home pageclass schedulescampus visitsapply nowmoney mattersUW help onlinetop 10 reasonscontact us



Degrees

Degree & Certificate Programs Available at UW-Fond du Lac:

Earning your degree at UW-Fond du Lac enables you
to put three very powerful words on your resume:

University of Wisconsin.

The University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac has outstanding professors, who hold teaching excellence as their highest priority. The University of Wisconsin is a name with recognition ... locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally. It connotes quality in higher education.

As a UW-Fond du Lac student you can earn the Associate of Arts and Science Degree. This degree encompasses the liberal arts, which are the foundation for many majors and for acquiring a Bachelor's degree.

Bachelor's Degree completion programs are also available in cooperation with several UW four year institutions. UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout all offer programs that allow you to earn your Bachelor's Degree entirely on the UW-Fond du Lac campus.

 


The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree

UW-Fond du Lac faculty and staff  are committed to the importance of communicating the value of a liberal arts education. Many have included statements on the value of a broad education, the connectedness among the various disciplines and the development of critical thinking across the curriculum in their course syllabi. Here are a few of the those statements.

ART (101/102/103 and 112) – John Scotello
As part of a liberal arts education, Art 101 ,102 and 103 expose students to a broad spectrum of knowledge about the human experience. To that end, a liberal arts education enhances the skills of communication and critical thinking.

AST 101 – R. Carey Woodward
The liberal arts: UW-Fond du Lac is a liberal arts college. I intend that you not only learn the subject matter and techniques of astronomy, but also acquire or sharpen the analytical and critical thinking skills that will help you both in and out of this lab. If you approach this course as an exercise in honing these skills, rather than memorizing a bunch of facts and procedures, you will not only get a better grade, but will be better prepared to solve a wide variety of problems in the “real world" throughout your life.

AST 105 – R. Carey Woodward
The liberal arts: UW-Fond du Lac is a liberal arts college. I intend that you not only learn the subject matter of astronomy, but also acquire or sharpen the analytical and critical thinking skills that will help you both in and out of this classroom. If you approach this class as an exercise in honing these skills, rather than memorizing a bunch of facts and formulas, you will not only get a better grade, but will be better prepared to solve a wide variety of problems in the “real world" throughout your life.

BIO 103 – David Demezas
Human Environmental Biology and a liberal arts education: The study of Human Environmental Biology will contribute to your liberal arts education by teaching you (i) how to think critically and for yourself, (ii) how to learn and become a life-long learner seeking more knowledge, and (iii) to see the “whole picture” and apply your knowledge to broader problems.

Bio 109 – Elizabeth Hayes
This course supports the humanities and liberal arts education through discussions and through extreme readings of the textbook and the readings of:
ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE: A YEAR OF FOOD LIFE by Barbara Kingsolver, 2007

THE DOUBLE HELIX: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by James D. Watson, 2001

THE DEMON IN THE FREEZER by Richard Preston, 2003

INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES: A WINTER ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS by Peter Fromm, 2003

BIO 109 Lab Syllabus – Nariman Hussein
Liberal Arts and BIO-109: Our goal is to provide you with basic knowledge about life and how it operates. For some, this is a precursor to further science coursework. For others, it is part of your education in the liberal arts and your sole contact with such material. Biology is in the news every day: medicine, environmentalism, genetic engineering, "intelligent design," etc. To understand the implications of all this, you need to know the basics of biology. If studying life isn’t germane to your life, what is?

BOT 130 – David Demezas
Botany and a liberal arts education: The study of Botany will contribute to your liberal arts education by teaching you (i) how to think critically and for yourself, (ii) how to learn and become a life-long learner seeking more knowledge, and (iii) to see the “whole picture” and apply your knowledge to broader problems.

