Liberal Arts, Communication, and General Education
Liberal Arts, Communication, and General Education programs include degrees related to the humanities, communication, and individualized studies and is the hub for the college’s unique general education program. These programs are built upon a broad-based, flexible, liberal arts core that develops professional and critical thinking skills
- Business and Strategic Communication Minor
- Digital Communication Design Major: Graphic Design Option (B.S.)
- Digital Communication Design Major: Writing for Visual Media Option (B.S.)
- General Studies (A.A.) CPSO
- Graphic Design Minor
- Historical Studies Major (B.A.)
- Historical Studies Minor
- Individualized Studies Major: Behavioral and Social Sciences Option (B.S.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Business and Finance Option (B.S.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Health and Human Services Option (B.S.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Humanities Option (B.A.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Management Option (B.S.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Media and Communication Option (B.S.)
- Individualized Studies Major: Public Safety Option (B.S.)
- Interpersonal and Organizational Communication Minor
- Professional Communication Major: Business and Strategic Communication Option (B.S.)
- Professional Communication Major: Interpersonal and Organizational Communication Option (B.S.)
- Professional Communication Major: Visual Communication and Social Media Option (B.S.)
- Visual Communication and Social Media Minor
- Writing for Visual Media Minor
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Arts & Culture (ART)
ART 401 - Introduction to Drawing
Credits: 4
This studio art course fosters a hands-on approach to basic drawing and composition. Students explore, comprehend, and employ the basic elements and principles of art, use various graphic media, and become familiar with the vocabulary, concepts, and techniques of drawing. Projects emphasize composition and guide students toward mastering the skills needed to produce an effective and expressive drawing.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): ARTS 501G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of and appreciation for the creative process through exploration and application of basic drawing skills.
- Manipulate and explore a variety of graphic media to enhance basic perceptual skills of drawing, including: line, value, color, shape, form, texture, space, dimension, contrast, and Gestalt.
- Recognize and implement the drawing concepts of balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, repetition, and unity.
- Translate the knowledge and skill from drawing one object to many objects in a composition incorporating the elements and principles of art.
- Interpret and critique art according to the influence of historical, cultural, and social contexts.
- Participate in, and be evaluated through, peer and instructor feedback and engage in course discussion.
ART 403 - Introduction to Watercolor
Credits: 4
This is a course for all levels of students, including students with no previous studio art experience. The course introduces students to a variety of approaches to the watercolor medium through the use of hands-on experience, demonstrations, instructor and peer feedback, and discussions. Students will develop watercolor painting skills and visual literacy through recognizing and practicing common watercolor techniques leading to a portfolio of work by the end of the term.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): ARTS 503G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Employ common watercolor techniques to produce a range of visual effects such as color, texture, and dimension.
- Recognize and describe elements of design in artwork according to the artists' use of color, value, temperature, and application technique.
- Demonstrate the ability to articulate artistic concepts as expressed in sample compositions and in the learner's own works.
- Interpret the meaning of artwork according to the historical, cultural, and social contexts in which they were created.
- Engage in course discussion and be evaluated through peer and instructor feedback.
ART 512 - Fundamentals of Design
Credits: 4
This course introduces the design elements, principles, and skills needed to succeed in the graphic design industry. Students will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of professional layout using Adobe Creative Cloud while demonstrating an understanding of composition, color, typography, vectors, and bitmap creation, along with other essential attributes of graphic design. The design process, design as visual communication, and the designer's role in concept development for media, web, and video will also be emphasized.
Equivalent(s): ARTS 504G, ARTS 512G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain and apply the fundamental stages of the design process.
- Combine text and graphics in designs to visually communicate an effective message.
- Develop project-appropriate concepts and visualize their outcome while demonstrating knowledge of design principles and elements.
- Employ layout tools to design documents and media for web and video.
- Develop a discipline-specific vocabulary to substantively critique and analyze their own work and that of others.
ART 515 - Digital Photography
Credits: 4
This course explores the fundamentals of digital photography. It is structured to help the student master the technical tools of digital photography and image-editing software while cultivating the ability to perceive and understand the world visually and artistically. Students practice constructively critiquing their own work and that of others. This course also examines the unique place photography has within the context of other art forms, such as painting, cinema, music, and literature. In order to meet the learning outcomes of this course, students must have access to a standalone digital camera (DSLR) for required use in the class.
Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): ARTS 515G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Prepare and operate a digital camera, lenses, and auxiliary light sources.
- Demonstrate an ability to focus and set f/stop, shutter speed, and film speed settings.
- Compare and contrast how artificial and natural light influences, and is recorded on, light sensitive photographic materials.
- Explain the basic principles of visual composition, unity, harmony, and balance within an image and apply these principles to photographs.
- Assess the position photography has within the context of all forms of artistic expression through an examination of the artistic motivation of well-known photographers.
- Apply principles of visual composition to critique their own work and that of others.
- Utilize software to capture, edit, and manipulate digital photographs for web and print, particularly with respect to scale and resolution.
- Apply proper attribution to stock photos derived from reputable sources according to copyright law.
ART 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 4
A study of current and variable topics in Arts and Culture. Course content changes from term to term. Lower level.
Equivalent(s): ARTS 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ART 550 - Art History: Western World
Credits: 4
The primary goal of this course is to develop an appreciation of the important role that the arts and the individual artist have played through the ages. The course examines the formal qualities and technical achievements of important works from each major period in Western art, as well as the historical and cultural context in which they were created.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): ARTS 550G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Recognize and understand major methods and theories of artists in Western art history, and be able to assess the qualities of works of art and architecture in their historical and cultural context.
- Analyze the formal, technical, stylistic, compositional characteristics of artistic movements and individual pieces of art in Western culture and the various influences that contribute to a works overall appearance and structure.
- Demonstrate the ability to describe works of art objectively and interpret artistic movements from a range of historical periods, respectful of each culture.
- Identify the subject matter of works of art, their potential meaning and significance, and the larger intellectual, historical, or political trends.
- Gain knowledge in art appreciation and make unbiased aesthetic and critical judgments, and apply learned skills of observation in assessing works of art.
ART 644 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Arts and Culture. Course content changes from term to term. Upper level.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): ARTS 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Communication (COM)
COM 440 - Persuasive Communication
Credits: 4
This course provides an in-depth understanding of persuasive principles with the purpose of identifying and critiquing communication strategies encountered on a daily basis. Students are introduced to the theory and practice of persuasive communication with an understanding of how classical modes of rhetoric offer an excellent framework for improving information-age communication skills. Speaking, listening, leading, motivating, negotiating, creating and delivering a message, and engaging with an audience are emphasized as key elements of persuasive communication. Students will be able to recognize the persuasive strategies used in interpersonal and mass communication settings, critique the effectiveness of the strategies used, and develop persuasive strategies for themselves.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): COMM 540G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and describe the components of the communication process: speaking, listening, nonverbal communication, and perception.
- Articulate the fundamentals of effective persuasive communication.
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills as a listener through the ability to critique various communication strategies.
- Explain the nature of pluralistic audiences.
- Apply the components of how to lead, negotiate, and create consensus among audiences across cultures.
- Prepare and deliver a presentation utilizing the principles of effective communication and use of appropriate technology.
COM 460 - Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics
Credits: 4
Designed to provide both a theoretical and practical introduction to interpersonal communication and group dynamics, this course explores the unique process, purposes, problems and possibilities of communication. Emphasis is placed on participation and awareness of communication behaviors, both in interpersonal settings and in small groups, as portrayed in the generic roles of member, leader, and process observer. The course challenges students to analyze the complex nature of relationships by applying the concepts of collaboration, cohesiveness, group decision-making, conflict resolution, the function of teams, and the role of facilitation. COM 460 students are guided in developing basic interpersonal, intercultural, and group communication skills that they can apply to personal and professional encounters in everyday life.
Attributes: Communication (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): COMM 542G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate between theoretical approaches to interpersonal communication and evaluate their usefulness.
- Appraise the nature of conflict for oneself and others and articulate strategies for dealing with interpersonal conflict.
- Demonstrate perceptual and listening effectiveness and apply principles of effective nonverbal and verbal communication in both interpersonal and group contexts.
- Assess the influence of culture and technology on interpersonal and group communication.
- Demonstrate knowledge and application of small group communication theory and research by providing active, involved communication and meaningful feedback to other participants.
- Reflect on their own communication behavior and the behavior of others utilizing experiential and reflective processing.
- Identify basic small group leadership roles, skills, functions, and techniques and articulate their practical relationship to their personal and professional lives.
COM 465 - Communication Theory
Credits: 2
This course introduces students to the major theories of communication that are foundational to the discipline. Students will conceptualize how theory can be used to describe, analyze, and explain communication issues and events. Attention is also given to the ethical implications of theory in various contexts.
Equivalent(s): COMM 510G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Trace the development of theoretical inquiry in the field of communication.
- Identify and compare theoretical concepts.
- Critique theories with peers through discussion.
- Explain how theories can be used to analyze and understand interactions, messages, ideas, arguments, and points of view, particularly in real-world contexts.
- Apply communication theory in the development of an original research project.
COM 480 - Visual Communication
Credits: 4
In contemporary communication, visual information has become the predominant means to convey messages and information. Students will explore and analyze the different ways images can be used to communicate information, concepts, and narratives, as well as to support persuasive arguments in oral presentations. Students will apply what they have learned to two major projects, each designed to communicate a central message to a defined audience. An introduction to copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons is included.
Attributes: Communication (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): COMM 543G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Recognize the different ways visual information can be used for rhetorical and informational purposes.
- Locate and access online sources for visual media for use in a media development project, with appropriate attribution.
- Produce visual media that aligns with the overall audience, content, and purpose of a project.
- Use visual media as a central rhetorical element in a collection of messages to convey a larger theme.
- Compare and contrast delivering oral presentations in-person to delivering a pre-recorded oral presentation.
- Apply basic principles of intellectual property, copyright, and Fair Use to the use of visual media in a proposed project.
COM 504 - Web Development I
Credits: 4
This course is an introduction to multimedia design with an emphasis on website creation. Students gain an understanding of the terminology, development tools, and fundamental skills related to designing a successful website. Current software applications are learned as appropriate to the process.
Equivalent(s): COMM 504G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe the fundamentals of graphic design and desktop publishing.
- Demonstrate HTML creation, editing, and best practices.
- Analyze and deconstruct the elements used in websites.
- Design and layout an effective website for a specific audience.
- Apply computer techniques to import/draw graphics and write copy.
- Create and work with effective text/graphics combinations and color.
- Explore the ethical use of information regarding copyright, intellectual property, and attribution in web development.
COM 535 - Visual Media Production
Credits: 4
This course focuses on how to create visual narratives through digital media. Course projects and use of visual media production software provide an opportunity to carefully execute each step of the production process, to include: conceptualizing, outlining, writing script for voiceover, creating the storyboard, recording, editing, and sharing. Attention to copyright, attribution, and other ethical considerations are also addressed. Recommended: COM 480 Visual Communication.
Equivalent(s): COMM 505G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define and employ each stage of the fundamental production process for creating digital media.
- Use visual media to represent information as a visual narrative while working within the limits of cognitive overload.
- Explain and apply concepts of project media organization, project archiving, and client relations.
- Produce a video-based media object according to a production plan and revise it according to feedback.
- Integrate visual elements in addition to a basic video layer to convey key information according to the production plan.
COM 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Communication. Course content changes from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): COMM 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
COM 545 - Digital Illustration
Credits: 4
This course introduces Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Course assignments focus on creating and preparing raster and vector-based images for print and web. Students will have the opportunity to attain basic proficiency with both software programs while applying knowledge and skill to a variety of projects. Concepts such as photo manipulation, use of digital illustration in layout, basic animation, storage and file management, and copyright and ethical issues are addressed.
Prerequisite(s): ART 512 with a minimum grade of D- or ARTS 512G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): COMM 545G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop basic proficiency using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Recognize and implement illustration as a mode of visual communication.
- Employ Illustrator and Photoshop for problem-solving in design.
- Plan and create original illustrations and compositions for print and web.
- Demonstrate knowledge of copyright and issues of ethics as they pertain to visual media.
COM 560 - Intercultural Communication
Credits: 2
Effective intercultural communication skills are important in a multicultural society, particularly for those individuals working in positions that require effective interactions with people from diverse cultures. This course is a study of cross-cultural contacts and will include analysis of verbal and nonverbal communication and related factors within and between various cultures, predictions of patterns and effects, and communication barriers. The course provides opportunities for students to develop both an appreciation for cultural differences and effective intercultural communication skills. NOTE: COM 560 and COM 562 are recommended elective choices for Professional Communication majors.
Equivalent(s): COMM 560G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define major terms and concepts related to cross-cultural communication.
- Identify factors that can influence the cross-cultural communication process.
- Discuss major theories of intercultural and cross-cultural communication.
- Discuss verbal and non-verbal patterns of communications within selected international and domestic cultures.
