Table Of ContentC C 2018-2019 
OLLEGE  ATALOG 
 
 
 
The provisions and requirements stated in this Catalog (and its electronic counter-part at catalog.etown.edu) are not 
to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between Elizabethtown College and the student. The College reserves the 
right to change any provision or requirement, rules, regulations, and procedures, whether published in this Catalog, 
the Student Handbook, or other official media.
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Table of Contents 
Elizabethtown College ........................................................................................................................ 1 
President’s Message 
How to Reach Us 
Academics at Elizabethtown College ................................................................................................... 3 
Overview and Accreditations 
Mission 
Educational Philosophy 
Learning Goals 
The Qualities of Our Education 
History 
Our Campus 
Admission to the College .................................................................................................................... 8 
Admissions Guidelines 
The Application Process 
International Applicants 
Transfer Applicants 
Special Application Requirements 
Personal Interviews and Campus Visitations 
Advanced Placement 
Transfer of Dual Enrollment Credits 
Non-Degree Students 
Early-Admission Students 
Tuition and Financial Aid.................................................................................................................. 13 
Tuition and Fee Information 
Tuition Payment Policy 
Financial Aid 
Federal Financial Aid Requirements 
Institutional Refund Policy 
Return of Federal Student Aid 
Student Life ..................................................................................................................................... 19 
Dean of Students 
Athletics 
Campus Security 
Career Services 
Center for Student Involvement 
Center for Student Success 
Office of Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities 
Residence Life 
Student Wellness 
Unique Centers of Learning............................................................................................................... 26 
Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking 
Center for Community and Civic Engagement 
Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies 
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Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning 
Bowers Writers House 
Degrees, Majors, and Minors............................................................................................................. 29 
The Core Program and Signature Learning Experiences ...................................................................... 32 
Common Core 
Areas of Understanding 
Signature Learning Experiences 
Additional Requirements 
Elizabethtown College Honors, Momentum, and Prestigious Scholarships ........................................... 38 
Honors Admissions Process 
Honors Participation Requirements 
Momentum 
Prestigious Scholarships 
Alternative Study Options ................................................................................................................. 42 
Program Variations and Options 
Study Abroad Programs 
Washington Semester with American University 
English Language Learning Program 
Joint Degree Programs ...................................................................................................................... 48 
School of Continuing and Professional Studies ................................................................................... 50 
Programs and Requirements 
Biology .............................................................................................................................................................................51 
Business ............................................................................................................................................................................76 
Chemistry and Biochemistry.......................................................................................................................................114 
Communications ...........................................................................................................................................................137 
Computer Science .........................................................................................................................................................147 
Education........................................................................................................................................................................158 
Engineering and Physics..............................................................................................................................................193 
English ............................................................................................................................................................................217 
Fine and Performing Arts ............................................................................................................................................236 
Health and Wellness .....................................................................................................................................................290 
History ............................................................................................................................................................................293 
Mathematical Sciences.................................................................................................................................................303 
Modern Languages .......................................................................................................................................................321 
Occupational Therapy ..................................................................................................................................................341 
Politics, Philosophy, and Legal Studies ....................................................................................................................352 
Psychology .....................................................................................................................................................................373 
Religious Studies ..........................................................................................................................................................382 
Social Work ...................................................................................................................................................................393 
Sociology and Anthropology ......................................................................................................................................399 
Interdisciplinary Programs .............................................................................................................. 410 
Anabaptist and Pietist Studies Minor 
Architectural Studies Minor 
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Arts Administration Minor 
Asian Studies Minor 
Cognitive Science Minor 
Creative Writing Minor 
Data Analytics Minor 
Film Studies Minor 
Forestry and Environmental Management Major 
General Science (Major and Minor) 
Graphic Design Minor 
Human Services Minor 
Individualized Major 
Interfaith Leadership Studies (Major and Minor) 
International Studies Minor 
Peace and Conflict Studies Minor 
Pre-Law Advisory Program 
Social Studies Education Major 
Women and Gender Studies Minor 
Joint Degree Programs .................................................................................................................... 442 
Drexel University 
Duke University 
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine 
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences 
Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University 
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine 
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 
Temple University’s School of Dentistry 
Thomas Jefferson University 
West Virginia University School of Dentistry 
Widener University 
Academic Policies .......................................................................................................................... 462 
The Academic Program 
Registration 
Class Absences 
Withdrawal Policy 
Grades and Quality Points 
Final Examination Policy 
Academic Standing 
Academic Honors 
Credit by Examination 
Graduation 
Graduate Program 
Academic Judicial System 
Grade Appeals 
   
