College of Arts and Sciences

David V. Powers, PhD, Dean
Maria Bullon-Fernandez, PhD, Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities
Sonora Jha, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Community
Kevin Krycka, PsyD, Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Professional Programs
Kate Elias, PhD, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Support

Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/

Objectives

The College of Arts and Sciences, the oldest and largest undergraduate division of Seattle University, is the heart and foundation of Seattle University’s mission to the undergraduate. That mission is to provide a liberal education in the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences along with selected graduate and professional programs.

Grounded in the Catholic and Jesuit intellectual tradition and respectful of their vision of the human person, the faculty of the college educate students for leadership, spiritual growth, responsible citizenship, and service through curricula both in the core program and in the majors that develop the whole person: the intellect, the imagination, the aesthetic sense, the capacity for ethical reflection, and skills of analysis and communication. Small classes, taught primarily by full-time faculty, and the availability of faculty advisors create a supportive and challenging environment for our community of learners.

It is the goal of the faculty that students be educated to think critically and to act responsibly so that they may be prepared to welcome the challenges of the future.

Organization

The college departments are Anthropology and Sociology; Art, Art History and Design; Communication and Media; Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics; English; Fine Arts; History; Kinesiology; Military Science; Modern Languages and Cultures; Performing Arts and Arts Leadership; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Social Work; Theology and Religious Studies.

The program divisions are African and African American Studies; Asian Studies; Catholic Studies; Environmental Studies; Film and Media; Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies; International Studies; Latin American & Latinx Studies; Law Scholars; Matteo Ricci Institute; Medieval and Early Modern Studies; Nonprofit Leadership; Prelaw; Premajor Studies; Public Affairs; University Honors; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Each department chair or program director, in collaboration with the faculty, arranges study programs and counsels individual students. All programs are coordinated and supervised by the dean of the college. Students wishing to inquire about programs in detail should consult either the dean or the respective department chair or program director.

Admission Requirements

Students entering the college must satisfy all entrance requirements for the university as outlined in the Admission section in this Catalog. Some departments list further requirements for admission into certain major programs. Concerning these, the respective departmental sections in this Catalog should be consulted.

General Program Requirements

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must satisfy the core curriculum requirements of the university given in this Catalog. Additionally, the College requires of all students a five-credit course in history chosen from HIST 1200 , HIST 1210 , or HIST 2310 .

All students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must also demonstrate competency through the level of 1350 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 1150, 1250, and 1350. Because these courses are a college requirement, no courses in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Languages and Cultures for details on the examinations. It is strongly recommended that students fulfill this program requirement in their first year. Students educated to the age of 16 in a language other than English are presumed to have satisfied the goal of this requirement. Proficiency to the third-quarter of college-level American Sign Language (ASL) will fill this requirement beginning summer term 2013. Those wishing to document fluency in a language other than those tested on campus, including ASL, may see the Modern Languages and Cultures department chairperson to discuss acceptable validation techniques. Courses used to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences language requirement may not also be used to fulfill major requirements.

Matteo Ricci Institute students pursuing majors within the Institute are exempt from the history and modern language requirement. Addition of an additional major or degree in Arts and Sciences outside the Matteo Ricci Institute requires the completion of the history and modern language requirements as described above.

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 must be obtained in courses required by the majors and taken at Seattle University for degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Additional specific requirements are set by the department or program division in which the student’s major is pursued. For these requirements consult the respective sections in this Catalog.

Pre-Education Advising

Pre-Education Advising is a resource available to help students explore career options in education and pathways to teaching. The Pre-Education advisor is available to assist students preparing for teacher certification, Master in Teaching programs and teaching careers through academic advising and programming. Specifically, the program is designed to assist those who are considering teaching at the Pre-school through 12th Grade level.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers students who are interested in teaching in the K-8 system the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree while simultaneously completing the requirements for a teaching credential in the state of Washington. The K-8 credential is earned by majoring in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies with a specialization in Elementary Education. Students also have the option to complete Humanities for Teaching major, offered through the Matteo Ricci Institute. Students who are interested in pursuing a different degree program but also intend to teach K-8 are encouraged to meet with the Pre-Education advisor in the Arts and Sciences Advising Center.

Students who plan on teaching in the high school setting are advised to major in the field in which they wish to teach.

In advising students who plan pursue a post-baccalaureate credential in education, we stress the development of strong writing skills and the completion of a menu of courses and service activities, including volunteer or paid experiences in K-12 schools that will help students to present a strong portfolio when applying to a graduate program in teaching.

Premajor Studies Program

The Premajor Studies Program is for freshmen and sophomores who wish to explore academic programs and careers before committing themselves to a major. See the Premajor Studies Program  section for more information.

Subject Majors

In all programs having a specific subject major, the number of required courses and hours varies according to the department or program division. The minimal number required in any subject major is 40 credits.