General Education Requirements
Director: Kundai Chirindo
Administrative Assistant: Dawn Wilson
Lewis & Clark’s General Education program is designed to spark students’ curiosity, encourage them to take intellectual chances, and push them to participate thoughtfully and passionately in a diverse and interdependent world.
In the first year, students take one faculty-led foundational seminar per semester. These small classes (19–25 students) are designed to help students develop the reading, writing, discussion, and analytical skills they will need to succeed in college and life. One of the two courses focuses on interpreting the meaning and significance of texts (CORE 120 Words), while the other focuses on interpreting quantitative information and models (CORE 121 Numbers). Both of these courses allow students to explore a specialized topic of particular interest with a faculty member and a small group of students.
Over the course of their time at L&C, students will fulfill a set of requirements (categories below) designed to ensure they graduate having explored the breadth of the college’s curriculum.
Courses meeting General Education requirements (except for First-Year Seminars) may also be counted toward a major. No course may meet more than one General Education requirement, except that a course might satisfy Bibliographic Research in Writing, as well as another requirement. General Education courses account for approximately one-third of each student’s total coursework.
Credit earned for independent study, directed study, practica, or internships is not allowed to fulfill General Education requirements. With the exception of Physical Education and Well-Being courses that are only offered for CR/NC, only courses taken for a letter grade will apply to General Education requirements.
First-Year Seminars
(8 semester credits)
Lewis & Clark’s dynamic First-Year Seminar courses, Words and Numbers, develop students’ skills in analysis and both oral and written communication. These are not one-size-fits-all writing and math courses. Instead, students select from a menu of sections addressing a variety of urgent current issues and profound eternal questions. The foundational abilities honed along the way will begin to equip students for college and a life of learning, engagement, and leadership.
Each section is designed as an introduction to college inquiry and our community of scholars. Within each section, a faculty member joins a small group of students in critically exploring a topic about which they share a passion. These courses honor individual student backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences while asking students to challenge themselves to think in new ways and expose themselves to new ideas. All sections engage meaningfully with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Students take either CORE 120 Words or CORE 121 Numbers in their first semester and the other in their second semester.
Words teaches students to explore the meaning and significance of texts via close reading and analysis, and to express that analysis in writing.
Numbers teaches students to interpret quantitative information presented in various forms and contexts; to understand the logical structure of quantitative arguments; and to use quantitative models, theories, and data to simplify, explain, and make predictions.
First-Year Seminar Requirement
Students must complete the First-Year Seminar requirement in their first two semesters at Lewis & Clark. The two-part program may be completed in either order, but students must enroll in one First-Year Seminar each semester of their first year.
Students may not withdraw from First-Year Seminar courses.*
Students who (1) fail to successfully complete a First-Year Seminar course, (2) are approved to take a leave of absence during a semester in which taking First-Year Seminar would be required, or (3) obtain an AES deferral must, in each subsequent semester they are in attendance, take at least one First-Year Seminar course until they have satisfied the requirement. No student can participate in an overseas or off-campus program until the First Year Seminar requirements have been completed.
Students Enrolled in Our Academic English Studies Courses
With the approval of the directors of the General Education and Academic English Studies (AES) programs, undergraduate students enrolled in one or more AES courses may be eligible to defer First-Year Seminar coursework while enrolled in AES courses. Students will be required to enroll in a First-Year Seminar course in the semester following the successful completion of AES 222. Official notification must be made to the Office of the Registrar by the director of AES each semester. At the end of the approved deferral period, students who have deferred First-Year Seminar coursework are required to take CORE 120 Words and CORE 121 Numbers, in either order but consecutive semesters, regardless of class standing. Students who have deferred First-Year Seminar coursework are bound by all other Core requirements as stated above.
Transfer Students
Students matriculating as transfer students are not required to complete the First-Year Seminar courses.
Courses
CORE 120 Words
Content: Words teaches students to explore the meaning and significance of texts via close reading and analysis, and to express that analysis orally and in writing. Specific content and topics will vary with instructors.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Special registration for first-year students.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
CORE 121 Numbers
Content: Numbers teaches students to interpret quantitative information presented in various forms and contexts; to understand the logical structure of quantitative arguments; and to use quantitative models, theories, and data to simplify, explain, and make predictions. Specific content and topics will vary with instructors.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Special registration for first-year students.
Usually offered: Annually, fall and spring semester.
Semester credits: 4.
*Students may withdraw from a First-Year Seminar course only if withdrawing from all classes during the semester.