- Identify causes of unsuccessful cross-cultural communication.
- Evaluate cross-cultural communications skills through direct observation.
- Develop an understanding of intercultural competence.
COM 562 - Gender and Communication
Credits: 2
In this course, students examine multiple influences that have shaped definitions of masculinity and femininity over time. Students explore the impact of these definitions on "appropriate" prescriptions for verbal and nonverbal communication, and on interactions in personal and professional contexts. Through the analysis and critique of the effects of gender on communication in diverse relationships (family, friendships, romantic, professional) and in diverse contexts (personal and professional spheres), as well as how gender is depicted in the media, students recognize the profound impact that gender has upon our lives. NOTE: COM 562 and COM 560 are recommended elective choices for Professional Communication majors.
Equivalent(s): COMM 562G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain gender as a socially constructed category of identity.
- Recognize how gender influences communication, and how it interacts with social and psychological factors to influence communication.
- Identify barriers to effective communication across gender and develop strategies for dealing with these barriers.
- Examine the influence of verbal and nonverbal communication in gender interactions.
- Articulate how contemporary social movements such as the #MeToo Movement have shaped, and continue to shape gender communication and relations in contemporary American culture.
- Identify misunderstandings in various gender relationships, business, health care, and educational contexts.
- Develop cognitive, affective and behavioral skills that would create and/or improve gender awareness, sensitivity, appreciation, tolerance and communication competence in various situations.
COM 565 - Strategic Communication
Credits: 4
In contrast to Organizational Communication, the study of Strategic Communication focuses on how organizations communicate with their external publics, to include vendors, clients, and shareholders, among others. This course surveys public relations, insofar as it explores how an organization crafts, maintains, and redefines its image, in times of success as well as crisis. Students practice producing reliable strategic writing in the form of press releases, newsletters, and brochures, with particular emphasis upon skills in instant response, clarifying and simplifying complex information, as well as considerations of privacy, ethics, and legality.
Equivalent(s): COMM 565G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain key strategies for effective written, oral, and digital communication to external publics.
- Identify and clearly define external, public audiences, to include attributes, expectations, and potential areas of conflict, in order to effectively manage dialogue with them.
- Conduct analytic audience research, and design specific messages in the form of press releases, newsletters, and brochures, with the aim of fostering relationships and driving behavior.
- Develop strategies for instant response that uphold privacy, and demonstrate calculated consideration of ethics and legality.
- Compose and deliver a persuasive presentation that utilizes technology, targets a clearly defined external audience, and clarifies and simplifies complex information.
COM 590 - Professional Communication
Credits: 4
This course prepares students to navigate the complexity of professional communication in the 21st-century workplace, with a particular emphasis upon refining the writing skills that are essential to clear, concise, and professional communication. The types of professional writing addressed may include: proposals, emails, newsletters, presentations, and agendas, among others. Emphasis is also placed upon how to discern which channel--written, verbal, or digital--is most appropriate relative to context, purpose, and audience.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-) and (COM 460 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 542G with a minimum grade of D-) or (Has Accred Associate Deg with a score of WAIV or Has Accred Bachelor Deg with a score of WAIV).
Equivalent(s): COMM 605G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and select appropriate communication methods used in workplace settings, with respect to purpose and audience for the message, with a consideration of the implications of employing the chosen mode(s) of communication.
- Develop accurate, coherent, and clear communications within professional contexts using oral, digital, and written methods, aligned with conventions and standards for the field.
- Facilitate dialogue among individuals or groups with various opinions or knowledge, using a range of communication methods.
- Develop a positive digital identity in support of professional communication in the online environment.
- Differentiate between organizational and personal perspectives as they impact professional communication.
- Develop awareness of concepts of intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material to professional communication, and evaluate the benefits and risks of using openly-licensed information resources.
COM 595 - Writing for Voiceover
Credits: 2
Writing and performing voiceover audio is a specialty skill all media producers will be called upon to develop. A well-written script for voiceover will enable the audience to clearly understand messages and meaning according to the producer's goal. This course introduces students to the foundational principles of writing voiceover copy and provides opportunities to refine voiceover performances to engage the audience and establish credibility. Through a workshop format, students will create original works and performances as well as adapt and refine works written by others.
Equivalent(s): COMM 648G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain how voiceover affects the meaning of information, its credibility, and its psychological effect on audiences.
- Create and perform original voiceover works through the process of outlining, drafting, feedback, and revision.
- Adapt existing content for use as voiceover copy according to the principles of context, purpose, and audience.
- Configure the recording equipment environment to produce the optimal acoustic results.
- Apply tonality, pacing, articulation, and emphasis in voiceover performance to convey information and its intended meaning.
COM 644 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
The study of current and variable topics in Communication. Course content changes from term to term. It is expected that the learner will have prior coursework or experience in the subject area.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): COMM 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
COM 645 - Advanced Digital Illustration
Credits: 4
This course builds upon COM 545 Digital Illustration by challenging students to advance their skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Course projects entail combining vector and raster images, advanced image manipulation, and utilizing web graphics, print images, and interactive motion graphics for web and video. Effective application of design elements and principles in concept generation will be emphasized. Through peer review, instructor feedback, and reflection, students explore each phase of the design process in depth. Strategies for assembling a digital portfolio are also explored.
Prerequisite(s): COM 545 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 545G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): COMM 645G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop and apply advanced skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Combine imagery and text to visually communicate concepts.
- Examine and critique work throughout the design process by applying knowledge of design elements and principles.
- Plan and create original digital work for print, web, and motion graphics.
- Assemble completed projects into a digital portfolio.
COM 647 - Writing for Visual Media
Credits: 4
By emphasizing the interplay between text and image in the production of meaning, this course introduces students to the unique attributes of writing for visual media. In a workshop format, students will refine skills in areas such as blogging, copy writing, landing pages, social media, and public relations. The course surveys various stages in the writing process, to include concept, drafting, integrating stakeholder feedback, and revision, in order to produce a final product.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): COMM 547G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain the difference between delivering information and involving the viewer or listener on an emotional level.
- Describe the interrelationship between text and image in conveying a message.
- Develop and refine drafts appropriate to the type of media being created.
- Participate in, and be evaluated through, stakeholder feedback.
COM 665 - Media and Strategic Communication
Credits: 4
This course explores the use of media in strategic communication toward the attainment of organizational objectives. Students will explore the impact of public relations, media outreach, marketing, branding, and leadership communication on both internal and external audiences in a variety of settings and sectors. The role and purpose of the organizational spokesperson, the function of the leader as the chief communicator, the strategic alignment of message and messenger, and effective use of technology in business communications will be discussed. This course provides knowledge of opportunities and pitfalls of the media environment, particularly in the digital, 24-hour news cycle age.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): COMM 602G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify the multitude of stakeholders in the realm of public and private sector communications.
- Explain the importance of messaging from the purpose, content, timing, and delivery perspectives and evaluate how each contributes to the effectiveness of establishing clarity, confidence, and transparency.
- Compare various platforms within the sphere of digital media, and understand the opportunities and challenges each can create for strategic communication.
- Formulate strategies for communication within and by organizations to include such areas as leadership communication, crisis communication, board and executive communications, and specific communication initiatives such as branding campaigns.
- Differentiate examples of success and failure in strategic and organizational communication within different sectors.
COM 670 - Advanced Visual Communication
Credits: 4
This course builds upon the foundation in analyzing and curating visual media established in COM 480 by focusing on how to compose, design, and deliver presentations using industry standard software (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) and web-based tools (such as Zoom, Screencast-o-matic and Prezi), among others. Equal time is devoted to each of the three stages of producing effective presentations- writing, technological design, and delivery-all of which contribute to achieving the intended purpose.
Prerequisite(s): COM 480 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 543G with a minimum grade of D- or Has Accred Associate Deg with a score of WAIV or Has Accred Bachelor Deg with a score of WAIV.
Equivalent(s): COMM 615G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of the academic writing process, to include outlining,researching, and drafting, within the context of a presentation.
- Compose an engaging, visually sophisticated presentation with the aim of informing or persuading a clearly defined audience.
- Design an engaging presentation using software, as well as web-based tools, including media and/or graphics, text, and animation.
- Deliver the presentation in a way that captivates and engages the audience, while utilizing technology as a helpful and relevant accompaniment to the speaker.
- Document all secondary source material, including text-based research, as well as visual media, according to conventions appropriate to the field.
- Record the presentation in at least one of the aforementioned formats and share electronically.
COM 675 - Organizational Communication
Credits: 4
Organizations are a fundamental component of human life: from schools, to workplaces, as well as volunteer and recreational groups, we all function within in organizations. This course examines the multi-level communication that occurs within organizations - among leaders, members, committees, teams, and departments - as vital to its success and longevity. Students analyze how organizations rely upon effective communication to anticipate and mitigate conflict. Students also devise strategies to utilize various forms of communication to contribute uniquely and meaningfully to organizations.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): COMM 620G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify various types of organizations as complex systems with situated, multi-layered cultures.
- Analyze the nature and consequences of organizational messages, including their formal and informal, strategic, relational, and ideological dimensions.
- Explore key concepts of communication strategy and implementation within organizational settings.
- Explain the impact that technology has upon the content and method of organizational communication at various levels within an organization.
- Discuss and practice decision-making and conflict-management processes utilized in organizations.
- Describe and address predictable, harmful patterns that reoccur in organizations.
- Compose an original research project utilizing a case study as its basis to explore how internal communication influences the workings of organizations over time.
COM 680 - Trends in Digital and Social Media
Credits: 4
This course provides an opportunity for students to explore key technical, ethical, and experiential elements in contemporary digital and social media and integrate them into a project-based solution of the student’s choosing. Topics are drawn from immediate trends and are interrogated for their effects on individuals, communities, society, and the world. Students also select a topic of their own for further study.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): COMM 601G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define the components of social media in both a historic and contemporary context.
- Interpret the political, ethical, and commercial implications of the design of digital and social media systems as implemented in mainstream communication.
- Explain how digital and social media affect the meaning of knowledge, privacy, power, and truth in the personal and cultural context.
- Articulate how an emerging digital or social media issue is relevant to society according to elements of risk, transformation, and opportunity.
COM 685 - Web Development II
Credits: 4
Building on skills learned in Web Development I, students continue to gain an understanding of the terminology, development tools, and fundamental skills related to designing a successful website. Current software applications are learned as appropriate to the process.
Prerequisite(s): COM 504 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 504G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): COMM 604G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify advanced terminology, development tools, and skills related to designing a successful website.
- Analyze the code elements that produce an optimally accessible and streamlined user experience using current software and design tools.
- Apply techniques in image editing software to optimize/draw/import graphics for use in a web-based publication.
- Write effective copy that is appropriate for a website audience.
- Use ADA compliant color and combinations of text and graphics to engage the audience, foster motivation, and convey emotions and brand tonality.
- Employ the ethical standards of copyright, intellectual property, and Creative Commons in using content for web development.
COM 707 - Communication for Training and Performance Improvement
Credits: 2
The ability to write, design, speak, and record media for the purpose of training instruction draws upon specialized communication skills and knowledge of a systematic creative process. This course prepares students to contribute meaningfully to teams and organizations by introducing them to the foundational principles of instructional design as a form of communication, and then facilitates practice in the technical skills to produce media for the purpose of addressing a training or performance improvement need.
Prerequisite(s): COM 535 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 505G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): COMM 607G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and apply the five stages of the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) for instructional design in a selected training or performance improvement context.
- Produce a plan to communicate with stakeholders for gathering information about the training / performance improvement needs.
- Produce a plain language project description that identifies the training needs, the means by which the knowledge/skills instruction will be communicated, the basis for assessing learned skills/knowledge, and the basis of evaluating program success.
- Produce basic examples of instructional media that address the stated needs.
COM 710 - Managerial Communication
Credits: 4
Managerial roles increasingly emphasize negotiation, coaching, collaboration, and consensus building. Situational analysis and planning are key attributes of effective managerial communication. As such, this course develops and sharpens students' decision-making, team-building, and analytical problem-solving abilities. The course also embraces peer and instructor feedback as tools to refine students' impromptu and formal presentation skills in managerial contexts.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): COM 590 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 605G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): COMM 610G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic negotiation, problem-solving, and team-building strategies through role-play scenarios.
- Write clearly and effectively about historical and contemporary management issues in various forms, including memoranda, formal letters, e-mail, short reports, and executive summaries.
- Identify and customize the aforementioned communication to multiple audiences: superiors, peers, and subordinates.
- Design and deliver engaging and effective presentations using technology that is consistent with current industry standards.
- Compose thoughtful, constructive critiques of peer writing and presentations, and incorporate feedback received to improve their own managerial writing and presentation skills.
- Reflect on their individual managerial acumen; identify opportunities to improve and strategies for doing so.
