Saint Mary's College of California

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Saint Mary\u27s College of California

Undergraduate Course Catalog 
Volume 2022 2022-2023 Article 2 
7-1-2022 
The College 
Saint Mary's College of California 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/undergraduate-catalog 
Recommended Citation 
Saint Mary's College of California (2022) "The College," Undergraduate Course Catalog: Vol. 2022, Article 
2. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/undergraduate-catalog/vol2022/iss1/2 
This Section I is brought to you for free and open access by the College Archives at Saint Mary's Digital Commons. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Course Catalog by an authorized editor of Saint Mary's Digital 
Commons. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@stmarys-ca.edu. 
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2022-2023 Academic CatalogSaint Mary’s College of California
The College
Overview
History
Chronological History
Statement of Mission
Faculty
Academic Organization
Accreditation
College Policies and Disclosure Summaries 
Saint Mary’s College of California
Saint Mary’s is a comprehensive liberal arts university-offering undergraduate and graduate programs that integrate liberal and
professional education built upon a foundation of Catholic, Lasallian, and liberal arts traditions. A challenging curriculum, excep-
tional faculty, and a focus on student success prepare learners for rewarding careers, and full lives.
The core Lasallian principles of social justice, faith in the presence of God, respect for all persons, inclusive community, and quality
education are reflected in every aspect of campus life and learning. Rooted in the Christian Brothers’ commitment to teaching and
learning, Saint Mary’s student-centered education shapes individual lives that can transform society.
The Catholic tradition fosters a Christian understanding of the whole person and defends the goodness, dignity, and freedom of
each individual in a community that values diversity of perspective, background, and culture.
The liberal arts tradition at Saint Mary’s College seeks to educate and engage the intellect in an attempt to resolve the great ques-
tions that arise from common human experience through a search that probes for fundamental principles and causes.
This approach develops the intellectual abilities of the whole person, preparing students for life beyond the knowledge and skills
needed for any particular profession. It develops critical thinking, an understanding of and respect for different ways of knowing,
and a desire for lifelong learning.
The College provides a welcoming environment, knowing that the best academic achievement and social and personal development
are realized in an environment that is culturally, spiritually, and ethnically diverse, where every voice is heard and each student has
the opportunity to grow, succeed, and serve.
Saint Mary’s faculty are deeply committed to teaching and interacting with students, while also being accomplished scholars. They
are active members of a close community characterized by small classes, lively discussion, and deep relationships.
The campus, known for its great natural and architectural beauty in the Moraga Valley, is only 20 miles east of San Francisco.
Surrounded by hills and woods, the white buildings with red tile roofs are designed in Mission Renaissance style, with the College
Chapel as its architectural and spiritual heart.
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History
Saint Mary’s College of California is one of the oldest colleges in the West. Founded in 1863 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese as a
college for men, the school was originally located in San Francisco, operating for several years under Archdiocesan direction.
In 1868, the De La Salle Christian Brothers assumed direction of the school. Theirs is the world’s largest Roman Catholic order ded-
icated to teaching, founded 320 years ago by St. John Baptist de La Salle, who devoted his life to the ministry of Christian educa-
tion, especially for the poor. Brother Justin McMahon, FSC, was the first Christian Brother president of Saint Mary’s, who traveled
to San Francisco accompanied by nine other Brothers. Under their leadership, the College’s student body quickly increased from 50
to 200 students, with the first SMC bachelor’s degrees awarded in 1872.
The Brothers added a commercial curriculum to the classical and scientific curricula when they arrived in 1868. The College was in-
corporated by the state of California on May 20, 1872, and the following year the first master of arts degree was conferred. Since
that time the Brothers have directed the College and exercised an indispensable role in its administration, instruction, and funding,
working collaboratively with distinguished clerical and lay colleagues who fill many significant administrative and faculty
appointments.
In 1889, the Saint Mary’s campus moved from San Francisco to Oakland to the corner of 30th and Broadway, occupying a facility
affectionately known as the “Brickpile.” The College operated there until 1928, when it was moved to its current location in Moraga.
The original Moraga campus was much smaller than the current campus; 11 of the original buildings, constructed in 1928 and 1929,
are still in use today. They include the Chapel, Dante Hall, and Galileo Hall.
In 1940, the Saint Mary’s hillside was graced with the addition of “La Cruz de la Victoria,” the Cross of Victory. The cross has be-
come a familiar landmark among Saint Mary’s students, alumni, professors, and staff. Hiking up to the cross is a popular activity.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the United States Navy began using the Saint Mary’s campus for pilot train-
ing. The Navy’s presence on the campus led to significant changes, including moving the main entrance to the front of campus. This
resulted in the clear view of the Chapel that greets visitors today. The Navy also built Assumption Hall (now a first-year residence
hall) and the world’s largest indoor pool, which no longer exists.
