Core Courses

The Courses

The core of the General Education program is a series of five multi disciplinary courses, each of which brings together material and perspectives from several disciplines so that students may understand both a common body of knowledge and its interconnections:

The World of the Arts: This course exposes students to the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. Students will gain insight into the basic components of the arts, the role of art in society, and be given an historical perspective on art. Students will attend performing arts events and see work in the gallery context. Both western and non-western arts will be explored. [See Course Objectives]

Historical Perspectives: This course examines major trends in the economic, political, and sociocultural history of the world since the nineteenth century. Students are encouraged to draw on multiple perspectives to develop a comparative framework for understanding the origins of current global issues and the changing role of the US in the world. [See Course Objectives]

Individual and Society: This course critically examines how people influence and are affected by their social worlds from the perspectives of anthropology, psychology, sociology and women's studies. The course focuses on how we experience life as individuals and as members of cultural systems that shape our personalities, behavior, and perceptions of the world. [See Course Objectives]

Global Perspectives: This course introduces students to key terms, concepts, issues and relationships in economics, geography and political science. The course investigates how increasing globalization impacts issues such as the authority and competence of the nation-state, population growth and migration, economic development and trade and patterns of international cooperation and conflict. [See Course Objectives]

The World of Ideas: This course examines themes and issues that have had a significant impact upon the world's civilizations. Readings will focus on primary texts representing major historical periods, world cultures, and diverse perspectives. This course will stress critical and analytical thought, drawing upon knowledge obtained in this and earlier core courses. [See Course Objectives]

Course Catalog

These classes can all be found in the online course catalog, where you can find the course number, full description, semester availability, class schedule and more.

Course Learning Objectives

World of the Arts

This course will enhance students' ability to do the following:

1. Think critically and analytically, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and draw conclusions from complex material.
2. Make sound ethical and value judgments based on the development of a personal value system, on an understanding of the cultural heritage students share, and on knowledge of past successes, failures and consequences of individual roles and societal choices.
3. Understand and appreciate American and other cultures, both contemporary and historical, appreciate diversity, and live responsibly in an interdependent world.
4. Acquire a base of knowledge common to educated persons, and the capacity to expand that base over their lifetime.
5. Communicate effectively in written, oral, and symbolic form with an appreciation of aesthetic and logical considerations in expressing ideas.
6. Broaden personal understanding of the arts through direct experiences attending and describing arts events.
7. Gain an awareness of the norms of audience behavior and participation associated with various types of arts events.
8. Develop the historical and conceptual background necessary to attain a deeper understanding of the arts.
9. Consider the role and value of artists in societies throughout history and in the cultures, both Western and non-Western, of today's world.
10. Examine the expressive power of the arts and the interrelationships among art forms.
11. Build a foundation for future participation in and enjoyment of theatre, dance, music and the visual arts.

Historical Perspectives

This course will enhance students' ability to do the following:

1. Think critically and analytically, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and draw conclusions from complex material.
2. Understand and appreciate American and other cultures, both contemporary and historical, appreciate diversity, and live responsibly in an interdependent world.
3. Acquire a base of knowledge common to educated persons, and the capacity to expand that base over their lifetime.
4. Understand the gatherings of peoples and cultures from many countries that have contributed to the American heritage and to contemporary American society.
5. Understand the origins of international problems and the changing role of the U.S. in the world.
6. Compare political and economic systems and their effects on international relations and U.S. foreign policy.

Individual and Society

This course will enhance students' ability to do the following:

1. Think critically and analytically, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and draw conclusions from complex material
2. Make sound ethical and value judgments based on the development of a personal value system
3. Understand and appreciate American and other cultures, both contemporary and historical, appreciate diversity, and live responsibly in an interdependent world
4. Acquire a base of knowledge common to educated persons, the capacity to expand that base over their lifetime.
5. Understand the nature of scientific and systematic inquiry in the social sciences
6. Understand the major concepts, theories and perspectives employed in the study of human behavior and the social and cultural world
7. Understand the richness, complexity and diversity of human behavior through comparative study of human cultures and societies
8. Understand the development of individuals of individuals within a social, cultural and historical context
9. Understand the effects of gender, race, class, and nationality on individuals in society
10. Understand how individuals and groups are interrelated, and the ways in which groups, organizations and institutions are created and evolve
11. Recognize the potential for people to effect change in social institutions, and acknowledge the responsibility of individuals for their greater social world.

Global Perspectives

This course will enhance students' ability to do the following:

1. Think critically and analytically, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and draw conclusions from complex material.
2. Understand and appreciate American and other cultures, both contemporary and historical, appreciate diversity, and live responsibly in an interdependent world.
3. Acquire a base of knowledge common to educated persons, and the capacity to expand that base over their lifetime.
4. Develop problem-solving skills using maps, graphs, and tables of descriptive statistics.
5. Identify countries of the world and basic geographical features and patterns of resource distribution.
6. Understand the origins of international problems and the changing role of the U.S. in the world.
7. Understand contemporary population concepts and trends.
8. Compare political and economic systems and their effects on international relations and U.S. foreign policy.

The World of Ideas

This course will enhance students' ability to do the following:

1. Understand the ways ideas shape their perception of the world.
2. Recognize the ways ideas were formed historically and to understand the ways in which the world is still shaped by ideas advanced hundreds of years ago.
3. Appreciate intellectual traditions of diverse cultures and perspectives.
4. Recognize commonalties and differences among diverse intellectual traditions.
5. Refine their critical and analytical thinking skills in oral and written forms.
6. Deal intelligently with questions and issues concerning ethics and values.
7. Recognize and understand issues, questions, and problems that have been subject to continued human reflection.
8. Appreciate the role of the humanities in students' educational experiences.
9. Interpret different literary works.
10. Develop a meaningful philosophy of life.