Bibliographic Research in Writing
(4 semester credits)
As global citizens, we must speak and act knowledgeably, consider arguments that counter our own, and evaluate the strength of evidence used to support our own and others’ claims. To further these ends, students are required to take one 4-credit course that fosters bibliographic research and writing. Bibliographic Research in Writing (BRW)-designated courses familiarize students with modes of critical inquiry by requiring them to (1) discover and document the existing information available on a research question by identifying and evaluating relevant books, articles, and other types of sources, and (2) create a polished written product that may take the form of a research paper or other academic writing. Students will work closely with faculty in developing and revising their work, make use of print and digital library resources, and draw on the expertise of librarians in the process. The BRW-designated course need not be taken in one’s major. BRW-designated courses may be applied toward a major or minor, and also toward another general education requirement.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a BRW-designated course, students will have:
- Articulated or investigated a research question that engages with the scholarship of a given field;
- Identified relevant literature of the scholarship area and documented their research process;
- Used sources appropriately by considering the information-creation process, authority in context, diversity of perspectives, and the relationship of the sources to one another;
- Developed a polished written product incorporating revisions based on detailed faculty feedback.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Art
Biology
| BIO 352 | Animal Behavior | |
| BIO 408 | Phylogenetic Biology and Molecular Evolution | |
| BIO 411 | Chromatin Structure and Dynamics | |
Classics
| CLAS 266 | Health and Healing in the Ancient World | |
Economics
| ECON 255 | Technology, Institutions, and Economic Growth | |
English
Environmental Studies
History
| HIST 111 | Making Modern China | |
| HIST 208 | Asian American History in the U.S. | |
| HIST 226 | 20th-Century Germany | |
| HIST 227 | Medieval Europe, 800 to 1400 | |
| HIST 229 | The Holocaust in Comparative Perspective | |
| HIST 230 | Eastern Europe: Borderlands and Bloodlands | |
| HIST 232 | Histories of Indigenous Peoples of North America (Turtle Island) | |
| HIST 243 | African American History Since 1863 | |
| HIST 308 | Public History Lab | |
| HIST 323 | Modern European Intellectual History | |
| HIST 326 | History of Soviet Russia | |
| HIST 390 | Immigration and Asylum Law | |
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Political Science
| POLS 201 | Research Methods in Political Science | |
| POLS 250 | Transitions to Democracy and Authoritarianism | |
| POLS 253 | Public Policy | |
| POLS 255 | Law, Lawyers, and Society | |
| POLS 318 | Civil Society, Politics, and the State | |
Religious Studies
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Sociology and Anthropology
| SOAN 200 | Ethnographic Research Methods | |
| SOAN 204 | Reading "Texts": Discourse, Visual, and Material Analysis | |
| SOAN 205 | Research Theory and Design | |
Theatre
| TH 249 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival | |
| TH 280 | Theatre and Society: Global Foundations | |
| TH 283 | Theatre and Society: Modern Continental Drama | |
| TH 383 | Topics in Global Theatre and Performance | |
World Languages and Literatures
Creative Arts
(4 semester credits)
The practice and study of the creative arts increase students’ understanding of their own creative powers and potential, others’ artistry, and the historical and cultural contexts surrounding artistic creation. The arts provide us insights into ourselves and the complexities and ambiguities of artistic representation, meaning, and culture. Students at Lewis & Clark should therefore acquire, as part of their general education, an awareness of this unique yet foundational way of knowing, forging, and experiencing the world and themselves.
Students may fulfill the creative arts requirement either by engaging in the creative process through courses in artistic production (e.g., the creation of studio art, media, design, music performance and composition, dance, theatre, creative writing) or courses in the study of artistic production (e.g., art history, literature, music history and theory, aesthetics).
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a Creative Arts General Education course, students will have demonstrated their knowledge of an art, an artistic process, its meaning, and/or the interpretation of an art through one or more of the following:
- The production of an artistic artifact/performance;
- The analysis of artistic technique, form, and/or process;
- The analysis of the frameworks of artistic production, representation, and reception (e.g., historical, cultural, theoretical, or global).
Students will have also developed their own informed artistic perspective by cultivating both a sense of receptivity to artistic expression and an understanding of art's materials, techniques, concepts, and forms.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Art
Chinese
| CHIN 230 | Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation | |
| CHIN 290 | Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation | |
Classics
English
| ENG 100 | Introductory Topics in Literature | |
| ENG 105 | The Art of the Novel | |
| ENG 150 | Films Adapting Fiction | |
| ENG 200 | Creative Writing: Fiction 1 | |
| ENG 201 | Creative Writing: Poetry 1 | |
| ENG 203 | Creative Writing: Nonfiction 1 | |
| ENG 205 | Major Periods and Issues in English Literature | |
| ENG 206 | Major Periods and Issues in English Literature | |
| ENG 209 | Introduction to American Literature | |
| ENG 210 | Writing and Illness | |
| ENG 218 | Renaissance Medicine in Literature | |
| ENG 235 | Topics in Literature | |
| ENG 240 | The Brontës: Legends and Legacies | |
| ENG 241 | Text and Image | |
| ENG 243 | Women Writers | |
| ENG 251 | Radical Film | |
| ENG 258 | Women and Film | |
| ENG 271 | Law and Literature | |
| ENG 276 | Animals and Animal Rights in Literature | |
| ENG 281 | From Scroll to Codex: Working With Medieval Manuscripts | |
| ENG 300 | Creative Writing: Fiction 2 | |
| ENG 301 | Creative Writing: Poetry 2 | |
| ENG 303 | Creative Writing: Nonfiction 2 | |
| ENG 309 | Ancient Masterpieces and English Literature | |
| ENG 310 | Medieval Literature | |
| ENG 311 | Literature of the English Renaissance | |
| ENG 312 | The Early English Novel | |
| ENG 313 | Satire and Sentiment, 1660-1780 | |
| ENG 314 | Romanticism in the Age of Revolution | |
| ENG 315 | The Victorians: Heroes, Decadents, and Madwomen | |
| ENG 316 | Modern British and Irish Literature | |
| ENG 318 | Modern Poetry | |
| ENG 319 | Postcolonial Literature: Anglophone Africa, India, Caribbean | |
| ENG 320 | Inventing America: Literature of Colonialism and the Early Republic, 1540-1830 | |
| ENG 321 | National Sins, National Dreams: American Literature 1830-1865 | |
| ENG 322 | Getting Real: Post-Civil War American Literature | |
| ENG 323 | American Modernism | |
| ENG 324 | Mirrors, Maps, Mazes: Post-World War II American Literature | |
| ENG 326 | African American Literature | |
| ENG 330 | Chaucer | |
| ENG 331 | Shakespeare: Early Works | |
| ENG 332 | Shakespeare: Later Works | |
| ENG 333 | Major Figures | |
| ENG 334 | Special Topics in Literature | |
| ENG 340 | Topics in Literary Theory/Criticism | |
| ENG 403 | Creative Writing: Nonfiction 3 | |
French
Gender Studies
German
| GERM 230 | German Literature in Translation | |
| GERM 321 | Introduction to Literary Studies | |
| GERM 322 | Introduction to German Literary and Cultural Studies in English | |
| GERM 350 | Topics in German Literature and Culture | |
| GERM 410 | Major Periods in German Literature From the Beginning to Enlightenment | |
| GERM 450 | Special Topics in German | |
Music
All currently offered music courses apply to the Creative Arts requirement except MUP 100, MUP 192, MUP 299, MUP 499, MUS 109, MUS 244, MUS 299, MUS 444, MUS 489, and MUS 499.