Saint Mary’s has evolved and changed over the years, with location, size, and demographics completely transformed. Life for SMC’s
first students in the 19th century was quite different from the student’s experience today. Tuition was $60 per academic year for
day students and $250 for boarding students. A student’s day was rigidly scheduled, awakened at 6 a.m. for a day filled with an un-
varying schedule of study, class, prayer, meals, and recreation, then lights out at 8:30 p.m.
Nevertheless, traces of the College’s past remain-like the ringing of the Chapel bells, the same bells that every Saint Mary’s student
has heard and remembers. And the College’s commitment to service, learning, and community remains very true to its origins. As
the SMC community looks to the future of Saint Mary’s, we will continue to honor the common thread that connects generations of
Gaels.
Chronological History
1863  Saint Mary’s College on Mission Road in San Francisco dedicated on July 9 by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany.
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1868  Arrival of the Christian Brothers, August 11, commercial curriculum established.
1872  Chartered by the state of California, May 20, Saint Mary’s conferred its first bachelor of arts and its first bachelor of
science.
1873  First master of arts degree conferred.
1889  Saint Mary’s College moved to 30th and Broadway in Oakland; the Brickpile dedicated on August 15.
1894  Fire severely damaged the Brickpile; the College returned to the San Francisco campus for a year during rebuilding.
1901  Civil and mechanical engineering curriculum established.
1905  Art curriculum established at Saint Mary’s College, the first Catholic college west of the Mississippi to offer a full art
curriculum.
1906  School of Commerce established.
1910  Pre-medical curriculum established.
1921  School of Engineering, and School of Foreign Trade established. 
1924  School of Education, and School of Law (evening) established.
1927  The College became the first Catholic men’s college to join the Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges.
1928  Saint Mary’s College moved to the Moraga campus and was dedicated on September 3; School of Law remained in
Oakland, and closed in 1931.
1933  School of Economics and Business Administration established.
1935  School of Arts and Letters, and School of Science (engineering, pre-medical, pre-dental and science curricula combined)
established.
1941  World Classics Core Curriculum (now Collegiate Seminar) established.
1942-
46
 After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy conducted preflight training at the College.
1946  School of Liberal Arts established.
1969  Brother Mel Anderson, FSC, became president of Saint Mary’s College; 4-1-4 calendar established for undergraduate
programs.
1970  Women are admitted to Saint Mary’s College.
1974  Graduate and extended education divisions established.
1981  Intercollegiate baccalaureate program in nursing with Samuel Merritt College established.
1985  School of Extended Education, and School of Education established.
1987  125th anniversary of the College’s founding; its 60th year in Moraga.
1997  Brother Mel Anderson, FSC, D. Litt., L.H.D., retired after 28 years as president of Saint Mary’s, and Brother Craig Franz,
FSC, PhD, named new president.
1999  School of Education established College’s first doctoral program, EdD in Educational Leadership.
2004  Brother Ronald Gallagher, FSC, PhD, named new president of Saint Mary’s; Geissberger Observatory opens.
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2007  Brousseau Hall christened, honoring Brother Alfred Brousseau.
2008  New home to the Kalmanovitz School of Education-Filippi Academic Hall-opens.
2012  Saint Mary’s College celebrates its sesquicentennial or 150th anniversary.
2013  James A. Donahue, PhD, named new president of Saint Mary’s.
2021  Richard Plumb, PhD, named new president of Saint Mary’s. 
Statement of Mission
Saint Mary’s College in the 21st century celebrates the three traditions that have sustained it since its earliest years and seeks its fu-
ture in them: the classical tradition of liberal arts education, the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Catholic Church, and the vi-
sion of education enunciated by Saint John Baptist de La Salle and developed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and their col-
leagues in a tradition now more than 300 years old.
The Mission of Saint Mary’s College Is:
To probe deeply the mystery of existence by cultivating the ways of knowing and the arts of thinking.
Recognizing that the paths to knowledge are many, Saint Mary’s College offers a diverse curriculum, which includes the humani-
ties, arts, sciences, social sciences, education, business administration, and nursing, serving traditional students and adult learners
in both undergraduate and graduate programs. As an institution where the liberal arts inform and enrich all areas of learning, it
places special importance on fostering the intellectual skills and habits of mind, which liberate persons to probe deeply the mystery
of existence and live authentically in response to the truths they discover. This liberation is achieved as faculty and students, led by
wonder about the nature of reality, look twice, ask why, seek not merely facts but fundamental principles, strive for an integration
of all knowledge, and express themselves precisely and eloquently.
To affirm and foster the Christian understanding of the human person, which animates the educational
mission of the Catholic Church.
Saint Mary’s College holds that the mystery that inspires wonder about the nature of existence is revealed in the person of Jesus
Christ, giving a transcendent meaning to creation and human existence. Nourished by its Christian faith, the College understands
the intellectual and spiritual journeys of the human person to be inextricably connected. It promotes the dialogue of faith and rea-
son; it builds community among its members through the celebration of the Church’s sacramental life; it defends the goodness, dig-
