YESHIVA UNIVERSITY 2002-2004 Women's Catalog

STERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN

  Majors Minors Bachelor's Degree Requirements   
General Studies Requirements Associate in Arts  
Placement School Regulations Honors Program

 
Stern College is the University's college of arts and sciences for women. It was established in 1954 through a major gift by the late Max Stern, a prominent community leader and honorary chairman of the University's Board of Trustees, in memory of his parents, Emanuel and Caroline Stern.

Stern College is a unique institution offering curricula designed to prepare modern young women for careers, professions, graduate study, and increasing responsibilities in the community, while also embodying the unique concept that the values of Judaism have a meaningful relevance to the general culture of Western civilization.

As part of the curriculum leading to the bachelor of arts degree, students participate in programs of Jewish studies, offered through the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies, which provide intensive analysis of classic texts in the Hebrew and Aramaic originals. Designed to deepen ethical and philosophical insight and values, these programs afford valuable supplementary training in research methods and independent work. Students also may receive a Hebrew teacher's diploma and an associate in arts degree in Jewish Studies.

Mindful of its responsibilities as a liberal arts college in an urban center, Stern College has incorporated a broad set of educational programs, student services, and extracurricular activities to meet the needs of the individual student. It is aware of the opposing pressures of a society driving toward greater specialization and technology, and of the student seeking order and purpose for herself and a totality of meaning for her life. Students, faculty, and administration are in search of sophisticated solutions to these increasingly complicated problems.

Bachelor of Arts
All majors at Stern College lead to the degree of bachelor of arts. Majors in Accounting and Business & Management, leading to the degree of bachelor of science, are offered through Sy Syms School of Business.

Majors
Each student must select one subject as a major. Subjects in which the student may major are listed below. Additional information and updates are available in the Office of Academic Advisement.

The University offers Pre-Law and Pre-Health advisement.

Combined and joint programs in business administration, dentistry, engineering, Jewish education, Jewish studies, occupational therapy, optometry, podiatric medicine, and social work are available.

Regardless of how much transfer credit is granted a student, at least 60 percent of the required credits in the major and at least 84 credits in total must be taken at Stern College.

The approval of both the senior professor of the subject in which the student is majoring and the Office of the Dean are necessary for a substitution of one course for another in the requirements for the major.

Only Stern College courses in which a student has earned grades of C- or better may be used to meet the requirements of her major (this applies only to courses in the subject itself, and not to correlate requirements) .

Minors
A student may choose a minor in a discipline and have it listed on her permanent record upon her written request at least a month prior to graduation.

Areas in which it is possible to minor are listed below:

Students also may select the Business minor offered through Sy Syms School of Business.

At least 60 percent of the credits toward a minor must be taken at Stern College. Only courses in which the student has earned grades of C- or better may be counted toward the minor.

Bachelor's Degree Requirements

a. Credit requirement: 128 credits.

b. Residence requirement
Students must be in residence full-time at Stern College in New York at least 4 semesters. Students graduating from high school May 1998 or later must complete at least 84 credits at Stern College. At least 24 of the last 35 credits must be taken at Stern College. The normal amount of time for the completion of the degree is four years; students are expected to complete all work within six years of the date of admission, excluding time lost because of illness.

c. Grade requirement
An average of 2.0 or better in all studies, including the major and/or minor and a grade of C- or better in all courses used to meet the major and minor are required for graduation.

d. Exit requirement
To be eligible for graduation, each senior must pass an exit examination or complete a research paper or a project in her major. These are described in an announcement available from the Office of the Dean.

e. Administrative requirements
Each student must receive approbation of the faculty and the president, and must have filed of an Application for Degree during the registration period of the semester in which the student completes all requirements.

f. Course requirements
All students are required to complete courses in General Studies, Hebrew Language, Literature and Culture, and in their majors.

General Studies Requirements

Basic Courses 10 credits

English 1100 3 credits
Except for unusual circumstances, all students are expected to complete ENG 1100 in their freshman year.  International students (non-native English speakers) must first pass English as a Second Language.

Physical Education 1 credit
Two semesters of PED activity-type courses. A maximum of 8 credits in PED may count toward a bachelor’s degree, except in the case of a shaped major in physical education.

