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Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Pre-professional Studies

Pre-Law Studies and Advising

Students who plan to pursue a law degree after graduation should contact the Center for Career Services. In addition to an academic major advisor, the student will be assigned a pre-law advisor who will help with selecting courses, researching law schools, applying to law schools, and preparing for LSATs.

In general, to be a successful law school candidate, a student must achieve good grades in challenging courses, develop excellent writing skills, demonstrate analytical ability, and be involved in one’s community, especially in leadership positions. Required LSAT scores vary by school.

Marymount University has a Direct Entry Affiliation Agreement with Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law. This enables qualified third-year Marymount students in designated majors to be admitted to the first year of law school during their senior year at Marymount. Students in these designated majors (Business Administration with Business Law specialty, Economics, Criminal Justice, English, and Politics) who are interested in direct entry to the Columbus School of Law after their junior year at Marymount should discuss this track with their major advisor as soon as they become interested. The advisor will guide students through the selection of Marymount courses and refer them to the Office of Admissions of the Columbus School of Law as potential applicants. Qualified students may receive credit from both Marymount and Catholic University for a maximum of 29 credits taken at the Columbus School of Law. For students to be eligible to apply to the Columbus School of Law through this program, the following criteria must be met:

  • complete at least three (3) years of coursework
  • earn a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.60 by the end of the third (junior) year
  • score above the 66th percentile on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
  • remain in good academic and disciplinary standing
  • meet all of the fitness, character, and other criteria for admission required by the Office of Admission of the Columbus School of Law

Qualified graduating seniors who have earned a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.50 by the end of the fourth (senior) year may also apply for direct entry but will not receive Marymount credit for Columbus School of Law courses.

For additional information, refer to the following sections of the Catalog: Business Administration, Economics, Criminal Justice, English, Politics.

Pre-Medicine Studies and Advising

Students who plan to pursue a medical degree after graduation for a career in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, or podiatry should contact the School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to an academic major advisor, the student will be assigned a pre-med advisor who will help with selecting courses, researching medical schools, completing the medical school application process, and preparing for MCATs.

Although medical schools do not require specific degrees as prerequisites for admission, most require strong academic performance in specific courses. The courses most often required include General Biology I and II, Principles of Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, General Physics I and II, Calculus I, and General Psychology. For Marymount students who choose to major in biology, a pre-med track is offered. See Biology and Physical Sciences for more information on Marymount’s program. To be a successful medical school applicant, a student must also demonstrate an understanding of the medical profession through work or volunteer activities. Required MCAT scores vary by school.

At Marymount, students considering professional study in health fields usually consider biology as an undergraduate major, but pre-professional requirements can be met through a variety of undergraduate fields. Students should consider majoring in the subject area in which they have the strongest aptitude and interest. Acceptance into health-related professional schools is highly competitive and requires the maintenance of a fairly high undergraduate grade point average. The pre-med advisor is available to help design the best possible course sequence for all students interested in a pre-med curriculum regardless of their majors.

Pre-Physical Therapy Studies and Advising

Students will have access to a pre-physical therapy advisor from the Department of Physical Therapy in addition to their degree major advisor. See Pre-Physical Therapy for further information.

Student Research — DISCOVER

DISCOVER promotes undergraduate research and creativity, integrated throughout the academic programs of the university. Research and creative work with a faculty mentor provide undergraduates with a unique opportunity to apply course knowledge in their areas of interest and explore careers.

DISCOVER helps match students with faculty mentors; coordinates a summer research program for undergraduate students and faculty mentors; and sponsors the annual Student Research Conference, which showcases undergraduate and graduate student work. The program office is located in the Center for Teaching and Learning.

More information can be found on the DISCOVER pages on the university website. Visit www.marymount.edu and search for "Discover."

Honors Program

The Honors Program offers courses in a wide range of disciplines, emphasizing academic rigor and pedagogical creativity. The Honors Program encourages academic independence in its students by emphasizing inquiry, self-direction, and self-regulation in all academic endeavors. The program celebrates an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Through tutorials and seminars, honors students are challenged to synthesize information across disciplines, developing a broad awareness of knowledge connectedness. Honors students are challenged to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom in ways that provide stewardship and service to the Marymount community, the surrounding DC community, and the environment. The Honors Program, through its academic and extracurricular programs, encourages initiative, responsibility, integrity, and collaboration among its students.

