(http://www.reg.uci.edu/UCI/ADMISSIONS/curcap.html)
UCI Curriculum Capsules is published annually by the University of California, Irvine Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools and the Division of Undergraduate Education to highlight important curricular changes effective fall 1998. Please use it in tandem with the 1998-99 UCI General Catalogue. For additional information, contact the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools at (949) 824-6703. This bulletin may be duplicated as needed.
Effective fall 1998, UCI will offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies, in addition to the existing minor. This interdisciplinary major examines the history and cultures of Africans and African-Americans from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and theoretical approaches. The curriculum begins with three lower-division survey courses which serve as an introduction to the African-American experience from the importation of Africans into the Americas to the present. At the upper-division level, students may select from among an intellectually challenging series of courses that include the study of black protest thought, the history of scientific racism, black artistic and creative contributions, critical theories on blackness, and black urban political movements.
The major is excellent preparation for careers in public policy, government at all levels, human resources, marketing, law, medicine, management, and education. Transfer students can best prepare for the major with courses in African-American arts, history, literature, psychology, sociology, and two years of college-level study in a language other than English, in addition to completing either IGETC or the UCI breadth requirement.
UCI will offer a Bachelors of Arts degree in Asian American Studies, in addition to the existing minor, beginning fall 1998. The interdisciplinary major examines the history, social organization, culture, literature, and art of Asian Americans as part of American multiethnic society. Further, the major provides a context for understanding the cultures and histories of Asian American and Pacific American peoples and studying their experiences in relation to their countries of origin. The major prepares students for careers in research, public service, and community work related to Asian Americans, and for advanced work at the graduate level.
The curriculum is founded on a year-long lower-division introduction to Asian American studies followed by upper-division course work in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Transfer students who wish to prepare for the major are advised to complete course work in the arts, history, literature, psychology, and sociology which focuses on Asian American and Pacific American peoples, and either the UCI breadth requirement or IGETC.
Although available to students in any major, the minor in Earth and Atmospheric
Science will be of special interest to students majoring in the natural
sciences and engineering who wish to explore the application of physical,
chemical, and biological principles to understanding the interactions of the
atmosphere, ocean, and land through climate and biogeochemical cycles. Transfer
students can prepare for the minor by completing one year of calculus and one
year of either chemistry or physics. Once enrolled at UCI, students begin the
minor with a year-long upper-division core course that discusses the earth's
atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and climate, and how they are being affected by
human activities. The core course is followed by electives offered in the
Schools of Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Physical Sciences.
Students who complete the minor with a major in engineering or natural sciences
will be well positioned for careers in the fields of environmental remediation
and associated health issues, analytical chemistry, public policy, and
environmental law. For information about the minor, contact the School of
Physical Sciences Student Affairs Office at (949) 824-6507.
A
minor in Educational Studies is now available for students interested in
understanding the nature of education in a changing society, and preparing for
careers and leadership in education. The curriculum begins with a
lower-division course on the origins, purposes, and central issues in K-12
education, followed by advanced course work addressing social, cultural, and
economic factors that influence the effectiveness of the nation's schools. The
minor also requires field experience which includes direct observation and/or
service in the schools. The minor can be taken with any UCI major.
For students wishing to pursue a teaching credential, completing the minor
provides a strong foundation in educational studies and enhances their
admissibility to the UCI Department of Education (or programs at other
institutions). Transfer students interested in pursuing the minor should
contact the Department of Education after enrolling at UCI.
The School of Humanities now offers a
Humanities and Law minor which brings
together course work useful in preparation for law-related careers. Emphasizing
reading, writing, and critical thinking skills and humanistic approaches to
problems of law and society, this classic liberal arts minor can be taken in
tandem with a major in any field, humanistic or otherwise.
The minor curriculum includes one set of courses which develops skills in
critical reading, writing, and analysis that are necessary to deal with legal
issues. Another set presents theoretical and analytical perspectives on
ethical, political, and social issues relevant to the law. A final set focuses
on specific legal issues from a humanistic perspective. Lower-division
requirements primarily develop foundation skills in the first set, whereas
upper-division requirements build on these skills by addressing the concerns
from the other sets.
Transfer students from community colleges can prepare for the minor by taking courses in critical reasoning or classical rhetoric, introductory philosophy, and ethics.
Students who plan to seek a credential in high school mathematics teaching after receiving the Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics may now choose to specialize in Mathematics for High School Teaching.
The required lower-division courses are calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, finite mathematics, and an introduction to rigor and proofs. An extra science requirement helps students become more effective mathematics teachers because they learn how mathematics interacts with other subjects. The required upper-division mathematics courses provide the breadth and depth needed to teach the modern high school mathematics curriculum with understanding. Finally, students participate in the Department's tutoring program and take a Department of Education course which provides experience in the secondary schools.
Students can formally indicate their interest in the specialization once enrolled at UCI as a Mathematics major. Recommended preparation for the specialization includes: one course each in linear algebra, differential equations, discrete mathematics, and abstract mathematics; additional courses in calculus in two- and three-dimensions; one year of chemistry or calculus-based engineering physics; and one course in C, C++, FORTRAN, or Pascal programming. Transfer students must complete one year of approved calculus prior to enrolling at UCI as a Mathematics major. Requirements for the specialization can be found in the 1998-99 UCI General Catalogue in the material for the Mathematics Department.
The undergraduate major in Film Studies at UCI teaches students to take cinema, television, and new technologies seriously; that is, to "read" audiovisual materials as texts that produce multiple and often complex meanings. While we usually think of moving-image media solely as forms of entertainment, Film Studies at UCI addresses media simultaneously as entertainment, social commentary, technological innovations, and cultural products, and studies these media from historical, critical, and theoretical perspectives.
Effective fall 1998, the lower-division Film Studies core courses (Film Studies 85A-B-C ) have been redesigned to teach students how to analyze, comprehend, and contextualize the image-saturated culture in which we live and to introduce the historical, political, economic, social, and artistic dimensions of modern image media. Beginning with Visual Media and Contemporary Society (85A), students learn how to analyze visual media--such as photography, movies, and advertising--and to evaluate their role in contemporary culture. History of Broadcasting (85B), studies the history of broadcast media, with social, political, economic, legal, institutional, and cultural perspectives guiding analysis. Finally, New Technologies and Visuality (85C), addresses electronic communication technologies, such as virtual reality and the Internet, from social, cultural, psychological, and political perspectives.
In preparation for the Film Studies major, transfer students should focus on completing the School of Humanities requirements which include two years of college-level study in a single language other than English; one course each in English composition, English literature, history, and philosophy (not logic); in addition to courses similar to the Film Studies 85A-B-C sequence described above.
For Drama majors, the Honors in Music Theatre Program provides advanced training in acting, dance, voice, scene study, song interpretation, and audition technique. Studies include history of the American musical, and performance experiences vary from fully staged musicals to intimate revues. The curriculum includes the popular and innovative New York Satellite Program, a four-week intensive series of master classes held in New York. Please consult the Drama Department for information on program requirements.
The major and minor in Russian have been suspended while the programs undergo curricular revision. First- and-second year Russian language courses will continue to be offered and open to all students.
As the availability of electronic communication grows, UCI and UC offer many publications on the World Wide Web, including this publication. The following sites may be of interest to you and your students:
Accommodation Statement. The information in this publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities, upon request. Requests should be directed to the Office of Disability Services; telephone (949) 824-7494, TDD 824-6272.