2007-08 Undergraduate Catalog
Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705
 

Dean: Yaw A. Asamoah

        Associate Dean: Alphonse N. Novels

        Assistant Dean for Technology: Benjamin K. Dadson

        Dean’s Associate: Susan R. Boser

Website: www.iup.edu/humanities

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences provides a liberal education as an essential foundation for the student’s preparation for a satisfying career. The college maintains an emphasis on the fundamental understanding of our cultural heritage, combined with development of a thorough background of knowledge in the student’s specific area of interest. It seeks to promote in students critical and objective thinking, analytical skills, and a keen awareness of their responsibilities to society.

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Degrees

The departments of Anthropology, Economics, English, French and German, Geography and Regional Planning, History, Journalism, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Spanish, and Sociology offer work leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor of Science degree is offered in Regional Planning. The Bachelor of Science in Education is offered in English, French, German, Social Science, Social Studies, and Spanish.

Master of Arts or Master of Science degrees are offered by English, Geography and Regional Planning, History, Political Science, and Sociology. The English and Sociology departments offer the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Information about these programs may be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Junior-Year Review

A review of degree requirements is completed for all students who are candidates for a degree offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The purpose of the review is to verify that a student is on track to meet graduation requirements by their anticipated graduation date. Completed junior-year review reports must be approved by the department chairperson and the associate dean.

It remains the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation by the announced deadline. Failure to meet the graduation application deadline may result in a delay in the student’s graduation.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the university’s Liberal Studies requirements, students seeking a baccalaureate degree in this college must complete the requirements for a major as established by the department through which they wish to specialize. Statements of these requirements, and the requirements for those minoring in a specific field, appear in the department sections that follow. A dual baccalaureate degree or double major or minor may encompass a discipline outside as well as within the college but should be selected only with advisor approval. As a general principle, there is considerable latitude in course choice for Humanities and Social Sciences majors. The intermediate-level foreign language requirement (description follows) applies without exception to all Humanities and Social Sciences four-year degree programs.

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College Foreign Language Requirements

Students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences must demonstrate an intermediate level of foreign language proficiency as a college requirement for graduation. They may choose any of the languages offered, including self-instruction in the Critical Languages, described below. Intermediate-level foreign language courses in French, German, Italian, and Spanish will also count as Liberal Studies electives.

For students with previous foreign language instruction or experience, individual placement into foreign language courses may be done during placement testing and registration prior to the first semester at IUP. Students whose placement test demonstrates competence equivalent to the intermediate level are considered to have fulfilled the foreign language requirement. Students with no previous foreign language background will take entry-level courses, which may be counted as free electives in the total required for graduation.

Any foreign student, registered as such at IUP, whose acquired native language is other than English and who demonstrates an acceptable proficiency in English, is exempt from the foreign language requirement if the department of the student’s major does not require a specific foreign language.

Critical Languages Program

The Critical Languages program is a self-instructional/tutorial approach to less commonly taught foreign languages. Students meet with a tutor three hours per week in addition to practicing with audiocassettes. Most tutors are native speakers of the language. Professional teachers of the specific language may be brought in from other universities to evaluate student performance. The final grade is based on final examination as well as on performance during the tutorial sessions. Interested students must contact the coordinator before registration. Each course carries 3 credits.

The following languages may be available for study: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, and Swedish.

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Foreign Study Programs

College majors may be interested in the various Foreign Study Programs and Tours offered. Credits obtained through such arrangements normally are applicable toward a Humanities and Social Sciences degree. Also of interest are the college’s credit-awarding programs at Valladolid (Spain), Duisburg (Germany), and Nancy (France), as well as the Summer Study in Mexico Program. For further information, contact the chair of the appropriate language department.

IUP at Valladolid: Through the Spanish Department, the university has offered a spring semester of study at the University of Valladolid, Spain, for more than forty years. The participants live in private homes. For details and brochures, contact the Spanish Department.

IUP at Duisburg: IUP has a study abroad program at the University of Duisburg, West Germany. The program is open to German majors and other students having specific interest in a foreign study experience. Students must register for FNLG 100 and pay a foreign exchange fee for each semester in the program. For further information, contact the French and German Department.

