Mar 28, 2024  
2011-2012 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2011-2012 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

New College B.A. Program


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New College offers four Bachelor of Arts degrees: Creative Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.

A. The Following Requirements:


1. Semester Hour Requirement - At least 124


The successful completion of at least 124 semester hours and a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 in work completed at Hofstra.

2. Liberal Arts Requirement - At Least 94 s.h.


At least 94 semester hours of the total must be in liberal arts. Beyond this minimum, the student may elect either nonliberal arts courses or additional liberal arts courses. All courses in New College and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are offered for liberal arts credit unless otherwise noted. 

3. Residency Requirement


There are two requirements that must be completed in residence at Hofstra: 20 semester hours in the concentration, and the last 30 semester hours. To fulfill this requirement, New College students must complete in residence at least 6 semester hours in each of the two areas of the concentration. These 12 semester hours need not be included in the last 30 semester hours. As part of the 20 s.h. requirement in the concentration, during their senior year students must take in residence the Capstone Seminar (4 s.h.), and the Senior Project (4 s.h.).

4. Block Course Scheduling and Requirements:


New College offers freshmen a block schedule in which each semester is divided into four consecutive units or blocks. Students take just one course at a time during each block. Each block is 3 ½ weeks long, meets four days a week, and is worth 4 semester hours, so that freshmen can earn 32 credits toward graduation in their first year. This schedule enables students to focus all of their attention and energy on one subject, in and outside of class.

Note: All students enrolled in block courses are subject to the same policies and calendar as those in effect for undergraduates throughout the University.

New College Freshmen


a.    New College freshmen are on a block schedule in the fall and spring semesters.

b.    Block courses taken by New College freshmen fulfill the general B.A. degree requirements of the school described in B.1 and B.2, below.

c.    Once New College freshmen have completed their block courses, they follow the regular University undergraduate course schedule.

d.    Students who change majors from New College to other units of the University will be able to apply credits that they have earned in block courses toward satisfying the University’s English composition requirement or distribution requirements. (See Note 1)

e.    Freshmen may take block courses for a maximum of two semesters. For freshmen who take block courses for the first time at the start of the spring semester, the only block courses they may take are those offered in that semester.

f.    In the fall semester, freshmen must take Place and Identity and three other block courses.

g.    In the spring semester, freshmen must take Ways of Knowing, two other block courses and the First-Year Independent Project.

h.    Freshmen must take Place and Identity and Ways of Knowing in two different divisional categories.

i.    Freshmen may not take block courses on an individual basis. Students taking block courses must enroll in four such courses each semester.

j.    During the semester that they are enrolled in block courses, students may not take any other courses at Hofstra or elsewhere.

k.    Freshmen who move to New College from another school within Hofstra or transfer to New College should consult section D.1, below, for requirements.

All Freshmen


a.    Freshmen enrolled in schools other than New College may take block courses in the fall or spring semester or both.

b.    Freshmen invited to the Hofstra University Honors College, including those enrolled in New College, have the option to take block courses during their first year and Culture and Expression during their sophomore year.

c.    Students enrolled in schools other than New College are able to apply credits that they have earned in the appropriate block courses toward satisfying the University’s English composition requirement or distribution requirements (see Note 1).

d.    For additional requirements pertaining to block courses, see “New College Freshmen,” e-k, above.

5. Sophomore Seminar


In the fall semester of their second year, students must take the Sophomore Seminar Crossing Borders/Crossing Disciplines. This course carries Cross-Cultural (CC) distribution credit.

6. Distribution Requirement


In addition to the block courses taken in the first year, New College students must take at least six distribution courses as follows (see Distribution Courses in the HCLAS section of this Bulletin):

a. Humanities - At Least 6 s.h.


At least six semester hours in courses from the Humanities division. At least three semester hours must be in the Literature (LT) category and at least three semester hours in the Appreciation and Analysis (AA) or Creative Participation (CP) category.

b. Natural Sciences/Mathematics/Computer Science - At Least 6 s.h.


At least six semester hours in courses from the Natural Sciences/Mathematics/Computer Science division. At least three semester hours must be in the Natural Sciences (NS) category and at least three semester hours in the Mathematics/Computer Science (MC) category.

c. Social Sciences - At Least 6 s.h.


At least six semester hours in courses from the Social Sciences division. At least three semester hours must be in the Behavioral Social Sciences (BH) category and at least three semester hours must be in the History, Philosophy, Religious Studies (HP) category.

d. Pass/D+/D/Fail


Courses taken on an optional Pass/D+/D/Fail basis may not be used to satisfy the New College distribution requirements. Note, however, that some distribution courses are given only on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis and may be used to fulfill distribution requirements.

7. English Composition Requirement


a. Block Courses


All block courses, with the exception of foreign language courses, and all degree programs in New College are writing intensive and stress the importance of writing across the curriculum. With the exception of courses in foreign languages, in each New College block course, students will write a minimum of 5,000 words, including a significant amount of writing and revision in class (see Note 1).

b. WSC 1 and 2


In order to satisfy the University’s English composition requirement for WSC 1, New College students must earn a grade of C- or better in Place and Identity (4 s.h.) and a grade of P in the associated writing workshop (0 s.h.)  in the fall semester.  Otherwise, the student must take WSC 1. In order to satisfy the University’s English composition requirement for WSC 2, New College students must earn a grade of C- or better in the designated literature block course (4 s.h.) and a grade of P in the associated writing workshop  in the spring semester. Otherwise, the student must take WSC 2.

c. Writing Proficiency Exam


All New College students must take and pass the Hofstra Writing Proficiency Exam as a requirement for graduation. (See Note 2.)

