Undergraduate Course Catalog 2007-2008
General Information
What makes the University of New Hampshire (UNH) a great institution? Every
day, brilliant, dedicated, inventive, hard-working people come together
to teach, learn, and discover, always with an entrepreneurial spirit
that has made many of our academic and research programs world-class.
They are motivated by passion, by a spirit of inquiry, and by a desire
to give back to their communities.
What makes UNH outstanding is that we combine the "best of both
worlds." We offer students the living and learning environment of a
small New England liberal arts college with the breadth, spirit of
discovery, and civic commitment of a land-, sea-, and space-grant
research university. This is rare among American institutions of higher
education, and students and faculty will tell you it is our greatest
asset.
The University Today
Today the University of New Hampshire is made up of dozens of academic departments, interdisciplinary institutes, and research centers that attract students and faculty from around the world. As state-of-the-art facilities are built to support academic growth, and new residence and dining halls are built to meet the growing popularity of campus life, the University continues to rest lightly on the Durham landscape. Some 13,000 students and hundreds of faculty and staff live and work amid the rolling hills and riverbeds of one the most beautiful campuses in the nation.
The University of New Hampshire is strong and highly responsive to the needs of its public mandate—one that increasingly results in productive partnerships not only with the state, but the region and nation. The University of today has met its greatest expectations and stands on the threshold of unlimited possibilities.
Look around the University today: what you see is not one, but a great many communities brought together in the process—at once profoundly personal and inextricably social-of discovery and engagement concerning issues of the greatest public importance.
You see a campus in which world-class research centers and laboratories, graduate seminars, undergraduate honors classes, service-learning projects, and student internships have mobilized the University’s capacities for teaching, research, and partnership building.
You see faculty and students from health and human services and liberal arts working as part of the Carsey Institute to undertake applied and policy research on improving the quality of family life. You see the University’s working scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and educators engaging in the Joan and James Leitzel Center to improve mathematics, science, and engineering education from kindergarten through college. You see researchers come together from across the University to undertake a ground-breaking study of the complexities of improving the region’s air quality in the era of modern industry.
A Powerful Linking of Teaching and Research
Where the University of New Hampshire has linked teaching and research programs with the practical realities of life, it has set the international standard with centers and institutes whose names have become synonymous with excellence in such fields as computer interoperability, ocean mapping, child study and development, and experiential education.
Such research power translates into exceptional educational opportunities for our talented students. The University prides itself on graduating students who have undertaken significant research. In recent years hundreds of students, from all disciplines, have experienced the thrill of designing their own research projects, collaborating with faculty, and presenting their findings in a public forum. Robust undergraduate research programs enable students to conduct research year-round, as freshmen and seniors, on campus and around the world.
The University’s international research opportunities program was the first of its kind and serves as a model for others nationwide. Today the internationalization of the University is an accomplished fact. The study abroad program and international studies major are strong and growing. Faculty are in demand as visiting professors at universities around the globe (many as Fulbright Fellows), and bring their experiences back to Durham.
Mission
UNH offers a broad array of undergraduate, professional, and research and graduate programs. Nearly ninety percent of the full-time faculty members hold doctoral or terminal degrees, and many have earned national and international reputations.
The University of New Hampshire has a threefold mission: the scholarly functions of teaching, research, and public service.
Teaching. All undergraduate programs of instruction at the University are built on a program of general education. The objectives of general education carry through the undergraduate subject major, as students refine and apply their skills and discover the relationships among fields of study. At every level, students enjoy close contact with individual faculty members who are dedicated to research and scholarship; this is an advantage for students, because active scholars and researchers teach by sharing their own learning.
Research. The activity of research embraces all the arts and sciences at the University: it is an integral part of both undergraduate and graduate programs. In doctoral study, and in many master’s programs, thesis research is a primary mode of learning. As a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution, the University of New Hampshire has a special obligation to conduct applied research in the areas of agriculture, marine sciences, and engineering, and to disseminate the findings to the state and nation.
