General Education Course Descriptions – Fall 2014

Foundation Course – Required for All First-Year Undergraduate Students

ENGL 101

Freshman English I

This course aims to introduce students to the AUA’s core values—academic excellence, free inquiry, integrity, scholarship, leadership, and service —while building students’ communication skills. Students are challenged to translate these values into practice and reflect upon two interrelated themes: how might these values enrich their potential as lifelong learners and leaders, and how might these values help students collectively build a productive and democratic community. Throughout the semester students will sharpen their oral and written communication skills by engaging in class discussions and debates as well as by utilizing the various stages of the writing process to produce well-organized paragraphs, letters, and short essays. Students will also have the opportunity to build an array of academic skills and familiarize themselves with university resources including the Papazian Library, Center for Academic Excellence, and Writing Lab through formal in-class trainings and home tasks.  Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

GE-F required for ALL Freshman              Fall        offered by CHSS               cross-listed with E&C

3 credits

Foundation Course – Required for All Second-Year Undergraduate Students

CHSS 103

Armenian Language & Literature I

Sections taught in Armenian – This course exposes students to a variety of texts by Armenian and non-Armenian poets, playwrights, and novelists across various historical periods. Students will study the linguistic and literary values of these texts, gaining an understanding of how literature reflects and constructs the Armenian identity in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts. Students will further develop their knowledge of the Armenian language and skills in literary analysis through close reading, writing, discussion and presentation. This course is designed for students with intermediate to advanced Armenian language proficiency. Classes are conducted in Armenian and include texts in original Eastern or Western Armenian as well as English. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

Section taught in English – This course exposes students to a variety of texts by Armenian and non-Armenian poets, playwrights, and novelists across various historical periods. Students will study the linguistic and literary values of these texts, gaining an understanding of how literature reflects and constructs the Armenian identity in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts. Students will gain an appreciation of the Armenian language and develop skills in literary analysis through close reading, writing, discussion and presentation. This course is designed for students with little or no Armenian language proficiency. Classes are conducted in English and include texts translated from Eastern or Western Armenian as well as in original English. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

GE-F required for ALL Sophomores         Fall        offered by CHSS               

3 credits

CHSS 183

Statistics for Humanities & Social Sciences

The course is designed to facilitate student learning to understand the underlying concepts and philosophy of statistics and why we use these concepts to interpret the world around us.  The course will develop skillsets to properly interpret statistical applications provided in the humanities and social sciences literature and media sources, and to critique the misuse and proper use of statistics.  Special emphasis will be placed on developing communication skills to properly explain the meaning of these findings to the general public. The course will also provide students practice with basic SPSS statistical applications using humanities/social science databases.  Basic Gaussian statistics and the development and interpretation of scales will be covered. Students will be graded by quizzes and exams, group projects, oral presentations and participation.Three hours of instructor-led class time per week including discussions and problem sets.

GE-QS ONLY for E&C   Fall   offered by CHSS

3 credits

COMP 101

Introduction to Computer Science ***

The course provides students with a broad foundation in computer science. Topics   include:   introduction   to   computer   architecture   and   organization;   binary,   octal,   and hexadecimal   systems:  arithmetic and conversion; representation of integer and real numbers; algorithm design;   basic   data   structures:   stacks,   queues,   lists;   and   structural   programming: declarations, assignments, loops, and recursion.  Students will learn how to program basic algorithms through the use of a programming language such as Java. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week including discussions and problem sets.

GE-QS for E&C and BAB    Fall CS Core course   offered by CSE cross-listed with CSE

***CS majors given priority for registration

3 credits

CSE 162

Introduction to Bioscience

This course introduces students to important concepts, techniques and applications of bioscience, and explores its impact on research, business and society.  Students will study basic concepts of molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, computational biology and biotechnology.  Some important applications of molecular and cellular biology in medicine and industry – such as molecular diagnostics of diseases, stem cell and transplantation, drug design and genetically modified foods – will be introduced.  Students will also discuss the political, ethical, and legal issues accompanying these topics and their current and future impact on society. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-QS ALL   Fall    open to ALL      offered by CSE  cross-listed with CSE

