Course Selection Guidebook [pdf] - College of William and Mary

Course Selection Guidebook – Fall 2011I. IntroductionThis guidebook has been prepared to give entering freshmen a focused introduction to first semestercourse selection. Each department in Arts and Sciences, where all freshman courses are taken, hasprovided information about its program and suggested introductory courses most appropriate toentering freshmen. When used in conjunction with the online schedule of classes, this guidebookwill allow entering freshmen to select an appropriate set of courses for the Fall 2011 semester.Information is also provided about degree programs in the Mason School of Business and the Schoolof Education. Students do not, however, enter these programs until the junior year. Please note thatgrade-point-average restrictions and prerequisite course requirements must be met before entry intothese schools. Acceptance to William & Mary does not automatically guarantee acceptance intothese programs.II.Hints on Course SelectionYour first two years of courses will be used to fulfill General Education Requirements (GERs); tomeet the College’s language and writing proficiency requirements; to complete the freshmanseminar requirement; and to explore disciplines with the goal of declaring a major at the end of yoursecond year. While some students enter college with a particular major, career, or profession inmind, many will change their minds several times in the course of their studies. The best approach tocourse selection is one of flexibility and openness to change. When choosing courses for your firstsemester, there are a number of useful hints to keep in mind. First, read the following section on“General Education Objectives” to set the framework for pursuing undergraduate study in a liberalarts environment and then consider the following guidelines:1) Complete the Freshman Seminar requirement during the first OR second semester.2) Complete the proficiencies and GERs as soon as possible.3) Take a course or courses in subjects that are potential majors.4) Build on strengths by choosing some subjects familiar to you and some that grow out of yourreflections on our general education objectives.5) Try some subjects that are new to you.6) Balance your program so that courses do not cluster around a single area.7) Be aware that certain majors have course requirements that are outside of the major (seeSection III).8) Use your Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate or dual enrollment transfercredits to fulfill GER, proficiency, and major requirements (see Section IV and V).A typical first-semester load will consist of 4 or 5 academic courses. Most courses are one semesterin length and are worth three or four credits. A typical three-credit course will meet for 50 minuteson Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or for 75 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday. Courses worthfour credits will have additional meeting times (e.g. science labs, language drills, etc.). Do notundertake too much in your first semester. A semester of adjustment to the greater demands ofcollege work is quite appropriate. A full-time load is 12-18 credits, with a typical first semesterfreshman load averaging 13-14 credits.2