Approved Courses

(two units to be taken in years 2 through 4)

CONN 200 Level Learning Objectives

CONN 2XX classes address a problem or topic using (a) questions and methods beyond those deployed by a single discipline; and (b) materials and assignments from at least two distinct disciplinary perspectives. Assignments largely involve sources prescribed by the instructor rather than sources students search for and identify themselves.

To understand distinctive disciplinary approaches to knowledge, students will:

  1. Distinguish the types of questions that different disciplinary lenses bring to a topic
  2. Explore the methodological and theoretical tools of different disciplines
  3. Identify assumptions and values of the different disciplinary perspectives

To evaluate relationships among different disciplinary approaches to knowledge, students will:

  1. Uncover the way different disciplines complement or act in tension with one another
  2. Identify and critique limitations of specific disciplinary approaches/methods
  3. Evaluate the consequences of approaching a topic with a particular set of questions or methodological tools 

CONN 200 Level Guidelines

To understand distinctive disciplinary approaches to knowledge, these courses will:

  1. Introduce two or more distinct disciplinary approaches and their methods through guided inquiry led by the professor
  2. Consider questions posed by the respective disciplinary approaches
  3. Include historicization and contextualization of the disciplines

To evaluate relationships among different disciplinary approaches to knowledge, these courses will:

  1. Offer compare/contrast exercises to analyze a particular topic based on different disciplines’ methodological and theoretical tools
  2. Examine different cases that illustrate the opportunities and limitations of each disciplinary approach to a question
  3. Provide opportunities to reflect on the value of exploring questions from more than one disciplinary perspective

CONN 300-400 Level Learning Objectives

Students in Connections courses develop their understanding of the interrelationship of fields of knowledge by exploring connections and contrasts between various disciplines with respect to disciplinary methodology and subject matter.

CONN 300-400 Level Guidelines

Connections courses draw upon the curricula of either established disciplines or the University’s interdisciplinary programs. These courses may involve the collaboration of faculty from more than one department or individual faculty with interdisciplinary expertise and interests.

In the Connections course, students engage the interdisciplinary process by

  • identifying multiple disciplinary approaches to a subject;
  • analyzing the subject from these perspectives;
  • participating in cross-disciplinary dialogue; and
  • exploring the integration or synthesis of these approaches to foster understanding of the subject.

Connections courses explore these interdisciplinary issues at a level of sophistication expected of an upper-division course. These courses may have appropriate prerequisites, so long as they do not unduly limit the audience in numbers or the level of disciplinary sophistication.

The upper-division Connections course must be taken at Puget Sound.

200-400 level Connections courses may fulfill major/minor/emphasis requirements, KNOW, and Experiential Learning requirements; they may not fulfill Divisional requirements.