<p>In general Mac’s graduation requirements are very similar to many other schools’ liberal arts programs. Nowadays this includes a path which allows graduation without taking calculus.</p>
<p>Summary of <a href=“The Academic Program - Macalester College - Acalog ACMS™”>The Academic Program - Macalester College - Acalog ACMS™;
See also <a href=“The Academic Program - Macalester College - Acalog ACMS™”>The Academic Program - Macalester College - Acalog ACMS™.
With occasional exceptions, 4 credits = 1 course. You’ll need about 32 courses to graduate, usually four a semester.</p>
<p>General Distribution requirements cover subject matter and amount to:</p>
<p>2 courses in Social Sciences (American studies, Anthropology, Asian Languages and Cultures, Economics, Educational Studies, Environmental Studies, Geography, International Studies, Linguistics, Media and Cultural Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies)</p>
<p>2 courses in Natural Sciences (Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies)</p>
<p>3 courses in Humanities and Fine Arts combined with at least one course in Humanities and one course in Fine Arts (Fine Arts: American Studies, Art and Art History, Asian Languages and Cultures, Classics, English, International Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Music,Theatre and Dance, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Humanities: American Studies, Asian Languages and Cultures, Classics, Educational Studies, English, Environmental Studies, French and Francophone Studies, German and Russian Studies, Hispanic Studies, History, International Studies, Linguistics, Media and Cultural Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies)</p>
<p>Some departments offer courses in more than one distribution area. You need to look at each individual course to determine which distribution credit it satisfies.</p>
<p>General Education requirements cover skillsets and approach: internationalism, writing, U.S. identities, and quantitative. It is possible for a single course to satisfy both a distribution and an education requirement. The set of courses which satisfy the education requirements is posted on the Registrar’s website for each semester, (see <a href=“Class Schedules and Registration - Registrar”>Abby Verdin - Registrar). For next fall, these courses are posted here: <a href=“https://www.macalester.edu/registrar/schedules/2014fall/gened/”>https://www.macalester.edu/registrar/schedules/2014fall/gened/</a>.</p>
<p>One course each in internationalism and U.S. mulitculturalism must be taken to graduate. One writing intensive course (not including first-year course) must be taken before senior year. The quantitative requirement is met by taking either 1 Q3 course, 2 Q2 courses, 1 Q2 and 1 Q1 course, or 3 Q1 courses. It is clear from the link that you do not have to take calculus to satisfy this requirement. Indeed it takes three semesters of calc (each a Q1) to satisfy this requirement if no other quant coursework is taken. Instead of calculus you could take a single course in statistical modeling (Q3) to fulfill the requirement. Alternatively you might take Critical Thinking (Q2) from the Philosophy department and Criminal Behavior (Q2) from the Sociology department to meet this requirement in one semester, if you wish. But, of course, you could wait for courses in future semesters, too. Note, for example, that in the current spring semester Technical Theater was credited as a Q2 course.</p>
<p>There is also a second language proficiency requirement and a first-year course requirement. You can probably fulfill all the general requirements in about 12 courses, the greatest variable being the number of courses you will need to take (up to four, depending on your preparation) to fulfill the second language requirement.</p>
<p>How do the General Requirements are supposed to be met?
Does it vary from Major to Major?
All of the general requirements, both distribution and education, are to be fulfilled by each student, regardless of major, before graduation.</p>
<p>How many of those do I have to take each semester?
Mac does not appear to have a progress requirement, so there is no need to take any in any given semester (except, of course, first year courses must be taken in the first year and a writing-intensive course must be taken before fourth year). It is up to you to pace yourself and take the courses you need so you can graduate in (presumably) four years. The typical strategy is get most of the general requirements met by the end of your second year so that you can focus on courses in your major as well as being exposed to a range of disciplines so that you can make an informed decision about your major. Obviously you will also need to keep in mind courses that are prerequisites for other courses you might need to take in the future.</p>
<p>Do I have to take classes listed under Q1, Q2 & Q3 each semester? If so, how many?
No. Just meet the requirement as explained above by the time you graduate, assuming you don’t need a quant course as a prerequisite for some other course you might want to take in the future (for example statistics might be required to take some upperclass psychology or sociology courses.)</p>