COM 743 - Synthetic Media and the Construction of Reality
Credits: 4
In the past 25 years, electronic media, mobile devices, and algorithmically optimized information networks have intensified how humans have engaged with mediated information. This course examines the collateral effects of this phenomenon on our habits, norms, beliefs, and cognitive processing. Students will study the historical, political, and theoretical narrative that has led to questions about the construction of social worlds, the construct of reality, and the legitimacy of information. A special focus will be made in studying the implications of synthetic deepfake and AI-driven text generating systems in accelerating these effects.
Equivalent(s): COMM 643G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate how human immersion in electronic social network systems influences the formation of identity, community, beliefs, truth, and the legitimacy of information.
- Describe how evidence-based and faith-based ways of knowing are employed by humans to determine the reliability of information.
- Explain how the emergence of the Attention Economy influences the design of algorithmically controlled Internet content and describe its effect on human perception.
- Assess the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic media in the formation of mental models of certainty, reliability, and validity in communication.
- Develop a theoretical basis for explaining the perception of reality through the analysis of a selected example.
COM 797 - Integrative Capstone: Project in Professional Communication
Credits: 4
This capstone course for the Professional Communication major builds on previous study in the field and provides an opportunity to apply learning in an in-depth project. Projects must employ applied research, demonstrate knowledge of communication theory, and integrate reflection on cultural and/or organizational dimensions of communication. Students synthesize their knowledge of theory and practice to develop and implement a project in their own area of professional interest. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (IDIS 601 with a minimum grade of D- or IDIS 601G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): COMM 650G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and use current research and resources in professional communication to develop a project that will meet personal and professional goals.
- Articulate connections between theory and practice in planning and implementing the individual project.
- Integrate knowledge of best practices in communication studies in a well-defined area of professional interest.
- Evaluate the application of ethical principles and cultural/organizational context to the capstone project.
COM 798 - Integrative Capstone: Project in Digital Communication Design
Credits: 4
The Capstone course for the Digital Communication Design major enables the student to apply what they have learned throughout their academic career within a project of their choosing. Students will propose, design, develop, and report on a project that touches upon each of the Programmatic Outcomes for their major and concentration to demonstrate their knowledge and proficiency. Students will work in partnership with faculty to create a project that meets the requirements, output, and format of Capstone-level research. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (IDIS 601 with a minimum grade of D- or IDIS 601G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): COMM 651G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and use current research and resources in digital and social media to develop an e-portfolio project of appropriate scope that will meet personal and professional goals.
- Articulate connections between theory and practice through a self-reflective e-portfolio.
- Integrate knowledge of best practices in digital and social media studies in a well-defined area of professional interest.
- Apply ethical principles and cultural/organizational context to the capstone project.
Critical Thinking (CRIT)
CRIT 501 - Introduction to Critical Inquiry
Credits: 4
Introduction to Critical Inquiry provides the foundation for an informed and meaningful college experience through the cultivation of intellectual curiosity. Through the study of media and popular culture and the completion of short writing assignments, students learn how to develop and scale a personally-motivated research question, refine their topic, determine effective search strategies for finding credible and appropriate information, and learning to recognize bias and logical fallacies. Important aspects of the research process are learning how to analyze different types of argument and to evaluate information sources from a variety of venues. Critical Inquiry fosters the self-awareness and intellectual perspective that are the hallmarks of well-educated persons and lifelong, engaged students in the twenty-first century.
Attributes: Critical Inquiry (Gen Ed); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): CRIT 501G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Discuss the importance of intellectual curiosity and its relationship to their own thinking and learning process within the college academic community.
- Become more aware of their own thinking process and explore consistent methods for approaching critical inquiry.
- Recognize different types of argument and learn how to decipher and respond to logical fallacies.
- Learn how to develop and scale a personally-motivated research question, refine a topic, and determine effective search strategies for finding credible information sources appropriate to college learning.
- Distinguish among the modes of summary, opinion, and analysis.
- Responsibly and ethically document research with concern for academic integrity and the conventions of citation.
- Examine the ways the internet and other digital technology challenges current laws of copyright, free speech, and privacy.
- Understand complex relationships among ideas and take an informed position through engagement with civic discourse.
CRIT 602 - Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking
Credits: 4
What is the link between an academic degree and one's career or professional development? In this course, students explore trends in their field of study and connect them to their academic and professional context. Students synthesize and present their research findings though a variety of formal and informal written communication formats. This course reinforces critical analysis and strategic thinking skills for students developing their course of study, seeking professional advancement, or preparing for future graduate study. Students with a regionally-accredited associate degree do not have to take either ENG 420 or CRIT 501 as prerequisites for CRIT 602.
Attributes: Critical Inquiry (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-) and (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-) or (Has Accred Associate Deg with a score of WAIV).
Equivalent(s): CRIT 502G, CRIT 602G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Use investigative research techniques to determine gaps in knowledge and skills which establish learning needs in a chosen field or profession.
- Employ research inquiry standards to develop a critical inquiry question in order to locate information resources that meet source validity criteria.
- Demonstrate awareness of context, audience, and purpose within the writing process and in the presentation of research findings.
- Assess the significance of research results using formal and informal writing formats.
- Create a learning plan that provides strategies for achieving academic and professional goals based on course discussion topics and research findings.
- Engage in and facilitate discussion with other students using positive communication strategies within the course's community of practice.
CRIT 603 - Critical Inquiry in Prior Learning Assessment
Credits: 4
This course is designed for adults who have identified prior experiential learning equivalent to outstanding degree requirements through a systematic process of goal-setting and self-assessment in the context of degree-planning. Students use the conceptual framework of critical inquiry to demonstrate this learning in an eportfolio. For each course-equivalent credit request, the portfolio will identify the context for the student's learning in the subject matter, trace the progression of the learning over time, and explain how the learning is equivalent to a degree requirement. The student will demonstrate mastery of each learning outcome for the credit request and integrate the learning outcomes in a relevant personal case study in decision-making. Two credit requests that meet the criteria to be submitted to Academic Affairs for evaluation are required to pass CRIT 603. NOTE: Students within 16 credits of their projected degree completion date are not eligible to take CRIT 603.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): CRIT 503G, CRIT 603G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate their experiential learning in the context of higher education.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role of information literacy in fostering lifelong learning.
- Support assertions of college-level content and skill mastery with arguments that are clear, precise, logical, and carefully qualified.
- Analyze and evaluate the value and validity of supporting evidence for the credit requested.
- Organize, synthesize, and integrate the information needed to make the case for degree credit for experiential learning.
English (ENG)
ENG 420 - The Writing Process
Credits: 4
This course introduces students to the foundational concepts and skills needed to communicate effectively in writing for academic study and professional development. Students will learn how to use the four stages of the writing process - prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing - to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience. Students will also be introduced to rhetorical styles and the role of outside sources in academic writing. Constructing and implementing effectively-designed search strategies for information to answer a critical inquiry or research question are also addressed in this course.
Attributes: English (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): ENG 500G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Employ the four stages of the writing process - prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing - to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience.
- Use peer reader-response and instructor feedback to develop and implement a revision strategy.
- Explain the role of voice, writing conventions, and style guides in academic and professional writing.
- Determine the purpose, audience, and context for a range of rhetorical situations.
- Develop a critical inquiry/research question with a defined scope.
- Determine the nature and extent of information needed to answer a critical inquiry/research question for a range of rhetorical situations.
- Construct a written argument that answers a critical inquiry/research question, utilizing the conventions of academic writing and research.
ENG 450 - Introduction to Literature
Credits: 4
This writing and reading intensive course is foremost intended to increase students' exposure to and appreciation of literature in its many forms. Students will therefore read and discuss the primary genres of poetry, the short story, drama, and the novel. The second goal of the course is to hone students' abilities to read, write, and think critically about the ways in which human experience itself is shaped by language in literary texts. Through the development of literary analysis skills and the practice of writing about literature, students will learn to communicate meaningfully about literature as an art form with aesthetic, social, cultural, and political significance.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-) and (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): ENG 504G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Articulate both emotional and intellectual responses to a diverse range of literary texts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the aesthetic elements of fiction, poetry, and drama in their discussion and written responses to various works of literature.
- Employ close reading techniques and understand that using theoretical perspectives affects the interpretation of literature.
- Explain and synthesize analyses verbally and in writing through class discussion, group work, oral presentations, and papers.
ENG 505 - Introduction to Language and Linguistics
Credits: 4
This course promotes meaningful literacy instruction through the study of language, language acquisition, the study of sounds and sound formation, word formation, and how words combine into larger meaningful units. The prescriptive standardization of such language forms as spelling, semantics, pronunciation, style, and register are addressed in this course. Basic components of descriptive grammar, to include syntax, semantics, phonology, and morphology are applied. Students will have the opportunity to develop an appreciation for regional and ethnic dialects and examine how language changes and develops over time.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 505G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and describe the origins and properties of human language.
- Describe the stages of oral and written language development to include sound production, sentence structure, and vocabulary development.
- Explain the impact that social, cultural, psychological, and economic factors have on language and literacy development.
- Demonstrate how semantics and grammatical structure shape the meaning of the English language and the ways in which these elements have changed over time.
ENG 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in English. Course content changes from term to term.
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): ENG 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ENG 545 - The Media and Its Messages
Credits: 4
Grounded within the context of media studies, this course engages students in a critical and analytical exploration of the media and its influences on American culture and society. The course examines the various ways that the media functions as both a lens for interpreting culture and a tool through which culture is shaped. Through critical engagement with various forms of media, students explore the roles of film, visual art, television, music, mass media, and web- based media in shaping their understanding of literature, writing, and culture.
Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 508G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and define various forms of media and the guiding principles of how these media function.
- Explain the media's relationships with race, class, gender, sexuality, capitalism, and politics.
- Analyze the role and influence of corporate advertisements, the government, and censorship within each form of media studied.
- Describe the larger role of media as it pertains to shaping both American culture and society.
- Explain how media studies can enhance one's knowledge of both literary works and the craft of writing.
- Identify and interpret various messages being sent by different forms of media and analyze the overriding purpose of those messages.
ENG 555 - Children's Literature
Credits: 4
What are the qualities that make a particular work of children's literature endure? Why do some deceptively simple books remain favorites for years? Citing the work of psychologists, art historians, educators, and authors, students explore these and similar questions. The course considers picture books, traditional literature, and Young Adult novels. Students prepare annotated bibliographies of various genres, taking a personal look at the important role particular books play in the moral and social development of children.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 555G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Compare and contrast the ideas of professionals from across the disciplines, e.g. psychologists, art historians, educators, etc. whose work focuses on children and their literature.
- Apply specific criteria to evaluate various types of literature for children such as its stance on relevant developmental, behavioral, and cultural issues of concern to children.
- Describe how a particular book may evoke various meanings to different children or to the same child at different developmental stages.
- Critically analyze literature based on personal criteria through an application of the concepts developed by psychologists, art historians, educators, and authors.
- Explicate the variety of categories and range of genres into which children's books can be classified, providing some prominent examples in the major categories.
ENG 565 - Modern American Writers 1865 to the Present
Credits: 4
For the past 150 years, American writers have grappled with the concept of what America is and what it might become. By reading fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction from 1865 to the present, this course explores how modern writers have shaped--and revealed--American identities. Readings may include authors of "Local Color" writing, Realism, the "Lost Generation," and the Postmodern era, as well as writers of the Harlem, Southern, and Native American Renaissances, in their historical, literary, and cultural contexts. Through reading, writing, and research, learners will interrogate evolving American experiences.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 510G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify modern American writers and describe their most important works.
- Explain the historical contexts and define the characteristics and major tenets of literary eras and/or movements, such as realism/regionalism/naturalism, modernism, post-modernism, and the Harlem, Southern, and Native-American Renaissances.
- Describe how specific authors and their works exemplify these literary eras and/or movements.
- Formulate a broad-based theory of how American literature shapes and/or reveals American identities.
- Define literary terms and apply them in analysis and discussion of readings.
- Interpret orally and in writing complex ideas, themes, and conflicts embedded in literary works.
ENG 585 - Short Fiction
Credits: 4
This class focuses on late 19th through early 21st century short fiction, including both the short story and the novella. Readings and discussion of primary works by selected authors combine with study of secondary commentaries that outline the evolution of and theories about the genre. Students develop a basis for interpreting complex texts and for analyzing the techniques and characteristics that give short fiction its distinctive literary flavor.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 633G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Recognize and employ technical terms associated with analyzing short fiction.
- Relate the importance of specific writers' lives to their stories, themes, ideas, subjects, and/or techniques.
- Identify and compare the major trends and movements in short fiction from the late 19th to the current century, and examine their influences on the stories studied.
- Analyze, compare, evaluate, and assess works of short fiction.
- Integrate primary and secondary sources in oral and written analyses of stories and their writers.
- Formulate an aesthetic based on (or in response to) aesthetics represented in assigned stories.