MUS 298 and MUS 398 may only be applied with permission from the department chair.
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs
| IS 229 | Art and Culture in India | |
| IS 252 | The Fine Arts in Contemporary London | |
| IS 262 | 20th Century Art and Architecture | |
| IS 270 | Irish Literature and Theatre | |
| IS 273 | Topics in Art History | |
| OCS 233 | History of New York | |
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Russian
| RUSS 290 | Topics in Russian Literature and Culture in Translation | |
Spanish
| SPAN 360 | Latin America and Spain: Pre-Columbian to Baroque | |
| SPAN 365 | Topics in Peninsular Culture | |
| SPAN 370 | Latin America and Spain: Enlightenment to the Present | |
| SPAN 375 | Topics in Latin American Culture | |
Theatre
| TH 104 | Stage Makeup | |
| TH 106 | Fundamentals of Movement | |
| TH 107 | Ballet | |
| TH 108 | Contemporary Dance Forms | |
| TH 110A | Theatre Laboratory | |
| TH 113 | Acting I: Fundamentals | |
| TH 201 | Contact Improvisation | |
| TH 209 | Social Dance Forms: History, Practice, and Social Significance | |
| TH 212 | Stagecraft | |
| TH 213 | Acting II: Realism | |
| TH 214 | Dance in Context: History and Criticism | |
| TH 217 | Voice and Movement | |
| TH 218 | Fundamentals of Design | |
| TH 234 | Stage Lighting | |
| TH 238 | Performance From the Inside Out | |
| TH 249 | Oregon Shakespeare Festival | |
| TH 250 | Theatre in New York | |
| TH 275 | Introduction to Playwriting | |
| TH 280 | Theatre and Society: Global Foundations | |
| TH 283 | Theatre and Society: Modern Continental Drama | |
| TH 301 | Directing | |
| TH 308 | Dance Composition and Improvisation | |
| TH 313 | Acting III: Style | |
| TH 335 | Scenography: Design for Performance | |
| TH 351 | Rehearsal and Performance: Main Stage Production | |
| TH 356 | Devised Performance | |
| TH 382 | American Drama: Minoritarian Perspectives | |
| TH 383 | Topics in Global Theatre and Performance | |
World Languages and Literatures
Culture, Power, and Identity
(4 semester credits)
Courses in this category recognize culture, power, and identity as consequential themes within a liberal arts education. These themes have emerged in various disciplines as critical lenses for grappling with historical and current discrimination, domination, and inequality. These courses also invite us to consider how broader structures of power interact with culture and/or identity to operate with respect to our community’s varied histories and experiences. Courses that meet this requirement approach various topics from a range of analytical perspectives across the full scope of social, cultural, political, economic, scientific, psychological, and artistic processes represented in the Lewis & Clark curriculum. As students investigate the interplay of culture, power, and/or identity, they learn to cultivate communication practices, critical reflection on their own position, and/or recognition of different experiences, identities, and perspectives.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a Culture, Power, and Identity General Education course, students will have critically examined one or both of the following:
- How dynamic structures of culture and power affect society and individuals via social, cultural, political, economic, scientific, psychological, and/or artistic processes in historical and/or contemporary contexts;
- How individuals, embedded within structures of power, shape interactions in historical and/or contemporary contexts.
