Departmental Course Advice for New Students and Prospective Majors

Why take an Africana Studies course or become a major or minor? Africana Studies at Gettysburg College offers the opportunity to learn how to analyze problems from a variety of disciplines such as economics, history, linguistics, music, political science, and literature. Africana Studies focuses on African American, Caribbean, Latin American, and continental African experiences, institutions, and perspectives. It is broadly defined as the study of peoples of Africa and the African diaspora, and the purpose of that study is to participate in the process of improving life opportunities for people of African descent. Interested students and prospective majors and minors can begin their exploration with AFS 130, 131, 132, or any 200-level AFS course. For advising help, contact Prof. Abou Bamba (abamba@gettysburg.edu)

Those interested in learning more about Anthropology should take at least one of our introductory courses, Anth 103 or Anth 106, during the first year. These courses satisfy the Social Sciences requirement of the Multiple Inquiries goal. They are also Global Understanding courses. Both are required for the major. Taking at least one of these introductory courses makes it possible to enroll in any 200-level course in subsequent semesters since either Anth 103 or Anth 106 is a prerequisite for courses at that level. Some 200-level anthropology courses are cross-listed with Asian Studies, Classics, French, Latin American Studies, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Other anthropology courses may be used as electives for Africana Studies, Cinema and Media Studies, Environmental Studies, or Globalization Studies. For advising help, contact Andrea Switzer (aswitzer@gettysburg.edu).

TStudents expecting to major or minor in studio art should take ARTS 141 in their first year. ARTS 141 is also open to students with general interest in studio art. There are sections of ARTS 141 in both the fall and spring semester and some enrollment spaces have been reserved for first year students. This course is a pre-requisite for upper-level studio art courses.Students expecting to major or minor in art history should take ARTH 125 in their first year. There are several sections of ARTH 125 in both the fall and spring semester and some enrollment spaces have been reserved for first year students. This course is a pre-requisite for upper-level art history courses.For information, please contact office administrator Leslie Casteel (lcasteel@gettysburg.edu) or call 717-337-6121

Should I take an introductory Biology course my first semester?

YES - If you are planning to be a Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular biology (BMB) or Health Science major, are interested in the Neuroscience minor, or if you are planning to attend Medical school immediately after college. Students planning to go to Veterinary school should follow the Biology major recommendations.

Prospective majors should note that Introductory Biology and Chemistry courses are both year-long sequences. In their first year, prospective majors should take Biology 111 in the fall and Biology 112 in the spring.

Since Chemistry is required for the Biology and BMB majors, students who are sure of their intent to major in Biology or BMB should enroll in Chemistry 107 along with Biology 111 in the first semester. This permits a better integration of chemistry into upper level biology courses. Students may, however, delay chemistry until their second year and still complete the Biology major. A mathematics course (calculus or statistics) is required for the Biology major and should be completed in the first or second year.

OPTIONAL-with special considerations If you are planning on a Psychology or Environmental Studies major: These majors require 2 semesters of a natural science with labs, but you are not required to take Biology nor are you required to begin the natural science courses in your first semester. However, please note:

• Students interested in Environmental Science who plan to do the BS degree should take at least one course in either Biology (111 or 113), Chemistry (107), or Physics (103) their first semester.

• Non-Biology majors interested in Neuroscience should take Biology 111 their first semester. Some Psych majors who are not particularly interested in the biological side of psychology fulfill their natural science with lab component by taking courses like Biology 101 or 102. But for psychology majors with stronger interest in biological psychology, we recommend considering Biology 111 and 112 (which are required for the Neuroscience minor).

• If you’re planning to earn a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in Biology, you should plan to complete a full Biology major, complemented by coursework in Education. Contact the Education Department for more details.

OPTIONAL For students interested in other majors: All Gettysburg students need to take two science classes to graduate (and at least one of these courses must have a laboratory component). You can fulfill this requirement of our curriculum by taking an introductory course in Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, or Physics. You are not required to take a science class in your first semester, but it is a good idea to complete this requirement by the end of your sophomore year.