ENG 590 - Expository Writing
Credits: 4
This course extends and refines writing, reading, and critical thinking skills. Through analysis of texts, study of language as a symbol system, and exploration of advanced expository and persuasive techniques, students identify and apply effective strategies for creating and communicating meaning in their own essays. Writing within the course integrates research and citation in ways that are appropriate to the individual learner's chosen field of study. The workshop format of the course includes class discussion, individual conferences with the instructor, and peer critique of work in progress.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-) and (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): ENG 600G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify expository and persuasive strategies and techniques in published texts by established authors.
- Explain and delineate what makes successful rhetorical strategies and techniques work and evaluate their effectiveness in a given context.
- Analyze surface meanings and subtexts in expository and persuasive written form by applying the principles of language as a symbol system.
- Apply advanced composition strategies to the planning, drafting, discussing, and revising of original essays.
- Demonstrate a general familiarity with the modes of discourse in at least one scholarly field and the ability to effectively integrate research from that field into an essay using accurate citation practices.
ENG 604 - Creative Writing
Credits: 4
The goal of this course is for students to develop their own capacity for creative expression by writing in fiction, poetry, and other genres using the major craft forms and elements of the genre. They will also generate strategies for reading and interpreting contemporary published writing in the same genres. A workshop format will be used for students to learn how discussing works in progress with other writers can advance their own creative expression and support the creative expression of others. The workshop format will also introduce students to the unique challenges posed by the revision process in reworking an original creative work for an external audience.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 604G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop a personal prewriting strategy to overcome barriers to creative expression and generate ideas appropriate for fiction, poetry, and other forms of creative writing.
- Develop their own capacity for creative written expression and facilitate the creativity of others through active participation in peer workshops.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the workshop method of evaluating creative writing and providing constructive peer feedback.
- Describe the major craft forms and elements within contemporary fiction, poetry, and other forms of creative written expression.
- Generate strategies for reading and interpreting contemporary readings in fiction, poetry, and other forms of written creative expression.
- Distinguish the unique challenges posed by the revision process in reworking an original creative work.
- Synthesize ideas on the act of revision expressed in the works of published writers with an awareness of their own revision process.
ENG 610 - War Writing in the 21st Century
Credits: 4
This course is designed to bridge the ever-widening civilian-military gap in the United States by examining the twenty-first century war experience through literature. The course will explore stories in multiple genres such as fiction, poetry, memoir, drama, and blogs to gain insights into the value of stories portraying combat and its aftermath. The course will also explore representations of military families on the home front. In addition to assigned readings, learners will have the opportunity to design research projects tailored to their own interests. This course provides insight to those who work with veterans and/or military families in the fields of behavioral health, health care, business, or education, and to anyone exercising their civic duties in a democracy.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 550G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Articulate both emotional and intellectual responses to a diverse range of literary texts.
- Identify the elements of war writing.
- Apply the elements of war writing to a diverse range of literary texts through discussion and written responses.
- Identify the political, social, and cultural context for twenty-first century war writing.
- Develop related research question, access and evaluate information and present findings in writing and orally.
ENG 615 - Young Adult Literature
Credits: 4
This course explores a wide range of literature for young adults, along with social and literary criticism that help to illuminate the impact of this literature. Through readings and discussion of both current and classic literature, students identify why literature is a powerful tool and how it can help young adults shape their lives. Learners respond to young adult literature through written analyses and critiques.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 560G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Discuss, explain, and respond to key works of literature for young adults.
- Identify and analyze works of young adult literature across a variety of genres.
- Evaluate works of young adult literature from the perspective of adults revisiting their adolescence.
- Identify and assess central themes found in young adult literature.
- Interpret and evaluate literature written for young adults according to its literary merits.
- Compare and contrast the portrayal of adolescent issues in young adult literature with analyses of young adults' challenges from other perspectives (e.g., psychological, educational, sociological, historical).
- Construct a theory concerning the role of young adult literature in the lives of youth.
ENG 620 - Multicultural Perspectives through Literature
Credits: 4
As the new realities of the global village erode long-standing assumptions about discrete nationhood and fixed cultures, the concept of what it means to be an American is also shifting. Through representative literary works, this course explores the challenges individuals from various ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds confront within a pluralistic society. Students construct a more inclusive definition of culture, assess traditional attitudes about race and ethnicity, and appreciate just how deeply Native, African, Hispanic, Asian, and European Americans have enriched our national identity.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 620G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define "culture" as a social, political, religious, linguistic, economic, and ethnic construct.
- Explain how America is a nation of immigrants and appraise the ramifications of this heritage as it is depicted by selected writers who treat multicultural themes in their work.
- Compare and contrast the traditions, belief systems, and customs of several co-cultures as represented in works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
- Evaluate the assumptions behind and the validity of such cultural myths as "America as melting pot," "the Golden Mountain," and "the American Dream" as embodied in specific literary works that focus on multicultural issues.
- Compare and contrast the various waves of immigration into the U.S. and draw from literary accounts to evaluate societal and institutional responses to them.
- Realign their understanding of in- and out-groups; define ethnocentrism; analyze the roots of racial, ethnic, class, and cultural biases; and debunk cultural stereotypes.
- Debate the benefits and losses related to cultural assimilation for selected characters in literature.
- Interpret orally and in writing complex ideas, themes, and conflicts embedded in literary works.
ENG 625 - Readings in World Literature
Credits: 4
This course surveys representative texts in English by writers around the world, past and present. Readings from diverse periods and genres introduce major themes, movements, and topics in selected works from any or all of the following: antiquity, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Discussions of political, historical, and cultural contexts suggest the powerful forces that have shaped and continue to influence literary forms and traditions outside the U.S. and Britain.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 625G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify several influential writers and describe their most important works.
- Describe the characteristics and major tenets of selected literary eras or movements that developed outside the American and British canons.
- Analyze how specific authors and texts express and exemplify these characteristics and tenets.
- Appraise how political, social, and historical events and movements influenced selected writers and their works.
- Define literary terms and apply them in analysis and discussion of readings.
- Interpret the complex ideas, themes, and conflicts embedded in literary works.
ENG 644 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in English. Course content changes from term to term. It is expected that the student will have prior coursework or experience in the subject matter.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): ENG 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ENG 645 - Disability in Literature and Culture
Credits: 4
This course provides students with an in-depth study of how the portrayal of people with disabilities of many kinds - physical, emotional, social, and mental - in literature is reflective of the social and historical context in which it was written. Students apply close textual analysis of the imagery used to describe people with disabilities and evaluate the cultural attitudes this use of language reveals. Students read literature written by both disabled and non-disabled authors and analyze the ways that many stereotypical portrayals of disability undermine the disability community. Questions of how a culture decides what is "normal," how portrayals of the disability experience in literature differ between adults and children, and how the advocacy role is portrayed in literature are also examined. The goal of this course is to discover how literature can challenge our own assumptions about the experience of the disabled by contemplating what ultimately makes us human.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 645G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain the history of the portrayal of disability in fiction and non-fiction in its social and cultural context.
- Compare and contrast literary portrayals of disability and real-life situations.
- Articulate varied experiences of the disabled community through discussion and written responses to specific texts.
- Analyze literary depictions of the disability experience from the perspective of adults, children, and caretakers.
- Evaluate the impact of disability upon individual identity.
- Distinguish the various functions of textual representations of disability, to include therapy, cultural critique, and advocacy.
ENG 675 - Survey of Classic Literature Through Film
Credits: 4
This course explores the interaction between film and literature in order to introduce students to major literary texts and their adaptations through film. Students will have the opportunity to read and analyze a selection of novels, plays, and poetry from major American and British writers. The course invites students to investigate cinematic interpretations of major works, and to position them within their historical and cultural contexts (taking careful consideration of portrayals of race, gender, class, religion, and sexuality). Students will practice analyzing literary text and film, and engage in scholarly and critical research. Additionally, they will use their work over the course of the semester to either create their own research on the topic or develop a lesson plan that incorporates literature and film for K-12 students. Selections of texts and films will represent commonly taught works.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or Has Accred Associate Deg with a score of WAIV or Has Accred Bachelor Deg with a score of WAIV.
Equivalent(s): ENG 636G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify and analyze techniques and motifs of various literary and cinematic genres.
- Explain and apply various literary and cultural theories for interpretation.
- Explore and describe the reciprocal relationships between film, literature, and culture.
- Compose and revise nuanced interpretations of written and visual texts.
- Examine and articulate the influence of gender, race, class, religion, ethnicity, and sexuality when adapting texts for film.
ENG 730 - The Graphic Novel
Credits: 4
This course will explore several different kinds of graphic novellas, memoir, fantasy, social critiques, adaptations, etc. in an effort to understand how writers and illustrators weave words and images together to create meaning in unique ways that transcend traditional genres and harness new modes of expression. The students will have an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and appreciation of graphic novels as they apply critical concepts to their study and produce their own comics. Recommended: ART 401 and CRIT 501.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Prerequisite(s): ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): ENG 630G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Discuss how language and art combine to create meaning.
- Identify the concepts necessary in creating a graphic novel, including the dynamics of sequential art.
- Distinguish different genres of graphic novels.
- Apply quality criteria to the creation and evaluation of graphic novels.
- Explain the history and evolution of the graphic novel, including its influence on popular culture.
- Analyze graphic novels as a medium of communication and a form of literary art.
- Evaluate different interpretations of graphic novels.
- Apply research skills to scholarly works relating to graphic novels, including application to literacy instruction.
History (HIS)
HIS 402 - Great Civilizations
Credits: 4
For thousands of years, humans have created communities that align with certain perceived value systems. From these value systems, great civilizations have been cultivated, developed, and brought into conflict with other cultures. This course examines the rise of civilizations throughout the world, tracing the history of human societies from their beginnings through 1000 C.E. After surveying the prehistoric period and early civilization, the course focuses on the religious, political, and cultural characteristics of key civilizations from around the world. Emphasis will be placed on patterns of civilization, human conflict and interaction, and the development of human thought and expression.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 502G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Recognize key periods in world history according to their geographical and chronological significance.
- Recognize patterns in the development of civilizations across time and regions.
- Analyze the religious, political, scientific, and artistic developments of select world civilizations from pre-history through 1000 C.E., particularly as they relate to cultural interaction, change, expansion, and conflict.
- Explain the significance of cross-cultural exchange and the various circumstances that led to these encounters.
- Compare and contrast cultural value systems related to the civilizations covered in this course.
HIS 410 - United States History to 1865
Credits: 4
This course focuses on the origins and development of issues relevant to Americans today through the examination of the history of the United States from its earliest settlement through the Civil War. Students study themes and events ranging from Native American cultures and their contact with early European settlements, the triumph of British over French and Spanish settlers, the upheavals of the Revolution, the establishment of the United States, its expansion westward, and the development and growth of slavery which culminated in the Civil War. The focus of this class will be making connections between the past and the present day, recognizing historical themes, evaluating areas of conflict, and using evidence-based historical interpretation.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 510G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Interpret key historical themes, events, and individuals in early American history according to the context in which they occurred or flourished.
- Explicate major historical themes of the 16th and 17th centuries that relate to the convergence of European, African, and Native American people, cultures, and religions.
- Explicate major historical themes of the 18th century before the American Revolution that relate to the formation of the United States of America.
- Explicate major historical themes from the Revolution to the Civil War that relate to the formation of American identity, economic development, concepts of democracy and freedom, and politics.
- Describe how historical events and the varying perspectives of a diverse American population shaped concepts of national identity.
HIS 411 - United States History: 1865 to the Present
Credits: 4
This course addresses the characteristics of contemporary American society as a product of major developments, policies, conflicts, and legislation that occurred from 1865 to the present. Major topics include: reconstruction after the Civil War, industrialization and its consequences, themes and patterns of American foreign policy, the Progressive era and the New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, America's role in the era of globalism, and domestic and foreign policy developments since World War II. Students will have the opportunity to use primary and secondary sources to explore multiple perspectives and interpretations of this period in history.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 511G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Interpret key historical themes, events, and actions of individuals in American history from the Civil War to the present according to the context in which they occurred or flourished.
- Explicate major historical themes of the 19th century, including Reconstruction, industrialization, western migration, and the emergence of the United States of America as a world power.
- Explicate major historical themes of the 20th century especially those that relate to foreign relations, social change, and technological innovation.
- Describe how historical events and the varying perspectives of a diverse American population shaped the interpretation of national identity and purpose.
- Recognize how modern culture, politics, and society are related and connected to historical trends, movements, and events.
- Evaluate both primary and secondary sources to support evidence-based, analytical writing.
HIS 512 - European History: Renaissance through the Industrial Revolution
Credits: 4
This course provides students the opportunity to engage in critical discussions about the foundations of modern western society according to key cultural, religious, and political changes associated with the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the emergence of the modern state. It also examines developments in the sciences, western philosophy, and revolutionary politics in theory and practice, through the nineteenth century, drawing connections between the past and the present day.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 512G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate connections between past historical events and trends that contributed to the formation of modern western society.
- Identify and evaluate the historical struggles that produced the modern concepts of the individual, the state, science, and politics.
- Recognize and summarize key themes and concepts in European history according to methods of historical analysis and writing.
