Jan 31, 2025

Course Catalog 2013-2014

Course Catalog 2013-2014 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses Open to and Appropriate for New Students

This list contains courses that are open and appropriate for summer registration by incoming first-year students. If you have advising questions about these courses, please email first.year.advice@oberlin.edu.

Beginning in Fall Semester 2013, courses in the College of Arts and Sciences academic departments are offered as full or half academic courses. A full academic course is equivalent to four credits; a half academic course is equivalent to two credits. PLEASE NOTE: In the listing below, you will see the word “full;” this does not mean the course does not have any available seats, it means that it is a full academic course equivalent to four credits.

Omitted from this list are courses with pre-requisites and courses that require consultation with a member of the faculty before registration. You will be able to register for these courses during the on-campus registration period in August.

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

A quick guide to all fall courses is available at: http://new.oberlin.edu/office/registrar/class-schedules/ or you may search PRESTO (presto.cc.oberlin.edu) for schedule information.

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. Please see the new students website section on Academic Planning (https://new.oberlin.edu/new-students/academic-planning/) for information about placement exams. The placement test will guide us in placing you in the correct course in our curriculum; once you know the results of the placement exam, you will be able to register for the appropriate class after you arrive on campus.

Africana Studies

Anthropology

Arabic Language

ARBC 101 - Beginning Arabic I

Art

Art History

Studio Art

Biology

First year students with an Biology AP score of 5 or an IB score of 6 will have Biology 605 on their transcript will which will serve as a prerequisite for 200 level courses. First year students will be able to register for those courses when they arrive on campus.

Comparative American Studies

Chemistry

CHEM 101 - Structure and Reactivity in Chemistry

Chinese

CHIN 101 - Elementary Chinese I

Cinema Studies

Classics

CLAS 201 - Magic and Mystery Ancient World

College Music

CMUS 103 - Introduction to the Anthropology of Music: Case Studies from around the World

Comparative Literature

CMPL 250 - Introduction to Literary Translation: Theory, History, Practice

Creative Writing

Computer Science

Dance

East Asian Studies

Economics

English

Entrepreneurship

Environmental Studies

ENVS 101 - Environment and Society

French

First Year Seminar Program

Geology

German

New students will have an opportunity to register for upper level German courses after arriving on campus and taking placement exams.

Greek

First year students with prior preparation in Greek may enroll in 200 or 300 level courses during registration in August. The Classics department does not give or require a placement exam in Greek; however, during orientation Classics faculty are happy to consult with students about which level of the language would be appropriate for them.

Hispanic Studies

Except for 101, all Hispanic Studies courses require appropriate AP or SAT II scores or a placement exam. You will have an opportunity to register for other Hispanic Studies courses after you arrive on campus so consider other courses offered in the department and see specific information about entry into HISP courses at new.oberlin.edu/hispanic_studies.

HISP 101 - Elementary Spanish I

History

Japanese

JAPN 101 - Elementary Japanese I

Jewish Studies

Latin

First year students with prior preparation in Latin may enroll in 200 or 300 level courses during registration in September. 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.

Latin American Studies

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

Mathematics

In order to take introductory statistics (STAT 113 or 114) or introductory calculus (MATH 131 or 133 only), students must take the corresponding ‘readiness’ exam. These short tests are given during orientation week and other times during the semester. Once you have taken the readiness test and met with your advisor, you will be able to register for the appropriate course during on-campus registration.

The Calculus Readiness Exam (but not the Statistics Readiness Exam) is also available online on Blackboard. (You can get to it by logging in to Blackboard, clicking on the “Classes” tab and then following the directions in the box titled “Placement Tests” under the “Information” tab.) After taking the readiness exam and meeting with an advisor, you will have the opportunity to register for statistics, calculus and other mathematics classes once you are on campus.

Please note that only 100 and 200 level courses are listed, but 300 level courses will be open for on-campus registration.

Neuroscience

First year students with an Biology AP score of 5 or an IB score of 6 will 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.