8. Foreign Language Requirement


Completion of level 4 of a foreign language, placement above level 4, or completion of the Special Language Option. Students continuing a language studied in high school should follow option A below. Students who do not wish to continue the study of a foreign language studied in high school should follow option B below. International students may satisfy the language requirement either by completing ELP 36 or by placing out of the requirement by taking the placement examination in their native language.

Option A. Continuing a Language Studied in High School


For students continuing the same language studied in high school, the successful completion of level 4 of that language will satisfy the foreign language requirement. Placement for students continuing a language studied in high school:

 

  • Students without transfer college credit in the foreign language studied in high school must take the language placement test (administered by the Language Laboratory) to determine placement in the proper level. No student shall receive credit toward graduation for any course below his or her level of placement in that language.
  • Students with transfer college credit in the foreign language studied in high school should continue in the next level which follows that in which they have received credit.

For both transfer and non-transfer students continuing the same language studied in high school, the foreign language requirement can only be satisfied by completing level 4.

Option B. The Special Language Option


Students who do not wish to continue the study of a foreign language studied in high school may take levels 1 and 2 of a foreign language not previously studied and six semester hours chosen from the following:

 

  • levels 3 and/or 4 of that language;
  • levels 1 and/or 2 of any other foreign language not previously studied;
  • literature in translation;
  • comparative literature;
  • linguistics

Sudents who wish to use option B should file the Special Language Option Form with the Advisement Office. If the student’s high school transcript is not on file, the student must supply one in order to complete the process. NOTE: The Pass/D+/D/Fail Option is not available for courses taken in fulfillment of any language requirement.

9. Requirements for the Concentration


New College offers four Bachelor of Arts degrees: Creative Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. In addition to the General B.A. degree requirements, each New College degree requires that students, in consultation with an adviser, design a concentration in two distinct but related subject areas. The concentration consists of at least 38 semester hours. This includes at least 12 semester hours in each subject area, as well as 4 semester hours for the Capstone Seminar and 4 semester hours for the Senior Project.

A student may not count more than 45 semester hours within a single discipline toward the 124 credits for the B.A. without special permission from the appropriate academic dean, except that this limit shall be 48 semester hours for those students qualifying and electing to undertake departmental honors courses.

In the spring semester of the sophomore year, each New College student must also design a Sophomore Contract in consultation with an advisor. This contract specifies the courses the student intends to take for the concentration.

10. Pass/D+/D/Fail Option (P or D+ or D or F)


New College block courses may not be taken on an optional Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. See also “Pass/D+/D/Fail Option.”

B. New College General B.A. Degree Requirements (See Note 3)


  1. Place and Identity + 3 other block courses
    4 s.h. each (Fall of first year)
  2. Ways of Knowing + 2 other block courses + First-Year Independent Project
    4 s.h. each (Spring of first year)
  3. Foreign Language Requirement (See Note 4)
  4. Sophomore Seminar (Crossing Borders/Crossing Disciplines) (see Note 5)
    4 s.h. (Fall of sophomore year)
  5. Distribution Requirement (See Note 6)
  6. Junior Colloquium I (Fall) and Junior Colloquium II (Spring)
  7. Internship and/or Study Abroad (See Note 7)
    4-8 s.h. of approved internships and/or study abroad courses (preferably junior year).

C. Concentration Requirements - At Least 38 s.h.


At least 38 s.h. as specified in the Sophomore Contract, including the following: (See Note 8)

 

  1. At least 12 semester hours in each of the two subject areas.
  2. Capstone Seminar
    4 s.h. (Fall of senior year)
  3. Senior Project
    4 s.h. (Spring of senior year) (See Note 9)

D. Requirements for Transfer Students


Students seeking to transfer into New College must first have the permission of the Vice Dean or a representative of that office. (See Note 10)

Transfer to New College is open only to students with 64 semester hours or less at the time of admission and who meet the guidelines for admission to the University.

Students with 48 to 64 semester hours who wish to transfer to New College must have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and must submit a personal essay explaining why they are seeking admission to the College.

Qualified transfer applicants may be asked to have a personal interview with the Vice Dean or a representative of that office as a requirement for admission to New College.

1. Block Courses


a.    Enrollment in block courses is limited to freshmen.
b.    Freshmen who wish to transfer into New College must do so at the start of the fall or spring semester.
c.    For freshmen who transfer into New College at the start of the spring semester, the only block courses they may take are those offered in that semester.

2. English Composition Requirement


Students who transfer into New College must satisfy the requirements for WSC 1 and 2, as stipulated in the University Degree Requirements (see E.1 and 2) or their equivalent in New College under advisement.

3. Sophomore Seminar


Students who transfer into New College with the rank of sophomore or above must take the Sophomore Seminar Crossing Borders/Crossing Disciplines in fulfilling their degree requirements.

4. Distribution Requirement


a.    Freshmen and those with higher standing who transfer into New College in the spring semester must fulfill HCLAS distribution requirements (see “Distribution Courses” in the HCLAS section of this Bulletin). Block courses may be counted toward the fulfillment of these requirements.

b.    In lieu of A.6, above, students who transfer into New College after their first year must fulfill the distribution course requirements for HCLAS and must take Crossing Borders/Crossing Disciplines as a requirement for the degree.

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