- Examine the cycles of intellectual and political thought and their contributions to history.
- Analyze the causes and consequences of the age of revolutions, industrialization, and colonialism.
- Interpret the interactions between diverse peoples and the meaning of their experiences throughout different regions and time periods.
- Evaluate primary and secondary sources to support evidence-based, analytical writing.
HIS 590 - Historical Methods
Credits: 4
In this course, students develop and employ historical methodology appropriate to the study of events, figures, periods, and cultures of the past. Building on General Education coursework in thinking, research, and writing, the course helps to develop a historical mindset through student practice with methods and processes of the historian, in designing viable projects to explore further, and in substantive written work. The course frames key questions and concepts in the discipline and prepares students for upper-level courses in the major.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-) and (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): HIS 610G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Discuss key concepts in the field of history.
- Develop research questions framed by an understanding of these concepts.
- Employ historical methods to research events, figures, and cultures of the past.
- Differentiate among approaches to history.
- Explore primary and secondary sources, reading them critically.
- Articulate challenges of studying the past.
- Synthesize and organize research findings.
- Write effectively, including proposals, literature reviews, and substantive analyses.
- Practice effectively constructing an argument in dialogue with sources, citing in keeping with the norms of the academic discipline.
HIS 602 - History of New England
Credits: 4
The course is a survey of New England's history spanning a time period from the late 1600's to the present. Students will assess New England's role in the economic, political, and military history of our nation. In addition, there is a focus on local New England communities and the important historical events and forces that contributed to their development.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): HIS 602G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Analyze how human societies, natural landscapes, broad national and international contexts, and major events have shaped and reshaped the region over the past 400 years.
- Assess the factors that contributed to the patterns of change in New England over the past 400 years and how these changes have impacted New England's relationship with other regions of the United States.
- Distinguish between the diverse populations in New England and evaluate the history of cultural interactions and conflict among them.
- Evaluate historical developments, themes, and topics related to contemporary regional developments and issues.
- Demonstrate research skills using primary and secondary sources and apply discipline methodology to successfully complete historical inquiry.
HIS 611 - Themes in World History
Credits: 4
This course examines the political, social, economic, and cultural forces that shaped the development of world civilizations from 1000 CE to the present. The focus of study will move beyond basic geography and historic timelines to ask questions about cultural interactions, conflict, and the varying forces that impacted world history, as well as to evaluate interpretations of the past. Using both primary and secondary sources, students will critically examine connections and patterns of history with a particular focus on globalism, multiculturalism, nationalism, and religious conflict throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): HIS 611G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain the historical significance of major political, economic, social, and cultural forces in world history over the past millennium.
- Analyze the political, economic, social, and cultural forces in world history with regard to their interrelationship and interdependence over time, and their relative impact on the development of the world.
- Chart the progression of world societies relative to their degree of participation in globalism, multiculturalism, nationalism, and religious conflict.
- Evaluate the central historical processes that have confronted the world in the past millennium and how those processes continue to shape and influence the world today.
- Demonstrate critical, independent thinking through analysis of historical events, perspectives, and concepts and communicate findings according to standards of historical research.
HIS 718 - History of World War II
Credits: 4
This course explores the causes and consequences of the Second World War from a global perspective. It explores the rise of nationalism and totalitarianism and the impact of colonialism. The course explores the causes of WWI and its aftermath, moves through the decade of the 20's to the Depression and the rise of fascism, to the onset of the war in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific, and finally to the peace agreements and their effect on the future of the world. In particular it looks at industrial, agricultural, and democratic developments and their impact on the war. Military mobilization, gender, race, notions of "the good war," and cultural conflict will also be studied.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc); Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 618G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Examine the causes of WWII and the historical context of the global conflict.
- Identify key figures and events that impacted the evolution and outcome of the conflict.
- Evaluate the military strategies, alliances, decisions, and propaganda that affected the evolution and outcome of the war on all fronts.
- Assess the lived experience of WWII from multiple, often conflicting, perspectives through examination and evaluation of primary sources.
- Demonstrate critical, independent thinking through analysis of historical events, perspectives, and concepts and communicate that analysis through a presentation of historical research.
HIS 727 - Vietnam War: An Historical Perspective
Credits: 4
Students will have the opportunity to examine three decades of struggle in Southeast Asia beginning with the history of French Colonial Indochina that led Communist Vietnamese revolutionaries into conflict with France, and then the United States and its Vietnamese allies. The course presents primary sources to examine the impact and significance of the war on American society and to evaluate its causes and consequences. The complexities of the lived human experiences before, during, and after the Vietnam War are studied according to a multitude of perspectives and interpretations.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HIS 627G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Summarize Vietnamese history and culture relevant to the factors that contributed to and were affected by conflict with foreign powers.
- Explicate the causes of conflict between Vietnamese leaders and U.S. and European powers.
- Appraise the war's long-term effects on the U.S. in areas such as foreign policy, politics, and internal social change.
- Evaluate the Vietnam War within the context of twentieth century native and foreign colonial conflict.
- Objectively examine the war and public memory by critically evaluating primary and secondary sources, acknowledging their multiple, often conflicting, perspectives.
- Conduct historical research using disciplinary methods and impeccable documentation.
HIS 795 - Integrative Capstone: Internship in History
Credits: 4
This capstone course is a field-based internship designed to develop and hone the practical application skills of a History major. The course requires students to integrate the knowledge and skills gained from other courses in the program and to demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge to new subject matter and practical situations. Students apply for an internship at a self-selected site and negotiate the terms of the internship experience with a site supervisor under the auspices of their faculty mentor. The internship requires documented evidence of eighty hours of supervised experience and practice in a field setting where history-related knowledge and skills are applied. Students will complete a substantial, evidence- based research paper or project related to their internship work. NOTE: Registration for this course, an internship, is by permission of Academic Affairs. Early registration deadlines may apply. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (IDIS 601 with a minimum grade of D- or IDIS 601G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): HIS 651G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Acquire and complete an in-depth supervised experience in a field setting that is related to a student's history major, chosen career path, and/or area of interest.
- Integrate and apply their historical knowledge, skills, and methods to a specific field setting, client population, or service clientele.
- Demonstrate professionalism and standards of ethics while working in a field setting.
- Assess the scholarship of prior historians and scholars within a subfield of history related to the student’s field experience.
- Synthesize diverse information to reveal patterns, connections, and/or comparisons.
- Produce a substantial, evidence-based research paper or equivalent project using discipline-specific writing and citation conventions.
HIS 797 - Integrative: Project in History
Credits: 4
This capstone course for History majors is designed to integrate learning from the entire major in an individually-customized project. Students demonstrate competency in history by producing an assessment of prior historical study (historiography) and a substantive original essay based on in-depth research. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (IDIS 601 with a minimum grade of D- or IDIS 601G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): HIS 660G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of historical events and perspectives, along with their significance, on a chosen historical topic.
- Conduct thorough research by employing historical methodology to locate and evaluate a variety of sources and perspectives.
- Synthesize diverse information to reveal patterns, connections, and/or comparisons.
- Assess the scholarship of prior historians and scholars within a subfield of history. 5, Produce a substantial, evidence-based research paper or equivalent project using discipline-specific writing and citation conventions.
Humanities (HUMN)
HUMN 470 - World Religions
Credits: 4
This course offers a comparative study of world religions. The focus of the course is to acquire a broad overview of world religions through an examination of sacred texts, art and iconography, as well as religious experience and practice. Theological, philosophical and cultural influences are considered as religious language is examined. Religions considered are: Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, religions of Africa, as well as primal religions.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HUMN 504G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Explain the history, material culture, ethics, and major themes of religions studied.
- Discuss central theological and philosophical issues particular to each religion.
- Identify social and cultural aspects of religious experience.
- Compare and contrast theological and philosophical concepts of comparative religions.
HUMN 480 - Introduction to Ethics
Credits: 4
This course introduces students to a variety of prominent ethical theories. It examines their complex interrelations, historical development, and relevance to ordinary life. Students are encouraged to engage in the critical analysis and comparison of these theories and to consider how they might explain and evaluate contemporary controversies such as war, environmental protection, euthanasia, and abortion. Relationships between ethics and other areas of philosophical investigation are considered.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Equivalent(s): HUMN 505G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify philosophers associated with each of the major philosophical perspectives on ethics.
- Explain the basic tenets of major ethical perspectives including relativism, hedonism, stoicism, utilitarianism, Christian ethics, deontology, and virtue theory.
- Compare and contrast the historical development and interrelations among the various ethical perspectives.
- Analyze how different ethical perspectives can be applied to evaluate contemporary ethical dilemmas.
- Consider modern perspectives like feminist ethics and environmental ethics and multicultural perspectives like Islamic or Buddhist ethics.
- Identify and critically evaluate their own ethical principles in the context of their ordinary experience and personal choices.
HUMN 502 - American Popular Culture
Credits: 4
This course examines the origin, nature, and social impact of popular culture in America. Students explore and define what culture is, beginning with the differences between high culture, or the culture of the elite and intelligentsia, and low culture, or the culture of the masses - particularly as these differences in taste, recreation, art, and leisure activities relate to social and economic class, educational level, political power, health, and human development. Subsequently, the focus is primarily on aspects of popular culture. Students acquire and hone the skills of cultural analysis by dissecting both the ephemeral and archetypal facets of an eclectic and wide-ranging sampling of public media, art, music, fads, trends, and entertainment.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed); Humanities(Disc)
Equivalent(s): HUMN 502G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Examine and define popular culture, particularly in contrast to traditionally identified high culture.
- Acquire and apply the basic vocabulary and concepts of cultural analysis.
- Demonstrate how popular culture both is shaped by and represents cultural values, current events, and social change.
- Analyze in writing various popular culture artifacts, activities, or media in terms of what these phenomena communicate about the values inherent in the culture from which they evolved.
- Participate in constructive dialogue with fellow students about concepts and theories related to American popular culture.
HUMN 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Humanities. Course content changes from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): HUMN 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
HUMN 560 - Introductory Spanish
Credits: 4
This course presents introductory grammar and vocabulary in order to lay the groundwork for comprehension, communication, and interest in Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures. Students develop a basic proficiency in the language through practice in reading, writing, listening comprehension, and oral expression.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): HUMN 560G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Write and speak in Spanish using vocabulary related to their immediate world and other topics of general interest.
- Formulate sentences using Spanish verbs in the present, past, and future tenses.
- Express basic ideas and wishes through speaking in spontaneous situations.
- Explore elements of Spanish-speaking cultures and discuss cultural differences and similarities with other cultures in the United States.
- Gain proficiency in the comprehension of spoken and written Spanish.
HUMN 625 - Introduction to Cultural Theory
Credits: 4
This writing and reading intensive course is a general introduction to the critical perspectives and theories that enliven contemporary cultural studies with attention to various schools of 20th and 21st-century criticism, critical applications, and critical terminology. Theories covered include: Marxism, Psychoanalytic criticism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Feminist literary studies, Gender studies, Queer studies, Critical Race studies, Post-colonialism, New Historicism, Cultural studies, and Postmodernism. More broadly, this course explores current studies of literature and culture, examining the practices and values of literary and cultural scholars, students, and teachers in order to gain an understanding of the tradition and norms that have emerged from those practices and values, and finally, to consider which of those trends are most valuable for future critical endeavors in the field of cultural studies.
Attributes: Human Thought Exp (Gen Ed)
Prerequisite(s): (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D-) and (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): HUMN 625G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Read, interpret, write, and speak about a diverse range of texts, for example: literature, film, digital media, and popular culture.
- Define what theory is and identify a number of theoretical approaches to literary and cultural studies.
- Critically analyze and synthesize texts on the basis of close reading and the application of theoretical frameworks.
- Describe how texts are culturally constructed in time, place, and tradition, as well as how texts inform and reflect aspects of culture and identity, such as: gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationality.
- Determine and articulate what is at stake in choosing one critical or theoretical methodology over another.
HUMN 644 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Humanities. Course content changes from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): HUMN 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
HUMN 797 - Integrative Capstone: Project in Humanities
Credits: 4
This capstone course for Humanities and English majors is designed to integrate learning from the entire program in an individually-customized project. Students demonstrate competency in the study of the humanities by producing a substantive original essay based on in-depth research. Prior to capstone enrollment, students are expected to complete the majority of their required major courses. Students should consult with their advisor regarding specific major courses that may be completed with their capstone. NOTE: Students who were admitted to the college before Fall 2019 and have remained active in their original catalog year are not required to take IDIS 601.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (IDIS 601 with a minimum grade of D- or IDIS 601G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): HUMN 650G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop a humanities-related research question for extended exploration.
- Conduct thorough research on the chosen humanities topic.
- Demonstrate critical analysis of a variety of sources in the field of humanities.
- Write a comprehensive original paper employing advanced skills of exposition, argument, analysis, and synthesis of ideas related to the selected subject of study.
- Employ responsible quotation and citation practices based on impeccable documentation and solid understanding of standard conventions.
