Changes in Catalog Information
Caution: The course offerings, requirements and policies of Washington and Lee University are under continual examination and revision. This catalog is not a contract; it merely presents the offerings, requirements and policies in effect at the time of publication and in no way guarantees that the offerings, requirements and policies will not change. The University specifically reserves the right to change requirements for any major during any particular year.
Whenever changes in course offerings or requirements occur, students are notified by the Office of the University Registrar via postings on the University Registrar website (registrar.wlu.edu). Changes to the current catalog requiring faculty approval are posted as they are approved. The individual student assumes full responsibility for compliance with all academic deadlines and requirements. Current course offerings are available on the University Registrar’s website. Current major and degree requirements may be obtained from the University Registrar; the Dean of The College; the Dean of the Ernest Williams II School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; or from the head of the appropriate department.
General Information
This catalog presents, subject to change, the courses that can reasonably be expected to be offered during the academic year.
A course is the minimum amount of work in a given subject for which credit is granted. Each course is indivisible and has a separate number and separate grade for each term. The credits awarded for each course are within parentheses after the course number. Thus Philosophy 170: Introduction to Logic (3) indicates a one-term course granting three credits.
The term in which each course is offered and whether the class has a laboratory meeting are cited below the description of the course.
Some courses are given only in alternate years. In such cases, the course listing is accompanied by an indication of the year in which it is to be given, if known.
The listing of faculty by department/program is alphabetical, with the head or director noted at the top of the list in bold. Only regular faculty are listed, though others who teach, including visitors, are generally included under Matters of Record.
Courses are numbered on the following basis:
100-199—Introductory courses or course sequences ordinarily taken by first-years or sophomores.
200-299—Intermediate courses or course sequences, with or without prerequisites, ordinarily taken by sophomores or juniors.
300-399—Advanced courses or course sequences, with specified prerequisites (courses, class standing, or special permission) ordinarily taken by juniors or seniors. Students may be admitted to advanced courses (1) if they have met the prerequisite, or (2) in exceptional cases, with the approval of the department and the appropriate dean.
400-499—Independent work (directed studies, guided research, writing and collaborative work, directed projects, tutorials, internships, seniors theses, and honors theses). The last digit of the 400-level course number indicates the amount of credit offered.
Permission to substitute courses in major requirements may be granted, in exceptional circumstances, by the department or program committee through its head.
Note: Courses which meet a Foundation and Distribution (FDR) Requirement have a code from the following list in parentheses at the end of the course description. For example, (FL) indicates that the course may be used toward the FDR foundation requirement in Foreign Language, and a code of (SS) indicates the course fulfills an FDR Social Science distribution requirement. Foundation and Distribution requirements goals, requirements, and courses are listed in Requirements for the Degree . They are also available from the University Registrar website at registrar.wlu.edu.
Foundation and Distribution Requirements:
(FW) Foundation in Writing
(FL) Foundation in Foreign Language
(FM) Foundation in Mathematics/Computer Science
(FP) Foundation in Physical Education
(HU) Humanities
(HA) Fine Arts
(HL) Literature
(SC) Science, Mathematics, Computer Science
(SL) Science Laboratory
(SS) Social Sciences
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