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Elizabethtown College 
Elizabethtown College, located in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a selective, private, 
residential, co-educational institution. Elizabethtown offers 53 majors and 90+ minors and concentrations, 
which lead to degrees in liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, health and 
social services, and education. 
The College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, 
Elizabethtown has specialized accreditations from ABET; the Accreditation Council for Occupational 
Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association; the American Chemical Society 
Committee on Professional Training; the Accreditation Council for  Business Schools and Programs; the 
Council on Social Work Education; the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences; and 
the National Association of Schools of Music. 
President's Message 
For more than a century, Elizabethtown College has been transforming lives, helping our students explore 
and develop big ideas and attain their greatest possibilities for service and leadership. 
At Elizabethtown, we commit to academic excellence, and we believe learning is most noble when used to 
benefit others. Our offerings, both in and out of the classroom, encourage students to consider life's most 
significant questions. By engaging with the deepest issues of meaning, purpose, values and ethics, our 
students come to see their lives as subjects for reflection and develop the tools to fashion a large purpose 
for themselves. Shaping Elizabethtown's educational experience are four key attributes: 
•  our relationship-centered learning community 
•  a strong international and cross-cultural perspective 
•  experiential learning opportunities that complement classroom instruction 
•  programs and experiences that prepare students for purposeful lives and meaningful work 
Together, these attributes provide a framework for blending the historic goals of higher education with its 
contemporary realities, and they express central features of our institutional mission. 
This Catalog bears witness to the impressive breadth and depth of our programs—all of which support our 
students as they find opportunities to become a bigger part of the world. I encourage you to look at our 
offerings and consider how you want to challenge yourself here at Elizabethtown. 
Carl J. Strikwerda 
President, Elizabethtown College 
How to Reach Us 
Mailing Address 
Elizabethtown College 
One Alpha Drive 
Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298 
 
 
2018-2019 College Catalog    1
Elizabethtown College 
Questions about Admissions 
Office of Admissions 
(717) 361-1400 
[email protected] 
www.etown.edu/admissions 
Questions about this Catalog 
Office of Registration and Records 
(717) 361-1409 
[email protected] 
http://www.etown.edu/registration 
Questions about Adult Education 
Elizabethtown College School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the Edward R. Murphy 
Center 
(717) 361-1411 
www.etowndegrees.com 
  