IUP at Nancy: IUP has established a study program with the University of Nancy, France. Participants in the Nancy program must pay a foreign exchange fee for each semester in the program. For details, contact the French and German Department.

IUP at Mexico Summer Program: The Spanish Department sponsors a program of study in Spanish language in Mexico. The program is located at Cuernavaca, and the cost of the program includes transportation, complete room and board, insurance, and tuition. The student may earn up to 6 credits of undergraduate or graduate credit. Internship opportunities are available for students with fluency in Spanish. For details and brochures, contact the Spanish Department.

IUP at Costa Rica Summer Program: The Department of Spanish has also established a four-week study program at the National University of Costa Rica, located in Heredia. Participants live with Costa Rican families and take classes at the university. This program is intended for students who are going abroad for the first time, and preference is given to beginning students. Participants earn four transfer credits in Spanish from the UNA. For details and brochures, contact the Spanish Department.

Pre-Law Track

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a pre-law track that prepares the student for application to law school. This track is in the following Social Sciences, Humanities, and Business departments: Business, Criminology, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, and Political Science. All tracks are designed as part of a baccalaureate degree and as preparation for law school.

Coursework in the pre-law track centers upon a carefully developed interdisciplinary minor. For detailed guidance in pre-law, students should consult the pre-law advisor in their major department.

Departmental Honors Tracks

Departmental honors tracks in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences enable eligible students to participate in advanced study in their disciplines. These tracks are particularly encouraged for students who intend to seek admission to graduate or professional schools.

Honors coursework is recorded on university transcripts and students completing the departmental honors tracks will be recognized at departmental commencement ceremonies. For detailed guidance in departmental honors tracks, students should consult the description in their major department and meet with their advisors.

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Internship Programs

Humanities and Social Sciences departments have internship programs which allow students to engage in supervised off-campus work experience for credit. IUP students have worked in Harrisburg as aides to state legislators, with the Governor’s Justice Commission and the Local Government Commission, and with the Investigations Division, Pennsylvania Department of Justice. Others have worked at correctional institutions in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Warrendale, as peer group counselors on the local campus, as assistants to the Pennsylvania state Republican chairperson, as on-site guides at the United Nations, as workers on an Israeli kibbutz, and as student aides for the Department of Education in Puerto Rico. Other students have worked in the Pittsburgh federal probation office. Many students have worked with major political parties and candidates at the local and state levels. At the county level, they have been attached to the offices of the county planner, the Common Pleas Court, the coroner, the treasurer, commissioners, and the borough manager. Students have also worked in the Washington offices of Pennsylvania congressmen and in many federal and international organizations in Washington as well. Opportunities for internships in other countries also exist. For more information about specific internship programs, students should consult with the chair of the department in which the student is majoring.

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Asian Studies Minor

Stuart Chandler, Coordinator

The Asian Studies Minor is designed to increase students’ knowledge of the world’s largest, most populous, and most diverse continent. Its purpose is to provide a focus area within liberal studies requirements of the IUP curriculum. The minor supplies an opportunity to increase students’ understanding of Asian cultures, environments, and peoples. It adds depth to the liberal studies portion of the students’ program, enhances job skills, and prepares students for postgraduate programs with area or regional themes.

Students complete a minimum of 18 credits, at least 12 of which must be outside of their major. ASIA 200 is required of all Asian Studies minors. At least four courses (12 credits), including at least two different departmental prefixes, must come from Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused. One Asian “Critical Language” course may apply to the Category A requirement. The remaining course may come from either Category A or Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused. Special topics and independent study courses may be applied to either category with the approval of the Asian Studies Committee. Students who complete courses through established study-abroad centers in an Asian country can apply for credit towards the Asian Studies Minor. Each request for transfer credit will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Asian Studies Committee.

• Required Course: ASIA 200 Introduction to Asian Studies

• Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused Courses are devoted to a combination or subset of the following topics: the continent of Asia (as defined by International Geographical Union convention), its physical environments, and the social systems and cultures indigenous to the region.

• Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused Courses have significant material specifically about the continent of Asia, its physical environments, and the social systems and cultures indigenous to the region. The remainder of the course material establishes relevant comparisons and contexts for Asian themes.

