Types of Courses

New York State Liberal Arts Requirements

According to Regents Rule 3.47(c), undergraduate degrees are distinguished by the minimum number of Liberal Arts credits required for each degree.

Minimum number of Liberal Arts credits for degrees:

B.A. degree: 90 Liberal Arts credits

B.S. degree: 60 Liberal Arts credits

B.F.A. degree: 30 Liberal Arts credits

New York State considers Liberal Arts courses to be those that are either of a general and/or theoretical nature that are designed to develop judgment and understanding about one’s relationship to the social, cultural, and natural facets of the total environment. Working corollaries for counting Liberal Arts courses are:

1. Independent of specific application
2. Theoretical understandings as opposed to practical application
3. Breadth and scope in principle covered
4. Not definitely directed toward particular career or specific professional objectives
5. Not chiefly “how to” in manipulative skills or techniques
6. Not “applied” aspects of a field.

Examples of Liberal Arts courses: Courses in English, some Communication courses, some Dance and Theater courses, Languages, Music History and Theory, Art History, Philosophy, Religion, Mathematics, Natural Sciences,Social Sciences and some Sport Studies courses, among others, are considered Liberal Arts.

Examples of non-Liberal Arts courses: Courses in Physical Education, Management, Education*, Library Science, Studio Art, Theatre Production, Music practice or performance, among others, are not considered Liberal Arts. *Exception: EDU 3003-American Sign Language-I and EDU 3004-American Sign Language-II do count for Liberal Arts credit.

Consult with an academic advisor, check Catalog feature in Student Planning or course listings in this catalog to identify courses that count towards Liberal Arts.

Fourth Credit Option for Service Learning & Civic Engagement

The 4th Credit Option awards students one additional credit for performing 30 hours of civic engagement activities and service that is linked to a course. Under this option students may earn up to three Liberal Arts credits during their college career that may be used as electives toward graduation.

The 4th Credit Option for ACADEMIC SERVICE LEARNING allows students to integrate their academic studies with service to disadvantaged and underserved individuals or groups in the community with a particular academic course. Together with the facilitation of the professor of the course and with a supervisor at the site, students are challenged to find the connection between academic content of a course and experiential learning at a site. This opportunity is available to all students of and all courses in the college.

The 4th Credit Option for ACADEMIC SERVICE LEARNING consists of a student’s commitment to:

• 30 hours per semester, beyond classroom time;
• setting and meeting learning goals agreed upon by the student, the agency and the professor;
• attending an initial orientation; participating in two discussion sessions- mid-semester and end of semester meetings
• Black board journal entries throughout the semester
• completion of a final project.

The goals of the program are to provide students the opportunity to:

• Integrate coursework and experiential learning through service, research, and volunteering
• Reflect, with peers, staff and faculty, on experiences and academic links discovered through their civic engagement
• Develop critical analytical skills while exploring underlying problems that face agencies and communities served.

Internship

The Manhattanville Internship Program offers students an important link between the academic and professional worlds. The College’s location in southern Westchester County, near New York City and Fairfield County, Connecticut, offers easy access to many nearby corporate, governmental and not-for-profit organizations, where students gain valuable experience in internships that complement their course work. The Center for Career Development assists students as they identify and apply for internship opportunities.

Internship Requirements

In order to be eligible to register an internship for credit, students must have the following requirements:

• Completed 30 credits of coursework
• Declared their major
• Must be a matriculated student

After completing 30 credits, students can integrate their academic studies with supervised work experiences by doing an internship on a part-time basis during the academic year or on a full or part-time basis during the summer for academic credit. Students usually register for internships under their major programs and must secure a faculty advisor from that program. They may also do one internship outside the program for interdisciplinary credit. Working with their faculty advisor, students identify learning objectives and formulate an academic project related to the internship. The Center for Career Development also supports students in a variety of ways during their internship course and acts as a liaison between student, employer and faculty. In addition, the employer evaluates the student’s work. A maximum of nine internship credits may be applied to the degree.

Independent Study

The independent study offers selected students an opportunity to work with considerable autonomy in areas not covered in the regular curriculum, under the guidance of an appropriate full-time faculty member. (In rare cases part-time faculty may, with the approval of the division chair and the dean, oversee independent studies.) Independent Studies are usually reserved for upper class students in areas in which they have an appropriate background. Independent Studies are not available in foreign languages, except for advanced literary or cultural study. In order to ensure sufficient planning, students should obtain a faculty supervisor and register for the Independent Study in the semester preceding the one in which it will be taken: i.e., during pre-registration. The standard deadlines regarding add/drop apply to independent study courses. The proposal for Independent Study work must be approved by the faculty supervisor and the Dean, and should focus on at least one of these options:

Special Readings: The student sets up and works through a reading list approved by the faculty supervisor. A substantial piece of written research is often produced.

Research Project and Field Work: In consultation with a faculty member qualified in the chosen area, the student prepares a proposal for a research project, which is carried out under faculty supervision either in an academic setting or in the field and culminates in a formal paper. After completing the project, the student submits a written report to the faculty supervisor, along with an appraisal by the fieldwork supervisor. Normally the equivalent of only one semester of fieldwork can be applied toward the degree.

Audit

Individuals may audit courses on a space-available basis and with permission of the instructor. Auditors may register for lecture style courses (i.e. History, English, Philosophy). Auditors may not register for courses that require lab or class participation (i.e. Art, Dance, Foreign Languages).

Audit courses are recorded on a transcript but receive no grade or credit and may not be applied to any degree. Auditors may register only after the regular add/drop period for the term has passed. Auditors are required to pay an audit fee listed in the schedule of fees. Senior citizens (age 62 and older) may have this fee waived upon presentation of proof of age at the time of registration.

Acadeum

Manhattanville belongs to the Acadeum College Consortium, through which students can take online courses offered by other private institutions in the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) as if they were Manhattanville courses. That is, these courses appear on the Manhattanville transcript and impact GPAs just as if they were taken at Manhattanville.  Tuition is billed at the regular rate and applicable financial aid can be awarded.

Manhattanville will facilitate the enrollment and billing process for Acadeum courses.  However, students enrolled in Acadeum courses become students at the partnering institution for the duration of the course and are subject to that institution’s policies, procedures and deadlines.

For information on Acadeum courses, students should consult their advisor.