Academic Majors by School
School of the Arts
Art & Design Department
Art Studio
Graphic and Intermedia Design
Communication
Electronic Publishing
Journalism
Public Relations
Music Department
Music
Music Education (either Classroom & Instrumental or Classroom & Vocal Track)
Music Industry
Music Performance
Theatre & Dance Department
Theatre:
Musical Theatre Track
Dance Track
Acting/Directing Track
Design/Technology Track
General Studies Track
School of Business
Business Department
Accounting
Business Intelligence and Analytics
Entrepreneurship
Finance
International Business
Management
Marketing
Sport Management
School of Education
Education Department
Elementary Education
(Grades K-6 with optional 5-8 Endorsements in English, Math, Science, Social Science and World Language Spanish K-8)
Secondary Education
(Grades 5-12: Life Science Education, Chemistry Science Education, English Education, Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, Spanish Education K-12, Music Education Classroom & Instrumental K-12, Music Education Classroom & Vocal K-12, and Physics Science Education - see departments by discipline)
Educational Studies
(Non-licensure major with concentrations in: Religious Education, Child and Family Contexts, Youth Development and Leadership, and Adult Learning Contexts)
School of Humanities & Sciences
Biology Department
Biology
Environmental Biology
Life Sciences Education
Allied Health Majors:
Biology Pre-Cytotechnology
Biology Pre-Echocardiography
Biology Pre-Medical Laboratory Science
Biology Pre-Nuclear Medicine Technology
Biology Pre-Physical Therapy
Biology Pre-Radiography
Chemistry Department
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry Science Education
English Department
English Education
Literature
Literature with Writing Emphasis
History Department
History
History/Social Studies
Social Studies Education
Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Department
Actuarial Science
Computer Science
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Modern/Classical Languages Department
Spanish
Spanish Education
Philosophy Department
IHM Seminary Philosophy
Philosophy
Physics Department
Physics
Physics with an Engineering Science Emphasis
Physics with a Life Science Emphasis
Physics Science Education
Psychology Department
Psychology
Social Science Department
Criminal Justice (either Corrections or Law Enforcement Track)
Global Studies
Human Services
Political Science
Social Science
Sociology
Theology Department
Pastoral and Youth Ministry
Religious Education
Theology
Individualized Major
An individually designed major study program must be significantly different from a catalog major offering. It must have a focal point or unifying factor different from present departmental majors. It may not be a subfield of a current major offering. It may not be a current major offering with one or two courses added or subtracted.
An individualized major must represent significant time applied to courses united by the special focus of that program and must include at least 39 credits. Approximately half of the required courses should be upper-division. Approval must be obtained from the chair of each academic department from which three or more courses and/or upper-division courses will be taken. Also, the major must be approved by the vice president for academic affairs.
As with departmental majors, individualized majors should be declared before the junior year. This major option should not be considered or designed after a student has earned 95 credits. Once approved, an individualized major program cannot be changed without the approval of the vice president for academic affairs and the appropriate department chair(s). No courses listed in the original individualized major and subsequently taken by the student may be changed or deleted from the major.
Students should note that the approval of an individually designed major study program does not exempt the student from any university graduation requirement other than the requirement to complete a catalog major. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that all other graduation requirements are met.
Student Success Center
Esther Perález, Dean
The student success center (SSC) serves as an important access point for students in their pursuit of academic excellence. Resources, including support in advising, academic skills, disabilities, tutoring, writing center, and career services and internships, are provided to help students fulfill their academic potential and personal goals. Through these resource areas, the center acts as a vital place on campus where professional staff members mentor, encourage and guide students in their academic and personal development.
Students are encouraged to become familiar with, and to take advantage of, these resources throughout their four years of college experience:
- Advising staff, as well as other SSC staff, assist students with issues related to scheduling, course requirements, and academic procedures.
- Faculty advisors assist students in course planning and preparation.
- Disability support services provides appropriate accommodations to qualified students to encourage them to become self-directed learners and strive to achieve academic success.
- Learning assistance staff teach courses in study skills, provide testing accommodations, and arrange free tutoring for students in most subject areas.
- Writing services staff instruct students in writing and provide feedback on any writing project.
- Career services and internships staff offer guidance and information to students with choosing a major field of study, developing career goals, planning an internship, searching for graduate school, or seeking employment opportunities.
Academic Advising
John Duerst, Advisor
Carlie Ness, Advisor
Academic advising provides students with specific academic assistance for academic issues, such as: educational goal setting; scheduling difficulties; change of advisor; declaration of major; withdrawal from a course or from the university; requests for substitutions of general education requirements; and evaluation of completion of general education and major requirements. Academic advisors also encourage and support students in their learning experiences and guide them in their academic and personal development.
Faculty Advisors
Faculty advisors participate in the advising program as first-year student advisors and/or major advisors. Faculty advisors are full-time faculty members who are familiar with courses, majors and programs and who serve as a valuable resource for students. They assist students in planning their course schedules, developing an academic plan and educational goals, and assessing academic progress. In addition to assisting students with academic matters, faculty advisors help students with other concerns and serve as a referral person to appropriate offices on campus. Students are recommended to visit often with their faculty advisor to gain the most from this important and rewarding academic relationship. However, students must be aware that they, not their faculty advisor, are ultimately responsible for ensuring that university requirements are satisfied.
