BS in Social Sciences

WR1010 - Writing in the Liberal Arts and Sciences I

Credits: 4

The goals of this course are, first, to develop the students' critical and analytical thinking skills in the context of a sound rhetorical approach to written communication; and, second, to instill a fundamental sensitivity to and facility with language. Areas of study include the nature of the writing process, situation and audience, problem definition, invention techniques, thesis statements, organization, drafting, revisions, and the fundamentals of editing. Assignments follow thematic sequences leading students from experience‐based, issue-oriented arguments to the essentials of formal academic research. This course is offered every semester and is required of all students to meet institutional graduation requirements.

WR1020 - Writing in the Liberal Arts and Sciences II

Credits: 4

The goal of this course is to teach academic research as a tool for critical thinking that provides the basis for well-developed arguments. This course requires synthesis, analysis, and application of information through writing in a variety of rhetorical forms for a variety of audiences. Students are asked to research and discuss a variety of social issues through the use of selected readings from modern essayists and the available library resources. This course is offered every semester and is required of all students to meet institutional graduation requirements. Writing in the Liberal Arts and Sciences I. Students must earn a grade of C or better to fulfill the College Writing requirement.

MT1100 - Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning

Credits: 4

The goal of this course is to develop students' ability to think critically about quantitative statements and information. Students will have opportunities to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of numerical evidence and logical arguments, to apply mathematical methods in the context of real-world problems, and to study and employ strategies and methods for how to manipulate, understand, analyze, and interpret quantitative information.

MT1020 - College Algebra

Credits: 4

This course focuses on the application of algebra to real world problems and includes intermediate algebra topics such as solving linear equations and inequalities, solving quadratic equations, graphic linear, quadratic and other polynomial functions, rational functions, factoring, and solving systems of equations

LAS1110 - One Love: Marley, Language and Learning

Credits: 4

This seminar is designed to introduce students to the meaning and purpose of an education rooted in the liberal arts and sciences by presenting the fundamental question that reverberates throughout the program's curriculum, "What does it mean to be human?" LAS 1 seminars represent a variety of disciplines and topics related to the seminar theme. Regardless of instructor or disciplinary focus, each LAS 1 seminar prompts students to think about what it means to be human, individually and collectively. Students will consider what our shared obligations and responsibilities are as human beings, despite differences in race, class, gender, ethnicity, or other factors.

LAS1111 - History of Political Thought

Credits: 4

This course examines the basic concepts involved in the study of the great ideas and movements shaping the areas of history, philosophy and political science. Students will have the opportunity to examine the ideas and philosophers who have shaped our modern and historical understandings, from Plato and Aristotle to JS Mill and Karl Marx through John Rawls and Robert Nozick. Topics include nature of the state, purpose of government, justice, and the rights and responsibilities involved in various notions of citizenship.

PS1000 - Overcoming Prejudice and Discrimination

Credits: 4

This course examines the forces that promote unity, theories and concepts related to prejudice and discrimination, and specific strategies to reduce conflict and promote respect and understanding among diverse populations. This course was created as a collaborative effort of faculty in criminal justice, education, kinesiology, psychology, and sociology, and has a strong applied (project-based) component.

PS2110 - Writing and Research in the Social Sciences

Credits: 4

This course helps students identify issues of interest and analyze how texts make claims, invoke social science literature, offer evidence, and deploy key terms. Through analysis and imitation, students are exposed to the challenges of the social science project, including the collection of data on human subjects and the ethical presentation of evidence.

ES1110 - Environmental Science: A Global Concern

Credits: 4

The course that satisfies the Las 5 Lab Science requirement - ES1110 - covers a broad range of current environmental problems including population growth, global climate change, famine and food resources, global warming, and the loss of biodiversity. The laboratory portion of the course provides students with hands-on field and laboratory experiences that introduce a variety of methods and techniques used to examine natural communities and air and water quality.

AR1230 - Introduction to Art and Art History

Credits: 4

This course will explore the ways in which social, cultural, religious, political and aesthetic values have been expressed in art and architecture throughout history. A thematic approach will encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of connections, issues and influences across time periods and cultures. Students will become familiar with the vocabulary and media of art and architecture as well as develop their visual analysis and critical thinking skills.

EN1930 - Survey of American Literature

Credits: 4

Beginning with the Native American voices, this course will progress through the 18th and 19th Centuries to modern times. Though this course focuses on the major writers and movements, it does not ignore the importance of some unrecognized voices that have shaped American literature.

EN1020 - Introduction to Literature

Credits: 4

This course introduces the student to different literary genres - the tale, the poem, the novel, the play - through close and varied readings of a few exemplary literary texts.

PO2420 - World Geography

Credits: 4

Beginning with a broad overview of certain physical aspects of geography and of map and globe skills, this course then moves to an examination of the different regions of the world. Attention will be given to customs of the people, urban and rural patterns of settlement, regional economic activities, and political units.

BU3620 - International Business

Credits: 4

This course focuses on special issues of international management enabling students to compete in the current global environment. Issues covered include evaluation of how the legal, political, financial, competitive, and cultural environment affect international business strategies.

CW1100 - Introduction to Creative Writing

Credits: 4

This course is a writing workshop that exposes students to the various genres of creative writing such as poetry, fiction, non‐fiction and drama.

