Courses of Instruction

The Catalog offers brief descriptions of courses offered by the faculty. The course description provides a range of information.  The course number indicates the level of the course, with the exception of the first-year seminars, all of which are open only to first-year students. Generally in other cases, courses numbered 100 to 199 are introductory and open to first-year students. Courses numbered 200-299 are designed primarily for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, though many are also open to first-year students. Courses numbered 300-399 are designed for juniors and seniors. Courses at the 400 level represent specialized work for senior majors in the departments and programs.

Generally, Short Term courses are numbered accordingly: s10-s29 normally have no prerequisites, although they may require permission of the instructor; s30-s39 normally have prerequisites; s40-s49 are designed primarily for majors; s50 is the designation for independent study.

Courses that fulfill General Education requirements are identified with tags at the end of the course description (e.g., [W1], [S], [L]). Many courses may be used to fulfill one or more General Education concentrations; these concentrations are listed in the online catalog only, and may be found by mousing over the word “Concentrations” at the end of the course description.

Other attributes that appear at the end of a course description (e.g., Critical Thinking, Latin American Governance and Conflict, Diversity) pertain to major requirements in English, history, politics, and psychology, but appear in the course description even if the course is cross-listed in another department or program.

Information appears in the Catalog and the Garnet Gateway to assist students in planning their academic program. If a course is offered one-time only, every semester, or every year, this is noted in the course description. Otherwise, the course is offered with varying frequency. Students can determine if a course will be offered within two years by consulting the list of tentative course offerings for the current and subsequent academic year, available on the Garnet Gateway.

Course descriptions also indicate prerequisites or corequisites, instructor permission to enroll, and enrollment limits.

Curricular offerings, class meeting times, and instructors for the next semester or Short Term appear on the Garnet Gateway (www.bates.edu/garnet-gateway/). The College reserves the right to cancel courses due to changes in teaching personnel, under-enrollment, the need to balance sections upon the instructor's request, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Courses are listed sequentially with numbers preceded by subject codes under each department and program. Subject codes with a slash indicate that the course is cross-listed in two departments or programs. The subject code INDS indicates that the course or unit is cross-listed in more than two departments and/or programs, which are identified in the course description.

• African American Studies
• American Cultural Studies
• Anthropology
• Art and Visual Culture
• Asian Studies
  • Chinese
  • Japanese
  • East Asian Studies
• Biological Chemistry
• Biology
• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Classical and Medieval Studies
  • Greek
  • Latin
• Economics
• Education
• English
• Environmental Studies
• First-Year Seminars
• Geology
• German and Russian Studies
  • German
  • Russian
• History
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Mathematics
• Music
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy
• Physical Education
• Physics and Astronomy
  • Physics
  • Astronomy
• Politics
• Psychology
• Religious Studies
• Romance Languages and Literatures
  • French and Francophone Studies
  • Spanish
• Sociology
• Theater and Rhetoric
  • Theater
  • Dance
  • Rhetoric
• Women and Gender Studies
• Bates Fall Semester Abroad
  • Bates Fall Semester Abroad, China
  • Bates Fall Semester Abroad, Austria

Subject Codes for Cross-listed Courses