Course Registration > STEP I: Choose Appropriate Courses

Class Schedules 2009-2010
You should have received in your mailing a Class Schedules booklet listing all courses offered for both fall 2009 and spring 2010. Course offering information is also available on Moodle (see ‘Moodle’ section below). Detailed courses descriptions can be found on the department or program page sponsoring the course. Many introductory courses are offered in both the fall and the spring. If you cannot schedule a certain course in the fall, you may be able to arrange for the course in your spring program. Do not register for the same three-digit course number in the same department more than once (e.g., do not register for 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc.). They are separate sections of the same course.

If you register for courses with separate laboratory sections, you must register for both lecture and laboratory in that course. The lecture and laboratory together count as ONE of your four classes. Keep this in mind when you choose additional courses.

Be sure your other courses do not conflict with your First Year Studies course. Also, please remember that you will be in college for four years; there will be plenty of time to take desired courses.
 
Course Levels
You may register for any 100-level course. You can also consider 200-level courses with an “F” appearing in their leftmost column (labeled ‘Symbol’) in the Class Schedules booklet. Careful selection of other 200-level courses, some of which may have prerequisites or co-requisites, may be recommended if you have Advanced Placement credit that counts toward prerequisite requirements. See the Advanced Placement Credit chart for details. Please discuss these options with your faculty advisor.

General Education Curriculum Requirements
All students must meet the General Education Curriculum (GEC) requirements. Please consult the College Catalog for details.

 

GEC Requirements
(8 courses total; a-f must be completed by the end of the junior year.)
a. First Year Studies
b. First year writing (met by your First Year Studies course)
c. Two courses from different departments in the Natural and Mathematical Sciences
d. Two courses from different departments in the Humanities
e. Two courses from different departments in the Social Sciences
f. Two of the courses from the Humanities and/or Social Sciences above must be cultural diversity courses, (indicated by the symbol # in the course schedule).
g. Senior Studies (met during the senior year with completion of a major)

General Academic Study
If you are undecided about a major area of study, you should use your first year to explore the different course offerings in the College curriculum. Consider courses from at least two of the three divisions: 1) Humanities, 2) Social Sciences, and 3) Natural and Mathematical Sciences. Departments in each of these divisions are listed on the inside cover of the Class Schedules booklet.

Scholarships and Other Financial Aid Course Requirements
Some scholarships or financial aid that you have been awarded may have requirements that affect your registration. These requirements are outlined in the form you signed to accept the financial award. You should contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have any questions about scholarship requirements.

Departmental and Program Course Recommendations
If you are interested in music, business, chemistry, communication, economics, education, modern languages, study abroad, mathematics, health professions, computer science or other natural sciences, please review course recommendations listed below. It is very important that you pay attention to requirements in these fields of study and other pre-professional interests. Be sure to discuss this matter with your advisor.

Moodle
Moodle is the College’s online course management system and can be accessed at http://moodle.lakeforest.edu. In Moodle, you’ll find class schedules, a home page for each of your courses, and course enrollment information. Instructors may use Moodle to post announcements and readings for your courses, hold online discussions and chat sessions, collect assignments, and many other activities. Your user name (the part of your College email address that comes before the ‘@’ symbol) and password is required to access some of the information in Moodle.

To find out whether enrollment for a course is still available, click on “Enrollment Update” in the upper left-hand corner of the Moodle main page. If a class you wish to take already appears to be fully enrolled, or nearly so, check to see if another section of the same course is available, or if the same course is offered in a different semester. If a core course in your prospective major appears to be fully enrolled, please consult your faculty advisor for assistance. Above all, do not forget that you have four years to take classes, so if you cannot fit a desired course into your schedule during the first year, you will have opportunities to take the course in the future.

Music Ensembles and Lessons
A student may register for music ensembles in addition to four other course credits.

A student enrolling in music ensembles (Music 107: Band; Music 108: Chamber Orchestra; Music 109: Chorus; and Music 110: Jazz Ensemble) will earn 0.25 credit for every semester of participation. Music ensembles may also be taken for 0 credit if desired. A student enrolling in private lessons (Music 111, 112, 211, 212, 311, 312, 411, and 412) will earn 1/2 course credit for each semester of private lessons. Music 150 is a pre- or co-requisite for lessons taken for credit, unless the music chairperson consents to waive this requirement. A student taking more than 4.5 credits during a semester will be billed an overload fee. Lessons can also be taken for no credit, in which case a fee is charged per lesson.

