Introduction

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most complex of the five colleges at Zayed University in terms of the number of faculty, fields of study and extent of course offerings. The College takes primary leadership in the Colloquy on Integrated Learning, Zayed University’s core curriculum, in which all ZU students study a full range of subjects recognized as the foundation for modern learning. Specialization through majors provides students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the nature and richness of human learning and experience and to apply their knowledge through research and internship experiences.

Mission

Through the study of language (English and Arabic), the core curriculum, and the majors, the College seeks to produce graduates who have acquired the knowledge and skills needed for successful careers, leadership roles and the capacity for lifelong learning, regardless of the student’s major. It also seeks to contribute to the advancement of the U.A.E. through research, service and outreach activities that advance the development of the nation’s intellectual assets.

The College’s programmatic mission includes four different but related goals:

• To contribute to the general knowledge of all university students by designing and offering a range of courses that enhance both subject (discipline) knowledge and skills development (Core Curriculum)

• To serve the needs of the professional colleges by providing elective courses in the humanities, art and design, social and behavioral sciences, and the natural and quantitative sciences, which support their programs (Service Courses)

• To offer majors in selected disciplines that are intellectually and socially meaningful and prepare students for careers which exist today or which may not yet have been invented (Program Majors)

Academic Programs

The College offers academic majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) baccalaureate degree in the following programs:

• Art and Design
• Health Sciences
• International Studies

In addition to the three majors, the College offers a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary courses in the core curriculum, as well as support courses for majors in the other colleges. These programs are provided by

• Arabic and Islamic Studies
• Art and Design
• English Language and Literature
• Natural and Quantitative Sciences
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Each program and major has its own set of learning outcomes which define the scope of knowledge and skills which arise in that discipline and which provide the necessary knowledge base for the successful pursuit of careers or advanced study in those fields.

In addition to academic majors, the College undertakes to support the development of competence in English and Arabic of all students from the point of entry to degree completion. The College partners with two language centers whose responsibility is to provide expertise in the development of language skills at increasingly advanced levels. The ultimate goal of the University is to produce graduates who can use both English and Arabic appropriately in their chosen professions.

The College also provides courses at advanced levels for students in the College of Education so that they can develop teaching specialties in the basic disciplines. Students who want to teach in either government or private schools, kindergarten through twelfth grade, will major in Education but may take Discipline studies in other subjects to qualify for teaching.

Zayed University Learning Outcomes (ZULOs)

College coursework and out-of-class experiences provide opportunities for students to develop competency and document achievement in the Zayed University Learning Outcomes. Student achievement in the ZU Learning Outcomes is assessed through the normal assessment process in each course by instructors. Advisors monitor the development process of ePortfolios and, during the fourth year, prior to internship, a team of major advisors and instructors assess ZULO achievement levels and readiness for internship.

Demonstration of competencies in ZULOs related to the major is assessed as part of the Capstone course, and through periodic assessments by instructors and advisors during the undergraduate program.

Major Learning Outcomes and Assessment Protocols

Degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have their own Major Learning Outcomes and Assessment Protocols. These are found within the program descriptions.

Assessment Protocols

In the College of Arts and Sciences, assessment protocols are designed within each major to document a student’s development in relation to the unique outcomes of that major. The assessment protocols are founded on four principles:

• Student learning is the central focus of the College’s efforts.
• Each student’s assessment will consider both the mastery of content and the learning outcomes established for the program.
• Each student should be able to demonstrate the application of her learning beyond the classroom.
• Students should develop the skills and confidence to become effective, independent, lifelong learners as a result of their educational experience.

Assessment addresses these principles by requiring students to demonstrate what they have learned through a variety of activities such as writing assignments, course examinations, creative projects, team activities, internship experiences, public presentations, etc. Students prepare portfolios, defined differently by major, as the record of the assessment process.

Relationship of Major Learning Outcomes with the ZU Learning Outcomes

The Zayed University Academic Program Model (APM) was developed as a pedagogical and curricular framework to support student achievement of the University’s goals and to enhance the ability of faculty to give students clear, constructive guidance in the learning process. Through its focus on outcomes and assessment, it provides students with a coherent academic program, facilitates coordination of students’ learning experiences, and promotes alignment of university priorities with learning goals. The APM is based on sets of outcomes both within and outside of the major that faculty have identified as required for lifelong learning and continued student success.

The Major Learning Outcomes of the College of Arts and Sciences complement the Zayed University Learning Outcomes (ZULOs) by

• providing a disciplinary context for application of the ZULOs;
• setting a high standard related to professional expectations of students; and,
• combining interrelated Major and Zayed University Learning Outcomes to produce in-depth learning.

Admission Criteria

For students entering in fall 2006, the University requires that the applicant for admission to the major must fulfill the following requirements for acceptance:

• satisfactory completion of 42 semester credit hours or more;
• attainment of a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
• achievement of passing grades (“D” or better) in COL 105, COL 110, COL 111, COL 120, COL 130, COL 135, COL 140, COL 145, COL 150, COL 155, COL 230, COL 240, COL 250  and two Comparative Professional Systems (xxx 125) courses.

A specific program may have additional requirements. COL 260 is required for graduation, but each department will specify whether it must be completed prior to acceptance into the major.

Arts and Sciences Curricula

Majors in the College of Arts and Sciences approach the development of the student’s mastery of both the subject matter (content) and learning outcomes in a distinctive way. Students are introduced to the disciplines that, together, make up the liberal arts and sciences through courses in the Colloquy on Integrated Learning. They then move through a sequence of required and elective courses that introduce increasingly advanced ideas and theory, methods of inquiry and research, and reflective skills. Finally, these majors build the combination of a mastery of theory and content with the opportunity to apply this learning through two additional required activities: the internship and the Capstone project.

Internship

Internships for academic credit add a significant experience in the workplace to a student’s education. They provide the opportunity to develop professional attitudes, behavior, skills and confidence. Internships also introduce the broad range of career possibilities available to the student with a bachelor’s degree.

Capstone Course

The Capstone course is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to bring together her total educational experience through an original piece of work. Examples of Capstone projects include an intellectual biography, a scientific research project, an art exhibition, research of a particular social issue, or a formal thesis related to literary analysis.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree at Zayed University, the student must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and have demonstrated proficiency in both the English and Arabic languages through satisfactory completion of course work. She must fulfill all core curriculum requirements and have satisfied the competencies in Zayed University Learning Outcomes specified by her major. In addition, she must complete all requirements for the major, including the internship, the Capstone experience, and achievement of the Major Learning Outcomes.

A student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate. Normally, a degree program may not require a student to complete more than 132 credit hours for graduation. Graduation requirements for the specific degree programs within the College of Arts and Sciences are indicated in the sections of this catalog devoted to those programs. The student should consult with her college advisor on program and course requirements for graduation.

Eight-Semester Curriculum Plans

Each major in the College of Arts and Sciences has a curriculum plan which demonstrates the relationship between the core curriculum courses, the requirements for the major, and elective courses.