Anthropology 2201H - Introduction to Archaeology (3 credit hours)
This course introduces students to the aims and methods of archaeology through examining the human past on a global scale. Of all disciplines, archaeology is uniquely situated to discover the human past throughout millions of years of prehistory. This course will help students understand both how archaeologists learn about the past, and how that knowledge can be applied to understand the human condition in the present. What heritage do we share with other animals, and how are we different? How have humans adapted to the Earth's diverse natural environments, and why do societies sometimes fail to prosper? Why do cultures change over time? The prehistoric record of human lifeways give us insight into some of the issues that face us in the contemporary world, such as war and violence, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, hunger, social inequality, migration, and cultural conflict. This course explores these issues by examining a selection of important archaeological sites in various parts of the world.
Anthropology 2202H - Peoples and Cultures: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 credit hours)
In this course, we will explore what it means to be human by examining the cultural systems people have devised throughout the world. We will focus on the major dimensions of human culture, such as: religious, political, family, kinship, and economic systems. We will also explore the unique capabilities of humans related to language and technology. In the course of understanding other cultures, students will gain important insights into their own culture and contemporary issues.
Economics 2001.03H - Principles of Microeconomics (3 credit hours)
An advanced introduction to economic theory: supply and demand for goods, services, and factor inputs; market structure; international trade, the distribution of income. The main goal is to understand how households and firms make their decisions and how they interact with each other. Among others, we will cover topics on demand and supply, market structure (perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition) also, we will look at the public goods, externalities and economics of information.
Economics 2002.03H - Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credit hours)
An advanced introduction to the theory of national income determination; economic fluctuations; money; government policy; international economics. Economics 2002.03H addresses the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry through discussion of supply and demand at the national (and global) level and the measurement of national income (including gross domestic product). Students will learn about the formation and durability of political, economic, and social organizing principles through discussions of the origin and structure of central banks (including the Federal Reserve Bank and its origin and structure) as well as other international organizations (such as the International Monetary Fund), and fiscal and monetary policy. Students will comprehend the nature and values of organizations and polities and their importance in social problem solving and policy making through discussions of fiscal and monetary policy, business cycles, and the Federal Reserve Bank, including its values and objectives.
Linguistics 3701H/Psychology 3371H - Language and the Mind (3 credit hours)
Introduction to the psychological processes by which humans produce and understand sentences in conversation, the means by which these processes arise in the child, and their bases in the brain. It deals with the following topics (among others): (1) Speech Perception, the process of detecting distinct 'sounds' in speech signals; (2) Lexical Access, the process of 'looking up' words in a mental dictionary; (3) Syntactic Parsing, the process of discovering the structure of sentences; (4) Semantic Interpretation, the process of using syntactic structures, word meaning and general world knowledge to interpret what we hear; (5) Language Acquisition, the process by which a child becomes able to produce and understand sentences of his or her native language(s), (6) Neurolinguistics, the study of the way language functions are implemented in the brain.
Prerequisite: Psychology 1100 or Linguistics 2000
Psychology 1100H - Introduction to Psychology (3 credit hours)
Psychology 1100H is a comprehensive introduction to the science and profession of psychology. Topics covered include the Biological Bases of Behavior and Cognition, Learning, Memory, Perception, Development, Cognition, Social Behavior and Clinical Psychology. A prerequisite to advanced courses; a broad survey of psychological science. Application of the scientific method to the empirical study of behavior with emphasis on individual and cultural differences.
Psychology 3325H - Introduction to Social Psychology (3 credit hours)
This course examines the theories, research, and applications of social psychology. The material is divided into four units: (1) Social Perception – how we think about ourselves, other individuals, and groups; (2) Social Influence – how we affect other people’s attitudes and behavior; (3) Social Interaction – how we relate to each other as strangers, acquaintances, friends, and lovers; and (4) Social Applications – the uses of social psychology to understand real-world problems in the areas of law, business, and health.
Prerequisite: Psychology 1100
Psychology 3331H - Abnormal Psychology (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the phenomenology (description), etiology (causes), and treatment of abnormal behavior. Major psychiatric syndromes will be discussed along with our current classification system (DSM-IV). Genetic, biological, social, and psychological parameters implicated in the etiology of these syndromes will be reviewed.
Prerequisite: Psychology 1100
Psychology 3551H - Psychology of Adolescence (3 credit hours)
The purpose of this course is to examine theory and research on adolescent development. Some of the specific areas covered include puberty and the teenage brain, risk-taking, identity and self-concept development, parent relations, peer pressure, media influences, sexual behavior, teenage pregnancy, adolescent depression, anti-social behavior, and drug and alcohol use. The course is interdisciplinary in scope and should appeal to students not only in psychology, but also in other areas that focus on human behavior.
Prerequisite: Psychology 1100
Social Work 1130H - Introduction to Sociology (3 credit hours)
An introduction to the core values, fundamental goals, unique functions and methods of the social work profession. This three-credit course will explore the nature of modern social problems and the public policies that frame societal responses. Students will study issues such as access to healthcare; child welfare; crisis, trauma, and disasters; mental health and addiction; violence, victims, and criminal justice; poverty and economic disparity; and immigration.
Sociology 2367.01H - The Political Elite and Interest Groups (3 credit hours)
Sociological analysis of American politics and society, emphasizing political elites and interest groups, and the changing role of the state in the economy.
Prerequisite: English 1110