Interdisciplinary Studies (IDIS)
IDIS 410 - College Success Seminar
Credits: 2
College Success Seminar provides the foundation for an informed and meaningful college experience. In the seminar, students discover how their individual capacities position them for the attainment of their goals within the academic community of the college. The course broadens understanding of key concepts common to integrative learning within higher education settings, particularly focusing on the ways multiple academic disciplines can improve success in applied careers. It empowers students to become informed users of information as well as engage in research and planning for subsequent courses. Students in this course will consider the ways various learning opportunities relate to one another and to the individual's personal, academic, and career goals. College Seminar fosters the self-awareness and intellectual perspective that are the hallmarks of well-educated persons and lifelong, engaged learners. For students in the AA General Studies program, this course will also guide students in developing their twenty credit academic concentration within the associate degree.
Equivalent(s): IDIS 502G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe the culture, norms, practices, and terminology that characterize integrative learning in higher education, with specific emphasis on learning resources within the college academic community.
- Discuss personal strengths in relation to integrative, college-level learning and identify strategies for overcoming obstacles.
- Identify and use key strategies for finding and using information appropriately in higher education.
- Summarize the key elements of career development and make appropriate use of career planning tools.
- Write clear and precise personal, academic, and career goal statements.
- Develop an appropriate course selection strategy that logically follows from the self-reflection fostered throughout the course.
IDIS 560 - Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
Credits: 4
In this course, students will investigate research methods relevant to the behavioral sciences. Topics will include the scientific method, research ethics, behavioral measurement, experimental and nonexperimental research design, statistical analysis, and scientific writing. Students will apply knowledge of research design, ethics, scientific writing, and APA formatting to propose a viable empirical study to address a practical problem.
Attributes: Social Science (Discovery); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): (ENG 420 with a minimum grade of D- or ENG 500G with a minimum grade of D- or ENGL 401 with a minimum grade of D-) and (CRIT 501 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 501G with a minimum grade of D-) and (MTH 504 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 504G with a minimum grade of D-) and (PSY 410 with a minimum grade of D- or PSY 501G with a minimum grade of D- or SOCI 410 with a minimum grade of D- or SOC 501G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIM 410 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIM 500G with a minimum grade of D- or EDU 510G with a minimum grade of D- or EDC 500 with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): IDIS 501G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts related to research design, measurement, statistical analysis, and the scientific method.
- Reflect on the ethical issues relevant to behavioral research in the context of both historical and current examples.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the requirements for safeguarding human research participants, and specifically the College’s Institutional Review Board process.
- Conduct scholarly research using library resources to locate peer-reviewed sources and incorporate these sources into an applied research proposal.
- Identify and critically evaluate the research methods used in the empirical research relevant to a specific topic.
- Develop skills in scientific writing, American Psychological Association (APA) formatting, and effective communication.
- Connect behavioral research concepts to everyday events and personal experiences.
- Generate a project on a chosen topic (related to the behavioral sciences) that reviews the relevant literature and proposes a viable empirical study to address a practical issue.
IDIS 601 - Interdisciplinary Seminar
Credits: 4
Many problems in today's society are complex with no simple method of solving them. It is therefore imperative for civic-minded people to explore issues from multiple viewpoints and frameworks. The course analyzes specific themes as they relate to local or global communities while encouraging civil discourse among classmates. The seminar's specific topic varies by individual course section. Students approach a contemporary issue or problem and explore its causes and significance. Students are asked to use advanced problem-solving skills and methodologies to reflect on the topic, discuss possible approaches with peers, and investigate solutions using interdisciplinary research and analysis. The final product for this course contains a presentational component.
Attributes: Interdisciplinary Sem (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ((COM 460 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 542G with a minimum grade of D-) and (COM 480 with a minimum grade of D- or COMM 543G with a minimum grade of D-) and (MTH 402 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 502G with a minimum grade of D- or MTH 504 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 504G with a minimum grade of D- or MATH at GSC or in transfer with a score of MET) and (CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-)) or Has Accred Bachelor Deg with a score of WAIV or ((CRIT 602 with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 602G with a minimum grade of D- or CRIT 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and Has Accred Associate Deg with a score of WAIV).
Equivalent(s): IDIS 601G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Use interdisciplinary knowledge to connect and analyze information on a specific topic from multiple perspectives and cultural frameworks.
- Construct a problem statement with evidence of the most relevant contextual factors, identify multiple approaches for solving complex problems, and evaluate solutions within their historical, cultural, geographic, or political climate.
- Utilize current information resources to conduct research, synthesize material, and present findings.
- Ethically and respectfully engage in civil discourse concerning complex, real-world issues.
- Integrate academic work with community engagement, producing a tangible product (for example: piece of legislation or policy, management survey, research paper, grant proposal, informational webinar on proposed solutions, module lesson plan, or community project) and responding to community needs and assets throughout the process.
- Identify and reflect on the relationship between learning in this course and future academic goals (especially Integrative Capstone planning) or professional practice.
Mathematics (MTH)
MTH 402 - Math for Our World
Credits: 4
This course takes an integrated approach to the study of mathematics, combining mathematical concepts with applications in the real world. It addresses topics in mathematics necessary in a college education, providing the reasoning strategies needed for mathematical problem solving in the workplace, the media, and everyday life. The course serves as the foundation for higher-level math courses and provides the quantitative skills necessary to be adequately prepared for coursework in other academic areas. The overarching goal is to learn to interpret quantitative and statistical information that we encounter daily. Students will understand how real-world problems can be analyzed using the power and rigor of mathematical and statistical models. Topics include: problem solving, math of finance, geometry, basic probability, and beginning statistical concepts with an emphasis on real world applications and interpreting information. The use of Excel will be incorporated into the topics of this course. Acceptable scores on Accuplacer Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra Accuplacer Classic or Next Generation Accuplacer assessments; or approved exemption based on previous high school transcripts: a grade of C or better in both Algebra and Geometry taken within the last five years; or SAT Math score of 500+ or ACT Math score of 18+ taken within five years of registration; or successful completion of the ALEKS Program Math Tutorial as determined by the college's math faculty required. Accuplacer or ALEKS assessments should be completed within five years of registering for course.
Attributes: Mathematics (Gen Ed); Quantitative Reasoning(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): (Classic Arithmetic Accuplacer with a score of 080 and CL Elem Algebra - Accuplacer with a score of 036) or (Arithmetic Accuplacer-Next Gen with a score of 263 and Quant,Alg,Stats Accp-Next Gen with a score of 237) or C MATH 405/or taken elsewhere with a score of WAIV or SAT Math with a score of 500 or ACT Reading with a score of 18 or GSC Math Workshop Completed with a score of WAIV.
Equivalent(s): MATH 502G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Select appropriate approaches and methods, such as logic, set theory, estimation, and proportional reasoning, to solve problems.
- Assess reasonableness of answers, identify alternatives, and select the best solutions.
- Extract quantitative data for a given situation from different types of mathematical models.
- Translate word problems into their symbolic representations.
- Use mathematical modeling to solve application problems symbolically, numerically, and graphically.
- Use probability to make inferences and informed decisions.
- Organize data and make predictions about real-world situations using statistical methods and models.
MTH 504 - Statistics
Credits: 4
This course addresses introductory statistical concepts, methods, and procedures important for making well-informed decisions in real world settings. It provides students with both theoretical principles and practical skills in statistics. Topics include an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically sampling, measurements of central tendency and dispersion, frequency distributions, graphing techniques, probability theory, hypothesis testing, normal distribution, regression and correlation, t-tests, and analysis of variance. An acceptable score on the Classic or Next Generation Accuplacer arithmetic and elementary algebra assessment. Accuplacer assessments should be completed within five years of registering for course. NOTE: Excel proficiency is expected prior to enrollment in this course.
Attributes: Mathematics (Gen Ed); Quantitative Reasoning(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): MTH 402 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 502G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 504G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Recognize the use of best practices in design of experiments including sampling procedures, and data collection methods in real world situations.
- Interpret basic data visualization techniques, such as frequency distributions, bar charts, histograms, boxplots, scatterplots, and time series.
- Solve basic problems based on and describe the intended use for measurements of central tendency and dispersion including means, medians and modes; and variance, standard deviations, z-scores, and percentiles.
- Apply basic probability rules and characteristics of discrete and continuous probability distributions to solve and interpret real-world problems.
- Explain concepts used to arrive at a hypothesis for real-world situations and test its validity.
- Discuss current ethical standards that pertain to the use of statistical methods, data, and research results in modern day.
MTH 510 - Pre-Calculus
Credits: 4
This course is intended as a bridge course between algebra and calculus. The course focuses on strengthening the student's mathematical problem solving skills and developing a firm understanding of functions, their graphical representation, their behavior, and their use to model real-life situations. Various classes of functions will be highlighted: polynomials, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric. Topics may also include: algebraic concepts, real number system, systems of equations and inequalities, complex numbers, and polar coordinates. An acceptable score on the Classic or Next Generation Accuplacer assessment(s) is accepted prior to taking this course. Accuplacer assessments should be completed within five years of registering for course. A graphing calculator is required.
Attributes: Mathematics (Gen Ed); Quantitative Reasoning(Disc)
Prerequisite(s): MTH 402 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 502G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 510G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define a function verbally, numerically, visually, and algebraically as well as define and find its domain and range.
- Perform operations on functions such as: addition, multiplication, division, composition, and finding inverse functions.
- Graph and specify the algebraic characteristics of polynomial, rational, radical, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions, both by hand and by graphing calculators.
- Identify the characteristics of the conic sections, both graphically and algebraically.
- Manipulate and evaluate algebraic, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions.
- Employ mathematical modeling techniques to solve problems using polynomial, rational, radical, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions.
- Solve problems involving the intermediate value theorem, the division algorithm of polynomials, the remainder theorem, the factor theorem, and zeros of a polynomial.
- Solve problems involving systems of equations and inequalities in two unknowns.
- Interpret and define the six trigonometric functions, in terms of both right triangles and the unit circle.
- Graph trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, with and without the aid of a graphing calculator.
- Verify and apply trigonometric identities and formulas and apply them to solve trigonometric equations and word problems.
- Gain skill in the use of polar coordinates, specifically perform conversions between polar and Cartesian coordinates and sketch graphs of polar curves in both Cartesian and polar coordinates both by hand and using technology.
MTH 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topic in mathematics. Course content will change from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): MATH 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
MTH 701 - Probability and Statistics
Credits: 4
In this course students study topics in data analysis including: descriptive and inferential statistics, probability, odds and fair games, probability distributions, normal distributions, and estimation. Among the topics are numerical and graphical summaries for one and two variables, linear regression and correlation, confidence intervals and tests concerning means, sampling and experimentation, basic probability, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, sampling distributions, two-sample t-tests for means, chi-squared tests, regress and correlation, and possible other topics. A standards statistical software package is used throughout the course to support the course format that includes: hands-on activities, computer-based simulations, creating and implementing student developed investigations, and actual secondary and middle school mathematics classroom activities. Throughout the course students are given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studied in this course to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 402 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 502G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 603G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 439, MATH 539, MATH 623.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Design investigations, collect data, display data in a variety of ways, and interpret data representations including bivariate data, conditional probability, and geometric probability.
- Use appropriate methods to estimate population characteristics, test conjectured relationships among variables, and analyze data.
- Use appropriate statistical methods and technology to analyze data and describe shape, spread, and center.
- Use both descriptive statistics to analyze data, make predictions, test hypotheses, and make decisions.
- Draw conclusions involving uncertainty by using hands-on and computer-based simulations.
- Apply probability concepts in identifying odds, fair games, mathematical expectation, and invalid conclusions.
- Judge the validity of a statistical argument, including evaluating the sample from which the statistics were developed and identify misuses of statistics.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of probability and statistics.
- Determine and compare experimental, theoretical, and conditional probabilities.
- Use statistical models to explore the connections between statistics and probability including correlation, regression, and analysis of variance. (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (7.a-j) ; Standard ~ 612017 NH (7.a-j))
MTH 702 - Mathematical Proof
Credits: 4
This course introduces students to the language and methods used to create and write mathematical proofs and solve problems. Methods of proof will include: direct, contrapositive, contradiction, and induction. Methods of problem solving will be based on Polya's four steps for problem solving. Students will learn about and utilize the many functions of proof including: verification, explanation, communication, discovery, justification, and inquiry. The course will also explore the relationship between problem solving and the process of proving. Students will explore fundamental abstract concepts in mathematics chosen from the following areas: functions and relations, set theory, number theory, and logic, Euclidian and non-Euclidian geometry, algebra, mathematical reasoning, proof, and problem solving. Connections to middle and secondary school mathematics.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 510 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 510G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 600G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Use problem solving to investigate and understand increasingly complex mathematical content, including, but not limited to the ability to use problem-solving to develop ones own mathematical knowledge, reflect upon solutions and the problem-solving process, as well as refine strategies as needed.