PS2310 - Statistics for the Social Sciences

Credits: 4

The focus of the course is on the application of statistics to answer questions in social science. Students will be introduced to the theoretical aspects of probability, sampling, and hypothesis testing and taught to utilize statistical software for social science research. Topics include data file creation, data entry, descriptive statistics, basic inferential statistics, pictorial representation of data, and the interpretation of statistical analysis. Students will learn when to use the various statistics, how to interpret them, and how to write up an APA-style results section.

BU1110 - Introduction to Business

Credits: 4

This survey course incorporates study through projects, group research, video, and text case analysis. Further, the course serves as a foundation for the core of business courses. The functions of business, management, finance, marketing, human resources, and information production will be explained and future core courses previewed. The course explores the application of technology in a business setting; including use of the Internet, MS Office applications such as Excel, and other relevant computer software.

CJ1110 - Introduction to Criminal Justice

Credits: 4

This course is an overview and analysis of the various parts of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, criminal law and courts, and criminal punishment and corrections.

HCA1020 - Introduction to Healthcare in the U.S.

Credits: 4

This course will introduce students to the current healthcare system structure in the United States today. The course will serve as an overview for students entering management roles within the US healthcare system, and provides a basis for further in-depth study during courses in the BSHCA curriculum.

PO1110 - US Politics

Credits: 4

Democracy in the US is evaluated through analyses of the major institutions, processes, and policies of the national government. Power, inequality, political culture, social movements, the Constitution, elections, the role of the media, and the parts played by the President, the bureaucracy, the Congress, and the courts are all considered.

BU2420 - Organizational Behavior and Management

Credits: 4

This course is designed to explore the functioning of work group behavior. Specific interest areas covered include leadership, persuasion, organizational effectiveness, and other related topics that enhance the students' ability to manage people and projects in an organization.

HCA2020 - Economics of Healthcare

Credits: 4

This course enables the student to understand how the healthcare industry is organized from the perspective of economics. Current public and community health issues are considered from an economics perspective, and students acquire skills to apply economics to relevant problems in their workplace.

PS2050 - Social Psychology

Credits: 4

An examination of the way the individual's behavior is affected by the behavior of others. Areas covered include aggression, conformity, attitude formation, methods of persuasion, altruism, environmental effects on behavior, prejudice and discrimination, and interpersonal attraction.

BU3620 - International Business

Credits: 4

This course focuses on special issues of international management enabling students to compete in the current global environment. Issues covered include evaluation of how the legal, political, financial, competitive, and cultural environment affect international business strategies.

CJ3210 - Contemporary Law Enforcement

Prerequisite: CJ1110 - Introduction to Criminal Justice

Credits: 4

This course examines current law enforcement practices including community policing, theories of incarceration, minority group relations, constitutional issues, and the special problems associated with law enforcement in this decade.

BU3880 - Legal and Ethical Environment of Business

Prerequisite: Sophomore status

Credits: 4

This course provides an overview of the regulatory, legal, political, and social environment in which business operates. Emphasis is placed on how the legal environment influences decision- making. This course will present such topics as the legal system, anti-trust, consumer and administrative law, and the role of stakeholders in the decision-making. Special emphasis will be placed on the ethical environments of business as well as an examination of how businesses interact with their social environments, including on-line social environments. This course will begin with a review of legal systems and the U.S. Constitution.

PO3210 - Global Issues

Credits: 4

This course will look at the major issues facing the countries of the world today. The issues that will be discussed in detail will include globalization, development, human rights, the environment, weapons proliferation, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, sweatshops and ethnic conflict. Specific, current examples from every region in the world will be used to understand these issues much better.

CO2850 - Social Media

Credits: 4

You will explore the development and uses of social media, as well as some of the social issues/controversies (e.g., cyberbullying, privacy rights, impact on interpersonal skills) that have emerged with this rapidly evolving form of communication. In addition, you will have opportunities to build upon your knowledge of the many social media platforms and tools now available, and learn how they can be applied in your professional life, for example, in nonprofit fundraising, journalism and social advocacy, among other possibilities.

PS4000 - Issues in Professional Practices: Psychology

Prerequisite: Junior status

Credits: 4

This capstone course prepares students for the challenges and responsibilities of professional practice and study in the field of psychology. Discussion of ethics in research and practice, consideration of current controversies in the fields and exploration of future trends and opportunities within the discipline are included.

PS4220 - Research Methods

Prerequisite: PS1110 - Introduction to Psychology or SO1110 - Introduction to Sociology; PS2310 - Statistics for the Social Sciences; and one 3000-level Psychology course

Credits: 4

This course involves an examination of the various research strategies used by psychologists and other social scientists. The advantages and disadvantages of each methodology are analyzed. Control, experimental and alternative designs, context, and standards for ethical research are discussed. A research project constitutes a major feature of the course. Students generate, conduct, write up, and present an original APA style research study.

SO1110 - Introduction to Sociology

Credits: 4

This course introduces students to the dynamic and varied discipline of sociology. It provides an overview of major concepts, perspectives and methods used in sociological inquiry. Students are encouraged to look at society and its institutions in new ways and to identify and challenge social injustice.

Available Electives

Credits: 12

Elective courses available will vary depending upon your individual situation.

SO4950 - Capstone in Social Sciences

Prerequisite 90+ credits

Credits: 4

This course represents the culmination of a student's course of study in the Social Sciences. Projects may range from the more routine "senior thesis" to any other media in which the human experience can be expressed. The options are limited only by the imagination of the student and the availability of expertise and appropriate technologies.

Available Electives

Credits: 40

Elective courses available will vary depending upon your individual situation.