Career Services & Internships
Jackie Baker, Director
Career services and internships staff offer guidance and information to students choosing a major field of study; developing career goals; planning an internship; searching for graduate school; or seeking employment opportunities. Students are encouraged to attend programs and activities and to meet individually with staff to learn about life/work planning and to evaluate and effectively implement specific internship and job search strategies.
Services and resources available through career services and internships include:
- Self-assessment tools to assist with choosing a major and developing career plans.
- Information on specific careers and employers.
- Resume, cover letter and interviewing workshops and informational handouts.
- Individual resume and cover letter assistance.
- Career, job, and internship fairs.
- Job search videos.
- Webcam practice interviews.
- Mock interviews with professionals.
- “Meet the Pros” alumni panels.
- Opportunities to meet and network with SMU alumni.
- Career Exploration class (PD101 ).
- Job Search Strategies class (PD201 ).
- Listings for internships, full-time and part-time employment, and summer jobs.
- Cardinals Helping Cardinals job network.
- Graduate school information.
Students are encouraged to visit career services and internships early in their college career to develop the most effective career path.
Disability Services
Karen Hemker, Director
It is the policy of the university to comply with applicable federal, state and local laws concerning access to education benefits and programs. Academic support services are available at the Winona campus to eligible students with disabilities through the student success center (SSC). For purposes of this policy, “disabled student” is defined to include a student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits him or her in one or more major life activities, or has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.
All Saint Mary’s University students have been accepted by the College based on their ability to succeed academically and are required to meet the same academic and technical standards. Disability support services provides academic support and accommodations to students with disabilities or temporary conditions. Accessing accommodations is an ongoing and interactive process in which information can be gathered from the student and from other relevant sources. Students should interview with the director of disability services to discuss their requests for accommodations, and early in the process students should present any documentation that describes their disability and the impact on educational experiences and in the educational environment. Each student’s requests will be evaluated on an individual basis.
The purpose of documentation is to provide information that will give insight into how the courses or facilities might present barriers; to what degree the disability affects the student; and to plan for accommodations to facilitate success.
In addition, the SSC staff is available to work with eligible students with disabilities in determining and identifying other academic support services as necessary and/or available. Students with specific academic needs should contact the director of disability services for assistance in determining appropriate accommodations, such as providing testing accommodations, acquiring alternative format texts, using assistive technology and/or relocating classrooms. Depending on the situation, academic support services may be offered on a limited or ongoing basis; therefore, eligibility for services is determined each semester within the academic year.
Saint Mary’s University retains discretion to establish and maintain curriculum and degree requirements for all students. Academic support services are coordinated through the SSC; thus, any questions regarding the services should be directed to the director of disability services, (507) 457-1465 or refer to the website https://sites.google.com/a/smumn.edu/disability-support-services/.
Internship and Field Exploration Programs
Internship and field exploration programs provide students with opportunities to participate in carefully designed work experiences that help them explore personal aptitudes, abilities and interests as they relate to career choice. These experiences offer students a forum to apply theories and concepts learned in the classroom as well as professional and personal development.
For more information, see the Internship and Field Exploration Program section found on page 99 of this catalog, or visit the career services and internships office web page at www.smumn.edu/careerservices.
Learning Assistance
Joseph Dulak, Director
Learning assistance staff assists students with academic issues through learner-to-learner and learner-to-professional interactions that cover such topics as time management, test preparation, testing anxiety and study methods, among other topics. These individual meetings can be scheduled as frequently as needed. The goal is to provide students with the tools necessary to become self-directed learners.
Conditionally Admitted Students
Students admitted on a conditional status are required to take part in academic support initiatives. These are designed to assist students with diverse levels of academic preparation in developing the skills and competencies necessary for academic self-sufficiency and success at the university level. These initiatives include mandatory academic study sessions; workshops designed to encourage academic and social development; regular contact with a student success center advisor; and periodic review of progress reports.
Tutoring
Tutoring provides students with opportunities to practice material learned in class with a peer tutor who is knowledgeable about, and familiar with, the course. Free tutoring is available in most subject areas, including humanities, history, mathematics, accounting, business, social science, behavioral science and natural science. Regular weekly tutoring allows students to work at their own pace with a peer tutor who is trained to assist in developing and managing student learning and study strategies. As a result of this peer collaboration, students’ academic performance increases.
Skills-Based Courses
Skills-based courses offered through the student success center provide students with the opportunity to learn and apply study, reading and note-taking techniques to college level material. Courses in study skills also address topics such as time management, test preparation and academic engagement in the classroom. Courses in reading address techniques such as pre-reading, annotating and comprehension monitoring.
Writing Services
Peggy Johnson, Director
Writing services, staffed by advanced, highly trained undergraduate students, offers interdisciplinary writing services to undergraduate students of all levels of writing ability. Students who visit writing services receive free individualized instruction in and feedback on any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming and prewriting to drafting, revising and editing.
The goal of writing services is to help students develop as writers by providing help with questions or difficulties students may have with academic writing. This is accomplished through individual tutoring sessions in which students talk one-to-one about their writing with a writing tutor. In tutoring sessions, students learn how to further organize, develop, and support their ideas as well as gain valuable editing skills, while tutors gain experience as writers, teachers, learners and communicators.
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