3 credits

Conceptual Physics

This course will explore the basic concepts in physics and physical processes.  The conceptual viewpoint taken in the course will focus more on the physical description of the processes and phenomena rather than the detailed mathematical equations that govern them.  The course will cover topics in mechanics of moving bodies, heat transfer, propagation of sound, properties of light, electricity and magnetism with special emphasis on everyday experience and practical illustrations taken from real life, e.g. art, music, sports, the home.  For each of the processes covered in the course, a brief historical perspective will be given, followed by a description of its physical principles, and finally the basic equations that describe it mathematically. Students will be exposed to real-life applications of the theories discussed in the classroom.  Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-QS ALL  Fall    open to ALL   offered by CSE   cross-listed with CSE

Introduction to Environmental Sciences

The course is designed for students to gain an understanding of basic environmental science principles, including an introduction to the structure and functioning of ecosystems and their physical and bio-chemical cycles. The course will emphasize the importance of these processes for human health as well as human impact on these processes. As a science course, the course will teach students to use the methods of scientific inquiry to raise questions about the global systems, their impact on humans, and human impact on them. Specific topics to be covered include but are not limited to biodiversity, quantity and quality of water, land, and air resources, environmental conservation, human population trends and dynamic, food and industrial production, and waste and toxicity. Topics will be supplemented by Armenia and Caucasus-specific cases.

GE-QS Fall & Spring     open to ALL   offered by ACE  cross-listed with ACE

Discrete Math***

This is an introduction to discrete mathematics and discrete structures. The course examines topics including: propositional logic; Boolean algebra; introduction to set algebra; infinite sets; relations and functions; recurrences; proof techniques; introduction to number theory; elementary combinatorics and graph theory; applications to computer science. Students will learn to apply discrete numerical methods to solve problems which arise in computational sciences. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week including discussions and problem sets.

GE-QS E&C and BAB   Fall      CS Core course    offered by CSE cross-listed with CSE

***CS majors given priority for registration

CHSS 114

Introduction to Religion

The course examines religion as a phenomenon of human culture. It firstly introduces the students to the main theoretical approaches and methods through which religion has been studied by historians and social scientists. Secondly, the course looks at the major themes in the study of religion. These themes will be examined drawing on particular religious traditions and through the lens of the theoretical approaches covered. Readings will include theoretical writings about religion by classics and contemporary authors, and primary texts from various religious traditions and by representatives of those traditions. The course combines lectures, in-class discussions, and analytical essays. Its broader aim is to give the students an understanding of the richness of the religious traditions of the world, and to develop skills to analyze religious phenomena and to situate them in their historical contexts.  Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-SS/AH ALL Fall open to ALL     offered by CHSS

3 credits

CHSS 182

Introduction to Clinical Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. This introductory course will review theories of the mind and investigate normal human growth and development.  We will examine the life cycle of man from infancy to old age.  Personality disorders, neurosis, psychoses, substance abuse and developmental disabilities will be presented.  The class will include assessment of the individual by clinical interview. The types of psychological tests that a clinical psychologist uses to assess individuals will be identified.  An overview of current treatments of emotional disturbances with medication will be presented. Discussion of relevant topics in the field of clinical psychology will include ethics, educational, industrial, sports and forensic issues. Research methods will be introduced.  The course will conclude with a review of current therapeutic modalities. Three hours of instructor-led class per week.

GE-SS All Fall open to ALL    offered by CHSS

3 credits

Introduction to Human Rights

The Introduction to Human Rights course will introduce students to the key concepts, rules and debates in the theory and the practice of contemporary international human rights. In particular, the course focuses on the historical development and philosophical and political foundations of human rights. Students will also explore international and national mechanisms for the protection of human rights, e.g. UN treaty and charter mechanisms, European systems of human rights protection, national judiciaries, human rights institutions and civil society organizations. Students will examine selected human rights and freedoms in order to understand human rights in practice. At the end of the course students learn the national and international legal grounds for limitations and derogations from human rights.  Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

