General Information

Founded 1884
Susan Herbst, Dean

12th floor Anderson Hall
1114 W. Berks Street
215-204-7743
www.temple.edu/CLA

Academic Advising Center
1st floor Sullivan Hall
1330 W. Berks Mall
215-204-7971
advisor@temple.edu

Introduction
Accreditation
Special Programs
Honor Societies and Awards for Achievement
Student Association Information
Special Facilities

Introduction

Whatever your career aspirations, your future begins in the College of Liberal Arts. Our courses and majors build toward exciting internships and co-op opportunities, offering practical, valuable work experience as you explore literature, languages, history, psychology, criminal justice, the social sciences, and more. The College of Liberal Arts integrates skills in effective communication, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, and technological literacy - tools necessary for any professional career. We offer degree programs at all Philadelphia area campuses as well as international options for study.   In the College of Liberal Arts, you will be able to choose from among the nation’s leading scholars, professors who have connections both to the world of work and to graduate and professional schools.

Liberal Arts programs easily accommodate minors or certificates in other schools or colleges, allowing students to prepare for careers in education, business, media, government, and a variety of profit and non-profit organizations and institutions. Whether your interests lie in one of our many undergraduate majors, in the pre-professional programs of Law, Medicine, Health Professions,  in pursuing advanced study in one of our or even if you are not yet decided on a major, your future begins here.

In the College of Liberal Arts, scholarly excellence and originality are our highest goals.  We offer a rigorous curriculum, but also demand that our students learn how to generate original ideas, in addition to learning from the faculty.  Situated within a large and vibrant research university, the College of Liberal Arts is a wonderful place to pursue original research and contribute to the world of knowledge.  Through rigorous courses, directive research, independent studies and honors programs, undergraduates in the liberal arts are encouraged to develop their own scholarly projects.  Such projects are a critical part of intellectual growth at Temple, and lead to excellence and success in all careers.

The College’s undergraduate programs prepare students to enter the world as informed, responsible citizens, as women and men making consequential choices about the future of their communities, and as leaders in the careers they choose to pursue. Because a rapidly changing technological society cannot prosper without men and women trained in the methods of logical inquiry, deductive reasoning, and critical analysis, the College holds fundamental assumptions about undergraduate education:
· There are certain skills and concepts basic to all academic disciplines, and their mastery is essential for all subsequent study;
· A liberal education should teach students how to learn;
· Factual knowledge has value only when the methods of inquiry which led to its creation are understood.
The undergraduate Core Curriculum is based upon the skills and knowledge essential to a liberal education. In a world which every year becomes more complex and where information becomes more highly specialized, the ability to speak and write well—to communicate and describe ideas in language that is clear and precise—is the greatest asset of an educated man or woman. The increasing reliance of society upon numbers also requires the ability to manipulate numerical data, to recognize their misuse, and to understand the multiple interpretations they often permit. Informed judgment requires of the student an awareness of the diversity of cultures and knowledge of our intellectual heritage and the major texts through which it is transmitted. Personal fulfillment rests upon the appreciation of truth and beauty manifested in the works of religion, philosophy, and the arts.

Baccalaureate programs in the divisions of the College of Liberal Arts—the social sciences and the humanities—lead from the Core Curriculum toward mastery of the subject matter, methods, and values of a chosen field, and prepare the student for productive work or for graduate study. In conjunction with the major, many students complete pre-professional coursework required for preparation for future studies in the health sciences, dentistry, law, pharmacy, or medicine. All of our programs offer undergraduates the opportunity to work with distinguished faculty and a richly diverse and stimulating student body as they prepare for an active role in a future of change and challenge.

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Accreditation

Departments and programs at Temple University are accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges. Individual departments and programs may carry additional accreditation by the official accreditation body for that discipline.

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Special Programs

Center for Internships and Career Development

Michael Szekely, Coordinator
 Sullivan Hall, Room 129
215-204-6704
mszekely@temple.edu

The CICD links College of Liberal Arts students and faculty to organizations in the greater Philadelphia region in order to provide applied learning and career-oriented opportunities, as well as forums for engaged research.  This also includes the development of experiential and career development programs and resources, including: internships, career exploration tools, career-oriented workshops, community-based learning courses, externships, and comprehensive manuals.  Applied learning and placement serves to enhance the academic course of study of students while also providing a chance to explore possible career paths.  Contact the CICD to schedule an appointment.

