Apr 20, 2024

Course Catalog 2023-2024

Course Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses Appropriate for New Students

This list contains courses that have seats reserved for incoming first-year students. Most of the courses are available for students to select from when they submit their fall semester course preferences over the summer.

* A small number of courses (marked with an asterisk) have seats reserved for incoming first-year students but require special arrangements such as placement or audition. Registration for these courses will be available starting during orientation.

Email the Academic Advising Resource Center if you have advising questions about these courses.

Review suggestions from academic departments and programs on course planning for new students.

Note on Terminology

Courses in the College of Arts and Sciences academic departments are offered as “full” or “half” academic courses.

A full academic course is four credits
A half academic course is two credits

PLEASE NOTE: In the listing below, you may see the word “full”; this refers to a full academic course equivalent to four credits.

Language Courses

If you have no prior experience in a certain language, you should take the 100-level course in that language. If you have prior study or exposure to the language, you must take a placement test before registering. The placement test will guide us in placing you in the correct course in our curriculum.

Find more information about placement tests.

Non-CANS Courses

Omitted from this list are many courses with prerequisites and courses that require consultation with a member of the faculty before registration. You will be able to register for such courses starting during orientation.

For complete descriptions of these courses, click on either link for the courses below.

View detailed schedule information about fall courses.

Learn more about class schedules.

Africana Studies

Anthropology

Arabic Language

ARBC 101 - Beginning Arabic I

Art History

Astronomy

ASTR 100 - Introductory Astronomy

Biology

Business

Chemistry

Chinese

Except for CHIN 101 , all Chinese courses require a placement exam.

Please see the Language Placement website for more information.

Cinema Studies

Classics

Comparative American Studies

Computer Science

Creative Writing

Dance

East Asian Studies

Economics

ECON 101 - Principles of Economics

English

Environmental Studies

ENVS 101 - Environment and Society

Food Studies

FOOD 101 - Introduction to Food Studies

French

Except for FREN 101 , all French courses require a placement exam.

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies

Geosciences

German

Except for GERM 101 and GERM 130, all German courses require a placement exam.

Greek

First-year students with prior preparation in Greek may enroll in GREK 201. The Classics department does not give or require a placement exam in Greek but during orientation Classics faculty are happy to consult with students about which level of the language would be appropriate for them. During summer registration, students may register for the class that appears to correspond to their experience level, understanding that they may adjust their registration after meeting with the Chair of Classics. Students should be assured that there will be open spots at the 200-level if they have sufficient preparation to begin study at that level.

Hispanic Studies

Except for HISP 101 , all Hispanic Studies courses require a placement exam.

Please see the Language Placement website for more information.

History

Italian

ITAL 101 - Beginning Italian I

Japanese

Except for JAPN 101 , all Japanese courses require a placement exam.

Jewish Studies

Latin

First-year students with prior preparation in Latin may enroll in LATN 201 or LATN 316. The Classics department does not give or require a placement exam in Latin but during orientation Classics faculty are happy to consult with students about which level of the language would be appropriate for them. During summer registration, students may register for the class that appears to correspond to their experience level, understanding that they may adjust their registration after meeting with the Chair of Classics. Students should be assured that there will be open spots at the 200- or 300-level if they have sufficient preparation to begin study at that level.

Latin American Studies

LATS 100 - What is Latin America? Issues in Latin American Studies

Learning Lab

LLAB 102 - Quantitative Thinking

Mathematics

You will have the opportunity, during the first days of orientation, to meet with a faculty member in the Mathematics Department to help you decide which math course is best for you. There are spaces reserved for new students in both 100- and 200-level courses and you will be able to register for those courses during orientation. A brief description of options for first math classes can be found on math department’s website; more details about choosing the right math course are also available at Arts and Sciences New Student Course Planning. If you are considering taking either MATH 130 or MATH 133 (neither of which require a background in calculus), please take the MATH 130/133 pre-advisement survey BEFORE speaking to a faculty member. The pre-advisement survey covers precalculus topics and is available at any time that is convenient for you over the summer. To take it, log in to blackboard.oberlin.edu, click the “Courses” tab at the top, look for the “Placement Tests” box, and follow the links. After taking the pre-advisement survey, you must contact the instructor to help you choose the right course and get consent to register for it. Note that you only need to take this survey to register for Math 130 or 133; for all other first year math classes no pre-advisement survey is necessary. Following are typical courses for first years:

Neuroscience

First year students with a Biology AP score of 5 or an IB score of 6 may be able to register for open seats in NSCI 201 after they arrive on campus. Students with this preparation should speak to the course instructor during orientation for permission to add the course.

NSCI 104 - Running from Bears: The Neuroscience of Survival

Philosophy

Physics

Students interested in taking physics should consult with a physics faculty member for appropriate placement into either PHYS 103 , PHYS 110 , or PHYS 212 , based on past experience. PHYS 110 is the typical entry course for prospective physics and 3-2 engineering majors; MATH 133 is a prerequisite, with students usually taking concurrently MATH 134 .

PHYS 054 - Musical Acoustics
PHYS 103 - Elementary Physics I
PHYS 110 - Mechanics and Relativity (for students interested in a Physics major with previous Calculus experience)

Politics

Psychology

Students with a 4 or a 5 on the APA or a 6 or 7 on the IB exam will be able to register in 200-level psychology courses starting during orientation.

Students may also want to register for COGS 101 - Mind, Brain, and Behavior: An Introduction to Cognitive Sciences . This course counts as an introductory course for the psychology major and a prerequisite for all our 200-level courses.

PSYC 100 - Introduction to Psychological Science

Religion

Russian

Except for RUSS 101 , all Russian courses require a placement exam.

Sociology

Statistics

STAT 113 and STAT 114 assume no prior knowledge of statistics and cover the same material, though STAT 114 emphasizes biological examples. For more detail about choosing the right course, see information under Mathematics/Statistics on the Arts and Sciences New Student Course Planning page.

Studio Art

Studio art courses are enrolled by consent only during the add/drop period (September 1-12). To be considered for consent please email the faculty member teaching your desired class and provide your name, T-number, anticipated major, and other pertinent information. You must show up for the first day of class to be considered for enrollment. Please send images and/or a link to artwork if available, studio art professors are excited about seeing the work of incoming students.

Theater

THEA 100 Introduction to Acting , is designed for actors and other theater practitioners, regardless of their level of experience. Admission to the course is by audition only.

Follow this link for full instructions about preparing and presenting your audition for THEA 100.