Public Service. The University fulfills its special responsibility for the welfare of the state through UNH Cooperative Extension, through the Office of Continuing Education and Summer Session, and through research and consultation on particular needs of New Hampshire citizens. The University is dedicated to collaborative learning inside and outside the classroom.
The UNH Library
The UNH Library consists of the main Dimond Library, four specialized branch libraries, an extensive government documents collection, and the Douglas and Helena Milne Special Collections and Archives. In addition to more than a million volumes and 6,000 periodical subscriptions, the library has government publications, maps, sound recordings, compact discs, video cassettes, DVDs, and manuscripts. The library offers extensive electronic resources including indexes in a wide variety of subject areas, databases supplying full-text periodical and newspaper articles, and statistical data sets. Experienced librarians and staff provide expert service to people seeking information or research assistance.
The library is a member of the elite Boston Library Consortium, whose members include some of the most well-known research institutions in the nation. Through the consortium, UNH faculty, faculty emeriti, students, and staff at both the Durham and Manchester campuses have full access to a combined collection of more than 31 million volumes via interlibrary loan and on-site visits to member libraries.
The Dimond Library offers three grand reading rooms, seating for 1,200, 21 miles of shelving for books, and the Dimond Academic Commons (DAC). The DAC (Main Floor) features "one-stop" shopping for information needs, including reference assistance, IT help, high-tech equipment, and collaborative work space. Wireless access, computer workstations, and laptop hookups are available throughout the building.
The four branch libraries specialize in science, mathematics, and engineering. The Biological Sciences Library is located in Kendall Hall, the Chemistry Library is in Parsons Hall, the Engineering/Mathematics/Computer Science Library is in Kingsbury Hall, and the Physics Library is in Nesmith Hall. All branches have reserve materials, reference collections, circulating collections, periodicals, and electronic resources. All branch materials are indicated in the UNH Library catalog.
For more information on Dimond and the branch libraries, visit www.library.unh.edu.
The Campus
The home of the main campus of the University is Durham—one of the oldest towns in northern New England-near the picturesque seacoast of New Hampshire. The 200-acre campus is surrounded by more than 2,400 acres of fields, farms, and woodlands owned by the University. A stream flowing through a large wooded area in the middle of campus enhances natural open space among the buildings. College Woods, on the edge of campus, includes five miles of well-kept paths through 260 acres of forest.
During the last decade, major building and renovation projects have revitalized the UNH campus while maintaining its traditions. In 2002, the University celebrated the completion of Mills Hall, its newest and very beautiful residence hall; 2003 saw completion of the new Holloway Dining Commons. Renovations of Murkland and Congreve Halls have also been completed. The soon-to-be-completed Kingsbury Hall renovation and expansion project will give science students new project space, a modern lab wing, and high-tech classrooms.
In 2004, UNH was named one of the Top 25 Most Entrepreneurial Colleges by the Princeton Review and Forbes.com, ranking 10th in the nation.
According to the Princeton Review, while there are more than 2,000 colleges in the United States, few concentrate on raising the next generation of successful entrepreneurs. Schools named to the Top 25 show a commitment to creating programs to encourage young entrepreneurs on campus, as well as looking at how their alumni have fared in the real world.
UNH’s ranking was based on the efforts of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics. UNH was the only public university in the Northeast to make the top 10.
Accreditation
The University of New Hampshire is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., which accredits schools and colleges in the six New England states. Accreditation by the association indicates that the institution has been carefully evaluated and found to meet standards agreed upon by qualified educators. Specialized programs of study are also accredited by various professional organizations.
All degree programs at the University are approved for veterans’ educational benefits. Individuals are encouraged to contact the veterans coordinator in Stoke Hall about specific questions.
The University supports the efforts of secondary school officials and governing bodies to have their schools achieve regional accredited status to provide reliable assurance of the quality of the educational preparation of its applicants for admission.
The University supports the efforts of secondary
school officials and governing bodies to have their schools achieve
regional accredited status to provide reliable assurance of the quality
of the educational preparation of its applicants for admission.