Students will have also cultivated at least one of the following practices:
- Collaborative and productive communication about culture, power, and/or identity in their community;
- Critical reflection on their own position in relation to culture and power;
- Recognition of different experiences, identities, and perspectives.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Art
Asian Studies
| AS 100 | Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies | |
Classics
Economics
| ECON 220 | The Financial System and the Economy | |
| ECON 250 | Radical Political Economics | |
English
Environmental Studies
Ethnic Studies
| ETHS 200 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | |
| ETHS 400 | Topics in Race and Ethnic Studies | |
French
Gender Studies
| GEND 200 | Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Society | |
| GEND 231 | Genders and Sexualities in Global Perspective | |
History
| HIST 111 | Making Modern China | |
| HIST 112 | Making Modern Japan | |
| HIST 113 | Introduction to Korea: Origins to the 21st Century | |
| HIST 121 | Modern European History | |
| HIST 134 | United States: Revolution to Empire | |
| HIST 135 | United States: Empire to Superpower | |
| HIST 141 | Colonial Latin American History | |
| HIST 142 | Modern Latin American History | |
| HIST 208 | Asian American History in the U.S. | |
| HIST 209 | Japan at War | |
| HIST 217 | The Emergence of Modern South Asia | |
| HIST 221 | Tudor and Stuart Britain, 1485 to 1688 | |
| HIST 222 | Britain in the Age of Revolution, 1688 to 1815 | |
| HIST 224 | The Making of Modern Britain, 1815 to Present | |
| HIST 226 | 20th-Century Germany | |
| HIST 229 | The Holocaust in Comparative Perspective | |
| HIST 230 | Eastern Europe: Borderlands and Bloodlands | |
| HIST 231A | U.S. Women's History, 1600 to 1980 | |
| HIST 232 | Histories of Indigenous Peoples of North America (Turtle Island) | |
| HIST 239 | Constructing the American Landscape | |
| HIST 240 | Race and Ethnicity in the United States | |
| HIST 242 | Borderlands: U.S.-Mexico Border, 16th Century to Present | |
| HIST 243 | African American History Since 1863 | |
| HIST 259 | India in the Age of Empire | |
| HIST 261 | Global Environmental History | |
| HIST 264 | From Stumptown to Portlandia: The History of Portland | |
| HIST 313 | Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History | |
| HIST 316 | Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History | |
| HIST 325 | History of Islam in Europe | |
| HIST 328 | The British Empire | |
| HIST 338 | Crime and Punishment in the United States | |
| HIST 345 | Race and Nation in Latin America | |
| HIST 347 | Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics, and Economic Crisis | |
| HIST 348 | Modern Cuba | |
| HIST 388 | What's for Dinner | |
| HIST 390 | Immigration and Asylum Law | |
| HIST 394 | Cross-Cultural Law & Justice in Early America | |
Japanese
| JAPN 290 | Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation | |
Music
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs
| IS 210 | Area Studies: East Africa History, Culture, and Change | |
| IS 211 | Contemporary East Africa | |
| IS 216 | Moroccan Modernity | |
| IS 217 | Gender and Society in Morocco | |
| IS 228 | Development in India | |
| IS 236 | Political Ecology of Forests | |
| IS 251 | Contemporary England | |
| IS 261 | Contemporary Germany | |
| IS 268 | Irish Life & Cultures | |
| IS 269 | The Irish Welfare System | |
| IS 276 | Emigration in Italy and Europe During the Globalization Era | |
| IS 284 | Contemporary Ecuador | |
| IS 291 | Contemporary Australia | |
| IS 292 | Indigenous Studies | |
| IS 295 | Repeated Colonization, a History of New Zealand | |
Philosophy
Political Science
| POLS 301 | American Constitutional Law: Equal Protection and Due Process | |
| POLS 310 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Plato to Machiavelli | |
| POLS 311 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Revolution and the Social Contract | |
| POLS 312 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: The Fate of Democracy | |
| POLS 313 | Global Justice | |
| POLS 316 | Ethics and Public Policy | |
| POLS 359 | Religion and Politics | |
Psychology
| PSY 440 | Social Construction of Madness | |
| PSY 465 | Advanced Topics in Social Psychology | |
Religious Studies
| RELS 105 | Apocalyptic Imagination | |
| RELS 224 | Jewish Origins | |
| RELS 225 | Christian Origins | |
| RELS 228 | Power, Politics, and Scripture | |
| RELS 229 | The Reformations of the 16th Century | |
| RELS 253 | Prophets, Seekers, and Heretics: U.S. Religious History from 1492 to 1865 | |
| RELS 254 | Religion in Modern America, 1865 to Present | |
| RELS 274 | Islam in the Modern World | |
| RELS 335 | Gender, Sex, Jews, and Christians: Ancient World | |
| RELS 340 | Gender in American Religious History | |
| RELS 357 | Family, Gender, and Religion: Ethnographic Approaches | |
| RELS 376 | Religious Fundamentalism | |
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Russian
| RUSS 290 | Topics in Russian Literature and Culture in Translation | |
Sociology/Anthropology
Theatre
| TH 209 | Social Dance Forms: History, Practice, and Social Significance | |
| TH 214 | Dance in Context: History and Criticism | |
| TH 280 | Theatre and Society: Global Foundations | |
| TH 382 | American Drama: Minoritarian Perspectives | |
| TH 383 | Topics in Global Theatre and Performance | |
World Languages and Literatures
Global Perspectives
(4 semester credits)
To become educated citizens of an interdependent world, all Lewis & Clark students are expected to gain a critical understanding of perspectives, politics, economics, societies, religions, creative arts, and/or cultures distinct from the United States, sometimes through comparison with the United States. This understanding can occur either through immersion in another global region’s culture as part of an overseas study program or via a classroom experience.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the Global Perspectives requirement, students will have:
- Gained a critical understanding of perspectives, politics, economics, societies, religions, creative arts, and/or cultures distinct from those of the United States, or of regional or global trends therein; and/or
- Fostered recognition and development of cross-cultural skills by comparing United States perspectives in politics, economics, societies, religions, creative arts, and/or cultures with those of other countries and regions.
