Degree Requirements

Students entering in the Fall of 2006 may elect to fulfill the requirements for a degree using the foundation requirements or the division-based general degree requirements that will be phased out in three more years. The major difference between the two curricula is that the foundations curriculum is based on four-credit courses and the division-based curriculum is based on three-credit courses. For that reason, as the foundations curriculum is phased in, the total number of credits required for a degree will rise. The Class of 2010 must earn 124 credits. Next year’s entering class must complete 128.

Choosing Between the Two Systems

Members of the Class of 2010 who choose to earn a Bachelor’s degree under the division-based curriculum must complete the following requirements:

• 124 credits
• Completion of a major
• 3 courses in either the “SEARCH” or the “LIFE” program
• A writing course (English 151)
• A foreign language through the 201 level
• 3 one-half semester courses of physical education
• Distribution requirements
• 3 courses each in the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural Sciences
• 2 courses in the Fine Arts

Humanities (H)

English
Foreign Languages
History
Philosophy
Religious Studies

Fine Arts (F)

Art
Music
Theatre

Social Sciences (S)

Anthropology/Sociology
Economics/Business Administration
International Studies
Political Science
Psychology

Natural Sciences (N)

Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Mathematics
Physics

Members of the Class of 2010 who choose to earn a Bachelor’s degree under the foundations curriculum must take at least one course that will prepare them to demonstrate each of the first 11 foundation skills; the twelfth foundation is essentially a health and fitness foundation requiring three units. They must also meet departmental requirements for a major course of study, to be determined by the end of the sophomore year.

Whichever curriculum is chosen, 124 credits must be earned.

All of these requirements and the additional requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree are discussed in detail in the college catalogue.

Similarities and Differences

First year “Search” (Humanities 101 and 102) combines insights from religious studies, literature, philosophy, history, and political science to approach “foundational” texts from Western culture, including Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament; other texts from the Ancient Near Eastern, Jewish, and Christian traditions; and texts from the Greek and Roman civilizations. It is in this sense essentially an interdisciplinary study. In second year “Search” you can focus on one discipline’s approach (i.e., religious studies, literature, history, political science, or philosophy) to other “foundational” texts of Western civilization from the Middle Ages through the contemporary period. All three semesters of “Search” (Humanities 101, 102, 201) should be completed in sequence. If you enjoy reading and discussing texts from an interdisciplinary perspective, “Search” may be a good choice for you.

First year “Life” consists of two courses from the Religious Studies department that focus on the Hebrew-Christian tradition. In the fall, entering “Life” students take Religious Studies 101, The Bible: Texts and Contexts, an introduction to the academic study of the Bible and its historical and cultural context. The course is followed in the spring by Religious Studies 102, an introduction to Christian theological tradition and the comparative study of religion. Students may complete the third semester of the “Life” requirement by enrolling in an appropriate course in the Philosophy or Religious Studies departments at any time from their second to fourth year at Rhodes. If you are interested in the academic study of the history of religion and theology, “Life” may be a good choice for you. “Life” is essentially an academic discipline based study.

The Writing Requirement. The writing requirement (or F2 in the foundations curriculum) is a part of both curricula. In the General Degree Requirements, English 151 is required of all students except those who are granted AP or transfer credit for a comparable writing course. English 151 and several other courses may be used to satisfy the F2 requirement. English 151 may be taken in either the fall or the spring semester, as may be dictated by the constraints of your schedule, your interests, and class availability. There are actually three writing courses required in the foundations curriculum: one is satisfied by the Search/Life, one by English 151 or some other F2 course, and the third is to be taken sometime during the second year.

The Foreign Language Requirement. The Foreign Language requirement is the same in both curricula. The foreign language proficiency requirement (or F10) may be fulfilled in any one of the following ways:

• By scoring 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement exam in a language;
• By scoring above the 201 level on the placement test given during orientation;
• By successfully completing at Rhodes any appropriate three- or four-credit-hour language course numbered 201 or higher.

Students who plan to fulfill Rhodes’ foreign language degree requirement in a language they have previously studied may register for a course in that language for the fall semester based on their previous work in that language. If you have taken three years of a language in high school or if you have transfer credit for the 102 level, you are most likely ready for the 201 level class; anything less than three years and you probably will be in 102 (although 201 is very possible). Students who have taken two years or more of a language may not enroll in the 101-level course of that language at Rhodes.

Physical Education. Both sets of requirements include the successful completion of three half-semester courses in Physical Education. These courses can be taken at any time. Varsity athletics and Club Sports can be used to satisfy this requirement.

The Major. Completion of an academic major is required in both curricula. Rhodes offers many different majors, and, in some departments, the further choice of a particular track (emphasis) within that major. For students seeking broader programs of study, interdisciplinary majors–majors that combine two or more departments–are available. These majors are described in the Rhodes Catalogue.

Most majors require eleven to fourteen courses, and several majors also require related courses from other departments. A student will be required to take the same courses for a major without regard to the degree requirements being pursued.

In some departments, introductory courses must be taken in the first year in order to complete the major in four years. Although you are not required to declare a major until the second semester of your sophomore year, you may do so during your first year if you have a strong interest in a particular department.

Conclusions

There is no one correct way to choose between the two curricula nor is there undue reason to be greatly concerned about which curriculum will be right for you. Entering students should take the required courses and others that best fit your interests. Remember that the degree plan, like an academic major, can be changed. If a student begins pursuing the general degree requirements and later discovers that it is better to meet the foundation requirements, that change can be made. It will take careful planning to meet the degree requirements in either case. That planning should start now and continue, with the help of the faculty adviser, right up until graduation.

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