Education
The education major requires students to take specific courses at very specific times. Failure to choose courses wisely could jeopardize successful completion of the major. Education majors must also complete a second major in another department. If you are even remotely considering the education major, you should inform your advisor of this possibility during the advising period and be sure to attend the orientation session for prospective education majors during orientation week. Contact Dr. Shelley Sherman, Chairperson, at sherman@lakeforest.edu for more information.

Study Abroad Preparation
In order to participate in the Lake Forest College fall internship program in Paris, France, students must have completed at least one course at the advanced (300) level in French, typically during their first two years (junior standing required for participation). This means that it is very important to plan ahead and beginning in your first semester at the College, continue language study appropriate to your prior language experience. Students typically begin at the 210-level or above in the first year to go abroad by the third year. See Modern Languages Recommended Course Selection for placement information.

There are additional study abroad opportunities available through the College, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and other schools. Requirements vary by program. More information is available in the College Catalog under “Undergraduate Curriculum.” For details, see the College’s Web site at
Academics/Off-Campus Study.

Modern Languages—Recommended Course Selection
No prior language study: take 110 (offered only in fall)
One year of high school language study: take 110 (if limited understanding) or 112
Two years of high school: 112 or 210
Three years of high school: 210 or 212
Four years of high school: 212 (if strong skills, take French /Spanish 220 or 300 level)
Four plus years of high school study: 300 level

Language and Study Abroad Requirements
Majors and minors in a variety of disciplines either require or strongly recommend language study or study abroad at the college level, including Area Studies, Art, Asian Studies, English, International Relations, Latin American Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, and Sociology and Anthropology. More information is available in the College Catalog under “Undergraduate Subjects of Instruction.”

Modern Languages Minors and Majors
Minors and majors in modern languages are advised to begin college-level language study immediately in their college program. Courses numbered 210 and above count for a minor; courses numbered 212 and above count toward a major. If the appropriate language course is not available, consider a departmental course taught in English (i.e., film, civilization, linguistics, or literature in translation) with continued language study planned for the following semester. One departmental course taught in English may count for the minor and two departmental courses taught in English may count toward the major. Many modern languages majors double major in a complementary area of study. This requires planning ahead to take the courses you need, so discuss this with your advisor.


Communication
Students considering a major or minor in communication should consider taking one of the following four key 100-level courses available to first year students: Art 112: Visual Communication, Communication 120: Introduction to Journalism, Communication 135: Rhetoric and Speech, or Philosophy 156: Logic and Styles of Argument. Requirements for the major and minor can be found on the Web site www.lakeforest.edu/academics/programs/comm/

Economics and Business—Recommended Course Selection
Economics major
Students considering a major in economics should take Economics 110 and Mathematics 110 in the first year. (Note that no credit is given for calculus taken in high school unless the student earns an AP credit according to the AP chart. Also, you may need to take Math 105 before taking Math 110; see ‘Mathematics’ section below for more information.) First year students can also take Economics 180. Courses at the 200 level all have prerequisites and are usually not taken by first-year students.

Business major
Students considering a major in business should take Economics 110 and Mathematics 160 or 110 in the first year. (Students considering taking Math 110 may need to take Math 105 beforehand.) First year students can also take Business 180. Courses at the 200 level all have prerequisites and are usually not taken by first-year students.


Mathematics and Computer Science—Recommended Course Selection
Mathematics
The following courses have no prerequisites and are appropriate for first-year students.

Math 103: The Nature of Mathematics
This course is intended for students with primary interests in the humanities and social sciences and uses set theory, logic, and language as a foundation for studying a variety of topics central to modern mathematics. Emphasis is placed on showing how mathematics is about communication of ideas.  This is an appropriate course for students planning to take only one college mathematics course.

Math 105: Elementary Functions
This course is appropriate for students with a solid background in algebra, wanting to take calculus, but would like more thorough coverage of college algebra and trigonometry beforehand. This course is specifically designed to prepare students for Math 110 Calculus I. Math 105 does not meet any GEC requirement.

Math 150: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
This course is designed for students in the social and life sciences wanting a background in elementary applied statistics. It includes applications to a variety of disciplines.