Corporate Internship Program

This program connects undergraduate students with corporate and business communities, allowing students to work alongside key members of the private sector.  Corporate internships provide an opportunity to develop and hone the skills needed to negotiate the ever-changing and competitive professional world.  Our corporate interns attain placements in which they are actively taking part in both the infrastructural and the innovative developments of a business—i.e. both the mechanisms that sustain its success and the strategies that contribute to its role as a leader in the private sector.  For more information, contact Michael Szekely, CICD Coordinator, (215) 204-6704

First-Year Writing Program

Dennis Lebofsky, Director
(215) 204-1820
Keith Gumery, Associate Director
(215) 204-2072
1046 Anderson Hall
http://www.temple.edu/english/fywp/

 The First-Year Writing Program comprises English 0040, 0041, C050, C051, and R050. English 0040 is a four-credit course that focuses on writing within a single theme and disciplinary approach. English C050 is a three-credit course that takes a broader perspective, requiring students to explore a single theme from the point of view of at least two disciplines and meets the Core Composition requirement. English R050 is the same as C050 except that the readings focus on the study of race. R050 meets the Core Studies in Race requirement as well as the Core Composition requirement. English 0041 and C051 are courses designed to meet the needs of the ESL (English as a Second Language) learner, and the guidelines for English 0040 and English C050 are followed.
English 0040 and C050 form a year-long sequence to introduce students to academic discourse. Entering first-year students are either placed into the 0040-C050 sequence, in C050 only, or exempted from these courses entirely. Placement is based on a formula which takes into account the results of the placement exam, DTLS reading and writing scores, high school rank, and the SAT verbal score.

Until students have completed their English 0040/41 requirement, they may not enroll in English C050/51. English C050/51 is a prerequisite for Intellectual Heritage X051 and X052 and any upper level course in the College of Liberal Arts. English C050/51 or R050 may not be taken for credit by students who have successfully completed English H090.

Intellectual Heritage Program

Daniel Tompkins, Director
daniel.tompkins@temple.edu  
215-204-3177

Marc Stier, Associate Director
marc.stier@temple.edu  
215 204-3044

Grant Ward, Associate Director
grant.ward@temple.edu 
215-204-1770
http://oll.temple.edu/ih/

 The Intellectual Heritage Program is a writing-intensive two-course sequence required as part of the University Core curriculum. Through encounters with some of the rich, complex, and historically significant texts that have shaped the culture we know in the United States today, students build reading, writing, and speaking skills and intellectual curiosity and engagement. Students become familiar with some of the key concepts and moments in Western and other intellectual traditions.

Intellectual Heritage is required of all entering undergraduate students. Satisfactory completion of the Core Composition requirement is prerequisite to IH X051. IH X051 is prerequisite to IH X052. Honors sections are offered as IH X091 and X092, respectively.

Study Abroad

Undergraduates majoring in any liberal arts discipline may pursue a large variety of study abroad options. Temple University has campuses in Rome, Italy,
and Tokyo, Japan. We offer a program in London, England, and exchange programs with universities in England, Germany, and Puerto Rico. Summer programs are also offered in France, Ghana, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and South Africa. See International Programs for more information about study abroad options.

University Honors Program

Students in the College of Liberal Arts are eligible to apply to the University Honors Program in which they may take specially designated Honors courses to satisfy their University Core requirements. See Academic Programs/University Honors.

Departmental Honors Programs

Many departments in the College of Liberal Arts offer departmental Honors Programs. Students should consult the Undergraduate Chairperson in the selected department regarding eligibility and the Program requirements.

Teacher Preparation

A liberal arts education provides an excellent foundation for students interested in pursuing careers in teaching at the elementary and secondary levels. A solid grounding in academic content, along with broad training in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and communication skills offers students a distinct in advantage in the twenty-first century classroom.

Five-Year Combined B.A./Ed.M. Secondary Education Teaching Certification Program

Owen Schugsta
Program Advisor
Academic Advising Center
owen.schugsta@temple.edu

 The Five-Year program offers the opportunity for Liberal Arts students to earn an undergraduate degree while simultaneously pursuing a Master's degree and a Secondary Teaching Certification. Students enroll in graduate level courses in the College of Education beginning in the fall semester of the junior year. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, students make a seamless transition into graduate studies in the College of Education for one additional year. After a student satisfies all the graduate program requirements, a Master's degree in Education is awarded with Secondary Teaching Certification.
College of Liberal Arts students majoring in English, Foreign Languages, Geography and Urban Studies, and History are considered for this program. Admission is competitive; applications are submitted in the spring semester of the sophomore year for a fall start date. The Five-Year Program is for Secondary Education certification only. Students seeking Elementary Education Certification can apply directly to the College of Education for the traditional two-year Master's Certification Program.

