For more than sixty years, Kalamazoo College’s distinctive K-Plan has been the foundation and focal point of the College’s curriculum. Its original four components—on-campus instruction, career development internships, study abroad, and the Senior Integrated Project—remain central to the K-Plan experience. Over time, these core elements have been strengthened by expanded opportunities, including service-learning, externships, social justice leadership, and intercultural research projects.

While the program has evolved, the guiding principles of the K-Plan have remained constant:

• Depth and breadth in the liberal arts
• Learning through experience
• International and intercultural engagement, particularly through study abroad
• Independent scholarship, culminating in the Senior Integrated Project (SIP)

Guided by these principles, students design individualized K-Plans that reflect and expand their unique interests and goals. Many experiences integrate multiple components of the K-Plan, as its principles are intentionally interconnected. For example, students may pursue liberal arts breadth while studying abroad, engage in intercultural learning through service experiences, conduct independent scholarship during an internship, or incorporate experiential learning into their SIP.

Rather than prescribing a single path from matriculation to graduation, the K-Plan empowers students to chart their own course toward an integrated liberal arts education, while providing a coherent framework to support their academic and personal development.ing principles in the K-Plan encourage students to navigate their own path to an individualized, integrated liberal arts education, and provides a structure to support them while doing so.

Exploration Across the Liberal Arts

The K-Plan and the College’s curriculum encourage students to explore the liberal arts through a wide range of distinctive opportunities, both on campus and beyond. As they engage with new ideas, experiences, perspectives, and places, students encounter diverse disciplines, cultures, and potential career paths. This exploration broadens their intellectual horizons and deepens their understanding of their chosen fields of interest.

Before each registration period, students meet with their academic advisors to plan a course of study that balances exploration with intentional academic progress. This includes pursuing new interests, further developing and integrating existing interests, and studying at least one discipline in depth through a major. Students may also deepen their education by completing a second major, a minor, or an interdisciplinary program.

Students seeking election to Phi Beta Kappa must demonstrate proficiency in mathematics and complete a broad range of coursework outside the major, including courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Shared Passages

All students take three Shared Passage courses.

First-Year Seminars constitute the gateway to the K-Plan and to college life for entering students and serve as the foundation of the Shared Passages Program. Offered in the fall quarter, these Seminars are designed to orient students to college-level learning practices, with particular emphasis on critical thinking, writing, speaking, and information literacy. They integrate collaborative and group work, research strategies, and effective discussions, all promoting active, engaged learning.

Additionally, the seminars are structured to improve students’ overall writing proficiency. The seminars’ overall goal is to help students find and develop a voice through writing, speaking, analytical reading, and discussion. They are intended to help each student’s writing improve and to provide all students with the knowledge, tools, and practices that will serve them in college-level writing. Seminars include a variety of types of writing: for example, response papers, essays, structured reflection, journals, art reviews, reading summaries, research reports, annotated bibliographies, etc.  Additionally, students complete frequent, short assignments, with ample feedback and opportunities for revision, emphasizing a variety of types of writing.

First-Year Seminars are linked to academic advising, the First-Year Experience program, Upjohn Library, and the Writing Center. They create connections with the components of the K-Plan; depth and breadth in the liberal arts, learning through experience, international and intercultural engagement, and independent scholarship.

Transfer students and students who do not pass the First-Year Seminar must work with the Registrar’s Office who will, in consultation with the Associate Provost and Dean of the First Year Class, determine how the First-Year Seminar requirement will be met.

Sophomore seminars build upon the learning goals of the First-Year Seminars, focusing on a particular topic or question viewed from multiple perspectives. Learning goals include intercultural proficiency and the ability to differentiate between observation and interpretation (both critical skills for study abroad and experiential education in general), as well as enhanced writing and oral presentation abilities. As in the First-Year Seminars, information literacy and enhanced research skills remain a key component of Shared Passages.

