Definitions

Major

In order to ensure that a student’s education involves not simply exposure to many disciplines but also development of some degree of mastery in at least one, a student must choose a major subject at the end of the sophomore year. With the guidance of the major adviser, a student plans an appropriate sequence of courses. The following is a list of major subjects:

• Anthropology
• Astronomy (Haverford College)
• Astrophysics (Haverford College
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
• Classical Culture and Society (see Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies)
• Classical Languages (see Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies)
• Comparative Literature
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• East Asian Languages and Cultures
• Economics
• Education Studies
• English (See Literatures in English)
• Environmental Studies (Bi-Co Major)
• Fine Arts (Haverford College)
• French and Francophone Studies
• Geology
• German and German Studies (Bi-Co Major)
• Growth and Structure of Cities
• History
• History of Art
• International Studies
• Italian (See Transnational Italian Studies)
• Linguistics (Tri-College Major)
• Linguistics and Languages (Tri-College Major)
• Literatures in English
• Mathematics
• Music (Haverford College)
• Neuroscience (Bi-Co Major)
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Religion (Haverford College)
• Romance Languages
• Russian
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Transnational Italian Studies

Minor

The minor typically consists of six courses, with specific requirements determined by the department or program. A minor is not required for the degree. The following is a list of subjects in which students may elect to minor. Minors in departments or programs that do not offer majors appear in italics.

• Africana Studies
• Anthropology
• Asian American Studies 
• Astronomy (Haverford College)
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Child and Family Studies
• Chinese
• Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
• Classical Culture and Society
• Classical Languages
• Comparative Literature
• Computational Methods
• Computer Science
• Creative Writing
• Dance
• Data Science
• East Asian Languages and Cultures
• Economics
• Education
• Environmental Studies (Tri-Co minor)
• Film Studies
• French and Francophone Studies
• Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Geology
• German and German Studies
• Growth and Structure of Cities
• Health Studies
• History
• History of Art
• International Studies
• Japanese
• Latin American, Iberian, and Latina/o Studies
• Linguistics
• Literatures in English
• Mathematics
• Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and North African Studies (MECANA)
• Museum Studies
• Music (Haverford College)
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Russian
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Statistics (Haverford College)
• Theater
• Transnational Italian Studies
• Visual Studies (at Haverford)

Concentration

The concentration, which is not required for the degree, is a cluster of classes that overlap the major and focus a student’s work on a specific area of interest:

• Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies

Key to Course Letters

• ANTH Anthropology
• ARAB Arabic
• ARCH Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology
• ARTA Arts in Education
• ARTD Dance
• ARTS Fine Arts
• ARTT Theater
• ASTR Astronomy
• BIOL Biology
• CHEM Chemistry
• CITY Growth and Structure of Cities
• CMSC Computer Science
• CNSE Chinese
• COML Comparative Literature
• CRWT Creative Writing
• CSTS Classical Culture and Society
• DSC Data Science
• EALC East Asian Languages and Cultures
• ECON Economics
• EDUC Education
• ENGL Literatures in English
• ENVS Environmental Studies
• FREN French and Francophone Studies
• GEOL Geology
• GERM German and German Studies
• GNST General Studies
• GREK Greek
• HART History of Art
• HEBR Hebrew and Judaic Studies
• HIST History
• HLTH Health Studies
• INST International Studies
• ITAL Transnational Italian Studies
• INDT Independent Programs
• JNSE Japanese
• LATN Latin
• LING Linguistics
• MATH Mathematics
• MEST Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and North African Studies (MECANA)
• MUSC Music
• NEUR Neuroscience
• PHIL Philosophy
• PHYS Physics
• POLS Political Science
• PSYC Psychology
• RELG Religion
• RUSS Russian
• SOCL Sociology
• SPAN Spanish
• STAT Statistics
• WRIT Writing Program

Key to Course Numbers

001-099 These course numbers are used by only a few departments. They refer to introductory courses that are not counted towards the major.

• 100-199 Introductory courses.
• 200-299 Introductory and intermediate-level courses
• 300-399 Advanced courses.
• 400-499 Special categories of work (e.g., 403 for a unit of supervised work).

A semester course usually carries one unit of credit. Students should check the course guide for unit listing. One unit equals four semester hours or six quarter hours. A quarter course (or Focus course) carries 0.5 units.

Key to Requirement Indicators

• CC: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in the Cross-Cultural Analysis Approach to Inquiry
• CI: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in the Critical Interpretation Approach to Inquiry
• IP: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in the Inquiry Into the Past Approach to Inquiry
• PIJ: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in Peace, Inequity, and Justice (for students entering in Fall 2023 on)
• QM: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning
• QR: Indicates courses that require quantitative readiness
• SI: Indicates courses that meet the requirement for work in the Scientific Investigation Approach to Inquiry

Neighboring College Courses

Selected Haverford College courses may be listed in this catalog when applicable to Bryn Mawr programs. Consult the Haverford catalog for full course descriptions. Students should consult their class dean or major adviser(s) for information about Swarthmore College, University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University courses pertinent to their studies. Catalogs and course guides for Swarthmore are available through the Tri-Co Course Guide. Catalogs and course guides for Penn and Villanova are available through each institution’s website.

Course Descriptions

Following the description are the name(s) of the Instructor, the College requirements that the course meets, if any, and information on cross-listing. Information on prerequisite courses may be included in the descriptions or in the prefatory material on each department.

At the time of this printing, the course offerings and descriptions that follow were accurate. Whenever possible, courses that will not be offered in the current year are so noted. There may be courses offered in the current year for which information was not available at the time of this catalog printing. For the most up-to-date and complete information regarding course offerings, faculty, status, and college requirements, please consult BiONic at https://vbm.brynmawr.edu.