciplinary Facilities
An interdisciplinary Media Training Facility, featuring two television studios, state-of-the-art Avid and Media 100 digital video-editing suites, and digital audio recording and editing facilities exists on the second floor of Shillman Hall. Qualified students may enroll in courses utilizing this facility through any of its six participating departments (Art and Architecture, Communications Studies, History, Journalism, Music, or Theatre) or through interdisciplinary studies. Note that these courses fill quickly; some require prerequisites; and many give preference to students whose majors require them. For students who complete elementary and intermediate training in the studio, an interdisciplinary capstone production course is offered; resulting videos may be broadcast on a public access cable channel in Boston. For details about eligibility and availability, contact one of the participating departments or the Studio manager, Ron Starr, at 617.373.2314.The Multimedia Studies dual major (see course descriptions) offers its students access to a number of modern facilities. Among these are a dedicated computer music lab, an advanced music and sound synthesis facility, a graphics and media development room, and a state-of-the-art, multimedia development center constructed in 1999. The multimedia development center is used by students for courses in graphics and animation, and is also the site of the programıs capstone courses, in which students from all the core multimedia disciplines work together on team projects. In addition, the center is used by the guest speakers and lecturers who regularly appear on campus in support of the multimedia curriculum.
Hardware and software in the multimedia center permit the production of multimedia creations that integrate live action and/or animated moving image, graphics, photographs, sound effects, and music. The center can operate independently or via networked interchange with digital arts, digital music, and media production laboratories and studios on campus or, through NUNET links to the Internet, with resources available elsewhere.
For details on the multimedia dual major and its facilities, contact the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at 617.373.2427.
Special Programs
Additional information is available from involved departments and the Center for Experiential Education and Academic Advising, One Meserve Hall.The availability of all special programs is contingent on meeting minimum enrollment numbers and, when an outside institution is involved, continued affiliation of that institution with the University. Overseas study programs are open to qualified middlers, juniors, and seniors with a cumulative quality-point average of 3.0 or higher.
Combined Program with Professional Schools
In the combined program, a preprofessional student may reduce by one year the time normally required for obtaining both the undergraduate and professional degrees. Students who have completed at least three-fourths of the work required for a baccalaureate degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and who are accepted into an approved professional school of dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathy, or veterinary medicine will be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree at the end of their second year in a professional school. At least two-thirds of the work for the baccalaureate degree must be earned in residence at Northeastern, and all other College of Arts and Sciences requirements must be fulfilled. The residence requirement must be completed prior to entering the professional school.
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science/ Juris Doctor Degree Program
Northeastern offers an eight-year joint degree program for aspiring lawyers. Each year a limited number of highly qualified freshmen are admitted to the five-year undergraduate portion of the program.
To continue into the law school portion of the program, students must graduate in the top 15 percent of their class and score in the top 20 percent of the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT). Students who meet these criteria will be qualified to continue their studies at Northeastern University School of Law.
Northeastern University-Hebrew College Exchange
Foreign Languages
This program offers students the opportunity to register for courses in specialized areas of Jewish studies and Jewish education. See page 38, Minor in Jewish Studies, or contact the University registrar, Linda Allen, 120 Hayden Hall, 617.373.2307, for more information on the registration process for this exchange program.
Business German. Students may use this course as a prerequisite to conversational German courses to prepare for a business-oriented co-op in Germany. This course, taught in English, is designed for students of business and economics seeking competence in reading and understanding texts produced by the German business community and trade media. Additional information may be obtained from the Department of Modern Languages, 400 Meserve Hall, 617.373.2237.
Elementary Spanish for criminal justice or human services majors. This course is intended for students who will need to use Spanish in police work and in social service settings. The grammar component is the same as that in other elementary Spanish courses. The vocabulary is adapted to particular needs and interests of the students. Students use role-playing extensively and practice "intake" interviews.
French for business and economics students. Designed for students interested in international business, the program offers a thorough study of grammar, insights into the French way of life, specialized vocabulary related to the business world, and an introduction to French business texts. The course is a preliminary step for the student seeking co-op placement in France. Additional information may be obtained from Juliette Gilman, 362 Holmes Hall, 617.373.3659.
Marine Science
East/West Marine Biology Program. The East/West Marine Biology Program allows advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in biology and related areas to spend a year of field study in three diverse marine environments.
The program begins in the fall at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories, on San Juan Island. In January, students travel to Jamaica to study tropical biology at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory on the islandıs north coast. The final phase of the program is conducted at Northeastern's Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts. For more information, contact Sal Genovese at 781.581.7370, extension 311.
Marine Science Center Summer Program in Marine Biology. The summer program allows students to participate in intensive courses at the Marine Science Center (MSC). Students conduct independent research at the MSC laboratory throughout the year. Graduate students from other universities are encouraged to use the laboratory and field sites for thesis research.
Massachusetts Bay Marine Studies Consortium. Northeastern University is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Marine Studies Consortium. The consortiumıs offerings are interdisciplinary and seek to bridge academic disciplines and current concerns in the marine world. The consortium serves the students and faculty of twenty-two Boston-area colleges and universities. Students from Northeastern may take these classes, which are taught by specialists and government officials. For more information, contact Professor Peter S. Rosen, Department of Geology, 617.373.4380.
Sea Education Association. The Sea Semester offers a combination land-sea program in marine science, maritime navigation and history, and practical seamanship with deep-water oceanographic research. A six-week sea voyage, often to the Caribbean or the Canadian Maritimes, provides hands-on experience.
The Center for the Arts
The primary mission of the Center for the Arts is to support and develop the arts as a vital and integral component of the Northeastern community. Through a variety of main stage and artist-in- residency programs, featuring performing and visual artists acclaimed for their excellence, the center complements the academic arts departments in their effort to educate Northeastern students in becoming knowledgeable, discriminating, and active participants in the arts. In addition, the center supports curriculum-oriented arts projects and events, encourages interdepartmental collaborations, develops exhibitions and presentations that serve the on-campus community as well as the general public, provides multicultural arts programs, and acts as a primary facilitator for research in the arts.
The center also manages the Blackman Auditorium Theatre Complex and operates the Northeastern University Ticket Center. Tickets to and information about performing and visual arts events and other campus events are available in the ticket center as are tickets and passes to Boston- area dance, music, theatre, film, and visual arts events. The ticket center also provides free passes and maintains a University membership to the Museum of Fine Arts that entitles all undergraduate students in the full-time day programs to free membership privileges.