Disciplinary Perspectives
This component offers students an opportunity to bring
insights from different disciplines to the analysis of a complex issue.
Courses incorporate content and approaches from at least two
disciplines, ask students to draw on their own disciplinary
perspectives, and challenge them to approach and analyze issues from
various points of view.
Requirements: One course from the list below.
Junior or Senior standing required.
AMS 311 American Science & Technology| A study of American science and technology and their interrelations with economic, cultural, political and intellectual developments. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Any laboratory science course. 3 credits. |
| This team-taught, interdisciplinary course will critically examine how films reflect, construct, and question the dominant image and understanding of the American identity. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. 4 credits. |
| This course immerses students in a thematic investigation of color in human culture from ancient times to the present. Using case studies from the histories of art, literature, and philosophy, students examine the role color plays in our understanding of the world, particularly in relation to economic, moral, and spiritual value systems. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives.Writing Process. 3 credits. |
| The design of experiences can take many forms.from riding a ride at an amusement park, to attending a concert, to buying milk or computers or underwear at a brick and mortar store, to finalizing the purchase of a book online. Though varied, all of these experiences share at least one trait-they were designed. The primary approach for the course will be case study analysis, including on-site visits to local parks, museums and other sites. Theories and concepts of experience design will be presented in context while analyzing site designs. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior standing. 3 credits. |
| This class will critically examine video games as historical and cultural artifacts, as narratives, as works of art, as a technologically dependent medium, as part of human play and as a powerful social influence. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior standing. 3 credits. |
| An examination of the origins and history of HIV/AIDS, including its economic, political, social, psychological and legal repercussions as well as the basics of virology, serology, epidemiology and diagnostic testing. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. |
| This team-taught course is offered in coordination with the College's annual colloquium series. Specific topics are announced at the time of registration Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. 3 credits. |
| An exploration of key moments that profoundly changed world history in the twentieth century including the Russian Revolution, Chinese Revolution, the impact of decolonization in India, the end to the Cold War in 1989, and 9/11. This course will be aligned with the colloquium theme of revolution by exploring the nature and process of change. The class sessions will center on discussion of readings, films, news events, and colloquium events. Students will write a paper and give a presentation on change using a current event related to their majors. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. |
| An exploration of the relationship between a president's character and leadership using several administrations as case studies. Provides exposure to the historiographic literature on historical biography, presidential memoirs, the use of primary sources and the interpretation of public opinion. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| How do human beings experience the sacred? How is faith connected with doubt? What might "God" mean? What's the point of it all? Readings will include fiction, poetry, and essays drawn from a range of historical periods. This course examines what William James called "the varieties of religious experience" from the disciplinary perspectives of literature and religion. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives.Writing Process. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing required. 3 credits. |
| Looks at the significance Greek and Roman myths hold for us today from the perspectives of literature, psychology, religion, sociology, and anthropology. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives.Writing Process. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. |
| The development and use of the atomic bomb in many ways defined the 20th Century and the Modern World. For understanding and insight, a multidisciplinary approach to this subject is required. In this course, the disciplines of history, physics, politics/international relations, ethics, and literature/film will be brought to bear on the "Bomb" and its significance for the Modern World. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| This survey course is designed to familiarize students with the physiological, psychological, social and legal aspects of various drugs including alcohol, marijuana, caffeine, over-the-counter drugs, cocaine, heroin and the opiates, LSD hallucinogens, barbiturates, and amphetamines. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| Karl Marx is among the most influential thinkers in the modern world, and the ideology of Marxism has helped shape the cultural, religious, economic, and political history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This course will examine Marx and Marxism(s) from an interdisciplinary perspective, first by exploring the life and word of Marx, and Marxist parties and movements, and then by examining the effects Marx's thinking has had on global politics, economic theory, religion, and philosophy. By examining the historical and philosophical roots and continuing significance of Marx and Marxism, students will have an occasion to practice a multidisciplinary study of a historical figure and movement and become better informed about intellectual and political history and how those continue to shape the world around us. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| This course focuses on what it means to be European in today's world. As a continent connected to Asia, where does Europe end and Asia begin? How has the end of the Cold War reshaped Europe? To what extent has the European Union shaped Europe and the meaning of being European? What are the shared values that define Europe? How has immigration changed what it means to be European? This course addresses these questions through discussion of class readings, current events, and written excercises. At the end of the semester, students will complete a project related to their major based on examination of a current event. Fulfills the disciplinary perspectives general education requirement. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. 3 credits. |
| Why do great cities appear where they do? How do cities reshape their environments as they grow? By examining the way that three great cities-Venice, London, and St. Petersburg-have been shaped and defined by their watery environments, this course will explore how those cities have become centers for all kinds of exchange between diverse nations and peoples, crucibles for innovation in art, design, manufacture, politics, and literature, and have each given rise to a distinctive and legendary urban "identity." Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing required. 3 credits. |