GE-SS ALL  Fall open to ALL      offered by CHSS

Law & Justice in Popular Culture

This course explores how legal concepts, role models, and professional ethos in popular culture promote and reinforce the rule of law. The course aims to explore how dedicated individuals using the skills and arts of persuasive and knowledge of the law can expand justice in their societies by the use of legal mechanisms. Through the medium of film and literature followed by class discussion, the following basic concepts are reviewed: social contract theory, professional ethics, rule of law (e.g. resort to courts and legal structures to resolve conflict as an alternative to violence), comparative review of legal systems (e.g. use of juries, class action mechanisms, etc.) and standard defendant rights (right against self‐incrimination, right to counsel), professional responsibility for attorneys and judicial ethics, and legal advocacy.

GE-SS ALL        Fall open to ALL       offered by CHSS

Introduction to Political Science

This course provides students with an introduction to the approaches in the study of politics.  The course explores major concepts prevalent in political science including power, democracy, political culture and constitutionalism.  It identifies the major fields of study within the discipline and familiarizes students with the differences in approach that each follow from a comparative perspective.  Students are expected to complete regular assignments in order to acquire knowledge and to practice skills discussed in class.

GE-SS ALL     Fall open to ALL       offered by CHSS

Introduction to United States Government

This course introduces students to the structures and functions of American government and politics.  Students study the major institutions, how political parties interact with government, how elections are conducted and how policies are made.  This is done within an historical context.  American Federalism and the changes in how government attends to problems both foreign and domestic are covered.  Students are expected to complete regular assignments in order to acquire knowledge and to practice skills discussed in class.

GE-SS ALL       Fall open to ALL      offered by CHSS

CHSS 110

Introduction to Philosophy

This course aims at introducing students to some fundamental problems from various branches of philosophy: ontology, epistemology and ethics.  Questions regarding the existence of matter, God, causation, free will and other minds, the possibility of knowledge, as well as some ethical questions will be addressed during the course.  Students will read carefully selected writings from classical and modern philosophers.  Students will be asked to write short essays and participate in well-structured debates and discussions.  This course will help students develop critical and creative thinking skills, the ability to deal with uncertainty, conceptualize and theoretically analyze real life situations and problems.  Home tasks will include readings and writing assignments. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-AH ALL       Fall open to ALL   offered by CHSS

3 credits

CHSS 112

Introduction to Logic & Rhetoric

The course introduces basic laws of logic, forms of thought, strategies and devices of developing and presenting public speeches.  The course concentrates on two main questions:  1) How to reason well? 2) How to make a convincing speech or write a convincing essay?  Students are expected to read selected texts on logic and rhetoric, prepare and perform oral speeches and write essays using various strategies, logical and rhetorical techniques of argumentation.  Speeches and essays will be on various topics, for various audiences.  During the course students will also scrutinize, analyze and assess historical as well as contemporary speeches from public and political life.  Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-AH ALL    Fall open to ALL  offered by CHSS

3 credits

CHSS 140

Music Appreciation

This course aims to equip students to listen to, understand and discuss music as a cultural and aesthetic form of human creativity through acquaintance with Western European classical music from various periods.  In this course students will learn to identify the basic elements of music, instruments, voice, genres, and styles, and will learn terminology used to discuss pieces of music as an art form and historical creation of a particular composer and period.   The basic underpinnings of music in physics, psychology and brain science will also be introduced.  The course requires extensive listening to music in and out of class, class discussion, and short papers on various composers and compositions.   The course may also include mandatory attendance at concerts and a short research paper or class presentation on a work or composer of the students’ choice as an individual or group project.

GE –AH ALL    Fall open to ALL     offered by CHSS

3 credits

Understanding the Twentieth Century through Music

This course is designed to give students insight into the various cultural, political, economic, social and artistic developments of the twentieth century through the study of different types of music written between 1901 and 2000. Music is an indicator and/or trigger of significant social changes of the past century. The course is focused on revealing the social and cultural circumstances at the root of musical developments, regardless of the type of music (academic, pop/rock, alternative, etc.) The course introduces a vast number of terms and ideas that have influenced both music history, as well as many other fields of modern culture and life. Special attention is paid to the formation of the music industry as a separate and potent market.  The course requires listening to music in and out of class, reading articles related to the history of music and modern history in general, engaging in class discussion, as well as writing short papers on various topics. The course may also include a research paper or class presentation as an individual or group project. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-AH ALL    Fall open to ALL   offered by CHSS