- Use mathematical proof, including, but not limited to, the ability to develop and evaluate mathematical conjectures, to construct and evaluate proofs and logical arguments to verify conjectures, to select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof, and to demonstrate the capacity to articulate an understanding of how reasoning and proof are integral components of mathematics.
MTH 703 - Number Systems
Credits: 4
This course examines the structure and properties of mathematics while focusing on the development of mental mathematics strategies and problem solving skills. Topics include sets, functions, applications of rational numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, percentages, and number theory. Appropriate grade level techniques are utilized to investigate algorithms, probability and statistics, counting techniques, scientific notation, complex numbers, exponents, geometry, and measurement. Students will also investigate ratios, proportion, data analysis, patterns, and the connections to algebra and geometry topics in the context of the 5-12 grades mathematics curriculum.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 510 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 510G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 601G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 621.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a capacity to use models to explore certain relationships, including magnitude, among fractions, decimals, percents, rations, and proportions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of number and number systems.
- Apply, explain, and justify concepts in number and number theory.
- Demonstrate computational proficiency and fluency, including the use of a variety of algorithms, estimation strategies, and mental mathematics techniques to judge the reasonableness of answers or approximate solutions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of concepts and applications of limits and infinity.
- Demonstrate a capacity to apply the concepts of proportional reasoning.
- Demonstrate a capacity to make sense of large and small numbers and use scientific notation in mathematical and scientific modeling.
MTH 704 - Geometric Structures
Credits: 4
This course will examine concepts in Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. Course topics include area and volume, two- and three-dimensional perspective, congruence and similarity, properties of and relationships among geometric shapes and structures. Students will investigate graphing, vectors, motion, and symmetry. Students engage in course concepts through proofs, problem solving, dynamic geometric software, and through activities used in secondary and middle school mathematics. Throughout the course students will be given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studied to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 510 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 510G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 602G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Build and manipulate representations of 2 and 3 dimensional objects and perceive an object from different perspectives.
- Analyze properties of and relationships among geometric shapes and structures.
- Apply transformations with connections to congruency and similarity.
- Demonstrate knowledge of non-Euclidean geometries and the historical development of the various geometries.
- Connect the ideas of algebra and geometry through the use of coordinate geometry, graphing, vectors, and motion geometry.
- Recognize measurement attributes and their effect on the choice of appropriate tools and units.
- Apply strategies, techniques, tools and formulas to determine measurements and their application in a variety of contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of measurement and measurement systems.
- Employ estimation as a way of understanding measurement processes and units.
- Complete error analysis through determination of the reliability of numbers obtained from measurement.
- Understand and apply measurement conversion strategies.
- Apply geometric ideas and tools relating to the Pythagorean theorem, similar triangles, and trigonometry to solve problems.
- Use constructions, models, and dynamic geometric software to explore geometric relationships.
- Derive and explain formulas found in Euclidean geometry.
- Construct proofs using the axioms of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries.
MTH 705 - Calculus I
Credits: 4
This course is the first semester of a calculus sequence dealing with applications and modeling of the differential and integral calculus. The course focuses on functions and their graphs, limits, continuity, differentiation, integration, the derivative and its uses in optimization and mathematical modeling, as well as the Fundamental Theorem. Throughout the course students are given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studied to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching. Graphing calculators are used throughout the course to explore and represent concepts.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 510 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 510G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 606G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 425, MATH 426.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Use mathematical modeling and the concepts of calculus to represent and solve problems from real-world contexts.
- Use technology to explore and represent fundamental concepts of calculus.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of calculus.
- Understand and describe the connection of calculus to middle and high school mathematics topics.
- Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of and procedural facility with basic calculus concepts including limits, continuity, differentiation, and integration. (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (8.a-e) ; Standard ~ 612.17 NH (8.a-e).
MTH 706 - History of Mathematics
Credits: 4
This course addresses the historical development of major themes in mathematics, including calculation, numbers, geometry, algebra, infinity, and formalism in various civilizations ranging from the antiquity of Babylonia and Egypt through classical Greece, the Middle and Far East, and on to modern Europe. The course emphasizes how earlier civilizations influenced or failed to influence later ones and how the concepts evolved in these various civilizations.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 705 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 606G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 608G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 790.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Develop and strengthen their conceptual knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus through the study of why and how these concepts developed.
- Analyze how the development of mathematical concepts in different cultures influenced the development of those cultures and our present culture.
- Explore the influence of the development of mathematical concepts on other disciplines.
- Follow the development of mathematics from early number systems to the invention of calculus.
- Research historical questions and applications and present conclusions to others.
MTH 707 - Calculus II
Credits: 4
This course is the second semester of a calculus sequence dealing with applications of differential and multivariable calculus. Topics include the calculus of transcendental functions, applications of integration, some differential equations, sequences and series, differentiation and integration of trigonometric functions multidimensional calculus with applications, and an introduction to multivariable calculus. Throughout the course students are given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studies to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching. Graphing calculators are used throughout the course to explore and represent concepts.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 705 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 606G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 607G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 426, MATH 527, MATH 528.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts of multivariable calculus. (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (8.f)
MTH 708 - Discrete Mathematics
Credits: 4
This course is designed to introduce students to discrete and abstract mathematical topics. Topics include propositional and predicate logic; elementary set theory; introduction to proof techniques including mathematical induction; sets, relations, functions, and relations; recurrence relations, graph theory, as well as the properties of groups, rings, and fields. Students study number systems, mathematical induction, algorithms and complex number systems, matrix manipulation, combinatorics, graph theory, and finite differences. Course activities are based on secondary and middle school mathematics curricula. This course considers the basic objects of mathematics through real-world examples and the methods used to elucidate their properties.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 705 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 606G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 605G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- In the subject area of discrete mathematics, the candidate shall have the ability to: (a) Apply the fundamental ideas of discrete mathematics in the formulation and solution of problems arising from real-world situations (b) Use technology to solve problems involving the use of discrete structures
- In the subject area of discrete mathematics, the candidate shall demonstrate knowledge of: (a) Historical development of discrete mathematics (b) Basic elements of discrete mathematics, including but not limited to: (i) Graph theory (ii) Propositional logic (iii) Mathematical induction (iv) Recurrence relations (v) Finite differences (vi) Linear programming (vii) Combinatorics (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (9.a-b) ; Standard ~ 612.17 NH (9.a-b)
MTH 709 - Linear Algebra
Credits: 4
This course examines concepts in algebra including: patterns and functions, arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences, arithmetic and algebra of the integers, least common multiple and greater common divisor, inequalities, modular arithmetic and systems of numbers, properties of groups and fields, the field of complex numbers, polynomial arithmetic and algebra, linear equations. The course develops the mathematical structures, algebraic properties, and applications of matrices, determinants, vectors, vector spaces, systems of linear equations, and linear transformations. Students engage with these concepts through exploration, analysis, proof, and problem solving based on activities used in secondary and middle school mathematics. Throughout the course students are given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studied to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 707 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 607G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): MATH 604G
Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken MATH 545.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a capacity to use physical materials and models to explore and explain the operations and properties of real and complex numbers with extensions to matrices and vectors.
- Identify and illustrate the mathematics underlying the theory of groups, rings, fields, and the relationships among them.
- Demonstrate a capacity to apply concepts of integer and rational exponents through modeling and applications. (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (4.h-j))
- Explain the distinctions among real numbers and their subsets with connection to field axioms.
- Demonstrate a capacity to apply the concepts of exponents, including integer and rational, through modeling and applications. (Standard ~ 612.17 NH (4.h-l))
- Model and analyze change and rates of change in various contexts.
- Use mathematical models to understand, represent, and communicate quantitative relationships, including, but not limited to equality, equations, inequalities, and proportional relationships.
- Explore, analyze, and generalize a wide variety of patterns and functions using multiple representations including tables, graphs, written word, and symbolic rules.
- Represent information to solve problems using matrices.
- Using graphing utilities and other technological tools to represent, explain, and explore algebraic ideas including functions, equations, and expressions
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of algebra.
- Generalize patterns and functions using recursive and explicit representations.
- Articulate the meaning of functions and their inverse relationships, both formally and informally, with the use of concrete materials and graphing utilities
- Understand and compare the properties of classes of functions and their inverses, including exponential, polynomial, rational, step, absolute value, root, logarithmic, and periodic, including trigonometric.
- Understand and apply major concepts of: a. Linear algebra, including vector spaces and matrices; and b. Abstract algebra, including groups, rings, and fields
- Connect major concepts of linear and abstract algebra to the complex number system and other mathematical structures.
- Understand, identify, and apply arithmetic and geometric sequences, including partial sums of infinite arithmetic and geometric sequences, with connections to linear and exponential functions. (Standard ~ 612.18 NH (6.a-l) ; Standard ~ 612.17 NH (6.a-l)
MTH 710 - Algebra Theory for Middle School Teachers
Credits: 4
This course will examine concepts in algebra including patterns and functions, arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences, arithmetic and algebra of the integers, least common multiple and greatest common divisor, inequalities, modular arithmetic and systems of numbers, basic properties of groups and fields, and polynomial arithmetic and algebra. This course will develop mathematical structures, algebraic properties, and applications of matrices. Students will engage with these concepts through exploration, analysis, proof, and problem solving based on activities used in middle school mathematics. Throughout the course students will be given opportunities to relate the mathematical concepts studied to the mathematical concepts they will be teaching.
Prerequisite(s): (MTH 402 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 502G with a minimum grade of D-) and (MTH 705 with a minimum grade of D- or MATH 606G with a minimum grade of D-).
Equivalent(s): MATH 609G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a capacity to use physical materials and models to explore and explain the operations and properties of real and complex numbers with extensions to matrices and vectors. (a) Represent, use, and apply introductory concepts and properties of complex numbers. (b) Identify and illustrate the mathematics that underlies the procedures used for operations involving real numbers and their subsets. (c) explain the distinctions among real numbers and their subsets with connection to field axioms. (d) Demonstrate a capacity to apply the concepts of exponents, including integer and rational, through modeling and applications. (e) Connect the ideas of algebra and geometry through the use of coordinate geometry, graphing, vectors, and motion geometry. (f) Model and analyze change and rates of change in various contexts. (g) use mathematical models to understand, Represent, and communicate quantitative relationships, including, but not limited to equality, equations, inequalities, and proportional relationships. (h) explore, analyze, and generalize a wide variety of patterns and functions using multiple representations including tables, graphs, written word, and symbolic rules. (i) Represent information and solve problems using matrices. (j) use graphing utilities and other technological tools to Represent, explain, and explore algebraic ideas including functions, equations, and expressions (k) Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of algebra (l) generalize patterns and functions using recursive and explicit representations (m) understand, Identify, and apply arithmetic and geometric sequences (n) Articulate the meaning of functions and their inverse relationships, both formally and informally, with the use of concrete materials and graphing utilities (o) understand and compare the properties of classes of functions and their inverses, including exponential, polynomial, rational, step, absolute value, root, logarithmic, and periodic, including trigonometric (p) Represent and analyze group and field properties of real numbers and other mathematical structures
MTH 744 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in mathematics. Course content will change from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): MATH 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Political Science (POL)
POL 450 - American Government and Politics
Credits: 4
This course introduces the learner to the historical background, the institutions, and the political processes within the United States national government. The focus is on process, but the appropriate attention is given to the institutions of government in which the political processes occur, such as Congress, the courts, and local governments. The course employs a systems model of politics to identify how politics works in the United States. Both process and institutions are studied from a systems perspective so that critical functions and decision points can be identified, described, and assessed. Specific attention will be paid to the legislative process, elections, and enacting change.
Attributes: HumanBehavSocial Sys (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): POL 550G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe the historical and philosophical premises underlying the constitutional basis of American politics and government.
- Describe and analyze the purpose of separation of powers and checks and balances.
- Explain how federalism accommodates the politics of states and a continental nation.
- Identify the essential values contained in the Bill of Rights and their relationship to personal liberty and civil rights in constitutional government.
- Describe the electoral processes for staffing public offices from local to national positions.
- Explain and assess the role of interest groups and public opinion in elections and in national policy-making.
- Identify current issues related to domestic and foreign policy and discuss how policy is shaped and implemented.
POL 554 - Law and Society
Credits: 4
This course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary approach to study of the law, incorporating history, philosophy, economics, political science, sociology, and psychology. Students are introduced to law in society by focusing on social and legal theory analysis from a critical perspective. Beginning with a historical overview of the law, learners explore the variety of forces that shape the law as well as its impact on society at large. In addition, the course provides a basic introduction to legal reasoning and the law in the context of society. Landmark United States Supreme Court criminal and civil cases will also be examined.
Attributes: HumanBehavSocial Sys (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): POL 554G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe the history and development of modern law.
- Discuss the need for the social contract: lost freedoms in exchange for governmental protection.
- Analyze the interrelationship between law and society and the impact of social change on legislation.
- Explore the Bill of Rights, the relativity of constitutional rights, and the balancing of the government's interests against individual rights.
