2020-21 Pomona College Catalog 
    
    Mar 18, 2024  
2020-21 Pomona College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Use the dropdown above to select the current 2023-24 catalog.

Special Programs and Opportunities



Cooperative Academic Programs

Student Exchange Programs

Pomona College offers limited domestic exchange opportunities which allow our students to receive Pomona financial aid, pay Pomona tuition, and study at one of our partnering institutions. Under arrangements made each year, Pomona sophomores, juniors and first-semester seniors may study as domestic exchange students for a semester at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia; Colby College in Waterville, Maine; or Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Approval to participate in the Domestic Exchange Program derives from the Academic Procedures Committee (APC).

Interested students should begin the process by completing the Domestic Exchange Student Application (available on My.Pomona) by the following deadlines: March 15 for the subsequent Fall semester and October 15 for the subsequent Spring semester. The completed Application should be attached to the academic procedures committee petition. 

Pomona College students must register for, at minimum, the equivalent of three Pomona College courses. A maximum of 4.75 Pomona College credits can be transferred back to Pomona. Courses must follow the Transfer Credit Policy and should be reviewed by the student’s Academic Advisor. The Department Chair will ultimately decide if courses taken through the Domestic Exchange program apply towards the student’s major; students should consult with their Chair before continuing with the application. General Education requirements can be satisfied only with courses taken at The Claremont Colleges. That is, no General Education credit is awarded for students who participate in the Domestic Exchange program. Grades earned at the host college will be calculated into the student’s Pomona College GPA.

It should be noted that approval is contingent on many factors, including availability of college housing at the other school, current academic standing, GPA, disciplinary record, and department recommendation. Students who choose to withdraw their application after the deadline forfeit the $500 fee deposit paid when they entered Pomona College and they also jeopardize the status for the exchange student from the host college who planned to study here at Pomona.

Combined Plans in Engineering

3-2 Plans: California Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis

Qualified students may receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology or Washington University in St. Louis after a combined five-year program. The first three years are taken at Pomona and comprise the student’s general education and preparation for the major of the second institution. Students pursuing this plan will be accepted at Caltech or Washington University under an expedited procedure less elaborate than admission as a transfer student, if recommended by Pomona and if they have the requisite grade point average in science and mathematics courses at Pomona. Caltech specifically reserves the right to limit both the number of students admitted in certain fields of study under the 3-2 program and the financial aid offer to accepted students. Interested students should consult with the pre-engineering advisor as soon as possible after their arrival on campus.

Under a feature of Washington University in St. Louis’ dual-degree program, each year the Pomona College faculty liaison is authorized to award one two-year merit scholarship, covering half-tuition at Washington University, to a suitably qualified Pomona College candidate about to enter the dual-degree program with a Pomona GPA of at least 10.5 (i.e., equivalent to 3.5 on a 4.0-point scale).

3-2 Program students must satisfy the General Education requirements of Pomona College. In addition, the following lower-division courses must be completed:

In addition to completing the requirements and prerequisites as noted above, students who participate in the Combined 3-2 Plan in Engineering must make satisfactory progress toward a Pomona major in their third year. Although a science major is not required, it is difficult to satisfy both the Pomona General Education requirements, the pre-engineering requirements and the requirements for a non-science major in the three years at Pomona. Normally, “satisfactory progress” implies that by the end of the junior year the student has taken at least five other upper-division courses in physical science and mathematics, selected in close consultation with the faculty advisor, from among those courses normally required for a major in physics, chemistry or computer science. The requirements of the second institution should also be carefully considered during the three years at Pomona in consultation with the advisor.

The work completed at Pomona College and successful completion of the required two years for the engineering major at the second institution are considered fulfillment of the requirements for both the bachelor of arts degree at Pomona College and the corresponding bachelor’s degree at the partner school. The student’s Pomona major is labeled as “pre-engineering” and can only be awarded upon fulfillment of the requirements at both schools as described above.

Interested students should contact Professor of Physics Alma Zook.

Combined 2-1-1-1 Plan in Engineering: Dartmouth College

Alternatively, qualified students may receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Dartmouth College after a combined five-year program, which could be a 3-2 program similar to those with Caltech and Washington University or a 2-1-1-1 program. In the 2-1-1-1 program, the first two years are taken at Pomona, the third year at Dartmouth, the fourth year back at Pomona and the fifth year at Dartmouth. For admission to this program, a student must complete the following courses by the end of the sophomore year. It is highly recommended to satisfy General Education requirements by the end of the sophomore year as well.

Interested students should contact Professor of Physics Alma Zook.

Washington Semester Program of Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College provides a semester-long program in Washington, D.C., which combines traditional coursework with an emphasis on internships in a wide variety of public and private organizations. This program is open to applicants from Pomona College and is offered in the fall and spring semesters.

Academic work in the program consists of a full-time, course-based internship, two weekly seminars and a research project. Four course credits are earned by successfully completing all of these activities.

Candidates selected for the program pay regular tuition to Pomona College while paying for their own room and board and remain eligible for financial aid. The program pays travel expenses to and from Washington, D.C., within certain limits. Students have the primary responsibility for finding accommodations in Washington.

Students interested in the program should contact Professors David Menefee-Libey or Richard Worthington in the Pomona Politics Department. A petition to the Academic Procedures Committee (APC) is required for students interested in enrolling in the program.