Honors students must fulfill all program requirements, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5, and participate in Honors Program events and activities to maintain program benefits. Participants must earn at least a B in each honors course.

Primary academic advising for honors students will be delivered by faculty from their respective majors. Additional advising, specific to the honors curriculum, will be provided by the honors director.

Curriculum Overview

Students in the Honors Program are required to earn at least 24 credits of honors coursework. Typically, students are expected to earn all honors credits while enrolled at Marymount. The curriculum is designed so that each incoming freshman in the Honors Program completes one honors course (3 credits) per semester to successfully achieve the 24-credit-hour requirement. Students admitted to the Honors Program after freshman year will be expected to take more than one honors course per semester in some instances to successfully complete the 24-credit-hour requirement. Students are permitted to enroll in a maximum of two honors courses per semester.

  • HON 101 The Quest: An Introduction to the Honors Program (3 credits)
  • Advanced Honors Seminars (9 credits)
  • Honors Tutorials: one Traditional (HON 200) and one Advanced (HON 300) (6 credits)
  • HON 399 Research Tutorial (3 credits)
  • Honors thesis completed within the discipline's senior seminar or HON 400 (3 credits)

Typical Timeline

Year One—Fall

HON 101 The Quest: An Intro to the Honors Program

Year One—Spring

First Advanced Seminar: EN 102 Composition II (HON)

Year Two—Fall

Traditional Tutorial

Year Two—Spring

Second Advanced Seminar

Year Three—Fall

Advanced Tutorial

Year Three—Spring

HON 399 Research Tutorial

Year Four—Fall

HON 400 Senior Seminar or capstone course in major

Year Four—Spring

Third Advanced Seminar and Thesis Defense

The Curriculum

HON 101 The Quest: An Introduction to the Honors Program: Marymount honors students are introduced to the principles of the original liberal arts and the structure of the program through a freshman seminar, HON 101 The Quest: An Introduction to the Honors Program. This course will substitute for DSC 101 and EN 101. Students in HON 101 will examine scholarly and creative works from various fields that have greatly shaped and changed society’s ideas, beliefs, and practices. Additionally, students will be introduced to various forms of scholarship and the skills necessary for serious academic inquiry. Heavy emphasis will be placed on writing and research. Students will be introduced to the discussion-based seminar and the tutorial method.

Advanced Honors Seminars: At least three courses (9 credits) must be completed in advanced Honors Seminars. The Honors Seminars, typically with 12 to 15 students, are taught by select faculty who are encouraged to construct innovative and rigorous courses for the benefit of honors students. These credits may be fulfilled in honors-designated sections of the Liberal Arts Core courses, in graduate seminars (with instructor’s permission), and in courses created by Marymount faculty especially for the Honors Program. This approach provides breadth in the honors curriculum while simultaneously allowing students to earn honors credits in specific interest areas and majors.

Liberal Arts Core Honors classes: Students may choose to take Advanced Honors Seminars that satisfy the university’s Liberal Arts Core requirements. Honors sections of these courses, developed and offered by individual professors and departments, will present a greater challenge to those enrolled. On rare occasions, these honors sections will be opened to students outside the program with approval from the honors director and the instructor.

Honors Seminars: Qualified Marymount faculty are specifically recruited by the director to develop new and innovative undergraduate seminars for honors students. These courses demonstrate pedagogical creativity as well as academic rigor. Past examples include EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in Cinema, HU 394 The World of J.R.R. Tolkien, and HU 320 What is Death?

Graduate Courses: Honors students may petition to take a graduate course for honors credit. They will need approval of the instructor, the department chair, and the director. This is normally done during the junior or senior year and is especially encouraged for students who intend to pursue graduate study in a particular field. Please see the university’s Graduate Catalog for available courses.

Course overload: Honors students may petition to take up to 2 credit hours above the standard maximum of 18 credit hours of academic course work in a given semester without incurring an overage charge. Students will need approval of the instructor, the department chair, and the director.