Students who transfer to the College after the sophomore year and students who do not pass the sophomore seminar must work with the Registrar’s Office who will, in consultation with the Associate Provost, identify an appropriate substitution.

Senior-level courses in the Shared Passages Program focus on integrating students’ Kalamazoo College experiences and preparing them for lives beyond ‘K.’ Disciplinary senior seminars integrate students’ experiences inside and outside a particular major, while interdisciplinary senior seminars provide a liberal arts capstone experience, allowing students from a variety of majors to apply diverse aspects of their Kalamazoo College education to a specific topic or problem.

Students who do not pass their senior seminar may find that completion of their degree is delayed. They must work with the Registrar’s Office, in consultation with the Associate Provost and Dean of the Senior Class, to identify an appropriate substitution. If the senior seminar was also a requirement for the major, the student must work with the department chair to determine what is required to complete the major.

Students on approved 3/2 engineering or health professions early entry programs are required to meet the senior capstone requirement by working with the director of their program at Kalamazoo College to identify a single capstone course at the approved school that reasonably fits the published senior capstone guidelines. Upon transfer of the credit for this course back to Kalamazoo College, the student will have completed the senior capstone requirement.

Second Language Learning and Proficiency

Kalamazoo College is dedicated not only to international education and study abroad but also to proficiency in a second language. All students consequently are required to demonstrate at least an intermediate-level proficiency in a language other than English.

Proficiency in any language offered by the College can be demonstrated by completing the third language course (numbered 103 or 201, depending on the language) in any sequence or by scoring at a proficiency level determined by the department on an examination developed or approved by the College. Kalamazoo College regularly offers Chinese, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin and Spanish. Please see individual department policy regarding whether/how credit earned from the College Board Advanced Placement examinations and International Baccalaureate examinations applies to the language requirement in that particular language.

Students wishing to satisfy the College language requirement by taking a language not taught on campus are responsible for 1). Finding another University or College that offers the language and 2) successfully completing a course (or courses) in that language at the intermediate level. Before registering, the student must have the course (or courses) approved by the Registrar’s Office.

Students who are at least partially bilingual in a language taught on campus should take the College’s placement test and score at a proficiency level determined by that language department. Students who are at least partially bilingual in a language not taught on campus and whose formal secondary education was exclusively in English may fulfill the language requirement by demonstrating intermediate-level literacy skills in that language. A written essay test will be administered on campus and rated by a person fluent in that language. A reasonable effort will be made to provide this option to students requesting it.

Students whose formal secondary education was not exclusively in English may request to certify that they had at least two years of secondary education in a school which teaches at least 50% of its content in a language other than English. Students should contact the Registrar’s Office to request such certification.

Students with a documented language learning disability should contact Disability Services regarding accommodations for fulfilling the language proficiency requirement for graduation.

Senior Integrated Project

The Senior Integrated Project (SIP) serves as the capstone of Kalamazoo College’s liberal arts program, providing students with the opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout their academic experience. The SIP emphasizes independent inquiry and may take the form of individual or collaborative scholarship, including work connected to an internship or other creative endeavor, culminating in a written report, performance, or exhibition.

Rather than limiting this type of work to select students, Kalamazoo College considers the SIP an essential component of every student’s education and requires its completion for graduation. This requirement is waived only for students enrolled in 3/2 engineering programs, as they are not on campus for their senior year.

The SIP is a College-wide graduation requirement rather than a requirement of any specific department or program (except for the Independent Interdisciplinary Major). While many students complete their SIP within their major, projects may be undertaken in any department or program—or outside these areas—with the approval of a faculty SIP supervisor.

Departments, programs, and individual supervisors establish the expectations for SIPs completed under their guidance, including acceptable project types, prerequisite preparation, format, scope, and depth. As a culminating academic experience, the SIP may build on prior coursework and experiences or represent a new application of the critical thinking and inquiry central to a liberal arts education. SIPs may carry one or two units of credit, as determined in consultation with the faculty supervisor and within departmental guidelines. Students work with their supervisor to define the project’s form and the context in which it will be completed.

