2017-2018 Catalog > Degree Information and Requirements > The Bachelor of Arts > Foreign Language and Cross-Curricular Requirements

Foreign Language and Cross-Curricular Requirements

Please note that this version of the foreign language requirement pertains only to students who matriculated in Spring 2016 or earlier.

Foreign Language Requirement

Each student must complete a two-semester sequence of a new foreign language at the elementary level. A new language is one in which a student has studied for not more than one full year of secondary school. As an alternative, students may complete one course in a foreign language at the intermediate level or higher.

The foreign language requirement may be waived upon the recommendation of the appropriate language department on the basis of one or more of the following: departmental tests, interviews or an SAT Subject Test score of 560 or higher. Students must seek this waiver during first-year.

Students who have a documented disability in foreign language acquisition, as certified by the director of Student Accessibility Services, may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for a substitution of the foreign language requirement. Provided the Committee on Academic Standing approves, students must select two foreign culture courses in place of the typical foreign language course(s). Both culture courses must be offered in English by foreign language departments or programs at Connecticut College. The courses can be taken at any level, and both need not pertain to the same language/culture.

Writing Across the Curriculum

Each student must complete two designated Writing (W) courses. For most students, one of these courses will be a first-year seminar.

Writing courses are designed to integrate the teaching of writing with the teaching of subject matter and to foster a deep connection between writing and critical thinking. Courses that fulfill the writing requirement normally include the following elements:

• A minimum range of 15 to 25 pages of graded writing.
• Writing assignments distributed over the course of the semester.
• Feedback from the instructor on writing, along with opportunities for students to make use of these suggestions.
• Time devoted to discussing skills and strategies for writing.

Technology

Information skills are an essential part of a modern liberal arts education. Students should acquire skills in Internet navigation and research, database searching, and traditional library research. In addition, students should be able to integrate appropriate technology into their learning and research.