HON 200/HON 300 Traditional and Advanced Tutorials: Honors Tutorials begin in the student’s sophomore year. There are two types: the Traditional Tutorial and the Research Tutorial. The traditional undergraduate tutorial, developed in the Middle Ages at Oxford and Cambridge, is an intimate and intense learning experience. Traditional Tutorials consist of one to three students meeting once a week over an eight-week period with a professor on a specialized topic. The topic need not be in the student’s major. During each one- to two-hour meeting, students are expected to have completed readings from an agreed-upon list and to have produced a short response paper, which they will read and receive feedback.

HON 399 Research Tutorial: The Research Tutorial, normally taken the second semester of the junior year, is conducted one-on-one with the student’s identified faculty mentor and must be focused on the topic of the student’s Senior Honors Thesis. Each student will work with a mentor on a scholarly research project. During this semester, the student may serve as a research assistant, becoming acquainted with the specific literature and techniques in the chosen area of research. At the end of the semester, the student is required to submit a research proposal approved by the faculty mentor to the honors director for review. Once the proposal is approved and, if necessary, revised, the student may then commence the research for the Senior Honors Thesis. At the end of this tutorial and during the senior year, the student will produce and defend an Honors Thesis. As HON 399 is a writing intensive (WI) course, the proposal must be at least 15 pages in length.

HON 400 Senior Seminar: Participants will conduct their approved research projects in a "capstone" course. Most majors offer such a course, but for those programs that do not, the Honors Program will offer a section of HON 400 to serve the purpose of a capstone experience. The Senior Thesis may or may not relate to a project in a departmental Senior Seminar. In special circumstances and with prior approval, students may complete the HON 399/HON 400 sequence at another institution with facilities unavailable at Marymount.

Thesis Defense: The Senior Thesis will typically be 30 pages, exclusive of the scholarly apparatus, 15 for creative/design projects. All honors students are required to present and defend their theses before a committee consisting of the thesis advisor, a second reader, and the honors director or the director's designee. This normally occurs during the spring semester of the senior year or during the student’s last semester at the university. Thesis defenses are open to the entire university community and take place each spring. Student theses are archived in the Honors Program Office and on the Library and Learning Services website.

Oxford Summer Study Program

The Honors Program’s mix of seminars, tutorials, and lectures fits the intimate educational environment of Marymount, pays tribute to the liberal arts tradition of Oxford and Cambridge, and prepares Marymount honors students for graduate and professional school. To reinforce these aims and to provide a global perspective for honors students, the program offers 10 tuition scholarships to students every summer for a six-week study tour at the University of Oxford. Students take 6 academic credits, 3 of which are with an Oxford faculty member in a Traditional or Advanced Tutorial. They also travel in sponsored trips to London, Stratford, Windsor, and other British sites as well as embark on independent travel throughout Europe. Some Marymount students choose to spend an entire semester abroad studying at Oxford or schools throughout Europe and Asia.

Contact the Honors Program director for further information.

Global Scholars Program

Marymount’s Global Scholars Program (GSP) prepares students to be intercultural citizens and leaders. It will give students an opportunity to gain a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.

The program allows students to develop global awareness through coursework, experiential learning/research opportunities, and leadership activities. The program complements any student’s program of study. Intercultural learning experiences are developed both within and outside the classroom.

Transcripts for students who successfully complete all program requirements will note “Global Scholar.”

Primary academic advising for global scholar students will be provided by faculty from the student’s major. Additional advising will be provided by the Global Scholars Program director.

Global scholars must fulfill all program requirements and achieve a minimum annual GPA of 3.0 to maintain program benefits.

Program Requirements

The Global Scholars Program has three distinct components: coursework, inquiry-guided learning/research, and leadership activities.

Coursework

Global scholars will complete the following coursework:

  • DISCOVER 101 section with a global theme (3 credits), approved by the Global Scholars Program director
  • three upper-level courses (9 credits) across the disciplines that meet the university Global Perspective requirement and are approved by the Global Scholars Program director
  • four 1-credit colloquium courses (4 credits)
  • GSP 433 Research (3 credits)

In addition, global scholars must show a level of skill in a nonnative modern language equivalent to successful completion of a second-semester, college-level language course. There are two different ways to meet this requirement:

  • Complete 6 credits of college-level foreign language coursework at the elementary level, which may include courses combining language and culture; or complete 3 credits of college-level foreign language coursework at the intermediate level. AP, IB, and CLEP equivalencies are accepted.
  • Receive a waiver from the Global Scholars Program director. Waivers will be granted when a student can demonstrate knowledge of a language equivalent to two semesters of college-level work, typically in a proctored exam.