For fall applicants: The deadline to petition to the APC is by the end of the first full week of February leading up to the fall semester.

For spring applicants: The deadline to petition to the APC is by the end of the first full week of September leading up to the spring semester.

Silicon Valley Program of Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College’s Silicon Valley Program (SVP) provides students of the Claremont Colleges with an off-campus study semester that combines a high-impact internship, related coursework and professional development and networking opportunities in the Silicon Valley. Students in the program explore theoretical organizational structures and leadership approaches and will apply classroom lessons to the daily tasks associated with an internship in technology, innovation or entrepreneurship. Courses are taught by CMC faculty. Pomona students do not receive course credit for the internship portion of the program, in accordance with its policy on internships; a total of three course credits are earned during the program. Silicon Valley Program staff secure housing for students in the mid-peninsula, equidistant between San Francisco and San Jose. Regular tuition is paid to Pomona, and students pay CMC’s normal rate for a double room. Financial aid remains available for students participating in the program. For more information, students can contact Nereida Moussa with CMC’s Center for Global Education at (408) 623-0023 or access the CMC Silicon Valley Program webpage.

A petition to the Academic Procedures Committee (APC) is required for students interested in enrolling in the program.

For fall applicants: The deadline to petition to the APC is by the end of the first full week of February leading up to the fall semester.

For spring applicants: The deadline to petition to the APC is by the end of the first full week of September leading up to the spring semester.

Semester in Environmental Science at the MBL

Pomona College offers a semester-long program in conjunction with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The program provides undergraduates the ability to study at a world-renowned scientific institution where scientists and students go throughout the year to pursue research and education in diverse areas of fundamental biological discovery. This program focuses heavily on environmental science and ecology and is offered within the fall semester only.  

The MBL will offer a full semester curriculum emphasizing inquiry-based learning through student participation in laboratory and research projects. Completion of two core laboratory and lecture courses and one of several electives offered will be required. As part of the core course, students will also participate in a weekly capstone synthesis discussion. Students will also be expected to conduct an independent research project, participate in a Science Journalism Seminar, and attend a seminar featuring prominent outside speakers. At the end of the semester the Marine Biological Laboratory will issue a certificate of completion and course credit will count towards the students’ GPA.

Candidates selected for the program will be provided lecture and laboratory space and access to the MBL and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint library. The Marine Biological Laboratory will also provide housing for the duration of the program and will provide students with at least 20 meals during the week.

Students interested in the program should contact Professors Marc Los Huertos (Environmental Analysis) or Nina Karnovsky (Biology). A petition to the Academic Procedures Committee (APC) is required for students interested in enrolling in the program. The application deadline for MBL is in March; therefore, the deadline to petition to the APC is by the end of the first full week of February leading up to the fall semester. Please note that only five students may apply for the SES program from The Claremont Colleges. The Application for MBL is available online.

Teacher Education Program

The Teacher Education Program, offered by Claremont Graduate University, is an accelerated, combined Credential and Master of Arts in Education program. Claremont Colleges’ students are allowed to transfer up to eight units of their undergraduate coursework into the program towards their credential and MA in Education. Specific classes are required; please contact TeacherEducation@cgu.edu or call (909) 621-8076.

After a summer of instruction and clinical experience, candidates engage in a clinical experience where they work in schools Monday through Friday as either fully-paid and fully responsible teachers (called “interns”) or work as “residents” under the tutelage of a CGU Master Teacher. During this phase, which spans the fall and spring, candidates take classes at CGU on select Saturdays. The final phase of the program is in the second summer when the candidates finish their requirements for the credential and the Master of Arts Degree in Education.

Credentials offered include multiple subject (for candidates wanting to teach in elementary settings), single subject (for candidates wanting to teach math, science, social studies, Spanish, or English in middle or high schools) and special education (for candidates wanting to work with students who have either mild/moderate or moderate/severe disabilities).

CGU’s Teacher Education Program is committed to providing high-level scholarships to Claremont Colleges students and has a variety of fellowship opportunities, including opportunities for full tuition coverage.

Complete details about the Teacher Education Program are provided in a brochure available from the Office of Teacher Education at Claremont Graduate University at (909) 621-8076. You can also visit our website. A directory listing credential requirements for every state is available in the Career Development Office.

Teacher Education Courses (Claremont Graduate University)

170G. Introduction to Public School Teaching. Staff. This course examines the foundations of teaching and learning in public schools from various perspectives. These include but are not limited to philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, politics and economics. A primary aim of this course is to explore habitually unexamined attitudes and assumptions that bear on teaching practices in public schools. Another goal is to ground our readings and discussions in the realities of contemporary public school classrooms. The course requirements include nine hours of public classroom observation. Offered every fall.

300G. Teaching/Learning Process I. Staff.  This course is for seniors only and is designed to prepare interns for their first semester of supervised teaching and first year of independent classroom teaching. The focus is on practical skills that provide both teachers and students with a sense of positive classroom environment, and active rather than passive learning activities. It helps students be aware of the special challenges and rewards of teaching in a multicultural environment, and the planning required for optimal learning. Course requirements and expectations will be handed out at the beginning of the class. This class is limited to students who intend to apply for the CGU Teacher Education Internship Program. Offered every spring.