Math 160: Finite Mathematics with Applications
This course is intended for students interested in modeling and applications for social and managerial sciences. This is an appropriate course for students planning to take only one college mathematics course.

Calculus
Mathematics 110: Calculus I is our first course in calculus and is a required course for many majors and minors. Students enrolling in this course are expected to have completed at least three years of high school mathematics that includes substantial work in the areas of college algebra and trigonometry.  Students with weak backgrounds in these areas should consider taking Math 105: Elementary Functions before taking Math 110.  Students can receive AP credit for Math 110 if they have earned an appropriate score on the relevant AP test (see AP chart appended to the end of this document).


Computer Science
The following courses have no prerequisites and are appropriate for first-year students.

CS 107: Introduction to Web Programming
This course is designed for the non-major computer science student. It introduces students to HTML and JavaScript programming in the Internet environment.

CS 112: Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
This course is intended for students who desire a rigorous introduction to computer programming. Students considering a major in computer science should take this course, preferably in the fall. No prior knowledge of computer programming is required, although a strong background in mathematics or logic is recommended.

Science Courses Recommended for Non-scientists
If you are not planning to major in the sciences or prepare for a career in the health professions, you may enroll in courses for non-scientists. Some of these courses offered during 2009–2010 will meet the GEC natural and mathematical science requirement. Discuss specific available courses with your advisor.

Biology—Recommended Course Selection
First Semester
Students considering a major in biology (with or without an interest in a pre-medical program) should register for Biology 120 and Chemistry 115. Students who have received a biology AP score of 4 or above will receive one credit in Biology, but not for courses that count toward the major.

Second Semester
A biological inquiry course (Biology 130-139) is required for a biology major or minor and is a prerequisite for Biology 220 and 221. Students should also register for Chemistry 116.

One year of general chemistry is required for the biology major, and must be completed before taking Biology 221.

Chemistry — Recommended Course Selection
First Semester
Students considering a major in chemistry should enroll in Chemistry 115. To become well prepared for study in chemistry, first year students usually take Mathematics 110. Students may elect to take Physics 110 or 120 instead of calculus during the first year. For those who want to explore other disciplines, calculus may be deferred to the sophomore year and physics to the junior year. Pre-medical chemistry majors should enroll in Biology 120.

Second Semester
Students who have completed Chemistry 115 should enroll in Chemistry 116. Those who have completed Mathematics 110 should enroll in Mathematics 111. Those who have completed Physics 110 or 120 should enroll in Physics 111 or 121.

Note: Students with weak math backgrounds or general apprehension about succeeding in Chemistry 115 should consider taking Chemistry 114: Foundations of Chemistry. This course prepares students for Chem 115 and also meets the GEC natural science requirement.

Physics—Recommended Course Selection
Students planning to major in physics must enroll in Physics 120 and Mathematics 110 in the fall of their first year, and enroll in Physics 121 and Mathematics 111 in the spring of their first year. It is not feasible for students to complete the major if they wait until the sophomore year or even the spring semester of the first year.

The four required courses listed above may be replaced by AP credit if an appropriate score on the proper AP test is earned. (See the AP chart at the end of this document.) We accept students into 200-level physics courses who are awarded credit for scores of 4 or 5 on the Physics B AP exam, but these students are at a disadvantage in Physics 210 and 250. Students who have been awarded credit for Physics B may want to forego the AP credit and enroll in Physics 120 and 121 to prepare themselves more effectively for advanced physics courses.

Pre-Health Professions—Recommended Course Selection
Entrance requirements at most medical and allied health schools include course work in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English. Keep your undergraduate experience well rounded, however, by also studying humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, sociology and anthropology, and psychology. The ideal health care provider understands how society works and can communicate and write well. Extracurricular experiences also are important. Students can major in any discipline. In addition, the medical schools require a year each of physics and biology, and two years of chemistry, including organic chemistry. Several require some English courses and a few require some mathematics courses. Regardless of your intended major, if you are considering a health profession it is important to begin the chemistry requirement in your first year of study by taking Chemistry 115-116. It also is common for the first year premedical student to take other science courses or mathematics along with introductory chemistry. For more information, see the program's Web site. Also, be sure to attend the Pre-Health orientation session to be held early in the fall semester.