Temple Education Scholars

Each year a small number of highly talented incoming freshmen with an interest in secondary education teaching are provisionally admitted to the Five-Year Program at the same time that they are accepted to the College of Liberal Arts. Applications are submitted concurrently with the undergraduate Temple Admissions Application.
Selection to EdScholars is based on students’ high school record, performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, letters of recommendation, and a required essay and interview. Accepted students choose a major that has a cognate area in the College of Education’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in Education (CITE) department.  EdScholars begin the graduate component of the program in the fall term of the junior year.

Temple Law Scholars Program

Paul Crowe, Director
7th floor Anderson Hall
215-204-8591
pcrowe@temple.edu

The Temple Law Scholars Program provides an opportunity for outstanding students to gain provisional admission to the Temple University Beasley School of Law at the same time they are accepted into the College of Liberal Arts. As Temple Law Scholars, students spend their undergraduate years in Temple's Honors Program, after which they enroll in the Beasley School of Law, leading to the JD degree. Scholars will take advantage of special opportunities that are offered by the law school including attendance at special lectures and events, participation in the law school's trial advocacy program, mentoring by law school faculty, students, and administrators, and visiting law school classes.
The Temple Law Scholars Program is highly selective. To be considered, applicants must be accepted into the Honors Program. High class standing, high SAT scores, and superior letters of recommendation are expected, as is an articulate, thoughtful essay. In addition, other criteria used in the decision-making process include above average maturity, community service, leadership, and a genuine commitment to the legal profession and service to others.
Application to the Temple Law Scholars Program takes place at the same time students apply to the College of Liberal Arts. The application materials include the Temple undergraduate admission application, the Temple Law Scholars application, three letters of recommendation, and an essay on a topic assigned by the Temple Law Scholars admissions committee. An interview may also be required. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is February 1.

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Honor Societies and Awards for Achievement

Awards

During the graduation season in May, the Baccalaureate Awards Ceremony is held to honor seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance and/or exceptional service to the College. Junior scholarship recipients are also recognized at this annual event. These prizes are awarded competitively and are a testament to the excellence of the College of Liberal Arts undergraduates.

Phi Beta Kappa

See Supplemental Educational Opportunities>Academic Opportunities>Honor Societies.

President’s Scholars

See Supplemental Educational Opportunities> Academic Opportunities> Honor Societies.

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Student Association Information

Majors' Associations

Many of the departments within the College of Liberal Arts support student interest groups known as Majors’ Associations. These organizations provide opportunities for students from the individual disciplines of the liberal arts to meet one another and to extend the learning experience beyond the classroom. Frequently, the associations invite their alumni back to campus to connect with current undergraduates and talk with them about the wide range of career options open to liberal arts graduates.
Participation in the majors’ associations has significant benefits. Active involvement cultivates skills in leadership, team work, public speaking, and budget management, all of which are highly valued in the workplace. Students with creative interests can foster their talents by writing for magazines, newsletters, and other publications, or by participating in poetry readings, debates, and other similar activities.
It is important that there be student involvement on the departmental level because it is here that students can have the most input concerning course offerings and departmental functions.

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Special Facilities

Educational Technology Center (ETC)

ETC Computer Lab
AL 21 Anderson Hall
215-204-3213

General Labs

The Educational Technology Center (ETC), located in Anderson Hall Room 21, provides computing and media resources to assist students in the College of Liberal Arts and the University community in general. A drop-in computer lab located in Anderson 21 assists students with course-related programs and computing needs.

Instructional Labs

The Center also boasts two instructional labs (AL 19 and AL 22), one production lab for Geographic Information Systems (GH 336), two labs for the social sciences (Gladfelter Hall 748 and Weiss 640), and two state-of-the-art foreign language labs (AC 103 and 104).

Media Learning Center

Frank Palazzo, Manager, Media Learning Center
AL 21 Anderson Hall
215-204-8265

Also located within the ETC is the Media Learning Center, a service of the College that provides audio and video materials for faculty use in the classroom. Students may also view visual materials related to their coursework in selected study spaces at the Center. The Center also provides faculty with limited digital video production services.

Hours of Operation:

General Labs
Anderson Lecture Hall 21 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 8:30-5:00 Friday

Instructional Labs
Anderson Lecture Hall 19 and 22 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday;
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday
Anderson Classrooms 103 and 104 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Gladfelter Hall 336 & 741: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Weiss Hall 640: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Media Learning Center
Anderson Lecture Hall 19 and 22 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday;
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday
Anderson Lecture Hall 21 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

There are no evening hours during summer sessions.

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