Students may fulfill the Global Perspectives requirement in one of two ways:
- By successfully completing at least 8 credits on a fall, spring, or summer semester Lewis & Clark overseas study program.
- By successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Please note that language-acquisition courses require intervention from the registrar’s office to be applied.
Academic English Studies
| AESC 270 | Developing Intercultural Competence | |
Art
Asian Studies
| AS 100 | Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies | |
Chinese
| CHIN 230 | Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation | |
| CHIN 290 | Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation | |
Classics
Economics
English
| ENG 316 | Modern British and Irish Literature | |
| ENG 319 | Postcolonial Literature: Anglophone Africa, India, Caribbean | |
Environmental Studies
| ENVS 160 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | |
| ENVS 200 | Situating the Global Environment | |
French
| FREN 202 | Intermediate French II: Reading in Cultural Context | |
| FREN 301 | French Composition and Conversation | |
| FREN 321 | Introduction to French Literary Studies | |
| FREN 330 | Francophone Literature | |
| FREN 340 | French Literature and Society | |
| FREN 350 | Topics in French and Francophone Literature | |
| FREN 410 | Major Periods in French Literature | |
| FREN 450 | Special Topics | |
Gender Studies
| GEND 231 | Genders and Sexualities in Global Perspective | |
German
| GERM 230 | German Literature in Translation | |
| GERM 301 | German Composition and Conversation | |
| GERM 321 | Introduction to Literary Studies | |
| GERM 322 | Introduction to German Literary and Cultural Studies in English | |
| GERM 350 | Topics in German Literature and Culture | |
| GERM 410 | Major Periods in German Literature From the Beginning to Enlightenment | |
| GERM 450 | Special Topics in German | |
Health Studies
History
| HIST 110 | Early East Asian History | |
| HIST 111 | Making Modern China | |
| HIST 112 | Making Modern Japan | |
| HIST 113 | Introduction to Korea: Origins to the 21st Century | |
| HIST 121 | Modern European History | |
| HIST 141 | Colonial Latin American History | |
| HIST 142 | Modern Latin American History | |
| HIST 209 | Japan at War | |
| HIST 216 | Ancient Greece | |
| HIST 217 | The Emergence of Modern South Asia | |
| HIST 219 | Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire | |
| HIST 221 | Tudor and Stuart Britain, 1485 to 1688 | |
| HIST 222 | Britain in the Age of Revolution, 1688 to 1815 | |
| HIST 224 | The Making of Modern Britain, 1815 to Present | |
| HIST 226 | 20th-Century Germany | |
| HIST 229 | The Holocaust in Comparative Perspective | |
| HIST 230 | Eastern Europe: Borderlands and Bloodlands | |
| HIST 242 | Borderlands: U.S.-Mexico Border, 16th Century to Present | |
| HIST 259 | India in the Age of Empire | |
| HIST 261 | Global Environmental History | |
| HIST 288 | China in the News: Socio-Anthropological and Historical Perspective on Modern China | |
| HIST 313 | Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History | |
| HIST 316 | Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History | |
| HIST 323 | Modern European Intellectual History | |
| HIST 325 | History of Islam in Europe | |
| HIST 326 | History of Soviet Russia | |
| HIST 328 | The British Empire | |
| HIST 345 | Race and Nation in Latin America | |
| HIST 347 | Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics, and Economic Crisis | |
| HIST 348 | Modern Cuba | |
| HIST 388 | What's for Dinner | |
| HIST 390 | Immigration and Asylum Law | |
International Affairs
| IA 100 | Introduction to International Relations | |
| IA 342 | Perception and International Relations | |
Japanese
| JAPN 290 | Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation | |
| JAPN 310 | Readings and Composition in Japanese | |
| JAPN 320 | Readings and Composition in Japanese II | |
| JAPN 410 | Advanced Readings in Japanese: Society and Culture | |
| JAPN 420 | Advanced Readings in Japanese: Fiction and Nonfiction | |
Latin American and Latinx Culture
| LALS 200 | Latin American and Latinx Cultural Studies | |
Music
Music Performance
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs
| IS 210 | Area Studies: East Africa History, Culture, and Change | |
| IS 211 | Contemporary East Africa | |
| IS 215 | Morocco: Development & Sustainability | |
| IS 216 | Moroccan Modernity | |
| IS 217 | Gender and Society in Morocco | |
| IS 227 | Language and Society in India | |
