Lawrence University

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humanity in all its cultural, biological, linguistic, and historical diversity. A synthesis of scientific and humanistic concerns and methods, it attempts to distinguish universal human characteristics from those unique to individual social groups, and to understand the reasons for differences between individuals and groups. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Art History

Students who major in art history will develop a broad knowledge of the major monuments of art and their historical and cultural contexts. They will acquire and demonstrate the ability to look closely at works of art, provide precise and accurate descriptions, and analyze form and content. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the study of biological phenomena at the molecular level, and prepares students for futures in medicine, forensics, toxicology, pharmacy, anthropology, and environmental science, among other fields. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Biology

Students come to Lawrence with varied interests in the life sciences, thus course offerings in biology span the breadth of this exciting discipline and the biology major is flexible. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Business and Entrepreneurship

The Business and Entrepreneurship program harnesses the power of liberal arts education to prepare students for thoughtful leadership of and engagement with for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, and start-up ventures. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Chemistry

Chemists, biochemists, and chemical engineers contribute to the development and utilization of the materials, medicines, foods, and fuels that are the hallmarks of modern life. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Chinese

The Department of Chinese and Japanese provides students with a coherent study of a cultural region encompassing China, Japan, and Korea, and though language forms an important part of this study, the focus of the curriculum remains as much cultural as linguistic. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Computer Science

Computer science combines an empirical aspect—which involves implementing specific algorithms—with a theoretical aspect—which involves analysis of abstract processes using methods of applied mathematics. Both aspects of the discipline contribute to understanding what problems are amenable to computer solution and what methods are optimal. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Creative Writing

The Creative Writing major allows students to combine the study of literature with artistic production. Creative writing majors learn, in both creative writing and literature courses, to interrogate the complexities of language, culture, aesthetics, identities, communities, and themselves. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

East Asian Studies

The program in East Asian Studies is dedicated to the study of the civilizations, cultures, and contemporary importance of East Asia, with courses in anthropology, art history, history, government, literature, and religious studies. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Economics

The Lawrence economics department emphasizes abstract modeling and quantitative reasoning skills. Students acquire a basic knowledge of economic theories, principles, and techniques of analysis, then apply these concepts and tools to issues such as poverty and discrimination, environmental degradation, and antitrust policy. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

English

English majors learn to read closely, think critically, and write effectively as they explore literature, history, and culture across diverse contexts. The abilities they develop in their coursework prepare them to read perceptively, analyze thoughtfully, and communicate clearly—skills that are invaluable for success in a diverse and complex world. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Environmental Science

The Environmental Science major draws from the curricula of multiple departments to equip students with the tools to investigate complexly interconnected Earth systems. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Environmental Studies

The field of environmental studies addresses some of the most critical and complicated issues of our time: those regarding environmental change and the future of humanity. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies at Lawrence is the critical and interdisciplinary examination of race and ethnicity. Through a focus on the experiences and expressions of people of color in and beyond the U.S., students explore current and historical issues pertaining to race and ethnicity in both domestic and global contexts. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Film Studies

Film Studies at Lawrence explores cinema history, theory, and production as deeply integrated facets of a larger project of media literacy and cultural engagement. Students combine the critical study of media culture with creative practice in film, video, and new media, becoming skilled at analyzing the formal, technical, and aesthetic elements of the medium. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

French and Francophone Studies

Goals of the beginning and intermediate sequences in French are comprehension of both the oral and written language beyond an elementary level, development of the capacity to express reasonably complicated thought both orally and in writing, and an introduction to French and Francophone literatures and cultures. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Gender Studies

Gender Studies at Lawrence University transforms how you see yourself and the world around you. Our courses facilitate inquiry into how power shapes everything from interpersonal relations to global economic structures, along the intersections of gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, ability, religion, and age. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Geosciences

Lawrence geosciences students have an exceptional range of research experiences, comparable to what students from larger universities would first encounter at graduate school. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

German Studies

A relevant field for the 21st century, German Studies at Lawrence emphasizes the diversity and multiculturalism of the German-speaking world. Courses examine the language, literature, film, and cultures of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the broader German-speaking world, including questions of migration, sustainability, and LGBTQ history. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Global Studies

Global studies is an interdisciplinary major that investigates the broad range of cultural, political, social and economic forces at play historically and today. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Government

The Government major uses the lens of political science to engage with our intensely political age and its intellectual challenges, helping students learn how to explain, interpret, and evaluate political institutions, conflicts, policies, behaviors, and beliefs. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

History

The formal study of history—the critical examination of human accomplishments and failures—greatly enhances our ability to judge and decide about both private matters and public issues. Students who major in history will learn to analyze historical evidence, synthesize sources into an argument, explain historiographical debates, and appreciate diverse cultures and perspectives. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