Many departments and programs showcase SIP work through symposia, recitals, exhibitions, or performances. The College reserves the right to archive SIPs in academic departments, the Upjohn Library, and/or a digital repository, and to publish the titles of SIP projects and presentations.

General Information about SIPs

• Every senior must complete a Senior Integrated Project (SIP). Each SIP must be supervised by a faculty member and may be completed within any department or program (including the Independent Interdisciplinary Major) or outside these areas with faculty approval.
• Students are required to complete at least a one-unit SIP; some departments or programs may permit or require a two-unit project.
• A SIP may also be split between two departments, whether one or two units in total, and in such cases students may work with more than one faculty supervisor.
• tudents may not earn SIP units during the Spring quarter of the senior year. Therefore, students should wait no later than the Fall of their senior year before finding a SIP supervisor and identifying a project. Departments and programs may require that this process begin earlier and may enforce earlier deadlines.
• Although the SIP is not required to be completed within the major, most students choose to do so. Some departments strongly encourage this approach, and many have specific prerequisites that must be completed before beginning a SIP.
• All departments and programs provide written guidelines outlining expectations for SIPs completed within their disciplines, including project scope, format, and prerequisites. Students completing a SIP outside a department or program will establish these expectations in consultation with their faculty supervisor at the outset. Students are encouraged to obtain and review these guidelines early in the planning process.
• SIPs may take a variety of forms, including:
  • A research thesis or reading project culminating in a scholarly paper
  • An internship accompanied by a paper connecting theory and practice
  • Laboratory or field research with a written report
  • A translation with critical or contextual analysis
  • Creative work culminating in an exhibition, performance, and/or written component
• Under extenuating circumstances, students may petition to substitute advanced coursework or an equivalent experience for the SIP requirement. Such petitions must first be discussed with the Associate Provost and then submitted to the Academic Standards Committee for approval. Extenuating circumstances are defined as extraordinary situations beyond a student’s control that prevent completion of a traditional SIP. Approved substitutions may include upper-level or graduate-level coursework at Kalamazoo College or another accredited institution, to be taken after approval is obtained.
• Faculty members are not obligated to approve all proposed SIPs. Students may need to satisfy prerequisites or revise their ideas before a proposal is accepted. Students are encouraged to identify a faculty supervisor early and work collaboratively to develop a project that is feasible, rigorous, and meaningful.

The SIP Quarter

• Students may complete SIP work during the summer (with credit applied in the Fall quarter) or during the Winter quarter.
• SIP enrollment is included within a student’s existing financial aid package. A SIP is treated as part of a standard course load; enrollment in 2 to 4 units carries the same tuition charge. A summer SIP is included in Fall quarter tuition billing.
• Students may not overload while completing a SIP. Except in the case of performance-based SIPs in certain departments—which may distribute partial units across multiple quarters—students must have at least one designated “SIP quarter” in which a minimum of one full unit is devoted to the SIP. During this quarter, students may enroll in no more than two additional non-SIP courses (excluding partial-credit courses).
• For performance-based SIPs extending across multiple terms, the quarter in which the largest portion of SIP credit is completed will be designated as the SIP quarter. Students may not overload during this designated quarter.

SIP Units	Maximum Additional Coursework Allowed
1 Unit Summer SIP	3 courses (up to 3.9 units) in Fall
2 Unit Summer/Fall SIP	2 courses (up to 2.9 units) in Fall
2 Unit Summer/Winter SIP	3 courses (up to 3.9 units) in Fall; 2 courses (up to 2.9 units) in Winter; Summer component must be finished before Fall term
1 Unit Fall SIP	2 courses (up to 2.9 units) in Fall
2 Unit Fall SIP	1 course (up to 1.9 units) in Fall
2 Unit Fall/Winter SIP	2 courses (up to 2.9 units) each in Fall and Winter
1 Unit Winter SIP	2 courses (up to 2.9 units) in Winter
2 Unit Winter SIP	1 course (up to 1.9 units) in Winter
Multi-term Performance SIP in Art or Music	Depends on portion of SIP unit registered each term

