UCI CURRICULUM CAPSULES

A BULLETIN FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES

FALL 1999

NEW AND REVISED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

• Asian Studies Minor

  Effective fall 1999, students interested in exploring Asian cultures, economics, arts, literatures, and politics may minor in Asian Studies. Presenting perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, the minor enables students to approach the field of Asian studies in a broad-based fashion, and to gain a better understanding of countries that are increasingly prominent in the modern world. The curriculum consists of eight courses including one lower-division course in Asian history and second-year language study in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, which may be completed prior to transfer. For information on the minor, contact Professor R. Bin Wong, Director, Center for Asian Studies at (949) 824-4929 or rbwong@uci.edu.

• Biomedical Engineering Minor

  The Henry Samueli School of Engineering now offers a minor in Biomedical Engineering designed to provide students with the introductory skills necessary to perform as an engineer in the biomedical arena. The interdisciplinary minor combines course work in engineering, physical sciences, and biological science and provides students with knowledge of biomedical systems in addition to traditional engineering. Although the minor is open to students in any UCI major, it will be particularly attractive to students in the biological and physical sciences, and engineering.

  Several of the 10 courses required for the minor may be completed prior to transfer: biochemistry, molecular biology, organic chemistry with laboratory, linear algebra, differential equations, and differential and integral calculus. Additional information about the minor can be found on The Henry Samueli School of Engineering World Wide Web site at: soeweb.eng.uci.edu/bme/ or by contacting the Student Affairs Office at (949) 824-4334.

• Revised Physics Curriculum

  The Physics undergraduate major curriculum has been revised to expand students' post- baccalaureate career options, and to expose students to all major subareas of physics in preparation for the Graduate Record Examination. Required individual student meetings with faculty advisors and smaller classes are two of the distinctive features of the repackaged curriculum, along with the establishment of seven "tracks" within the major: astrophysics, applied physics, biomedical physics, business, computational physics, graduate school preparation, or secondary teaching. Upon completion of their junior year, students are assigned a track advisor who will guide them. The tracks in astrophysics, applied, biomedical, and computational physics are formal concentrations or specializations; for other tracks, the student and the track advisor plan a course of study. The business track is especially appropriate for students who wish to pursue the UCI Management minor.

  At the lower-division level Physics majors are required to complete courses in classical physics, modern physics, experimental physics, and a computational methods course in "C" programming. Because most of the tracks focus on course choices during the upper-division years, transfer students who fulfill as many lower-division degree requirements as possible prior to transfer will be well positioned to select a track and complete their degree in a timely manner. To be eligible for admission, transfer applicants to the UCI Physics major must complete one year of calculus-based engineering physics with laboratory and one year of calculus prior to transfer.

  Concentration in Computational Physics

  The new concentration in Computational Physics provides training for software development employment in a wide variety of high technology fields requiring the combination of numerical analysis and modern computer programming techniques. Through a curriculum that blends computer science, mathematics, and physics, students will acquire the skills necessary to understand apparatus and analysis techniques, use appropriate numerical analysis, and write computer programs.

  The additional courses required for the Computational Physics concentration are typically taken in the junior and senior years, however transfer students interested in the concentration may wish to complete approved computer science courses (C++/Java) and a course in fundamental data structures in addition to the lower-division physics and mathematics courses required for the Physics major. Requirements for the Physics major can be found on page 309 of the 1999-2000 UCI General Catalogue.

• Minor in Conflict Resolution

  Following the introduction of the International Studies major in 1997, the minor in Global Peace and Conflict Studies has been renamed and modified to focus on conflict and cooperation at the local, regional, and international levels. The revised minor, now titled Conflict Resolution, explores the very nature of conflict itself: its various causes, representations, and effects. Students undertaking this minor will not only study the ways groups and organizations mitigate, discuss, manage, and prevent conflict, but also how it can be used as a catalyst for change in interpersonal relationships, domestic policies, and international affairs.

  The interdisciplinary curriculum consists of eight courses, an upper-division faculty-student formal lecture series, and a senior seminar in conflict resolution. As preparation for the minor, transfer students may wish to take an introductory peace and conflict course centered on the causes and effects of international violence in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.

  The minor may be taken in conjunction with any UCI major and will serve students interested in international affairs with an emphasis on conflict and cooperation. It will also meet the needs of students who want practical and analytical skills in solving conflicts in the workplace and in communities. Requirements for the minor can be found on page 271 of the 1999-2000 UCI General Catalogue.

• Honors in Directing

  The Honors in Directing program gives undergraduate Drama majors the opportunity to concentrate their studies on the art and practice of stage direction. The curriculum includes basic and advanced directing techniques, the history of directing, and various directorial themes. Honors students will participate in a directing lab with graduate students and direct two full-length plays-opportunities which are not available to other undergraduate Drama majors. Students also meet regularly with faculty for artistic and professional advising sessions resulting in a special mentoring relationship otherwise reserved for graduate students.

  Transfer students interested in the Honors in Directing program may apply once they have enrolled at UCI. Those completing the program will have the Honors in Directing distinction noted on their transcripts. Requirements for the Drama major, Honors in Directing, and other honors programs in Acting and Music Theatre can be found on pages 98-100 of the 1999-2000 UCI General Catalogue.

The UCI Catalogue is available on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.editor.uci.edu/catalogue

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