The provisions and requirements stated in this Catalog are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract 
between Elizabethtown College and the student. The College reserves the right to change any provision or 
requirement at any time. All students are responsible for adhering to the requirements, rules, regulations, 
and procedures, whether published in this Catalog, the Student Handbook, or other official media. 
Elizabethtown College complies with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX 
of the Education Amendments of 1972, and all other applicable federal, state, and local statutes, 
ordinances, and regulations. Elizabethtown College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, 
color, religion, age, disability, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, 
possession of a general education development certificate as compared to a high school diploma, or any 
other legally protected status in hiring and promotion in the administration of its educational policies, 
scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other College-administered programs, except as such 
conditions may constitute bona fide occupational or assignment qualifications. Discriminatory acts of any 
kind are strictly forbidden. In keeping with the historical values of Elizabethtown College, the College 
endeavors to treat all employees with dignity, justice, and fairness. 
Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899 by leaders of the Church of the Brethren. Today, the College is 
governed by an independent Board of Trustees and affirms a continuing covenantal relationship to the 
Church of the Brethren. Elizabethtown College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges 
and Secondary Schools. 
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Academics at Elizabethtown College 
Academics at Elizabethtown College 
Overview and Accreditations 
Elizabethtown College is a selective, private, residential, co-educational college located on 220 acres in historic 
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The campus is near Harrisburg, Lancaster, and Philadelphia, each of which is rich 
with cultural, athletic, and social opportunities. 
Elizabethtown offers 53 majors and 90+ minors and concentrations, which lead to degrees in liberal arts, fine and 
performing arts, science and engineering, business, health and social services, and education. This array of programs 
allows our students to prepare for a broad spectrum of graduate programs and careers. The College is accredited by 
the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, Elizabethtown has specialized accreditations 
from ABET; the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy 
Association; the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training; the Accreditation Council for 
Business Schools and Programs; the Council on Social Work Education; the National Accrediting Agency for 
Clinical Laboratory Sciences; and the National Association of Schools of Music. 
Currently, almost 1,900 full-time students are enrolled at the College. These men and women come from more than 
half of the states in this country and 20 other nations. Educating our students are 132 full-time faculty members 
whose qualifications, achievements and dedication are to be admired. In addition, 749 adult learners also are 
pursuing a degree through Elizabethtown College School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the Edward R. 
Murphy Center. 
Mission 
Molded by a commitment to educate for service, Elizabethtown College is a community of learners dedicated to 
educating students intellectually, socially, aesthetically, and ethically for lives of service and leadership as citizens 
of the world. 
As a comprehensive institution, the College offers academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional 
studies. Combining classroom instruction with experiential learning, these programs advance independent thought, 
personal integrity, and social responsibility as the foundations for a life of learning. 
Founded by members of the Church of the Brethren, the College believes that learning is most noble when used to 
benefit others and affirms the values of peace, nonviolence, human dignity, and social justice. 
Educational Philosophy 
Elizabethtown College engages students in a dynamic, integrated learning process that blends the liberal arts and 
professional studies. Challenged to take responsibility for their education, students at Elizabethtown embark on a 
journey of self-transformation that involves intellectual, social, and personal growth. 
The College is committed to educating the whole person within a relationship-centered learning community, where 
common goals are achieved through engagement in a rigorous academic curriculum and thoughtful co-curricular 
experiences. Students are encouraged to develop and challenge their own values, while seeking to understand and 
appreciate alternative perspectives. Embedded in an ever-changing global context, the College promotes the 
developmental, collaborative, and complex nature of learning. 
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Academics at Elizabethtown College 
In seeking to "educate for service," Elizabethtown College believes that students can perform no greater service than 
they do when sharing knowledge and creativity with others. Opportunities to strengthen scholarship and leadership 
extend beyond the classroom, and students learn actively through practical experiences and civic engagement. 
The impact of an Elizabethtown College education is long-lasting and far-reaching because it is deeply 
transformative. Students acquire new habits of mind and heart – some in the course of the undergraduate experience, 
others as students grow beyond college. 
Learning Goals 
At Elizabethtown College, students are inspired and challenged to: 
•  assume responsibility for their intellectual development, personal growth, and well-being. Students will 
learn to sharpen their curiosity and become aware of the capabilities, strategies, and resources needed to 
learn. 
•  reason, analyze, and engage in critical thinking. Students will make, systematically evaluate, and, if 
necessary, refute arguments and claims – their own and those of others. 
•  demonstrate thoughtful and articulate communication by applying knowledge in a variety of contexts, 
including writing, speaking, listening, and interpretation. 
•  understand the creative process and its role in human expression, and cultivate the ability to make informed 
aesthetic judgments. 
•  navigate diverse cultural worldviews and perspectives, with the realization that differing frames of 
reference influence analysis, communication, and behavior. 
•  make reflective ethical decisions and act with integrity to seek just outcomes with relationships, 
communities, and society. 
•  apply and integrate different strands of learning and comprehend interconnections in the process of gaining 
knowledge and experience. 
•  identify and cultivate a sense of purpose that inspires a commitment to meaningful work in service to 
society. 
The Qualities of Our Education 
Our educational experience blends a high standard of scholarship with four signature attributes, which include 
commitments to educate our students in a relationship-centered learning community, foster in our students 
international and cross-cultural perspectives, complement classroom instruction with experiential-learning 
opportunities, and prepare our students for purposeful lives and meaningful work. 
Relationship-Centered Learning 
Our educational programs engage students in ways that capture their most profound attention, confront them with 
learning experiences that are compelling, and call out from them responses that reach beyond what even they 
thought possible. In this learning community, our faculty members and staff members demonstrate passion for their 
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