For further information on the Asian Studies Minor, contact the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, 201 McElhaney Hall, 724-357-2280.

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Latin American Studies Minor

The Latin American Studies Minor is a multidisciplinary program that brings together courses focusing on the history, literature, culture, geography, political economy, and social organization of Latin America. This minor is designed to increase awareness and understanding of Latin American peoples, environments, and cultures. Its purpose is to combine an area focus with the liberal studies requirements of the IUP curriculum. The minor helps IUP students to enrich their understanding of world cultures and of the complexity of cultural diversity in a changing world. In addition, one goal is to expand student awareness of the contributions persons of this region have made to the United States and internationally. A Latin American Studies Minor is thus valuable in an increasingly diverse society, especially since people of Hispanic descent represent the largest minority population in the United States.

Students must complete 18 credits to earn a minor in Latin American Studies. In keeping with the multidisciplinary approach of the program, students are encouraged to take courses from departments throughout the university. Students can count no more than 9 credits from the same department (or 6 credits within their major) toward the minor. At least three courses (9 credits) must come from Category A: Exclusively Latin America-Focused. Other courses may come from either Category A or Category B: Substantially Latin America-Focused. Special topics and independent study courses may be applied to either category with the approval of the Latin American Studies Committee. Students enrolled in the colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Humanities and Social Sciences who are considering a minor in Latin American Studies are strongly encouraged to take SPAN 201 to complete their Liberal Studies language requirement. Students should consult with the program coordinator to determine if there are any prerequisites for the courses listed below. Through counseling, the program coordinator will work with individual departments to determine if students might be qualified for prerequisite exemptions. Students who complete courses through established study-abroad centers in Latin America can apply for credit towards the Latin American Studies Minor. Each request for transfer credit will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the program coordinator.

• Required Course: LAS 480

• Category A: Exclusively Latin America-Focused courses are devoted to a combination or subset of the following topics: the countries which compose Latin America, its physical environments, and the human systems and cultures of the region.

• Category B: Substantially Latin America-Focused courses have significant material specifically about the countries which compose Latin America, its physical environments, and the human systems and cultures of the regions. The remainder of the course materials establishes relevant comparisons and contexts for Latin American themes.

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For further information on this minor, contact the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, 201 McElhaney Hall, 724-357-2280.

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Pan-African Studies Minor

The Pan-African Studies minor is a multidisciplinary program that brings together courses focusing on the vitality and accomplishments of pre-colonial African societies, the cultural and racial heritages of people of African descent in relationship to western societies, and aspects of modern-day African cultures. The cluster of courses included in this program represents a broad, diverse look at the diaspora of people of African origin.

The minor helps IUP students to enrich their cross-cultural studies; to heighten their awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural diversity; and to expand their knowledge of world contributions of persons of African heritage. A Pan-African studies minor is thus valuable in an increasingly diverse society and attractive to employers and graduate schools alike.

For further information on this minor, contact the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, 201 McElhaney Hall, 724-357-2280.

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Women's Studies Program 

Fauzia Ahmed, Director

Website: www.iup.edu/womens

The Women’s Studies minor is designed to examine the status and experiences of women from a multidisciplinary perspective. The courses use a variety of methods and disciplinary perspectives to explore the impact of gender on the experiences of the individual. Women’s contributions to a variety of fields and the historical, literary, and cultural images of women are also addressed. Students are encouraged to challenge traditional theories and research regarding women and to develop a critical, multidisciplinary, multicultural, and gendered view of the world. Courses taught within the minor typically involve the students through innovative, experiential classroom exercises and written assignments. Courses in Women’s Studies address social equity issues and encourage students to perceive themselves as capable of transforming society.

A minor in Women’s Studies indicates to the prospective employer an awareness of and sensitivity to gender issues. This awareness may be needed in the following positions: personnel specialist, affirmative action officer, crisis intervention specialist, family and youth services provider, legal advocate. A minor in Women’s Studies can contribute to success in a variety of fields including communication, counseling, criminology, education, health, journalism, law, politics, psychology, and applied sociology.

Students interested in attending graduate school will also find a minor in Women’s Studies valuable for a variety of areas, including English, history, studies in the social sciences, and law school.

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