| IS 228 | Development in India | |
| IS 229 | Art and Culture in India | |
| IS 233 | Area Studies: South Asia | |
| IS 235 | Thai Language and Society | |
| IS 236 | Political Ecology of Forests | |
| IS 237 | Culture and Ecology of the Andaman | |
| IS 238 | Sustainable Food Systems | |
| IS 239 | Topics in Southeast Asia | |
| IS 251 | Contemporary England | |
| IS 252 | The Fine Arts in Contemporary London | |
| IS 256 | Topics in Humanities: London | |
| IS 259 | Modern Greece: Language and Culture | |
| IS 260 | History of Modern Berlin: From 1815 to Present | |
| IS 261 | Contemporary Germany | |
| IS 262 | 20th Century Art and Architecture | |
| IS 263 | Metropolitan Development: Urban Studies in Comparative Perspective | |
| IS 268 | Irish Life & Cultures | |
| IS 269 | The Irish Welfare System | |
| IS 270 | Irish Literature and Theatre | |
| IS 273 | Topics in Art History | |
| IS 274 | Religious Cultures and Traditions in Italy | |
| IS 275 | Introduction to Sociolinguistics | |
| IS 276 | Emigration in Italy and Europe During the Globalization Era | |
| IS 284 | Contemporary Ecuador | |
| IS 290 | Area Study: Australia | |
| IS 291 | Contemporary Australia | |
| IS 292 | Indigenous Studies | |
| IS 294 | Cultural Ecology of New Zealand | |
| IS 295 | Repeated Colonization, a History of New Zealand | |
| IS 296 | Environment, Society & Natural Resource Management | |
Philosophy
Political Science
| POLS 102 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| POLS 250 | Transitions to Democracy and Authoritarianism | |
| POLS 310 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Plato to Machiavelli | |
| POLS 311 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Revolution and the Social Contract | |
| POLS 312 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: The Fate of Democracy | |
| POLS 314 | Russian Politics in Comparative Perspective | |
| POLS 318 | Civil Society, Politics, and the State | |
| POLS 325 | European Politics | |
Psychology
Religious Studies
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Russian
| RUSS 290 | Topics in Russian Literature and Culture in Translation | |
| RUSS 330 | Readings and Conversation in Russian | |
| RUSS 351 | Russian Composition and Conversation | |
Sociology/Anthropology
| SOAN 215 | International Migration | |
| SOAN 217 | Ethnography of Jews and Judaism | |
| SOAN 225 | Race and Ethnicity in Global Perspective | |
| SOAN 250 | Southeast Asia: Development, Resistance, and Social Change | |
| SOAN 261 | Gender and Sexuality in Latin America | |
| SOAN 262 | Gender and Sexuality in South Asia | |
| SOAN 265 | Critical Perspectives on Development | |
| SOAN 266 | Social Change in Latin America | |
| SOAN 282 | Pacific Rim Cities | |
| SOAN 284 | Anthropology of Print Media | |
| SOAN 285 | Culture and Power in the Middle East | |
| SOAN 310 | Religion, Society, and Modernity | |
| SOAN 342 | Power and Resistance | |
| SOAN 347 | Borderlands: Tibet and the Himalaya | |
| SOAN 349 | Indigenous Peoples: Identities and Politics | |
| SOAN 350 | Global Inequality | |
| SOAN 360 | Decolonizing Anthropology | |
| SOAN 367 | Anthropology of Tourism: Travel in Asia | |
Spanish
| SPAN 360 | Latin America and Spain: Pre-Columbian to Baroque | |
| SPAN 365 | Topics in Peninsular Culture | |
| SPAN 370 | Latin America and Spain: Enlightenment to the Present | |
| SPAN 375 | Topics in Latin American Culture | |
Theatre
| TH 280 | Theatre and Society: Global Foundations | |
| TH 283 | Theatre and Society: Modern Continental Drama | |
| TH 383 | Topics in Global Theatre and Performance | |
World Languages and Literatures
Historical Perspectives
(4 semester credits)
Global citizenship requires us to understand perspectives and contexts other than our own. These contexts and perspectives may be geographic and cultural, and they may be temporal. The Historical Perspectives requirement engages students in explanations and understandings from outside our present moment, illustrating how our present arises from our past. Historical Perspectives courses attend to how the stories we tell about the past are historically influenced by cultural, social, political, economic, and religious motivations, and to the ways that our current explanations and understandings of the world are contingent. By studying events, texts, art, artifacts, and ideas from the past—and the narratives we construct about them—students expand their imaginative and interpretative capacities and cultivate skepticism and humility in understanding the world beyond the present moment.