Speech 1010 3 credits

One additional course chosen from Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics. 3 credits

Humanities 12 credits

Chosen from courses in foreign language (other than Hebrew and Yiddish), Art, English, Music, and Philosophy as designated in the course schedule. No more than 3 credits may be taken in Art, no more than 3 credits in Music, and no more than 6 credits in any other discipline.

Social Sciences 9 credits

Chosen from courses in Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology as designated in the course schedule. No more than 3 credits may be taken in Psychology and no more than 3 in Sociology, and no more than 6 in any other discipline.

Natural Sciences 8 credits

One year of one laboratory science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics).

Restricted Courses 9 credits

Foreign language other than Hebrew and Yiddish, and/or courses in disciplines other than that of the student's major, as designated in the course schedule. See also Foreign Language Study in Placement.

Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture 32-50 credits.

Stern College has extensive offerings in the field of Hebrew language and literature and Jewish culture and civilization (hereafter called Jewish Studies) offered through the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies. Courses are available for students with little or no background, for those with some background, and for those with an extensive background.

The courses in the disciplines of Bible, Hebrew, Jewish Education, Jewish History, Jewish Philosophy, and Judaic Studies offered at Stern College constitute the Jewish Studies Program. The Jewish Studies requirement consists of 6 Core segments plus 14 additional Jewish Studies credits. These requirements are modified for transfer students who spend less than four years at Stern College, and for students in combined or joint programs. Consult the Office of the Registrar for details.

Regardless of transfer credit, a minimum of 18 credits in Jewish Studies must be taken at the College. A minimum of 2 credits in Jewish Studies is required in each semester of full-time study at Stern College.

A. Core segment (18-36 credits)

The Core segment is a unit of three Jewish Studies classes consisting of eight to nine hours of lecture per week. It is required during each of the first six semesters of full-time attendance at Stern College.

A separate permanent record is maintained for the Core segment, on which each course and its grade are recorded. The average of these grades is transferred to the Stern College transcript for between 3 to 6 credits as determined by the student at the time of registration, under the heading Hebraic Studies (HES). The composite average is transferred as follows:

3.668-4.000 = A
3.334-3.667 = A-
3.001-3.333 = B+
2.668-3.000 = B
2.334-2.667 = B-
2.001-2.333 = C+
1.668-2.000 = C
1.334-1.667 = C-
1.001-1.333 = D+
0.668-1.000 = D
0.334-0.667 = D-
0.000-0.333 = F

B. Additional credits
Each student must complete a total of 14 additional Jewish Studies credits. 

C. Distribution requirements
Distribution requirements may be fulfilled through the Core segments and the 14 additional Jewish Studies credits.

Associate in Arts

Hebrew Language, Literature, and Culture

a. Credit requirement
The student must complete Jewish Studies courses equivalent to five semesters of Core and 7 additional Jewish Studies credits. These requirements must be completed within six years of admission. Students in a Sy Syms School BS program, or in a joint or combined program, must also meet these requirements to receive the AA degree.

b. Residence requirement
The student must have prior or simultaneous receipt of a bachelor's degree from Stern College or Sy Syms School. At least three semesters of Core and all 7 additional Jewish Studies credits must be taken at Stern College.

c. Grade requirement
An average of 2.4 or better in all Jewish Studies courses is required for the AA degree.

d. Administrative requirements
Each student must receive approbation of the faculty and the president, and must have filed an Application for Degree during the registration period of the semester in which the student completes all requirements.

Hebrew Teacher's Diploma  

Placement

Placement Examination in Hebrew
Before registration, each student has a placement evaluation and is assigned to the appropriate level of study: elementary, intermediate, or advanced. (A student will not receive credit for courses on a level lower than the one to which she has been placed.) Even the elementary-level courses presuppose the student's ability to read Hebrew text out loud and to write the Hebrew alphabet in cursive script.

English Placement
Foreign students will be assigned to English as a Second Language based on a placement examination upon entrance. Other students may be required to write a placement essay during Orientation.

Mathematics Placement
A placement examination, taken during Orientation, is required of all students wishing to study biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.  

Foreign Language Study
A student who wishes to continue a foreign language taken in high school should use the following general rule: one year of high school study is equivalent to one semester of college study. The first semester of an elementary course is open only to students with no previous coursework in the language.

