Whatever expertise in a single discipline an undergraduate may achieve, in the course of a lifetime, curiosity lures most of us beyond the confines of a single chosen specialty. Furthermore, in a swiftly changing world, careers are being rapidly redefined, and only a person of broad intellectual orientation can intelligently consider where one may be most useful to our society and find most personal gratification. Many of the basic modes of thought and work in various fields are being reformulated, often producing surprising influences in the public and private spheres. In this world-to devise for oneself a satisfying professional life and to be a responsible citizen-one needs some awareness of the concepts and methods specific not to one field only but to a variety of disciplines.
The distribution requirements are the four domains of learning in which the College faculty requires students to develop an introductory level of expertise through encountering the body of knowledge that each discipline has gathered, the kinds of phenomena it describes and manipulates, and the types of problems it addresses. Specified numbers of credits are required in each of the four domains: the mathematical sciences, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the arts and humanities.
Distribution Requirements for the B.A. and the B.S.
A. Arts 1, Choices and Decisions 1 credit
(first semester at Lehigh)
B. College Seminar/First-Year Class 1-4 credits
(one course during the first year)
C. English Composition 6 credits
(two courses during the first year)
Students and advisers should monitor closely the progress toward completion of requirements D through G. Courses taken to satisfy a major program may be used to satisfy distribution requirements in only one distribution area.
D. Mathematical Sciences 3 credits
Chosen from mathematics or designated courses from philosophy or computer science.
E. Natural Sciences 8 credits
Chosen from those designated in: astronomy, biological anthropology, biosciences, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, physics, and neuroscience.
F. Social Sciences 8 credits
Chosen from those designated in: anthropology, classics, economics, political science, history, international & relations, journalism, psychology, social psychology, social relations, sociology, STS, and urban studies.
G. Arts and Humanities 8 credits
Chosen from those designated in: architecture, art, classics, history, modern languages and literature,English, music, philosophy, religion studies, and theatre.
Total required for graduation: 121 credits
A student's program, including the choice of distribution requirements, is not official until approved by the adviser.