nity, and freedom of each person, and fosters sensitivity to social and ethical concerns. Recognizing that all those who sincerely
quest for truth contribute to and enhance its stature as a Catholic institution of higher learning, Saint Mary’s welcomes members
from its own and other traditions, inviting them to collaborate in fulfilling the spiritual mission of the College.
To create a student-centered educational community whose members support one another with mutual
understanding and respect.
As a Lasallian college, Saint Mary’s holds that students are given to its care by God, and that teachers grow spiritually and person-
ally when their work is motivated by faith and zeal. The College seeks students, faculty, administrators, and staff from different so-
cial, economic, and cultural backgrounds who come together to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and love. A distinctive mark of a
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Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice, and its commitment to the poor. Its mem-
bers learn to live “their responsibility to share their goods and their service with those who are in need, a responsibility based on
the union of all men and women in the world today and on a clear understanding of the meaning of Christianity.” (From The
Brothers of the Christian Schools in the World Today: A Declaration).
Faculty
The College is, in every sense, a community of scholars. Faculty members are teacher-scholars. They are selected for their dedica-
tion to and skill in teaching, and for their desire to share their passion for learning and discovery.
The small size of the College and the commitment of its faculty foster an extraordinarily close and informal relationship between
faculty and students. Faculty members are available to students not only in the classroom but outside it as well, for academic ad-
vice, guidance, and mentoring. Faculty are expected to teach courses at all levels, from first-year through graduate, and faculty
members make themselves available to students at all levels, rather than isolating themselves among small groups of advanced stu-
dents. Our small class size and faculty advising system foster close and frequent contact between professors and students.
The College values faculty scholarship because it enhances the intellectual vitality of the faculty and directly animates the entire
campus community. Scholarly research ensures that faculty members have a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of the subjects
they teach, as well as the appropriate pedagogy in those fields. As part of a community committed to shared inquiry and active
learning, faculty scholar-teachers provide models from which students can learn the value and techniques of inquiry, and from
which they can learn to value the life of the mind.
The College prides itself on a faculty of remarkable distinction and continually renewed commitment to scholarship and teaching.
Academic Organization
Saint Mary’s College is organized into four schools that provide the programs of study for students at the undergraduate and gradu-
ate levels.
The School of Liberal Arts offers the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 23 major fields and the Bachelor of Arts in the Integral Program;
Master of Arts in Kinesiology in Communication; Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Master of Fine Arts in Dance; and
a BA degree completion in the Performing Arts.
The School of Science offers the degree of Bachelor of Science in nine major fields and the Bachelor of Arts in seven major fields;
and the degree of Professional Science Master’s in Biotechnology. There is a 3+2 program in engineering in conjunction with a
number of universities.
The School of Economics and Business Administration offers the degree of Bachelor of Science in four major fields, as well as the
Bachelor of Arts in one major field. It offers the degree of Master of Business Administration, Executive MBA, Professional MBA,
Trans-Global Executive MBA; and the degree of Master of Science in Accounting, Business Analytics, Financial Analysis and
Investment Management, and MS in Management.
The Kalmanovitz School of Education offers undergraduate courses in teacher education and leadership, and a BA completion pro-
gram. There are seventeen programs in the School of Education including preliminary teaching credentials, pupil personnel, ser-
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vices credentials, an administrative services credentials, and a bilingual authorization in Spanish. The School of Education also of-
fers licensure programs in marriage and family counseling and clinical counseling, as well as master’s degrees. A Doctorate in
Educational Leadership is also offered.
Accreditation
The administration of Saint Mary’s College is vested in the Board of Trustees and the president of the College, and is empowered by
the charter of 1872 granted by the state of California to confer upon students who satisfactorily complete the prescribed courses of
studies in the College, such academic and/or professional degrees and/or literary honors as are usually conferred by universities
and/or colleges in the United States.
Saint Mary’s College is nationally recognized as a standard four-year college and is accredited by the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission, 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501,
(510) 748-9001. The credential programs and licensure in the School of Education are also accredited by the California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. The business and accounting programs are accredited in
the School of Economics and Business Administration by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The
Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art, housing the Hearst Art Gallery, is the only art museum in Contra Costa County accredited by
the American Association of Museums.
 


English

The College

Core-Designated Courses

2. Faculty

Revisions for 2022-2023

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