College of Arts & Sciences

David Carl Wilson, dean
Degrees Offered: B.A., B.S., B.S.N., M.A., M.S., M.S.N.
Departments (8): Behavioral and Social Sciences; Biological Sciences;
English; History, Politics, and International Relations; International
Languages and Cultures; Nursing; Philosophy; Religious Studies

Mission Statement

Webster University's College of Arts & Sciences fosters free and rigorous intellectual inquiry among students and faculty in an atmosphere that respects differences in background, belief, and aspiration. We promote the values that ground an open, critically reflective, culturally diverse, and democratic society, and we prepare students to be active contributors to such a society.

As part of an international university, we encourage students to expand their horizons by learning the languages and worldviews of other cultures. We inspire students to seek the common ground upon which humans create sustainable relationships with each other and with their wider environment.

Owing to the general and fundamental nature of our various disciplines, we are committed to providing academic and intellectual support to the entire university.

We include several professional programs, which are guided by contemporary practices, appropriate accreditation standards, and the best recent scholarly activity.

Majors and Degrees Offered

• American Studies (B.A.)
• Anthropology (B.A.)
• Biology (B.A.)
• Biology (B.S.)
• Biology (B.S.) with an Emphasis in Biotechnology
• English (B.A.) with an Emphasis in:
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Literature, Society, and Politics
• French (B.A.)
• German (B.A.)
• History (B.A.)
• Political Science (B.A.)
• Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law (B.A,)
• Individualized Areas of Concentration (IAOC) (B.A.)
• International Human Rights (B.A.)
• International Relations (B.A.)*
• International Relations (B.A.) with an emphasis in:
  • Economics (Geneva only)
  • Refugee Studies (Geneva only)
• Legal Studies (B.A.) (offered in St. Louis and Kansas City)
• Nursing (B.S.N.) (offered in St. Louis and Kansas City)
• Philosophy (B.A.)
• Philosophy with an emphasis in Ethics and Society (B.A.)
• Psychology (B.A.)* +
• Religious Studies (B.A.)
• Social Science (B.A.)*
• Sociology (B.A.)*
• Spanish (B.A.)

*Also offered at the international campuses. See International Campuses section of the catalog.

+Anticipated at campuses in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, S.C.

Minors Offered

• Anthropology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• French
• General Science
• German
• History-Political Science (18 credit hours from HIST, INTL, POLT)
• History (18 credit hours in history)
• International Human Rights
• International Relations (18 credit hours in international relations)*
• Japanese
• Philosophy
• Political Science (18 credit hours in political science)
• Professional Writing
• Psychology*
• Religious Studies
• Sociology*
• Spanish

*Also offered at the international campuses. See International Campuses section of the catalog.

Certificates Offered

• Buddhist Studies
• Paralegal Studies (offered in St. Louis and Kansas City)
• Practical and Interdisciplinary Ethics
• Professional Writing
• Refugee Studies (Geneva only)
• International Distinction

The College of Arts & Sciences will award "International Distinction" if an undergraduate, degree-seeking student meets the following qualifications:

1. Academic Competence in a Second Language

The student must have reached a level of ability in a language other than English which will be defined as "academic competence" and which will correspond to the "Intermediate-High" level according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards. The student will be able to research, write a paper on, and articulately discuss an academic topic relevant to his/her plan of study at Webster University. Academic competence may be demonstrated by any of the following:

• Completing secondary school in which the language of instruction is a language other than English.
• Completing one course at or above the 3000-level (or equivalent) in the study of a language other than English with a grade higher than C-.
• Researching and writing a paper in a language other than English at the "Intermediate-High" level. The topic of the paper must be approved by the department in which the student will be awarded an undergraduate degree. In addition to writing the paper, the subject matter must be presented to and discussed at the "Intermediate-High" level with a faculty member who is conversant in that language.
• Demonstrating "Intermediate-High" proficiency on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which is administered by Language Testing International (LTI).

2. International Field Experience

The student must have a significant, practical, international field experience in a country other than his or her native country. This experience may be an internship, community service, volunteer work with a nongovernmental organization or other organization, paid employment in the second country, or other field experience that is proposed and approved. The approval process involves submission of the proposed plan, identifying what the student will accomplish, and who will be involved, i.e. supervisor of the actual field experience, contact person at the University, etc. The student will work with his or her advisor and the Director of the Center for International Education in developing the plan for the international field experience. Prior to the field experience the student must receive approval of the plan by the department in which the student expects to receive her or his undergraduate degree. Approval must also be given by the Academic Director of the country in which the field experience will take place (or appointee). Approval forms will be available electronically. During the field experience a journal will be kept and will be handed in at the end of the experience along with a written synopsis of the field experience. The department will determine if the experience was acceptable or unacceptable.

Students should register for ISTL 2500 for 3-5 credit hours. Grade will be pass or fail. A minimum of 10 hours and a maximum of 20 hours per week will be spent doing the field experience.

3. Study Abroad

Students must have completed at least one term of study (eight weeks) as a full-time student at a Webster University international campus or a Webster University affiliated campus abroad. This campus must be a campus other than the student's home campus.