COM 103 – Richard Gustin
In addition to acquiring a body of knowledge in the field of public speaking, students’ abilities will also be assessed in the following basic proficiencies which apply across the liberal arts curriculum:

A. ANALYTICAL SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Interpret and synthesize information and ideas.
Analyze and evaluate arguments.
Construct hypotheses and support arguments.
Select and apply scientific and other appropriate methodologies.
Integrate knowledge and experiences to arrive at creative solutions.
Gather and assess information from printed sources, electronic sources,
and observation.

B. QUANTITATIVE SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Interpret graphs, tables and diagrams.
Use statistics appropriately and accurately.

C. COMMUNICATION SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Read, observe and listen with comprehension and critical perception.
Communicate clearly, precisely, and in a well-organized manner.
Demonstrate a large and varied vocabulary.
Recognize and use a variety of communication forms and styles.

D. AESTHETIC SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Engage with and critically reflect on a work of creative expression
Discuss their engagement with and critical reflection of a work of creative
expression.

COM 131 - Richard Gustin
The Communication and Theatre Arts Department has identified the following lifelong proficiencies from across the liberal arts curriculum which you will develop through participation in this course (in addition to a broader understanding and appreciation of theatrical production):

ANALYTICAL SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Interpret and synthesize information and ideas
Select and apply scientific and other appropriate methodologies.
Integrate knowledge and experiences to arrive at creative solutions.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Read, observe and listen with comprehension and critical perception.
Communicate clearly, precisely, and in a well-organized manner.

AESTHETIC SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Engage with and critically reflect on a work of creative expression.
Discuss their engagement with and critical reflection of a work of creative expression.

COM 232 – Richard Gustin
In addition to acquiring a body of knowledge in the field of the art of acting, students’ abilities will also be assessed in the following basic proficiencies which apply across the liberal arts curriculum:

ANALYTICAL SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Interpret and synthesize information and ideas.
Integrate knowledge and experiences to arrive at creative solutions.
Gather and assess information from printed sources, electronic sources, and observation.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Read, observe and listen with comprehension and critical perception.
Communicate clearly, precisely, and in a well-organized manner.
Demonstrate a large and varied vocabulary.
Recognize and use a variety of communication forms and styles.

AESTHETIC SKILLS (Students should be able to…)
Engage with and critically reflect on a work of creative expression
Discuss their engagement with and critical reflection of a work of creative expression.

CPS 110 – Kevin Kurek
A liberal arts education encourages students to develop a lifelong commitment to inquiry.

EDU 201 – Amy Reid
The mission for this course is to offer a comprehensive, broad-based look at education. The knowledge gained and the methods learned in this course as well as your overall Liberal Arts education will enable you to form their own well-grounded opinions and beliefs, rather than deferring to an outside authority. As you further your degree in Liberal Arts (the study of language, literature, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and philosophy) you will learn about the human condition and the physical world. This education teaches you to explore, to create, to interpret, to weigh ideas, evidence and the claims of authorities, to think logically, and to adapt to new situations.

ENG 098 – James Hutchinson
A liberal arts education will introduce you to a variety of knowledge, concepts and information about the human experience with the aim of preparing you to be responsible, productive citizens who can adjust to the realities of the changing world in which we live. The definition of “liberal education” includes the following emphases, as identified by employers: Teamwork and collaboration; effective oral and written communication; critical thinking and analytic reasoning; ability to be innovative and to think creatively; ability to solve complex problems; and the ability to use current technology in your work.

ENG 101 – James Hutchinson
A liberal arts education will introduce you to a variety of knowledge, concepts and information about the human experience with the aim of preparing you to be responsible, productive citizens who can adjust to the realities of the changing world in which we live. Furthermore, a liberal arts education develops your communicative and critical thinking skills. This course directly involves you in the pursuit of the goals of a liberal education through the thinking you do, the writing you create and the research you undertake.

ENG 101 – Erica Strauss
This course introduces you to disciplines related to college writing and focuses on helping you develop critical reading, writing, and thinking abilities. These skills are essential elements of a liberal education, one that introduces you to a broad range of human knowledge and endeavor, preparing you to be a thoughtful contributor to your society and an engaged citizen of the world.

