Incoming students interested in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies should register for GWS 111. We encourage students interested in majoring in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies to complete GWS 111 within their first three semesters at Grinnell, ideally during their first year, and to meet with a potential faculty advisor to discuss their plan of study.
All entering students who have previously studied French are required to take the French Department's Placement Test during New Student Orientation (it is not administered at any other time). The department uses the results of the Placement Test to recommend the appropriate starting point for each student.
Neither English literature or language AP nor IB work is equivalent to ENG 120 or 121. Students interested in majoring in English must take one of these intro courses in order to take advanced coursework in this department.
Students should not assume that a major in a discipline will automatically earn a teaching license in that area or discipline. Ideally, a student interested in earning a license should begin coursework and consult with a member of the education department in the first year.
The general sequence of courses in Economics is as follows: theory, then application; theory, then application. Students first take ECN 111 followed by an applied course from ECN 205-250; then students take the intermediate theory and econometrics courses ECN 280, 282. and 286 followed by at least one advanced analysis class (ECN 300-349) and then two applied senior seminars (ECN 350-399). Students need to be sure to take the required prerequisites, including math courses, as needed (see below).
The Department of Computer Science collaborates with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to send each incoming student a letter, "Tentative Placement in Mathematics and Computer Science". Students will typically start in CSC 151 because the material will be new to most students, even those with prior background in computer science or experience in computer programming. Students are encouraged to consult computer science faculty to discuss placements and courses.
All entering students who have previously studied Ancient Greek or Latin will receive placement recommendations from the department. Any student wishing to enroll in 300-level Latin must take a Placement Test during New Student Orientation (it is not administered at any other time). Placements are our best guess, known to be fallible, subject to discussion, explanation, negotiation.
The Biology, Chemistry and Biological Chemistry majors are designed so that a student does not need to choose among them until registration for the fourth semester. Consult the previous sections on Biology and Biological Chemistry for more information. Students with AP/IB credit who plan to take organic chemistry (CHM221) in the second year must take CHM 210 their first year.
The Biology, Chemistry, and Biological Chemistry majors are designed so that a student does not need to choose among them until registration for the fourth semester. Entering students who are deciding among these three majors should take BIO 150 and CHM 129 (General Chemistry) during the first year-one course in the fall and one course in the spring.