The general distribution requirements for students enrolled at the University are as follows:
Language and Literature: one course in English (English 101) and one course in a foreign language at the 300 level
The required course in English prepares students to become critical readers of significant literary works, to apply a variety of interpretive approaches, and to learn effective techniques for writing clear, correct, and persuasive English prose. The culminating 300-level course in a foreign language, either ancient or modern, is required so that all students may develop some insight into the way language itself works — which can often be seen best in a language not one’s own – and acquire some understanding of the literature and culture of another people. At the 300 level (the fourth semester, as languages are numbered here), a student should be able to read literary or cultural texts in the target language, and, in the case of a modern foreign language, be capable of demonstrating facility in speaking the language in question.
Students who begin foreign-language study below the 300 level must complete each semester course in sequence before attempting a 300-level course (e.g., a student beginning in 104 must also pass 203 before taking a 300-level course). Exceptionally, however, a student could jump a level in the sequence via approval from the department in question, which must notify the Associate Dean of the College.
Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: one course in mathematics and two courses in the natural sciences
Mathematics is essential to all systematic inquiry in the natural and social sciences and is a study that can return great intellectual and aesthetic satisfaction. Students at Sewanee pursue mathematics and the natural sciences to gain an understanding of the methods involved in scientific work and an enhanced appreciation of the natural world. At least one of the two science courses must have a full laboratory. Labs meet for approximately the same number of hours as the lecture classes meet each week.
History and the Social Sciences: one course in history (History 100) and one course in the social sciences
Studying important historical themes is essential to a liberal arts education. The required history course introduces students to significant developments since classical antiquity. While it focuses primarily on the western tradition, attention is given to others. The course also introduces students to methods of approaching historical study. A course in anthropology, economics, or political science enables students to approach social issues and problems with specific tools and techniques. Their work may also examine ways in which modern social problems can be alleviated.
Philosophy and Religion: one course in philosophy or religion
Philosophy and religion are interrelated disciplines that examine the fundamental bases of human experience — the ways human beings think, form values, and conceive of human life and the cosmos. Introductory courses in philosophy and religion examine key ideas and texts from the Judeo-Christian and other traditions. One course at the introductory level in either discipline is required of all students to help them become more critical, more reflective, and more aware of transcendent values. This requirement also provides another perspective on moral and ethical problems discussed in complementary disciplines like English and history.
Art and the Performing Arts: one course in art, art history, music, or theatre
The aesthetic disciplines offer different options for expression. Students are required to take one course focusing on artistic activities that draw on intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual resources. The course provides a framework for understanding how techniques relate to the history and theory of the medium.
Writing-Intensive Courses: two courses designated as writing-intensive
Clear and effective English prose is essential. The ability to write well, like the ability to speak well, is not learned overnight or in a single course. It is a skill that comes through long practice with expert guidance. Each student must take at least one course during the freshman year and one course during the sophomore or junior year in which frequent writing assignments, conferences with the instructor, and opportunities to rewrite and revise assignments sharpen these skills. As a result, Sewanee graduates are able to express themselves with clarity and precision.
Physical Education: two courses (not counted among the thirty-two full academic courses required for graduation)
As the Greeks and Romans understood, healthy bodies and minds are closely connected and need to be cultivated together. Students are required to take two courses offered by the physical education staff in order to learn about the proper care of the body, the value of regular exercise, and to obtain an appreciation of individual and team sports.
Interdisciplinary Humanities Program: The Interdisciplinary Humanities Program is a sequence of four chronologically arranged courses, ordinarily intended for freshmen and sophomores, that introduces the cultural history of the western world. The team-taught program includes lectures for all students and smaller discussion sections. It focuses on major phenomena in western arts, literature, history, philosophy, and religion. Students who complete the entire humanities sequence receive credit for four college course requirements (philosophy/religion, fine arts, History 100, and English 101). These credits also satisfy 100-level prerequisites for upper-level courses in English, history, philosophy, religion, and music, and upper-level courses in art history requiring Art History 103. A student who receives credit for the full humanities sequence does not receive credit for English 101 or History 100. Those who complete only part of the humanities sequence receive one elective credit for each course completed, and they must fulfill all college requirements in the usual way. Those who complete two humanities courses receive two writing-intensive course credits (and thereby meet the college requirement for two writing-intensive courses).