ENG 102 - James Hutchinson
A liberal arts education will introduce you to a variety of knowledge, concepts and information about the human experience with the aim of preparing you to be responsible, productive citizens who can adjust to the realities of the changing world in which we live. The definition of “liberal education” includes the following emphases, as identified by employers: Teamwork and collaboration; effective oral and written communication; critical thinking and analytic reasoning; ability to be innovative and to think creatively; ability to solve complex problems; and the ability to use current technology in your work; understanding global issues and their impact; and the ability to locate, organize, and evaluate information and thoughts from multiple sources.

ENG 102 - Erica Strauss
This course introduces you to disciplines related to college research writing and continues to develop critical reading, writing, and thinking abilities addressed for some of you in English 101 and for others in previous English courses. These skills are essential elements of a liberal education, one that introduces you to a broad range of human knowledge and endeavor, preparing you to be a thoughtful contributor to your society and an engaged citizen of the world.

ENG 262 – Alayne Peterson
We study literature as a way to help us understand ourselves and our collective past, so that we may live better in the present. Literature allows us to engage with difficult issues from diverse areas: sociology, psychology, the sciences, politics, economics, and philosophy in a way that encourages us to ask questions that don’t have ready answers. The purpose of a liberal arts education is to give you as the student the opportunity to think about what it means to live an “examined” life, and literature is just one of the lenses through which you can consider your place in the world.

GEO 123 and GLG 170 – Michael Jurmu
The goal of a liberal arts degree is to provide students the opportunity to explore the world and obtain general knowledge through intellectual skills (not necessarily occupational skills). One of the goals is for students to think more critically about a subject based on various perspectives, and this ability will help them become lifelong learners and have a more rewarding life. This also results in a more informed society and the betterment of the world as a whole.

HIS 278 – Paisley Harris
The study of history is vitally important to a liberal arts education. The aim of the liberal arts is to provide a broad education that trains the student in critical thinking and imbues the student with a spirit of inquiry. The skills practiced, the knowledge and understandings gained, and the questions raised in this history course, as outlined by the Proficiencies and Expectations listed later in the syllabus, promote critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry that will serve you well as a citizen and productive member of society regardless of your career choice.

LEC 100-04 - Khaled Hussein
The First-Year Seminar is designed to help you take charge of your own education and learning, further develop the skills necessary for academic and life success, provide you with an understanding of your membership in an academic community, and instill in you an appreciation for a liberal arts education and a joy for learning.

LEC 100-05 - Maggie May
The First-Year Seminar is designed to help you take charge of your own education and learning, further develop the skills necessary for academic (with specific focus on Mathematics) and life success, provide you with an understanding of your membership in an academic community, and instill in you an appreciation for a liberal arts education and a joy for learning. Because these achievements are best realized within an intellectually substantive context, this class incorporates a subject of inquiry for you to explore as you develop strategies for academic success.

LEC 100-07 - Pat Eby
The First-Year Seminar is designed to help you take charge of your own education and learning, further develop the skills necessary for academic and life success, provide you with an understanding of your membership in an academic community, and instill in you an appreciation for a liberal arts education and a joy for learning. Because these achievements are best realized within an intellectually substantive context, this class incorporates a subject of inquiry for you to explore as you develop strategies for academic success.

MAT 091 - John McDowell
Liberal Arts: In this course you will learn how to make a start on any question or problem, how to attack it effectively and how to learn from the experience. Time and effort spent studying these processes of enquiry are wisely invested because doing so will bring you closer to realizing your
full potential for mathematical thinking and problem solving.

Problem solving begins with the solver being STUCK. You will have the opportunity to experience being STUCK, understand that the state of being STUCK is a natural and honorable place to spend time during the problem solving process, and examine and apply methods to become
UNSTUCK.

