College of Arts and Sciences

Ronald H. Nowaczyk, Ph.D., Dean

Jerry L. Allen, Ph.D., Associate Dean

The College of Arts and Sciences prepares students for lifelong learning. Through varied academic disciplines, the College provides the foundation for success as a global citizen. The College’s degree programs prepare students for meaningful careers or for continued study in graduate or professional schools. The College offers the bachelor of arts, the bachelor of science, a number of associate degrees and undergraduate certificates. The College’s graduate programs lead to the master of arts and master of science degrees, and to a number of graduate certificates. The College also complements programs in other Colleges at UNH and offers many of the essential courses in the University Core Curriculum. Those undecided about a major will find a welcoming home in the undeclared major program that allows ample flexibility to sample courses from a variety of disciplines.

The dynamic nature of the world today requires students to be open-minded, critical thinkers who can approach society’s issues and problems from a variety of perspectives. The education offered in the College of Arts and Sciences is designed to provide that background. We offer students the opportunity to study and learn historical, cultural, social, individual, and political perspectives on your world. Our goal is to challenge students to take advantage of the many resources and talents within the College to help them prepare for their future.

The professors in the College of Arts and Sciences are committed to the student learning experience. The commitment goes beyond classroom instruction to include student opportunities to work with faculty on their scholarship and research, to study abroad, and to apply knowledge and skills through internships or in the community working on real-life projects. We also expect students to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world to a global level. Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences are prepared to make an impact in tomorrow’s world.

The College of Arts and Sciences also offers a host of extracurricular activities to supplement the learning experience. These events include campus-wide debates, symposia, and faculty forums. The College adds to New Haven’s vibrant cultural environment. For example, the College supports the UNH Theatre through its student productions. The Seton Gallery is a well-established University art gallery featuring, in addition to a permanent collection, a wide variety of work by students, renowned artists, and sculptors at shows throughout the academic year.

For students, staff and faculty, the College has developed Arts@Noon events that feature UNH talent in poetry, theatre, music, dance, and film. Through Arts@Night, the College presents entertainment events on campus for UNH and public attendance, with performances in various musical styles, comedy, and dance.

Programs and Concentrations

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Art Chemistry Communication English
	Literature Writing
Global Studies Graphic Design History Interior Design
	Pre-architecture
Liberal Studies Mathematics
	Education
Music Music Industry Music and Sound Recording Political Science Psychology
	Community/Clinical Forensic Psychology General Psychology
Theatre Arts
	Arts Administration Design Performance
Undeclared

Bachelor of Science

Biology
	Biochemistry General Biology Pre-medical/Pre-dental/Pre-veterinary
Biotechnology Communication Dental Hygiene Environmental Science Marine Biology Mathematics
	Computer Science Applied Mathematics Statistics
Music and Sound Recording Nutrition and Dietetics

Associate in Science

Dental Hygiene

Graduate Programs

Master of Arts

Community Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Master of Science

Cellular and Molecular Biology
Education
Environmental Science
Human Nutrition

Graduate Certificates

Applications of Psychology
Geographic Information Systems
International Relations
Legal Studies
Mental Retardation Services
Psychology of Conflict Management

Teaching as a Career

Students interested in earning a teaching certificate to qualify to teach at the elementary or secondary level may do so by applying to the graduate program in education. This 4+1 Program in Education enables students in selected undergraduate majors to complete both the B.A. and M.S. degrees in Education in five years, not including the required thirteen-week student teaching experience that is completed after the master’s degree coursework.

Minors

It is highly recommended that students working toward a degree in one area of study give serious thought to organizing their elective courses so as to receive a minor in a second discipline. A minor usually consists of 18 credits devoted to the study of either a group of courses on related subjects or a series of courses offered by one department.