Courses fulfilling the Historical Perspectives requirement present students with opportunities to learn about events, texts, art, artifacts, or ideas significantly removed from the present perspective, i.e., before 1945, a year marking a significant break in global history.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a Historical Perspectives General Education course, students will have:
- Explained and demonstrated an understanding of contexts or perspectives from outside the current era;
- Explained or evaluated events, texts, art, artifacts, or ideas from before 1945, including primary sources;
- Placed cultures, events, objects, texts, or ideas from before 1945 in conversation with one another and/or with the present moment.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Art
Classics
| CLAS 100 | Ancient Greek Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes | |
| CLAS 201 | Introduction to Ancient Greek Thought and Culture | |
| CLAS 202 | Introduction to Ancient Roman Thought and Culture | |
| CLAS 251 | History of Byzantium | |
| CLAS 252 | Art and Archaeology of the Aegean | |
| CLAS 253 | Attic Tragedy | |
| CLAS 266 | Health and Healing in the Ancient World | |
| CLAS 314 | Topography and Monuments of Athens | |
| CLAS 320 | Greek and Roman Epic | |
| CLAS 324 | Roman Women | |
English
| ENG 209 | Introduction to American Literature | |
| ENG 218 | Renaissance Medicine in Literature | |
| ENG 240 | The Brontës: Legends and Legacies | |
| ENG 276 | Animals and Animal Rights in Literature | |
| ENG 281 | From Scroll to Codex: Working With Medieval Manuscripts | |
| ENG 309 | Ancient Masterpieces and English Literature | |
| ENG 310 | Medieval Literature | |
| ENG 312 | The Early English Novel | |
| ENG 313 | Satire and Sentiment, 1660-1780 | |
| ENG 314 | Romanticism in the Age of Revolution | |
| ENG 315 | The Victorians: Heroes, Decadents, and Madwomen | |
| ENG 316 | Modern British and Irish Literature | |
| ENG 320 | Inventing America: Literature of Colonialism and the Early Republic, 1540-1830 | |
| ENG 321 | National Sins, National Dreams: American Literature 1830-1865 | |
| ENG 322 | Getting Real: Post-Civil War American Literature | |
| ENG 323 | American Modernism | |
| ENG 326 | African American Literature | |
| ENG 330 | Chaucer | |
Ethnic Studies
French
| FREN 340 | French Literature and Society | |
| FREN 350 | Topics in French and Francophone Literature | |
| FREN 410 | Major Periods in French Literature | |
German
History
| HIST 110 | Early East Asian History | |
| HIST 111 | Making Modern China | |
| HIST 112 | Making Modern Japan | |
| HIST 113 | Introduction to Korea: Origins to the 21st Century | |
| HIST 120 | Early European History | |
| HIST 121 | Modern European History | |
| HIST 134 | United States: Revolution to Empire | |
| HIST 141 | Colonial Latin American History | |
| HIST 142 | Modern Latin American History | |
| HIST 208 | Asian American History in the U.S. | |
| HIST 209 | Japan at War | |
| HIST 216 | Ancient Greece | |
| HIST 217 | The Emergence of Modern South Asia | |
| HIST 219 | Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire | |
| HIST 221 | Tudor and Stuart Britain, 1485 to 1688 | |
| HIST 222 | Britain in the Age of Revolution, 1688 to 1815 | |
| HIST 223 | War and Society in Premodern Europe | |
| HIST 224 | The Making of Modern Britain, 1815 to Present | |
| HIST 226 | 20th-Century Germany | |
| HIST 227 | Medieval Europe, 800 to 1400 | |
| HIST 229 | The Holocaust in Comparative Perspective | |
| HIST 230 | Eastern Europe: Borderlands and Bloodlands | |
| HIST 231A | U.S. Women's History, 1600 to 1980 | |
| HIST 232 | Histories of Indigenous Peoples of North America (Turtle Island) | |
| HIST 240 | Race and Ethnicity in the United States | |
| HIST 242 | Borderlands: U.S.-Mexico Border, 16th Century to Present | |
| HIST 243 | African American History Since 1863 | |
| HIST 259 | India in the Age of Empire | |
| HIST 261 | Global Environmental History | |
| HIST 313 | Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History | |
| HIST 316 | Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History | |
| HIST 323 | Modern European Intellectual History | |
| HIST 325 | History of Islam in Europe | |
| HIST 326 | History of Soviet Russia | |
| HIST 328 | The British Empire | |
| HIST 345 | Race and Nation in Latin America | |
| HIST 347 | Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics, and Economic Crisis | |
| HIST 348 | Modern Cuba | |
| HIST 394 | Cross-Cultural Law & Justice in Early America | |
Music
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs
| IS 210 | Area Studies: East Africa History, Culture, and Change | |
| IS 260 | History of Modern Berlin: From 1815 to Present | |
| IS 262 | 20th Century Art and Architecture | |
| IS 273 | Topics in Art History | |
| IS 274 | Religious Cultures and Traditions in Italy | |
| IS 284 | Contemporary Ecuador | |
| OCS 233 | History of New York | |
Philosophy
Political Science
| POLS 310 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Plato to Machiavelli | |
| POLS 311 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: Revolution and the Social Contract | |
| POLS 312 | Pillars of Western Political Thought: The Fate of Democracy | |
Religious Studies
| RELS 102 | Food and Religion in America | |
| RELS 105 | Apocalyptic Imagination | |
| RELS 224 | Jewish Origins | |
| RELS 225 | Christian Origins | |
| RELS 229 | The Reformations of the 16th Century | |
| RELS 241 | Religion and Culture of Hindu India | |
| RELS 242 | Religions and Cultures of East Asia | |
| RELS 243 | Buddhism: Theory, Culture, and Practice | |
| RELS 251 | Medieval Christianity | |
| RELS 253 | Prophets, Seekers, and Heretics: U.S. Religious History from 1492 to 1865 | |
| RELS 254 | Religion in Modern America, 1865 to Present | |
| RELS 273 | Islamic Origins | |
| RELS 335 | Gender, Sex, Jews, and Christians: Ancient World | |
| RELS 340 | Gender in American Religious History | |
| RELS 341 | Religions of the Northwest | |
| RELS 342 | Mormonism in the American Religious Context | |
| RELS 350 | Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity | |
| RELS 359 | Asceticism | |
| RELS 362 | Zen Buddhism | |
| RELS 441 | Religions of the Northwest | |
| RELS 450 | Seminar: Social and Religious World of Early Judaism and Christianity | |
| RELS 453 | Seminar in Islamic Studies: Islamic Law | |
| RELS 462 | Zen Buddhism | |
Rhetoric and Media Studies
Russian
| RUSS 351 | Russian Composition and Conversation | |
Theatre
| TH 214 | Dance in Context: History and Criticism | |
| TH 280 | Theatre and Society: Global Foundations | |
| TH 283 | Theatre and Society: Modern Continental Drama | |
| TH 313 | Acting III: Style | |
Natural Sciences
(4 semester credits)
To prepare for lifelong learning and civic leadership in an interdependent world, students must be familiar with scientific inquiry and reasoning methods that lead to evidence-based explanations of natural phenomena and inform the development of technology. Lewis & Clark students make necessary progress toward this goal by completing at least one course in the natural sciences.