Students will not receive credit for college courses that duplicate what they have studied in high school.

School Regulations

Attendance
At the start of the semester, each student must report in person to the instructor of each class in order to learn the specific attendance, examination, and other requirements of that course. A student who does not meet these requirements may be dropped from the course.

A record of each student's attendance in each class is kept by the instructor. In performance courses (such as laboratory, public speaking, music, language, and physical education) attendance is required at all class sessions. Attendance is compulsory for freshmen, students on probation, and all students in classes where the instructor requires attendance.

Generally, a student's attendance record is taken into account whenever there may be occasion to determine her status in the University.  

Grades: P or N System
Each student is permitted to select one course each semester to be graded P or N. This is for the purpose of stimulating students to take coursework outside their area of specialization. Students must apply for such a course with the Office of the Registrar. Regulations and limitations applicable to the choice of a course on the P or N system are available from the Office of the Registrar.

Internships
In several disciplines, apprenticeships are available in a setting complementary to academic coursework in the field. The internship must be supervised and approved by a faculty advisor. Internships are listed on the student's record as '(Subject) 4941.' (A second term is 4942, etc.) Credit depends on the number of hours devoted. Regulations governing internships are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Work Load
The normal number of credits for a full semester's work toward the bachelor's degree is 15 ^1/2 to 18 ^1/2 (this includes those credits transferred to the degree from the Jewish Studies Program). No more than seven courses, including approved courses taken outside the College, may be taken in a semester.

A full-time student is defined as one who is enrolled for at least 12 credits during a 15-week semester.

Students with low averages are subject to restrictions on their work load as described in the section Academic Retention, Probation, and Dismissal.

S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program
The S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College stresses writing and critical analysis, creativity, cultural enrichment, research, and individual mentoring. The program gives high-achieving students an added dimension of responsibility for their own education and allows them to enjoy a greater measure of challenge and opportunity.  

Students acquire the ability to synthesize different branches of knowledge and modes of thought, to express themselves articulately, to find new solutions to problems from different points of view, and achieve greater depth in their studies.

Admission to the Program
Students in the program usually apply to and are accepted into the honors program prior to their arrival at Stern College.  The application process is very competitive.  Typically, successful applicants will have a combined SAT score of at least 1300 and an A or A- high school average.

Prior to their arrival at Stern College, students complete — in addition to the regular application for acceptance — an application titled “Application for Academic Scholarships and the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women,” available from the Office of Admissions.  The application requires two special essays, two special letters of recommendation, information about the applicant's extracurricular activities and interests, SAT scores, and high school transcripts.  These components are all carefully considered and affect admissions decisions.  Students applying for the Honors Program also may be eligible for one of the academic scholarships available to applicants who show outstanding promise.

In addition, a limited number of spaces are also available each year for students already on campus; such students may apply in the spring for acceptance the following fall.  Eligible students must attend Stern College for at least four more semesters, have a GPA of at least 3.6, and submit a complete application.  The application for students already on campus is available in the office of the director of the Honors Program.  It is not the same application completed by students entering Stern College. 

The Program

Honors courses. Students take at least seven honors courses chosen from offerings in the humanities, Jewish studies, natural sciences, and social sciences, as well as interdisciplinary seminars.

Cultural enrichment. Each semester students in the program attend concerts, operas, and ballet; enjoy walking tours and guided trips to museums; and visit such “only in New York” destinations as the United Nations.

Leadership sessions. Students participate in workshops that explore contemporary challenges in areas such as ethics, communal responsibility, and interpersonal relations.

Speaker series. A variety of speakers drawn from a broad array of fields, including the arts, politics, education, media, and medicine, are invited each semester to address the honors students.

Mentors. Faculty serve as mentors for the honors students and help plan their academic programs, including summer independent study, research, and internship opportunities.

Senior project. Throughout her senior year, each honors student works on a senior project under the close supervision of her mentor, completing the project prior to graduation.

Students who fulfill all requirements have the honors distinction noted on their diplomas and transcripts.

Advisement
The director of the Honors Program oversees the progress of all honors students.  Students meet individually with the director upon entrance, and receive ongoing guidance and support thereafter.