International Relations

The International Relations major focuses on issues of conflict, cooperation, and change among international actors, as well as topics from comparative politics. Students who major in International Relations will learn how to employ a variety of methods to analyze political phenomena, as well as how to defend their analyses with rigorous, evidence-based argument. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Linguistics

Linguistics is the field of study that explores the nature and structure of language, how it develops and changes, and how it is used to express and evoke meaning. At Lawrence, linguistics is an interdisciplinary program taught by faculty members from multiple departments, affording students the opportunity to examine language-related questions from varied perspectives. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Mathematics

As the pure expression of pattern and form, mathematics provides the language for science, and in the past 100 years many disciplines have been virtually transformed by the infusion of mathematics. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Mathematics-Economics

The interdisciplinary mathematics-economics major provides a strong foundation for graduate work in economics, where mathematical aptitude is at a premium. This route also provides outstanding preparation for technical business careers, such as investment banking, management consulting, and finance. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music (B.A.)

Situated within the liberal arts foundation of the Bachelor of Arts degree, the BA music major welcomes students with diverse backgrounds, abilities, values, passions, and curiosities. The flexibility built into this major creates a space in which students can explore their unique voices and interests, and develop their own transformative creativities. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music (B.A./B.Mus.)

Professional study in music and study in the liberal arts may be combined in a five-year program leading to both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees, the latter with a major other than music. Both degrees are awarded at the conclusion of the five-year program. The degree requires a minimum of 270 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music (Bachelor of Musical Arts)

The Bachelor of Musical Arts is a professional degree in which courses in music represent approximately one-half of the curriculum while the other half is devoted to First-Year Studies, general education requirements, and a secondary field of study (cognate). The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music Composition

The composition major requires 45 units of music composition, including fundamentals of composition, nine terms of composition study, techniques of the contemporary composer, and topics in electronic music, along with additional coursework in music theory, orchestration, conducting, performance, and ensemble. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music Education

The music education major prepares students for certification and licensure to teach music, combining coursework in education, music education and pedagogy, applied performance study, and ensemble participation. A cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required for admission to the music education major and for certification to teach music. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Music Theory

The music theory major requires 36 units of music theory in addition to the core courses required for the B.Mus. degree, including counterpoint in the style of J.S. Bach, theory and analysis of music since 1900, global music theory and analysis, and topics in music theory and analysis. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Natural Sciences

The interdisciplinary major in the natural sciences enables students to construct science majors around subject areas that bridge two or more disciplines in the natural sciences, leading to graduate work and/or careers in many of the rapidly growing interdisciplinary fields developing along interfaces between the traditional natural sciences. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Neuroscience

The field of neuroscience uses an interdisciplinary approach to study the brain and nervous system. The fields of biology, chemistry, and psychology provide much of the core knowledge needed to pursue study in neuroscience, and the major will prepare students for graduate study in neuroscience or allied health areas. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Performance

The Bachelor of Music is a professional degree in which courses in music represent approximately two-thirds of the curriculum, while one-third is devoted to First-Year Studies and general education requirements. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Philosophy

Courses in philosophy develop skills in reading analytically, thinking critically, and arguing cogently, and provide students with valuable insights into many of the significant issues confronting us in a rapidly changing world. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Physics

Physics represents an inquiry, both theoretical and experimental, into the nature of the physical universe. A physics degree from Lawrence University, with the solid foundation of a liberal arts education, opens paths to careers in physics as well as a wide variety of other STEM fields. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Psychology

Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. The psychology curriculum is well balanced to represent the breadth of the core areas of psychology—clinical, cognitive, developmental, health, biological, industrial/organizational, and social psychology—and provides opportunity for the in-depth study of specific topics. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Religious Studies

Religion is deeply intertwined with many aspects of human culture, connecting to morality and ethics, laws and politics, science, art, and music. The department offers courses in religious traditions including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam, as well as interdisciplinary courses that explore the broader implications of religious traditions throughout history and around the world. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Russian Studies

Russian is one of the world's most important and widely spoken languages, and knowledge of it helps broaden students' career opportunities and options in a variety of fields, including business and government service. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Spanish, Latin American, and Latinx Studies

The Spanish program at Lawrence University equips students with advanced to superior linguistic, cultural, and academic knowledge in this area. Majors gain expertise in intercultural communication through specialized study, interdisciplinary exploration, and international experience, often alongside another major or minor. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Studio Art

An integral part of a liberal arts curriculum, the courses of the studio art department encourage aesthetic awareness and appreciation by emphasizing the interdependence of art-making, art history, and other intellectual fields. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.

Theatre Arts

Since 1930, the Department of Theatre Arts has provided an environment of academic exploration and production experiences in the innovative and collaborative tradition of theatre-making. A broad knowledge of theatre history and its literary heritage combines with the mastery of skills in performance, design, and production, leading to clear and nuanced expression from our stages. The degree requires a minimum of 216 units under Lawrence's unit system rather than semester credit hours.