- Outline the organization and structure of the law including U.S. federal and state governments, courts and administrative agencies.
- Analyze the effects of such categories as gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status, and religion on law and litigation.
- Describe the law-making process and the forces that influence law-making.
- Compare and contrast three primary functions of law: dispute resolution, social control, and social change.
POL 690 - The US in World Affairs
Credits: 4
This course examines U.S. foreign relations since WWII with a particular focus on the late twentieth century through modern day. Students will explore patterns of U.S. policy in a volatile environment marked by fundamental changes to the international system of states since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Students trace the transformation in international relations that has led to the creation of world trade and globalized institutions, the proliferation of regional ethnic and religious conflicts, and most challenging of all, the emergence of transnational terrorism. Students will have the opportunity to analyze the international system and relevant political theories, develop competence in defining both transient and enduring national interests, and build confidence in appraising the policy responses of national actors to those challenges.
Attributes: HumanBehavSocial Sys (Gen Ed); Historical Perspectives(Disc); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): POL 600G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Describe the theories that define international relations as a discipline.
- Identify and describe how key actors influence U.S. policy development.
- Analyze how foreign policy is shaped by considerations of competing and conflicting interests: past, present, and future.
- Distinguish the enduring as well as transient national interests that U.S. foreign policy leaders must address, showing how different theoretical frames for defining interests shape policy alternatives.
- Explain the influence of outside forces, such as international political events, military developments, economic cycles, and social movements, that affect U.S. foreign relations and policy development.
- Assess the challenges to the stability of the international system from a U.S. foreign policy perspective.
- Demonstrate critical, independent thinking through analysis of events, perspectives, and concepts and communicate these findings according to standards of the discipline.
Science (SCI)
SCI 412 - Introduction to Astronomy
Credits: 4
Through a variety of activities, this course provides the student with a basic background in astronomy which enhances appreciation of the universe and the technology used in our attempt to understand it. This course exposes the student to the real, measurable, and verifiable connections that exist between the universe and life on Earth. Readings, observations, discussions, and other activities will explicate that what goes on out there can and does have a real and measurable influence on what happens down here.
Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 512G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method to the study of astronomy.
- Discuss the scale for the solar system, our galaxy, and the universe as a whole, including factors such as distance, age, and structure in the universe.
- Observe the universe through field experience(s) in astronomy.
- Define key terms as used in astronomy including latitude and longitude; reference points and ranges; the Astronomical Unit; the light year; and the parsec.
- Summarize the contributions of key astronomers, theorists, and explorations.
- Explain astronomical processes, concepts, classification systems, and theories relevant to the study of space.
- Discuss the probability for life elsewhere in the solar system, in the galaxy, and in the universe.
- Articulate how the fundamental forces of the universe play a role in its expansion.
SCI 470 - Physical Geography
Credits: 4
Physical Geography is the study of planet Earth. In this course, students examine the nature of the Earth's six spheres: the atmosphere (the layer of gases); hydrosphere (the water in oceans, streams, lakes, etc.); cryosphere (the ice in glaciers); geosphere (the solid earth), biosphere (life); and anthrosphere (humans and human activities). By investigating the processes operating within each sphere and how these spheres interact with each other to shape all aspects of our planet, students gain an understanding of how the Earth works and how landscape features have formed.
Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 518G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method to the study of physical geography.
- Summarize key theories and employ appropriate terminology in the study of physical geography.
- Describe the nature of the six spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere) and explain the processes within each sphere.
- Observe, record, and discuss the interactions between some of the six spheres.
- Utilize a variety of maps, data, and/or case studies to access information about the world.
- Analyze a variety of human activities (anthrosphere) which, either intentionally or unintentionally, affect the other sphere and assess the impact of human activity on the world around us.
SCI 480 - Introduction to Oceanography
Credits: 4
This course examines the ocean, including the processes that control its major features, the life within it, and its impact on earth processes. An ecological approach is used to integrate the geological, biological, chemical, and physical aspects of oceanography. Special emphasis is placed on the coastal environment.
Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 520G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method and interdisciplinary lenses to the study of oceanography.
- Explore the four main disciplines of oceanography: marine biology, marine chemistry, marine geology, and physical oceanography.
- Discuss primary theories related to the ocean’s origins and plate tectonics, as well as relevant ocean explorations.
- Explain the general characteristics and features of the oceans, including each of the three major zones of the continental margin, shorelines, marine sediments, and thermohaline circulation.
- Explore current issues and case studies related to the oceans, shoreline, and the marine environment.
SCI 490 - Human Biology
Credits: 4
This course is an introductory study of anatomy and physiology that provides a foundation in biological science and the structure and function of the human body. Topics explored include cellular biology and molecular composition, tissues, organs, and how the human body systems perform and adapt. The building of a relevant vocabulary and a foundation of facts and concepts provides the background needed for further understanding of developments in bioscience and biomedicine.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 505G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply scientific reasoning to evaluate a biological problem.
- Describe basic concepts of cell biology and how they relate to normal and abnormal function.
- Explain the function and structure of a human body system.
- Identify how the human body responds to internal and external stress.
- Explain the basic concepts in biochemistry and how they are related to normal and abnormal aspects of life.
- Describe biological changes that occur over the human lifespan.
- Evaluate inherent and genetic disease risk.
SCI 502 - Nutrition and Health
Credits: 4
This course provides the student with a foundation in the science of human nutrition and metabolism. The research supporting direct and indirect links between nutrition and disease is introduced. Topics covered may include the biological functions and food sources of each nutrient; nutrition guidelines and standards; digestion and absorption of nutrients; nutrition throughout the lifecycle; food safety and technology; energy balance and weight management; eating disorders and disturbances; and physical activity.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 502G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- 1.Examine the scientific principles and theories of human nutrition. 2.Describe the basic nutrients, their sources, and their relationship to major physiologic functions. 3.Explain the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients. 4.Identify recommended daily nutritional intake requirements and associated deficiencies and excesses for different populations. 5.Determine health education recommendations for dietary improvements based on assessment of nutritional status. 6.Identify valid and reliable sources of nutrition information. 7.Describe the roles that adequate nutrition and lifestyle behavior play in contributing to disease prevention and health promotion.
SCI 508 - Issues in Women's Health
Credits: 4
This course examines women's health and women's health care from biological, medical, historical, political, and social perspectives. It begins with the study of endocrinology and the physiological processes unique to women. Factors related to health care issues specific to women are examined. Societal and health care constraints, which hinder women from achieving their full health potential are also addressed. The course also presents information on women's health care practices, including the concept of self-care, and relates this to the development of educated consumerism in the health care industry.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 508G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply scientific reasoning to evaluate a women's health issue.
- Describe basic biological processes and features of human anatomy that pertain to women's health.
- Describe the impact of medical interventions on women's biology.
- Formulate factors which are important in becoming an educated consumer of our health care system.
- Explain the value of self-care for preventative health.
- Describe the interrelatedness of social, political, and economic issues that impact women's health care.
SCI 509 - Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Credits: 4
This course is a survey of various diseases that have emerged as serious health problems on a global scale. Students examine the etiology, transmission, detection, treatment, and method of prevention of ancient and newer diseases that continue to pose health threats, including risks related to pandemic and endemic disease.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 509G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply evidence-based practices to the study of 21st-century diseases.
- Differentiate bacterial, fungal, mycoplasma, and viral infection types.
- Analyze the relationship between human behavior and communicable versus non-communicable disease.
- Examine immune response to the environment, human behavior, and to pathology of disease.
- Identify various types of prevention and treatment interventions for communicable and non-communicable diseases.
- Articulate the impact of endemic and pandemic disease on an individual, community, and global scale.
- Analyze public health policies and cultural differences with respect to disease detection, treatment, and prevention.
SCI 528 - Natural History of Northern New England
Credits: 4
This course focuses on the evolutionary adaptations of plants and animals that allow them to survive and thrive through all of New England's seasons. Students are introduced to the origin and development of the diverse ecosystems of our region and their relationship to the resident and migratory wildlife of Northern New England. The effects of the Ice Age on northern New England's topography and on the rhythms of the animal and plant life cycles are investigated.
Attributes: Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 528G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method to the study of the natural history of New England.
- Articulate a working knowledge of the primary concepts and fundamentals of ecology, evolution, and adaptation of species.
- Interpret historical and current climate-induced environmental changes and weather patterns, and recognize the significance of seasonal cycles within the ecosystems of northern New England.
- Identify the ecological importance of decay and nutrient recycling within the ecosystems of northern New England.
- Describe the concepts of predator-prey relationships, carrying capacity and how they relate to faunal migrations, hibernation, and population dynamics.
- Explain the physiological adaptations of plant species for different seasons and how these adaptations affect the abundance and distribution of birds and mammals.
SCI 541 - Introduction to Environmental Science
Credits: 4
An introductory survey of global environmental problems such as global warming, acid rain, nuclear waste storage, agricultural runoff, and heavy metal contamination. This course explores the interrelationship between the natural environment and the effects of human activity resulting in pollution of air, water, and land. A major focus of the course is critical examination of ecological, economic, and political aspects of pollution in a global context.
Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 541G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method to the study of environmental science.
- Describe the major natural processes of land, water, and air.
- Discuss key concepts in environmental science such as natural resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, sustainability, ecology, and climate change.
- Identify the evolution and consequences of certain environmental problems.
- Identify potential solutions to current environmental problems, including the role of government, industry, environmental organizations, and other global entities.
- Review and interpret current environmental research issues and perspectives.
SCI 544 - Special Topics: Lower Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Science. Course content changes from term to term.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): SCI 544G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
SCI 550 - Wellness and the Human Body
Credits: 4
This course examines the integration of the human body systems. Common pathologies that interfere with normal physiological function and quality of life are examined and evidence-based practices for disease prevention and wellness are addressed. Recommended: SCI 490.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 603G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Identify the anatomical features and primary roles of the human body systems.
- Examine common pathologies that impact the structure and function of the human body.
- Analyze the integration of the physiological systems to achieve homeostasis.
- Examine evidence-based practices for disease prevention, wellness, and quality of life.
SCI 604 - Principles of Exercise Science
Credits: 4
This is an applied course addressing exercise physiology and integrated kinesiology principles. Students will examine how the mind and body respond to various intensities and modalities of exercise as well as explore various methods of measuring physiological variables such as cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Topics include: energy systems, neuromuscular concepts, and functions of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems during rest and exercise. Students enrolled in this course are required to complete the college's risk waiver prior to participating in any physical activity.
Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Prerequisite(s): SCI 490 with a minimum grade of D- or SCI 505G with a minimum grade of D-.
Equivalent(s): SCI 604G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define the physiological principles related to the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems and the adaptations of those systems from various modalities of exercise.
- Differentiate the aerobic and anaerobic metabolic systems.
- Analyze the unique nutritional demands associated with fitness training.
- Apply scientific reasoning to evaluate standard recommendations for exercise.
- Through simulation or case studies, apply general training principles and incorporate evidence-based best practice to achieve specific health, fitness and performance goals.
SCI 610 - Contemporary Issues in Personal and Global Health
Credits: 4
This course explores current issues in health from a scientific lens. Students will examine diverse factors that influence the wellness-illness continuum related to a specific topic. Perspectives include the biological, sociocultural, behavioral, and public health implications, to these personal and global health challenges.
Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc); Phys Natural World (Gen Ed); Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): SCI 610G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Analyze multiple scientific perspectives regarding a contemporary health issue.
- Assess the values and perspectives of diverse individuals, communities, as well as cultures, and their influence on health behavior, choices, and practices.
- Explain the influence science and technology have on individual and population health.
- Implement evidence-based practices to evaluate individual, community, and global health challenges and respective interventions.
SCI 615 - Fitness and Health
Credits: 4
This course presents the concepts of physical activity and exercise that connect to our health and well-being. Students will study how exercise is a mechanism to improve fitness, control weight, cope with life stressors, and optimize mindset. Students will have the opportunity to explore how the body and mind respond to different types of physical activity and the resulting health improvements of physical activity recommendations. Health behaviors and tools that support physical activity as part of a holistic approach to wellness will be addressed.
Attributes: Phys Natural World (Gen Ed)
Equivalent(s): SCI 615G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Define the concepts of physical activity, exercise, and health.
- Examine the multidimensional short-term and long-term health benefits of physical activity and exercise.
- Distinguish specific benefits with the type of exercise, including cardiovascular, muscular strength, and flexibility.
- Define the components of an optimal fitness program.
- Identify strategies for effective weight/energy management.
- Describe the benefits of routine physical activity on mental well-being and stress management.
- Compare lifestyle choices that impact healthy behaviors.
- Describe the benefits and challenges of behavior change and the behavior change model.
SCI 644 - Special Topics: Upper Level
Credits: 1-4
A study of current and variable topics in Science. Course content changes from term to term. It is expected that the student will have prior course work or experience in the subject area.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Equivalent(s): SCI 644G
Grade Mode: Letter Grading