Inquiry-guided Learning/Research

Global scholars will select an area of global inquiry/research from a list of potential inquiry areas. The list will be based on projects underway by participating faculty sponsors or community organizations who are interested in working with student researchers. Each global scholar will be matched with a sponsor, based on the scholar's inquiry request.

In addition, global scholars are required to enhance coursework and inquiry through participation in any two of the following opportunities:

  • an internship with a global focus, approved by the program director
  • study abroad coursework
  • using second-language proficiency to complete an independent study or project
  • service-learning project with a global focus. The service-learning project can be done locally or internationally. The Center for Global Education works with faculty to develop study abroad opportunities that include a service-learning component.

Leadership

Global scholars will demonstrate leadership by completing an approved on- or off-campus activity.

Study Abroad

Marymount’s Center for Global Education administers, supports, and coordinates all university programs taking place outside the United States.

In today’s international world, study abroad contributes meaningfully to a liberal arts education. When combined with practical experience such as an internship, its value is even greater. Individuals studying abroad integrate into the daily life of the host country and its people.

Semester Programs

Marymount University’s Center for Global Education assists students from a variety of majors to pursue study around the globe to enrich their academic experience.

One program is sponsored by Marymount; others are hosted by other institutions, but facilitated by Marymount’s Center for Global Education.

Marymount’s London Program is sponsored by the university and is offered in partnership with the Foundation for International Education. Students can enroll for the fall, spring, or summer semester. Qualified second-semester sophomores, juniors, and first-semester seniors are eligible. The fall and spring semester programs require full-time enrollment for 12-15 credits; students enroll for 6 credits in the summer. Both the semester and summer programs offer students the option of enrolling in coursework alone or completing a London internship plus coursework. Students in these programs receive direct Marymount credit.

Those electing an option that includes an internship will have opportunities for experiential learning in the London offices of British, American, and multinational firms; British department stores; fashion and design studios; health centers; schools; and media outlets.

Semester programs hosted by other institutions are available to Marymount students who wish to study in locations including Africa, Australia, Austria, Central and South America, China, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Middle East, Spain, and more. Some of these programs are available for summer study as well. Students in these programs receive Marymount transfer credit.

The Center for Global Education can assist students who seek alternative study abroad options to meet specific academic or professional goals as well. Such programs are typically sponsored by other universities or agencies.

All students who participate in study abroad programs must receive prior approval from their advisor, the dean of the school offering their major, and the Center for Global Education. To receive credit for any study abroad program, students must complete a course approval form before departure. These forms are available in the Center for Global Education. (This form does not need to be completed for students in the London Program or short-term Marymount-sponsored programs, as students in these programs receive direct Marymount credit.)

Full details about cost, the program’s calendar, academic criteria, and admission requirements, including deadlines for applications, can be found online. All costs are subject to change, based on fluctuating international currency exchange rates.

More information about all of these opportunities can be found through the Center for Global Education and on the study abroad pages of the Marymount University website. Visit www.marymount.edu and search for "study abroad."

Marymount Short-Term Programs

Periodically, short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs sponsored by Marymount University are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Past programs have included a marine biology and a community health nursing program in Belize, an art and architecture study tour in Italy, a study of operations and management in Belgium, and a forensic psychology program in London.

Students in these programs typically receive direct Marymount credit.

Marymount’s Center for Global Education can provide additional information about these programs and the criteria for enrollment. The study abroad pages of the university website provide additional information about such programs as well. Visit www.marymount.edu and search for "study abroad."

Transferring Study Abroad Credit

All coursework taken through study abroad programs will be processed as transfer credit toward a Marymount degree, provided all courses are approved by a faculty member and that the student meets the university’s requirements for transfer credit. (This does not apply to credits earned through the London Program or Marymount-sponsored short-term programs, as these students receive direct Marymount credit.)

In accordance with the university regulations on post-admission transfer credit, undergraduate students are eligible to transfer no more than 15 semester credits from either a fall or spring semester abroad, or no more than a total of 30 semester credits for an academic year abroad, as this is the full-time course load for undergraduate study and the amount of credit that might be earned in a similar period at Marymount.