Which biology course is best for me?

• Bio 101 (Basic Biology - Fall course) is geared towards non-science majors who do not intend to take Bio 112. It makes no assumption about your science background and is a stand-alone course. It has a weekly lab component.

• Bio 102 (Biological Basis of Disease - Spring course) is geared towards non-science majors. It makes no assumption about your science background- it has no prerequisite. It has an "every other week" lab component.

• Bio 103 (Plants and Society - Fall course) is geared towards non-science majors. It makes no assumption about your science background and is a stand-alone course. It has NO lab component.

• Bio 111 (Introduction to Ecology and Evolution - Fall course) is geared towards students with a strong science background and is best suited for Biology, BMB, and Environmental Studies majors. It has a weekly lab component.

• Bio 113 (Introduction to Phage Biology - Fall course) is a research-intensive course geared towards science students. It can substitute for Bio 111 for any major/minor. It has a lab component. Open to a limited number of students by application only.

• Bio 112 (Form and Function - Spring course) is required for Biology, BMB, Health Science majors, pre-med students, and has a pre-requisite of Bio 110 or 111 or 113.

For Advising Help: contact Prof. Kazuo Hiraizumi (hiraizum@gettysburg.edu) or Prof. Matt Kittelberger (mkittelb@gettysburg.edu) or visit the Prospective Student tab at the Biology Department web site.

Students planning a major in the interdisciplinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program should take Biology 111 AND Chemistry 107 (any themed section) in the fall semester, followed by Biology 112 and Chemistry 108 (any themed section; it does NOT need to be the same theme as your Chemistry 107 section) in the spring semester. Since Mathematics 111-112 is required for the BMB major, students are strongly encouraged to complete Math 111-112 during the first year. While it is possible to complete the 18-course BMB major if one chooses to begin chemistry and/or math in the sophomore year, this may present difficulties in the junior and senior year, and may prevent a BMB major from being able to study abroad. For advising help, contact Dr. Steven James (sjames@gettysburg.edu), Chair of the BMB Program.

The Chemistry major builds upon itself, and therefore certain courses need to be taken in a specific order. Students planning a major in Chemistry should take Chemistry 107 (any themed section) and Mathematics 111 or a higher-level mathematics course during the fall semester of their first year. During the spring semester students should register for Chemistry 108 (any themed section; it does NOT need to be the same theme as your Chemistry 107 section) and Math 112 or a higher-level mathematics course. Chemistry majors must ultimately take mathematics through Math 211 (Multivariable Calculus) and a year of calculus-based physics in preparation for Chemistry 305 and 306. Physics and math courses are often taken during the sophomore year along with Chemistry 203 and 204. If you have a question about the Chemistry major or minor, please see the Department website or contact the Chair, Prof. Tim Funk (tfunk@gettysburg.edu).

Students who are interested in taking a chemistry class to fulfill the Natural Science with a Lab Multiple Inquiries requirement should also take Chemistry 107. While all sections of Chemistry 107 cover the fundamentals of the discipline (such as exploring the atom, molecules, chemical bonds, the properties and theories of matter, and chemical reactions), each section approaches the topics through a different theme including art, consumer products, medicine, and the environment. None of these courses assume an extensive background in chemistry. Any section of Chemistry 107 serves as a pre-requisite for any section of Chemistry 108.

TStudents expecting to major or minor in studio art should take ARTS 141 in their first year. ARTS 141 is also open to students with general interest in studio art. There are sections of ARTS 141 in both the fall and spring semester and some enrollment spaces have been reserved for first year students. This course is a pre-requisite for upper-level studio art courses.Students expecting to major or minor in art history should take ARTH 125 in their first year. There are several sections of ARTH 125 in both the fall and spring semester and some enrollment spaces have been reserved for first year students. This course is a pre-requisite for upper-level art history courses.For information, please contact office administrator Leslie Casteel (lcasteel@gettysburg.edu) or call 717-337-6121