Introduction to French Language & Culture

In this course, students will explore how French culture has been shaped by language, geography, historical events, and foreign and internal forces and groups.  We will also examine how France and the French language have played an important role in the areas of culture, arts, cinema, fashion, and cuisine. The importance of the French language and culture has waxed and waned over the centuries, depending on France’s economic, political and military importance.  French culture today is marked both by great ethnic, regional, and socio-economic diversity and by strong unifying tendencies.  Through the study of a variety of sources including media, film, literature, and visual arts, students will gain an understanding of what constitutes the “French identity” of the 21st century. (3 credits)

GE-AH ALL    Fall open to ALL     offered by CHSS

Introduction to Communications ***

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of communication studies. Students will examine the components of human communication as it takes place within interpersonal, group, organizational, and public contexts and become familiar with the historical development of mass media and its role in society, looking at the print and electronic news media, advertising, public relations, and the Internet.  Students will also explore developments in the theory of communication from the mid-20th century to the present.  They will apply theoretical models to critically assess contemporary means and patterns of communication and use these models to analyze and develop their own written and oral communication in different formats. Course work will include media and reading assignments, as well as case studies and oral and written projects.  Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-AH for BAB and CS  Fall Core E&C   offered by CHSS   cross-listed with E&C

***BA in E&C majors given priority for registration

Introduction to Journalism ***

This course examines the nature of journalism as an area of mass media, its history and role in creating public opinion and disseminating information, and the impact of technology on journalism today. Students will be introduced to the meaning of “news”- definition, qualities of, evaluation and selection, and channels and audiences for news. The theoretical part of the course is paired with the actual practice of journalism: reporting (gathering information), exploring news values, news styles, form and organization of news stories, and writing various types of news: hard news, features, interviews, and critiques.  Students will be required to complete weekly reading and writing assignments. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.Prerequisites: ENGL 101, ENGL 102

GE-AH for BAB and CS  Fall Core E&C   offered by CHSS   cross-listed with E&C

***BA in E&C majors given priority for registration

English Literature 1 ***

This course introduces students to English literature from the Elizabethan period through the twentieth century and focuses on the development of various literary genres, as well as on the works of the most significant literary figures. The class will cover the major literary movements from English Renaissance humanism to Post-modernity and may also include marginal literary voices and ephemeral literature from English letters to provide context and balance.    Students are required to write analytical essays and complete weekly reading assignments. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week including discussions and tasks.  Prerequisite: none

GE-AH for BAB and CS  Fall Core E&C    offered by CHSS    cross-listed with E&C

***BA in E&C majors given priority for registration

Expository Writing ***

This course is designed to develop students’ writing skills for use in a wide array of academic and professional contexts.  Students will become familiar with the linguistic and rhetorical features of different genres of objective and informational writing, critically analyzing samples of effective writing in order to use them as models for their own work.  They will be encouraged to view writing as a process, involving planning, drafting, and revision for clarity and precision. Students are required to complete short readings and weekly writing assignments, which may include but are not necessarily limited to summaries, reports, memos, narratives, expository analyses, and syntheses. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week, along with in-class and take home assignments.Prerequisites: ENGL 101 and ENGL 102

GE-AH for BAB and CS  Fall Core E&C      offered by CHSS   cross-listed with E&C

***BA in E&C majors given priority for registration

Introduction to Language & Culture ***

This course provides an overview of the structural, biological, and historical aspects of language and focuses on the socio-cultural aspect—the connections between language and culture, and the ways in which language is used in various cultural and social contexts.  Examples of regional variation, social variation, ethnicity, gender, age, style, register, and the status of the speaker’s language will be discussed and illustrated during the course. Students are required to complete weekly reading assignments. Three hours of instructor-led class time per week.

GE-AH for BAB and CS  Fall Core E&C    offered by CHSS     cross-listed with E&C

***BA in E&C majors given priority for registration