The College of Charleston has a number of changes for the 2013-14 academic year, including new library databases, new majors and minors, additional conferences and events, and more!

The following new majors will be offered for the first time in 2013-14:

  • Finance is a new major in the School of Business. The finance major is an expansion of the current concentration in finance and is designed to give graduates a stronger degree designation and placement in the job market. Read more about the finance major.
  • Marketing is a new major in the School of Business. Graduates with a marketing major will be able to evaluate a firm’s operating environment, identify and help to sustain competitive advantages through marketing strategies, and ultimately generate superior value for customers and other stakeholders. Students will be able to design and optimize the marketing mix for a company or organization. Read more about the marketing major.
  • The College will also have the only archaeology major in the state. The major takes a multidisciplinary approach and incorporates courses from four Schools (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Sciences and Mathematics, School of the Arts, and School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs). In addition to required coursework, the archaeology major includes active learning experiences: field work, lab work, study-abroad opportunities and internships. Read more about the archaeology major.

This fall marks the launch of the College’s Bachelor of Professional Studies developed specifically to meet the needs of adult learners in South Carolina. The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) program will combine online and on-site classes in an effort to accommodate the busy lives of working professionals.  Classes will be offered in the evenings and during the day on weekends. This is the College’s fourth undergraduate degree and classes will be held at the North Campus.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy added a new interdisciplinary concentration in computational neuroscience (CNS). CNS is broadly defined as the interdisciplinary field that uses mathematical and computational models to investigate brain’s functions in all aspects from molecular to behavioral level. As such, CNS is at the crossroads between physics, mathematics, computer science, biology, and psychology. CNS is only offered at a handful of undergraduate institutions. Read a profile of Professor Sorinel Oprisan.

The Center for Student Learning is opening a new walk-in Science Tutoring Lab in an effort to provide more access to science tutoring. The lab will cover biology, chemistry, astronomy, geology, and physics and be open for 29 hours per week, including Sunday evenings from 6-9 p.m. in the CSL, Addlestone 116.

There are several changes in the College’s dining facilities. City Bistro will now accept meal swipes until 10 p.m. Monday- Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. City Bistro and Fresh Food Company will now have continuous service this year – open all day, no close down breaks. Boars Head Deli is opening a Made to Order salad concept to go along with the Deli and Starbucks coming to Addlestone Library in 2014.

The Computer Information Systems B.S. degree has been redesigned for business and computer science students interested in starting a software company. With courses in entrepreneurship, finance, and software development, graduates will be ready to launch a startup or join one. There has never been a better time for students at a liberal arts and sciences university to engage in academic study that has high economic value.

College of Charleston Libraries will be offering a new library research portal, additional free scanners and more. Read about the new offerings for 2013-14.

The following academic departments have new leadership:

  • Edward Hart will be serving as the new chair of the Department of Music.
  • Diane Johnson will be serving as chair of Studio Art, retaining her appointment as professor of art history as well.
  • Phyllis Jestice will serve as the new chair of the Department of History. She is new to the College from the University of Southern Mississippi.
  • Gabrielle Principe will serve as the new chair of the Department of Psychology. She is joining the College from Ursinus College.
  • Robyn Holman will be serving as the interim chair of the Department of French, Francophone, and Italian Studies.
  • Mark Del Mastro, currently chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies, will also be serving as interim chair of the Department of German and Slavic Studies.

The following new minors will be offered for the first time in 2013-14:

  • Commercial Real Estate: From manufacturing and warehouse expansion, corporate real estate and Class A office, retail renovation and development and condominium construction, the real estate industry has so much to offer. The School of Business will offer new scholarships selected commercial real estate minors this fall. The scholarship recipients will each will receive approximately $2,000.
  • Global Trade: The purpose of the global trade minor will be to offer students who have foreign language fluency or who are majoring in foreign language/studies the opportunity to focus their studies on global trade. The minor will not be available to School of Business students, only to those students majoring in foreign languages or studies.

The Avery Research Center will host a conference, “Unleashing the Black Erotic: Gender and Sexuality — Passion, Power, and Praxis,” from September 18 to 21, 2013. Jointly hosted by the Avery Research Center and African American Studies at the College of Charleston, this conference will feature presentations addressing various topics, including: black bodies in popular culture; black sexuality in television, film, and literature; black women and the politics of respectability; hip hop and hypersexuality of black women; alternative modes of black love and family; the politics and economics of porn; iconic queer motifs; and the black body and public health. More information. Contact averyconferences@gmail.com with questions or concerns.

The College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American history and Culture will host a new Brown Bag Lecture Series, starting in fall 2013. The goal of this monthly series is to offer an informal setting for local and visiting scholars, performers, activists, and artists to present their work. All Avery Brown Bag presentations are free and open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, Avery’s Brown Bag presentations take place from 12 -1:15 p.m., and will be located in the Smart Classroom in the Avery Research Center (125 Bull Street) View the Avery Center’s calendar for details. For questions or concerns, please contact Mary Battle, battlemp@cofc.edu or 843.953.7612.

Starting in October 2013, the Office of Student Life will select students for a Student Life Think Tank. The students will be selected from all across campus with the hope of better informing the programs and practices of the Office of Student Life throughout the year. For more information, contact Katie Dean at williamskd@cofc.edu

The Master of Science in Computer and Information Sciences now has a new specialization in cybersecurity. This technical study is demanded by large companies and agencies like the NSA. A computer science undergraduate degree is not required to earn a masters degree in computer science.

Data Science is the new name for the original Discovery Informatics degree program. The program was recently published in the New York Times/Education section.  Data Science is an emerging discipline that applies text-mining tools on internet data with a focuses on Big Data. Google makes its money this way and the NSA finds potential terrorist activity using tools from data science.