Unsuccessful attempts should not be allowed to produce disappointment. A great deal can be learned from an unsuccessful attempt at a difficult problem than from a question or exercise that can be quickly resolved. We will allow time to reflect on what we have done and how what we have done can influence our next attempt.

Much of the course will be spent on processes rather than skills or answers. While a solution is the ultimate goal, we will also spend time examining false starts, partially digested ideas and incorrect solutions. Elegant solutions such as those found in many texts rarely spring forward immediately. They are more often than not arrived at after a long period of thinking. There is often much modification and changing of understanding along the way.

MAT 091, MAT 210 and MAT 221 - Maggie May
In addition to the specific skills pertinent to this class, the more general goals of a liberal arts education influence the structure of this course. The liberal arts student has a broad range of knowledge, understands the connections between various disciplines, is prepared to solve complex problems, has well-developed verbal and written communication skills, has the ability to work with others, and can adapt to changing conditions. Classwork and homework are often designed with these goals in mind.

MAT 091 and MAT 105 - Paul Sanders
Liberal Arts: In this course you will learn how to make a start on any question or problem, how to attack it effectively and how to learn from the experience. Time and effort spent studying these processes of enquiry are wisely invested because doing so will bring you closer to realizing your full potential for mathematical thinking and problem solving.

Problem solving begins with the solver being STUCK. You will have the opportunity to experience being STUCK, understand that the state of being STUCK is a natural and honorable place to spend time during the problem solving process, and examine and apply methods to become UNSTUCK.

Unsuccessful attempts should not be allowed to produce disappointment. A great deal can be learned from an unsuccessful attempt at a difficult problem than from a question or exercise that can be quickly resolved. We will allow time to reflect on what we have done and how what we have done can influence our next attempt.

Much of the course will be spent on processes rather than skills or answers. While a solution is the ultimate goal, we will also spend time examining false starts, partially digested ideas and incorrect solutions. Elegant solutions such as those found in many texts rarely spring forward immediately. They are more often than not arrived at after a long period of thinking. There is often much modification and changing of understanding along the way.

MAT 110 - Ryan Braatz
In addition to the specific skills pertinent to college algebra, the more general goals of a liberal arts education influence the structure of this course. The liberal arts student has a broad range of knowledge, understands the connections between various disciplines, is prepared to solve complex problems, has well-developed verbal and written communication skills, has the ability to work with others, and can adapt to changing conditions. Classroom work and homework are often designed to facilitate these objectives.

MUS 072 - Pat Eby
A liberal arts education exposes students to a broad spectrum of knowledge about the human experience, from contemporary science to literature, music and art.
Goal: UW-FDL Chorus is designed to give the general student an opportunity to sing a variety of literature from differing eras, styles and traditions providing a broad spectrum of knowledge about the music and culture of the world.

MUS 075-01 - Pat Eby
A liberal arts education exposes students to a broad spectrum of knowledge about the human experience, from contemporary science to literature, music and art. Chamber Singers gives the talented vocal music student an opportunity to sing a variety of literature from all eras, styles and nations of the world, providing a broad spectrum of knowledge about the music and culture of the world. This semester will include music from early Western Europe, and a broad spectrum of international holiday music

MUS 075-02 - Pat Eby
A liberal arts education prepares students to be responsible citizens who understand and contribute to the changing world in which they live.
Any student participating in Vocal Jazz is developing a sense of a portion of American musical heritage in addition to developing stage presence, self confidence and ability to make decisions “on-the-spot”. The student is also responsible to the group as a whole, both vocally and with punctual attendance at rehearsals and performances.

PED 018-115, PED 123, PED 127, PED 205, and PED 217 - Lee Watson
At UW Fond du Lac a liberal arts education encourages students to develop a lifelong commitment to inquiry.