The student must earn a grade of C or better to receive transfer credit. Further, grades will not transfer to Marymount nor will they be factored into the student’s GPA. Credits transferred from study abroad programs will not be counted toward the university’s 36-credit minimum residency requirement.

Students studying abroad in programs not sponsored by Marymount should consult the Center for Global Education to learn if they must also maintain Continuous Registration at Marymount. Those who must maintain Continuous Registration but fail to do so will be considered separated from the university. See Continuous Registration for details.

Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area

Marymount University is a member of The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Eligible students from Marymount may take approved courses at member institutions. Other members include American University, The Catholic University of America, Corcoran College of Art + Design, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, The George Washington University, Howard University, Trinity University, University of the District of Columbia, and University of Maryland at College Park.

Students wishing to enroll in a course offered through the consortium must select one that is acceptable to both Marymount University and the visited institution. See the Students Enrolling at Consortium Institutions section for further information about consortium student registration requirements.

Enrollment procedures may be found under the FAQ section of the Registrar’s Office web pages at www.marymount.edu/Academics/Services-Resources/Registrar-s-Office.

Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC)

Marymount University is a member of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC). Eligible students from Marymount may take approved synchronous online language courses from VFIC institutions.

Military Science-Army/Air Force ROTC Program

ROTC, in conjunction with Marymount University, prepares students for careers as United States Army and Air Force officers focusing on all fields of military specialization. These areas include, but are not limited to, nursing, military intelligence, engineering, infantry, and military police. ROTC’s purpose is to instill leadership techniques and principles.

As a part of the consortium of local universities, Marymount’s Army ROTC is taught at George Mason University, and Air Force ROTC is taught at Howard University. Registration must be completed through Marymount’s Registrar’s Office. For more information regarding ROTC at Marymount, please contact Marymount University’s Office of Admission. Information is also available online about the respective programs: Army ROTC, arotc.gmu.edu, and Air Force ROTC, www.coas.howard.edu/airforcerotc.

Catalog Contents

General Information

Admission

Financial Information

Academic Support Services

Academic Information and Policies

University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Programs

Course Descriptions

Accounting Courses

Applied Arts Courses

Astronomy Courses

Biology Courses

Business Law Courses

Center for Career Services

Chemistry Courses

Communication and Media Design Courses

Criminal Justice Courses

Economics Courses

Education Courses

English Courses

EN 090 Introduction to College Reading

EN 100 Introduction to College Writing

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

EN 150 Introduction to American Sign Language

EN 200 Elements of Literary Study

EN 201 World Literature: The Ancient World

EN 202 World Literature: The Middle Ages

EN 203 World Literature: Renaissance through Enlightenment

EN 204 World Literature: Romanticism through Post-Modernism

EN 205 American Literature I

EN 206 American Literature II

EN 207 Theater History

EN 211 Principles of Language

EN 212 Topics in Acting

EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema

EN 225 Literary Superheroes

EN 227 Short Fiction

EN 230 American Multicultural Literature

EN 240 Introduction to Visual and Cultural Studies

EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London

EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing

EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition

EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice

EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice

EN 303 Literary Nonfiction

EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing

EN 308 Style and Revision

EN 321 Modern Drama

EN 322 19th-Century British Poets

EN 323 Modern Poetry

EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition

EN 340 Major Women Writers

EN 350 The American Dream

EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence

EN 355 Shakespeare

EN 357 Topics in Literature Before 1800

EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English

EN 400 Internship

EN 421 Project

EN 424 Senior Seminar

EN 426 Studies in the Novel

EN 428 Studies in Contemporary Literature

EN 429 Topics in Performance

EN 433 Research

EN 490 Major Author(s)

Finance Courses

Fine Arts Courses

First-Year Seminar Courses

French Courses

Geography Courses

Geology Courses

German Courses

Global Scholars Courses

Health And Human Performance Courses

Health Care Management Courses

Health Information Management Courses

History Courses

Honors Courses

Human Resource Management Courses

Humanities Courses

Information Technology Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Interior Design Courses

Legal Administration Courses

Liberal Studies Courses

Literature Courses

Management Courses

Management Science Courses

Marketing Courses

Mathematics Courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Courses

Nursing Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physical Science Courses

Physics Courses

Politics Courses

Psychology Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Theology and Religious Studies Courses

University Leadership

Notices to Students

Index