To register for many of the courses that fulfill this requirement, the student must first do one of the following: (a) earn the appropriate score on a quantitative reasoning examination; (b) receive a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam in calculus AB or BC; (c) receive a score of 5, 6, or 7 on an International Baccalaureate higher-level mathematics exam; (d) successfully complete QR 101 or another prerequisite course. Some courses have additional prerequisites (see course descriptions).
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a Natural Sciences General Education course, students will have:
- Recognized science as an iterative, exploratory process that requires both reasoning and creativity;
- Come to understand that scientific principles result from the analysis of evidence collected through experimental or observational approaches;
- Developed and used skills for analysis and interpretation of scientific data;
- Demonstrated familiarity with the use of data to generate and answer questions about natural phenomena;
- Become familiar with the major concepts of at least one field of the natural sciences; and
- Assessed the broader impact of topics discussed in the course.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least 4 semester credits from courses listed below.
Biology
Chemistry
Earth System Science
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation
Physics
Psychology
Physical Education and Well-Being
(Two courses/2 semester credits)
Physical education is a facet of the liberal arts tradition that stresses the interdependence of the physical, mental, and social dimensions of human experience. Students will learn to recognize and experience the positive benefits of building physical fitness and self-care habits, explore aspects of the body’s structure and function, and engage in experiences within a group or community setting.
The wide array of classes that satisfy this requirement are offered at many levels and modes of engagement, including physical education courses (with dozens of options from weightlifting to rock climbing to yoga and meditation), varsity sports, and dance and movement classes. Courses promote personal health and well-being, often serving collective purposes of expression and teamwork. Students learn to challenge themselves by setting goals and measuring progress toward those goals.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the requirements of a Physical Education and Well-Being course, students will have:
- Learned to recognize and experience the positive benefits of building physical well-being and self-care habits as part of the liberal arts tradition;
- Explored structural and functional aspects of their bodies as part of a healthy relationship with the body;
- Discovered connections between the mind and body; and
- Engaged in these experiences within a group or community setting.
Students can meet the requirement by successfully completing at least two courses (for a minimum of 2 semester credits) from those listed below.
Physical Education and Well-Being
Music*
Music Performance*
Theatre*
| TH 106 | Fundamentals of Movement | |
| TH 107 | Ballet | |
| TH 108 | Contemporary Dance Forms | |
| TH 201 | Contact Improvisation | |
| TH 209 | Social Dance Forms: History, Practice, and Social Significance | |
| TH 219 | Dance Technique: Application of Fundamental Principles and Imagery | |
| TH 308 | Dance Composition and Improvisation | |
Students may register for no more than one 101 course per semester, except in the summer semester, when one course may be taken each session. The maximum credit in Activities (PE/A 101), Varsity Athletics (PE/A 102), and Wilderness Leadership (PE/A 142) courses that may be applied toward the 128 credits required for graduation is 4 semester credits.
*Theatre and music courses counting toward this requirement may be taken credit/no credit if that grading option is available for the course.
World Language
(Language other than English proficiency requirement)
The study of a language other than one’s own has always been a hallmark of a liberal education and is all the more important in today’s interdependent world. Learning a new language reveals nuances and subtleties that yield insight into cultural practices, values, belief systems, and everyday life in the contemporary world and/or historical contexts.
At Lewis & Clark in particular, language learning has a place of central importance, both because of Lewis & Clark’s historical commitment to global perspectives and because encounters with diverse cultures have become an integral part of the undergraduate program. Not only does language study enhance our appreciation for and sensitivity to the world around us, it also better enables us to understand and appreciate our own languages and cultures. World language proficiency, whether in a modern or classical language, is a requirement for all Lewis & Clark students.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing the World Language General Education requirement, students will have demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English by having:
- Obtained a passing grade in any world or classical language course at the 201 level; or
- Achieved an ACTFL score (for modern languages) equivalent to the 201 level in both speaking and writing; or
- Met the SCS guidelines (for classical languages) equivalent to the 201 level in reading and translation skills.
Students completing this requirement will have also acquired a familiarity with the cultural, historical, and/or literary contexts of the language studied.
A student can satisfy this requirement in either of the following waysi:
- By completing study of a language other than English through the 201 level, either on campus or by completing an approved overseas program. (The list of approved programs is available from the Office of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs.)
- By placing into 202 or above on a language placement examination for a language other than English. (Language placement examinations must be provided by a regionally accredited institution.)ii
i Students admitted as international students whose first language is not English are exempt from the World Language requirement.
ii Students admitted as U.S. citizens or dual citizens who have acquired non-English language proficiency by virtue of living in another country must complete a language placement examination from a regionally accredited institution. If no regionally accredited institution offers a placement examination in the language, other testing alternatives may be available. Please see the registrar’s office for information and procedure.