PHI 101, PHI 241 and PHI 258 - Eric Boos
The Outcomes, Competencies and Assessments for this course were developed in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin College’s commitment to liberal learning through the liberal arts. In the classic sense, the liberal arts, as opposed to the servile arts, aim at “freeing” the minds of students through a reasoned and systematic exploration of ideas. The liberal arts emphasize “how” to think, but do not dictate “what” to think. Thus, the emphasis is on the process of learning rather than the content of education. The immediate merits of liberal learning are improved critical thinking and communications skills which manifest in a higher degree of autonomy. Secondary benefits of liberal learning include improved discretion, information literacy, improved interpersonal skills, and a heightened appreciation of the philosophic act of reasoning which leads to a more fulfilling life.

PHS 202 – Elizabeth Hayes
This course supports the humanities and liberal arts education through discussions and through extreme readings of the textbook and the readings of: The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness (Jerome Groupman, 2005)

PHY 201 – R. Carey Woodward
UW-Fond du Lac is a liberal arts college. I intend that you not only learn the subject matter of physics, but also acquire or sharpen the analytical and critical thinking skills that will help you both in and out of this classroom. If you approach this class as an exercise in honing these skills,
rather than memorizing a bunch of facts and formulas, you will not only get a better grade, but will be better prepared to solve a wide variety of problems in the \real world" throughout your life.

PSY 202 – Jill Rinzel
This course is designed to provide an introduction to the study of psychology. Some of the areas being covered in this course include research methodology, development, emotion, cognition, sensation, perception, neuroscience, psychopathology, and social psychology. This course is designed to help students learn the basics of these areas through a combination of lectures, discussions, and videos. By the end of this course students should be able to identify and explain the basic terminology, theories and debates in psychology. Additionally, students will gain the knowledge and skills to think critically about this information and apply these principles to everyday life and future occupations. As part of a liberal studies curriculum, psychology helps individuals develop critical thinking skills and an appreciation for diversity that helps prepare students for life.

PSY 250 – Jill Rinzel
This course is designed to study human development from conception through old age. This includes the study of theories and research dealing with biological, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral development. Through this study, students will understand different methods of research and research design, the main controversies of the fields (nature vs. nurture…), the vocabulary and theories of the field, and how to think critically about the research and theories of development. As part of a liberal studies education, this course will help students to develop critical thinking skills and learn how to communicate effectively with individuals of all ages. This will serve students by aiding in the development of important life skills.

SOC 101 – Michael Nofz
Sociology is one of the liberal arts disciplines. It offers you a unique way of looking at how your social world is organized, and more importantly, why it is organized that way. Different societies are organized very differently from our own, and having the capacity to make sense out of the “how and why” of these differences makes these other societies far less mysterious, far less threatening, and far less “impossible” to visit, live in, and see as a potential setting for career work.

SPA 101 and SPA 201 – Valerie Mumm
As part of the Liberal Arts education offered at UW Fond du Lac, this course helps prepare students to meet the challenges of today's world by learning a language other than their own and by gaining insight into other cultures. In addition, students benefit by improving their overall learning as they make connections across the curriculum with other subject areas. World language programs help students become tolerant, open-minded citizens and sensitive knowledgeable people who understand cultural and linguistic diversity.

WOM 101 – Paisley Harris
Women’s Studies and a Liberal Arts Education: The aim of the liberal arts is to provide a broad education that trains the student in critical thinking and imbues the student with a spirit of inquiry. The interdisciplinary and engaged nature of intellectual inquiry in the field of women’s studies makes it emblematic of a liberal arts education. The skills practiced, the knowledge and understandings gained, and the questions raised in this women’s studies course promote critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry that will serve you well as citizens and productive member of society regardless of your career choice.


University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac  |  400 University Dr, Fond du Lac, WI 54935-2950  |  Phone 920-929-1100  |  Student Services 920-929-1122
Tell a friend about this page!
Friend's Name:
Friend's Email:
Your Name:
Your Email:


close window