Students interested in studying for a minor should consult with the chair of the department offering the minor. Possible minors are listed below:

Art
Arabic Language-Area Studies
Bioengineering
Biology
Black Studies
Chemistry
Chinese Language-Area Studies
Communication
Digital Art and Design
English
Environmental Science
Global Studies
Graphic Design
History
Mathematics
Museum Studies
Music
Nutrition
Philosophy
Photography
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Russian Language-Area Studies
Sociology
Spanish Language-Latin American Studies
Theatre Arts

Certificates

Students can take their first step toward an undergraduate degree by completing a certificate offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. Certificates are carefully designed as a concentrated introduction to a particular subject area and generally consist of courses totaling 15 to 18 credits. Later, students may choose to apply the certificate credits they have earned toward their undergraduate degree at the University. Currently, the College of Arts and Sciences offers a certificate in:

Public Policy

University Core Curriculum

In addition to departmental requirements, students must fulfill all requirements of the University Core Curriculum.

General Policies in the College of Arts and Sciences

• Each student is assigned an academic adviser. Normally, the adviser is a member of the faculty in the major department for the student’s degree program.
• A student may select a minor in a department other than the major department after consultation with the adviser or the appropriate department chair.
• To receive a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, the student must be awarded his/her last 30 credits by the University of New Haven.
• A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.

Experiential Education Requirement

The College of Arts and Sciences requires each student to complete at least one experiential education opportunity prior to graduation. These opportunities correspond to those endorsed by the UNH faculty. Given the diversity of programs within the college, there are experiential education differences among programs. The experiential education opportunity is included in many programs within a specific course requirement. Students are expected to consult with their advisor on the requirement in their programs. The student is responsible for ensuring that this requirement is met and has been approved by the student’s advisor.

Students meet this requirement through satisfactory completion of one of the following options. Each option requires student reflection and assessment of the educational experience.

1. A UNH-sponsored or UNH-approved study-abroad or study-away educational experience. (Academic advisor approval of study-abroad or study-away plans other than UNH-sponsored courses is required.)
2. An internship, capstone, or practicum course that is approved by the student’s advisor. Course credit may range from 0 to 3 credits and may be part of a student’s major requirements.
3. A course involving faculty-supervised research or scholarship that has been approved by the student’s advisor. Examples include Independent Study, Senior Project, and participation in the UNH-SURF program.
4. A course identified as an experiential education (e.g., academic service learning) course approved by the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee. These courses include students applying their discipline-specific knowledge to a problem or project outside of the classroom arranged and approved by the course professor.

Coordinated Course Policy

To implement the University’s coordinated course policy, the College of Arts and Sciences has adopted the following additional guidelines:

• A student may take a maximum of two Arts and Sciences courses on a coordinated basis. The courses must be either (a) upper-division courses; that is, equivalent to 300- or 400-level courses at UNH, or (b) courses required by the student’s major program; that is, non Arts and Sciences elective courses.
• Coordinated courses from two-year colleges will be accepted only for students who have freshman or sophomore standing at UNH. A student who has completed a total of 57 credits cannot obtain consent for a coordinated course taken at a two-year college.
• Any exceptions to the previously stated guidelines must be approved by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Students should note that in all cases they must seek approval before taking a coordinated course.

Undeclared Major

The undeclared major is designed for students who want to explore options before declaring an academic major that best suits their career and life objectives. This program is also open to first-year and second-year students at UNH who are contemplating a change in majors. It is estimated that nationally over 40 percent of undergraduates change majors in college.

Features

Upon enrollment, students who choose the undeclared major are assigned a faculty adviser who will guide the student in course selection and exploration of academic disciplines and majors. Faculty advisers work with students to select courses in disciplines of interest so that students can explore their options.

Advisers also work with students and the Office of Student Life to assess the students’ interests through personality and career inventories.

At any point during the first two years of study, students have the opportunity to declare a major once they decide on a course of study.

Many of the courses in the undeclared major are selected to meet the University Core Curriculum requirements so that once a major is declared the student is able to smoothly transition into that curriculum.

Other courses are selected to enable students to learn more about specific majors and decide if the major is a good match for them.

Students transferring from another institution may also select the undeclared major while they are considering a major. While the undeclared major is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the College works closely with the other Colleges — the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, and the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences — to best meet the needs of students with an undeclared major.

Programs

• •  Liberal Studies, B.A.

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