2008-09 Catalog - Saint Mary's College of California

the schoolsSchool of Liberal ArtsA liberal arts education is the ideal preparation for citizen leaders of thenew millennium. The School of Liberal Arts at Saint Mary’s College hasthree educational purposes:1. To free the mind from ignorance and error;2. To foster self-discovery and personal development;3. To promote understanding of the world and one’s place in it.The School of Liberal Arts offers an education that lasts a lifetime — onethat honors cooperative as well as individual achievement, promotes theapplication of learning to progressively complex problems, and fosterscreativity, self-awareness, and civic engagement. No matter what theystudy — the fine arts, the humanities, the social sciences — liberal artsstudents not only complete a degree in their chosen academic area,they also learn to think critically, gather and assess information, solveproblems, express themselves with clarity and precision, and collaborateeffectively with others.The hallmark of a liberal arts education is the preparation it givesstudents for lifelong learning. Technical skills may become obsolete overtime, but the skills and values gained through liberal arts coursework willnot. Almost every profession requires the intellectual habits of rationalanalysis, integrative thinking, and ethical decision making. Today’sorganizations value students with a liberal arts education because theirknowledge, values and skills better prepare them for changing economicconditions than pre-professional courses.The departments, programs, and curricular areas of the school are:AnthropologyArt/Art HistoryClassical LanguagesCommunicationEnglishEnglish Composition ProgramHistoryIntegral ProgramInternational Area Studies ProgramKinesiologyLiberal and Civic Studies ProgramModern LanguagesPerforming Arts: Dance, Music and TheatrePhilosophyPoliticsSociologyStudies for Multilingual Students ProgramTheology and Religious StudiesWomen’s Studies Program