| This multi-disciplinary seminar will consider the relationship in contemporary society between individual freedom and moral-political equality. To this end, students will study the main doctrines advanced in libertarian, classical liberal, modern liberal, and communitarian thought, and critically evaluate the various strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| By combining ideas from the social and natural sciences, as well as religion and philosophy, this course focuses on skeptical inquiry, critical thinking, logical inference, and scientific analysis when evaluating both paranormal claims, that utilize explanations beyond the boundaries of established science, and real-world junk science that corrupts scientific methodology in order to manipulate and exploit the general public on issues with broad-reaching societal impact. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. |
| Examines significant contributions to cinematic art in French and Francophone cultures. Films spanning the century between the silent era and the present day will illustrate how French-language forms of cinematic expression have contributed to a world-wide cultural heritage. Introduces and applies concepts of filmmaking and film criticism. Film screenings outside of class. Taught in English. Cross-listed with FRN 375. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: ENG 120 or ENG literature survey, or permission of the instructor. Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with FRN 375) |
| This course will offer an enriching, hands-on, interdisciplinary exploration of the dynamic processes of policy formation in the core institutions of the European Union. Students will prepare for participation in the simulation held each November in Washington D.C., organized by the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation Consortium (MEUSC). This experiential learning program endeavors to connect American students to EU policy makers and policy making in a unique way, utilizing the simulation experience to bridge the gap between the academic study of the EU and the actual political processes of the European Union. Students will be engaged in discussions and debates about the EU that are current and topical in EU decision-making circles. A distinct theme is chosen as the focus of the simulation each year . Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with PSC 380) |
| Explores current political, social, and economic topics such as immigration, the European Union, rights of women and minorities, the colonial legacy, and globalization as these involve France and the Francophone world. Offers students the opportunity to increase knowledge of the language and cultures of French-speaking Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, as well as France, Switzerland, and Belgium. Taught in English. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: FRN 202 (French majors or minors;) INT 100 (International Studies majors or minors;) or permission of the instructor. Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with FRN 380) |
| This number designates a special topics course in the disciplinary perspectives component of the General Education Program. Faulty may make use of this opportunity to design a course outside normal departmental offerings. The course selection booklet that appears before registration each semester will describe individual courses in this category. A student may petition the director of general education to substitute another course in the curriculum for an approved course in any component of the program. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 3 credits. |
| Examines significant contributions to cinematic art in French and Francophone cultures. Films spanning the century between the silent era and the present day will illustrate how French-language forms of cinematic expression have contributed to a world-wide cultural heritage. Introduces and applies concepts of filmmaking and film criticism. Film screenings outside of class. Taught in English, all reading and writing assignments completed in French. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: FRN 202 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with DSP 375) |
| Explores current political, social, and economic topics such as immigration, the European Union, rights of women and minorities, the colonial legacy, and globalization as these involve France and the Francophone world. Offers students the opportunity to increase knowledge of the language and cultures of French-speaking Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, as well as France, Switzerland, and Belgium. Taught in English, all reading and writing assignments completed in French. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: FRN 202 (French majors or minors;) INT 100 (International Studies majors or minors;) or permission of the instructor. Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with DSP 381) |
| This course offers students an introduction to evolutionary theory and empirical research, especially as it applies to history and society. Evolution is powerful, elegant and easily understood. The human frame and brain evolved over time, and understanding how that happened will help understand the past and present of society. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing. 3 credits. |
| This course will examine the psychological, cultural, and political roots of, and responses to, violence and genocide with special attention paid to the cases of the Jewish Holocaust and the Armenian genocide. Course material will draw on history, philosophy, literature, and film Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives.Writing Process. 3 credits. |
| A survey course of the psychosocial implications of illness and disability. Specific attention is given to cultural differences, adjustment models, family stress from caregiving, family violence, and normal grieving processes. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
| This course will examine ancient texts, contemporary commentaries, historical reconstructions, and artistic and literary depictions in its search for Jesus. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives.Writing Process. 3 credits. |
| This course will engage the different religious answers to the fact that humans are mortal. Its aim is to introduce students to the variety of human reactions to the finitude of our corporeal existence and challenge them to engage the variety of responses from a variety of responses from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits. |
Criteria for Disciplinary Perspectives Courses:
- Courses must involve considerations of issues, questions, or problems that lie outside the domain of individual disciplines.
- Issues or problems addressed need not be contemporary, but should be open to approach by multiple disciplines. Examples of such issues are the environmental crisis with its political, scientific, economic, and ethical dimensions; the impact of technology and its associated materialism and scientific rationalism on the cultural, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of human society.
- Each course shall involve content and approaches from two or more different disciplines. In no case shall information and/or methodology from a single discipline comprise more than one-half of the course content.
- The courses in this component may be taught by one instructor or be team-taught.