General Education Courses (GND)

GND 1015. First-Year Seminar (3). This topic-based seminar addresses the purpose of a liberal education, issues of teaching and learning, and "ways of knowing" - both within and beyond the university. It is an intensive course that will involve a substantial number of readings and several written assignments. This course is designed to help entering first-year students make the academic transition to the Belmont University intellectual community by engaging them in challenging readings and ideas, while providing them with significant opportunities to practice critical thinking . It is to be taken in the same semester as First-Year Writing.

_ _ _ (any departmental prefix included within the BELL Core) 2015. Linked Cohort Special Topic (1-4). Prerequisite: GND 1015. Courses using these numbers, which are only offered in tandem with a linked cohort course in another discipline, will vary in focus with offerings, as indicated in the individualized title, and are designed specifically for the BELL Core to fill requirements both for the linked cohort and human experience courses.


_ _ _ (any departmental prefix included within the BELL Core) 1000- and/or 2000-level Linked Cohort Courses (0). Linked Cohort Courses consist of two courses taken from the disciplinary areas represented in the "Human Experience" categories of the BELL Core curriculum. Students co-enroll in these two courses and experience them as a "cohort group." The two courses are linked by topic or subject matter and are taught by professors who design and present the courses in light of one another, and who encourage students to construct their own understanding of how each discipline approaches the topic or subject matter in a unique, but complementary manner. This collaborative, interdisciplinary experience is to occur in the students' second (or third) semester of college, building on the "ways of knowing" topic explored in First-Year Seminar. Note that the credit for the LCC may not be separate credit; the 6 or 7 credit hours this linkage yields may count in the "Human Experience" course domains-toward the General Education disciplinary areas upon which the LCC is based. If a student's "Human Experience" courses have all already been fulfilled, however, the linked courses will count as separate (additional) credits. Prerequisite: GND 1015, First-Year Seminar.

_ _ _ (any departmental prefix included within the BELL Core) 3015. Junior Cornerstone Seminar (0). THESE COURSES WILL NOT COUNT FOR MAJOR OR MINOR CREDIT. This interdisciplinary, problem-based, topical seminar features a particular problem or issue and includes an experiential learning component. It incorporates a substantial number of readings, primarily from one discipline, but also from two or three other complementary disciplines that relate to the problem under exploration in the course. This course is to be taken in the Junior year (60-96 credit hours). Note that the 3- or 4-credit hours that the Junior Cornerstone Seminar yields may not be separate credit; it may count in the "Human Experience" course domains-toward the General Education disciplinary areas upon which the seminar is based. If a student's "Human Experience" courses have all already been fulfilled, however, the Junior Cornerstone Seminar will count as separate (additional) credits. Prerequisites: GND 1050, Computer Proficiency I + GND 1015, First-Year Seminar and the Linked Cohort Course experience (unless waived based on transfer policy).


GND 4015. Senior Capstone (3). This course addresses the question of "What is a meaningful life?" through the reading of texts, through written assignments, and through personal reflection. Students will be asked to reflect intentionally on their whole educational experience at Belmont University. They will also reflect on and anticipate their transition from the university setting as they move toward the next stage of their lives. This course is to be taken in the student's last year at Belmont. Prerequisite: XXX 3015, Junior Cornerstone Seminar and ENG 3010, Third-Year Writing.

_ _ _ (any departmental prefix, including the prefix of CAS - College of Arts and Sciences) 4015. Senior Capstone (1-3). This course is a culminating experience in the major, which also addresses the goals for the Senior Capstone as defined in the course description for GND 4015. These goals include reflection on the students' whole educational experiences and on their transition from the university setting to post-graduation