SIP Registration Policies

The SIP counts as one or two course unit(s) for the term(s) during which it is counted, but the SIP is registered via a separate process from class registration. The SIP registration process involves an electronic form on the Registrar’s Website, which must be submitted to the Registrar’s office by the student herself/himself. This electronic form has its own set of deadlines:

SIP Quarter	Registration Form Due
All SIPs involving work over the summer (as part of an extended fall term)	Friday of 10th Week, Junior Spring Quarter
Fall and Fall/Winter SIPs	Friday of 1st Week, Senior Fall Quarter
Winter SIPs	Friday of 1st Week, Senior Winter Quarter

• Some departments require a SIP proposal or contract, which must be submitted directly to the department. Departmental deadlines for SIP proposals or contracts may be earlier than the College-wide SIP registration deadline. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their SIP registration form to the Registrar’s Office at the same time they submit any required departmental materials. Some departments require all SIP proposals to be submitted in the Spring quarter.  
• Submission of a SIP proposal or contract to a department does not constitute official registration. To receive credit and a grade for a SIP, students must submit a completed SIP registration form to the Registrar’s Office.
• The SIP registration form requires approval of the faculty SIP supervisor (the individual responsible for evaluating and grading the project). Departments may also designate a SIP coordinator; students should consult their department to determine the appropriate contact.
• All changes to SIP registration must be completed through the Registrar’s Office by the end of the drop/add period for the relevant term (the end of the first week of the Fall quarter for Summer and Fall units, and the end of the first week of the Winter quarter for Winter units). Changes include, but are not limited to, dropping a SIP, changing the department or supervisor, and adjusting the number of units.
• After the drop/add period, students may withdraw from a SIP in accordance with standard course withdrawal policies; a grade of “W” will be recorded on the transcript. The withdrawal deadline for SIPs is Friday of the first week of the term following the SIP quarter (the end of the drop/add period for that term).
• Overloading is not permitted during a designated SIP quarter. An exception applies to students completing a summer SIP (registered as an Extended Fall term): during the Fall quarter, these students may enroll in either up to three full-unit courses or two full-unit courses plus one SIP unit. Enrollment above 3.9 units constitutes an overload.
• A student may not take 1 unit of SIP as their only course during a quarter unless that is the only unit they need to graduate.
• If a student drops, withdraws from, or fails a SIP, the original SIP advisor is not obligated to supervise a second SIP with that student.

SIP Deadlines for Students and Faculty

• Each department, program, or IIM Committee is responsible for establishing and enforcing specific deadlines within the designated SIP quarter (the term in which the majority of the SIP work is completed). These deadlines may include requirements for draft submissions, interim feedback, revisions, presentations, and other project milestones.
• For all SIPs, the final, complete version of the project (i.e., no further revisions allowed) must be submitted to the faculty SIP supervisor no later than Friday of the second week of the term following the SIP quarter. For Summer SIPs, this deadline falls in the second week of the Fall quarter, even though the SIP is registered in the Extended Fall term. By this deadline, students must have completed all work associated with the SIP, with the possible exception of participation in departmental or program symposia scheduled for later in the academic year.
• Faculty must submit Credit/No Credit grades to the Registrar’s Office no later than Friday of the sixth week of the term following the quarter in which the SIP unit is registered. For departments with partial SIP units extending into the Spring quarter, the grade for the Spring unit is due by the sixth week of the Spring quarter. A grade of Credit may be subsequently designated as Honors (for example, following a Spring symposium) through the end of the Spring quarter.
• The interval between the student submission deadline and the faculty grading deadline is intended solely for faculty evaluation and grading. It does not provide additional time for students to revise or complete SIP work. Students may not continue working on a SIP in a term for which they are not registered for SIP credit, as doing so constitutes an “invisible overload” and is not permitted under College policy.

