This is an archive. The current Bates College catalog is available at https://www.bates.edu/catalog/

Catalog Archive

2020–2021

Catalog


Important COVID-19 Considerations

This catalog constitutes the basic agreement between the college and its students and prospective students with regard to the Bates College academic experience. Every effort is made to provide the most accurate information possible on the college's academic and financial policies, curriculum, and courses. However, the coronavirus pandemic has created myriad uncertainties that will not be fully resolved by press time. The catalog lists all courses in the curriculum. The courses offered in the fall and winter semesters and the Short Term appear in the Schedule of Courses. To the most accurate extent possible, the Schedule of Courses indicates the mode of instruction for each course: whether a course is 1) offered primarily in-person, 2) offered remotely, or 3) offered as a combination of in-person and online study. Evolving public health circumstances may result in changes in course offerings; the college reserves the right to cancel a course, reschedule the module or meeting time for a course, change the mode of instruction, or change the instructor if deemed necessary.

In addition, the pandemic is impacting the residential experience generally, requiring modifications to and limitations on students' participation in extracurricular and other activities of residence life. In the event of a major surge or spike in COVID-19 cases in Maine or nationally, or of other unforeseen effects of the pandemic, it may be necessary for the college to suspend all residential operations, including in-person instruction, as was necessary in March of 2020.

Welcome to the Bates College catalog for the 2020–2021 academic year.

The Bates College Catalog is a comprehensive guide to the academic program. It outlines official academic policies and procedures followed by students, faculty, and administration. The major and minor requirements and course descriptions are organized by departments and programs, below.

The catalog describes the college curriculum in full and does not reflect courses offered in a single semester or Short Term. Information on courses offered during a specific semester is available in the Schedule of Courses.

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, Institutional Politics, 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.

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.


Subject Codes for Courses

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 is cross-listed in more than two departments and/or programs, which are identified in the course description.

Course Subject
  • Africana
  • American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Art and Visual Culture
  • Asian Studies
  • Astronomy
  • Biological Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese
  • Classical and Medieval Studies
  • Dance
  • Digital & Computational Studies
  • Earth and Climate Sciences
  • Economics
  • Education
  • English
  • Environmental Studies
  • European Studies
  • First-Year Seminar
  • French and Francophone Studies
  • Gender and Sexuality Studies
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hispanic Studies
  • History
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Japanese
  • Latin
  • Latin American Studies
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy
  • Physical Education
  • Physics
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies
  • Russian
  • Sociology
  • Theater
Subject Code
  • AFR
  • AMST
  • ANTH
  • AVC
  • ASIA
  • ASTR
  • BIOC
  • BIO
  • CHEM
  • CHI
  • CMS
  • DANC
  • DCS
  • EACS
  • ECON
  • EDUC
  • ENG
  • ENVR
  • EUS
  • FYS
  • FRE
  • GSS
  • GER
  • GRK
  • HISP
  • HIST
  • INDS
  • JPN
  • LATN
  • LAS
  • MATH
  • MUS
  • NRSC
  • PHIL
  • PE
  • PHYS
  • PLTC
  • PSYC
  • REL
  • RFSS
  • RUSS
  • SOC
  • THEA
Cross-listed Subject Code
  • AF
  • AM
  • AN
  • AV
  • AS
  • AT
  • BC
  • BI
  • CH
  • CI
  • CM
  • DN
  • DC
  • EA
  • EC
  • ED
  • EN
  • ES
  • EU
  •  
  • FR
  • GS
  • GR
  • GK
  • HS
  • HI
  •  
  • JA
  • LA
  • LS
  • MA
  • MU
  • NS
  • PL
  • PE
  • PH
  • PT
  • PY
  • RE
  • RF
  • RU
  • SO
  • TH