SIP Grades

• The Senior Integrated Project (SIP) is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis, with the additional designation of Honors where appropriate. Final grades for the SIP are recorded as Honors (H), Credit (CR), or No Credit (NC). For projects completed across two departments, each department may assign a separate evaluation.
• SIP grades are not included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average; however, the grade and the title of the project are recorded on the student’s academic transcript. Standards for awarding Credit versus Honors are determined by the supervising department or program, which may consider input from any approved external mentors. There are no College-wide criteria regarding the length or scope of a project that distinguish between these designations.
• For a two-unit SIP, if a student completes sufficient work for only one unit, the student will receive a grade of Credit for one unit and No Credit for the remaining unit. In some cases, faculty may award different grades for each unit of a two-unit SIP (e.g., Credit for one unit and Honors for the second unit).
• An “In Progress” (IP) notation indicates that the SIP extends beyond the end of the term in which it was initiated or registered.

PE/Wellness Unit

The College requires all students to successfully complete one unit of physical education or wellness activity classes (typically five classes). PE/Wellness activities are graded CR/NC. Only one unit of PE/Wellness activities may be counted toward graduation; students may participate in additional activities but will not earn additional units towards graduation.

Transfer credit may be applied toward the PE/Wellness unit requirement.

Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

Completion of a Major

Each student is expected to pursue a passion and develop expertise in at least one academic discipline or interdisciplinary area. A major is required for graduation; students may supplement this by completing a second disciplinary major or minor or by integrating courses from several disciplines.

Completion of a major is required for graduation. Students may further broaden their studies by completing a second major, a minor, or an interdisciplinary program.

Major programs are structured to progress from introductory to advanced study through a combination of core and elective courses. Upper-level courses typically focus on specialized topics, allowing students to shape an area of emphasis within the major. Regardless of discipline, all majors foster the development of written and oral communication, information literacy, critical thinking, analytical reasoning, creative problem-solving, and independent scholarship.

A major consists of a minimum of eight units, in addition to required cognate courses. Specific requirements for each major are detailed in the Academic Programs section of this catalog. Students must declare a major by the Winter quarter of the sophomore year. Changes to a declared major may be made by submitting a Change of Major form to the Registrar’s Office. Students pursuing a double major must complete all requirements for each program, including comprehensive examinations where applicable. The number of study abroad courses that may count toward a major is determined by the relevant department or program.

A single course may not be used to fulfill multiple requirements within or across majors and minors (e.g., two requirements within the same program, requirements for different programs, or requirements for both a major and a minor), except where explicitly permitted. Courses applied to the Interdisciplinary Area Studies (IAS) major may also be used to fulfill requirements for another major or minor. A course may count toward a major while also serving as a cognate for a different major or minor.

All courses applied toward a major and its associated cognates must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

Transfer credit may be applied toward majors, minors, and concentrations at the discretion of the appropriate department or program. Many departments limit the number of transfer units that may be counted toward program requirements.

Minors

A minor consists of a minimum of six units within one department, all of which must be earned at a grade of C- or better. A minor is not required for graduation, but may be used by the student to strengthen a knowledge base different from or complementary to the required major program. Courses taken in a minor program may not also count toward a major or another minor.

Concentrations

A concentration consists of a minimum of six interdisciplinary units, all of which must be earned at a grade of C- or better. A concentration is not required for graduation, but may be used by the student to strengthen a knowledge base different from or complementary to the required major program. A course used for a concentration may also count for a major or a minor.

Outcomes of a Kalamazoo College Education

The mission of Kalamazoo College is to prepare its graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.  The entirety of the Kalamazoo College student experience, including deep knowledge in a chosen academic discipline, supports this mission.  Institutional learning outcomes also advance this mission by enabling graduates to:

• Communicate effectively
• Address complex problems
• Collaborate successfully
• Demonstrate intercultural competency