PACS CORE 

Take 24 credits from the following courses:

---

SKILLS/METHODS CORE

Take at least 3 credits from the following courses:

---

PEACE AND CONFLICT AFFILIATED COURSES

Take at least 17 credits from the following courses:

---

COMMUNICATION COURSES:

CM-230 Interpersonal Communication

Introduces students to the various theories and styles of one-on-one communication. It emphasizes the transactional approach in the study of the communication process as it occurs in interpersonal relationships. It explores interaction as a way by which we come to know ourselves and each other.

3 CreditsH, CSPrerequisites: CM130

CM-365 Organizational Communication

Examines the strategic uses of communication by individuals in organizations and by organizations as a whole in the pursuit of organizational goals. Provides students with a theoretical vocabulary to analyze communication in organizational settings in order to understand processes such as social networks, leadership, and power. Focuses on personal and organizational ethics in work place communication.

3 CreditsH, S, CWPrerequisites: CM130 and CM230 and CM220.

CM-420E  Digital Storytelling

Digital stories derive their power in weaving images, music, narrative and voice together, and thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters, situations, experiences, and insights. This course offers students the opportunity to experiment with narratives and their visualization using digital media technologies as a vehicle to tell stories creatively with a clear point of view and audience awareness.

3 CreditsH, F, CTDHPrerequisites: CM133 or 1 of the following courses, CM290 or IT110 or AR404.

CM-405A Women, Work & Identity

Women. Work. Identity. These three words are related in a complex web that many of us struggle to untangle for our entire working lives. In this course, we identify and name the components of the relationships among these words--all in the context of the unique perspective that the communication discipline offers.

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: CM130 or CM230 or CM220 or CM365 or permission of the instructor.

CM-420B Media Violence

This media studies course introduces students to basic issues and research surrounding media violence. We take a hard look at media violence and its scholarly research in order to understand the intricacies of both our fascination and repulsion for all of the media's manifestations of violence. Cross-listed in Communication and Peace and Conflicts Studies, this course asks students to critically analyze media violence while integrating current media research into our understanding of violence as a presence in our lives and what we can or should do about it.

3 CreditsH, CWPrerequisites: CM132 or CM133.

---

ACCOUNTING, BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS:

EB-202  Behavioral Analysis of Organizations

The broad focus of the course is to examine how individuals come together to form a successful organization. The course is broken into three major sections: people, organizations, and leadership. The course emphasizes student involvement and engages students in a variety of in-class exercises, case analysis role playing exercises, small group exercises, and an off-campus class experience or two. One or more off-campus experiences are required for the course. 

4 CreditsCW,S,WK-SIPrerequisite: Sophomore standing.

EB-223  Principles of Microeconomics

The optimizing behavior of households and firms serves as the focal point in this study of market-based resource allocation. Supply and demand analysis, spending and saving decisions of households, production and employment decisions of firms, alternative market structures, and environmental economics are among the topics covered. 

3 CreditsSPrerequisite: Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing. 

EB-222  Principles of Macroeconomics

Macroeconomic conditions affect individuals and businesses in numerous ways: employment opportunities, the purchasing power of wages and salaries, the cost of borrowing money, sales, profits, and competitiveness against foreign businesses. This course develops the theories relevant to understanding the business cycle, inflation, unemployment, deflation, exchange rates and balance of payments problems. It also examines the options and tradeoffs governments face as they seek to provide a stable macroeconomic environment through monetary and fiscal policies. Case studies of the macroeconomic performance and policies of diverse countries provide a comparative orientation. 

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing 

---

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND STUDIES COURSES:

ESS-305 Environmental Economics

This course will cover the basics of microeconomic analysis as it applies to the environmental decision making and environmental policy with respect to pollution abetment, resource harvesting, and sustainability analysis. The course will also explore the strengths and weaknesses of economic models of human behavior. Finally, the course explores the growing concern of sustainable and resilient economies. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.

3 CreditsS 

ESS-300 Environmental Problem Solving

Students will practice and gain experience in solving actual environmental problems by putting academic theory to work in real world situations. Students will learn to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams comprised of both environmental scientist and environmental studies students. This course serves as preparation for senior research and internships.

4 CreditsS, NPrerequisite: ESS100.

ESS-330 Geographical Information Systems

This course is an introduction to a Geographical Information System (GIS), and the course objective is that students gain a basic, partial understanding of GIS concepts, technical issues, and applications using Arc View GIS. It encourages thinking in spatial context. A diverse array of hands-on computer applications and projects are used to understand how geographical data can be analyzed spatially. Students explore analysis techniques in a problem basis learning approach using small team projects.

4 CreditsCTGISNote: A special course fee is assessed. Prerequisite: ESS100.

ESS-337 Environmental Law

This course will examine the major environmental laws in the United States and major Supreme Court cases covering these statutes. The status covered will be National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), The Clean Water Act (CWA), The Clean Air Acr (CAA), The Endangered Species Act (ESA), Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and The Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA), The Forest Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA).

3 CreditsS, CTGISPrerequisites: ESS-100 or PS-110. Must have sophomore standing or above.

---

HISTORY COURSES:

HS-200 The Great War

This class is a social, cultural, and political history of the First World War. While the course will examine the different combatants and theaters of the war, we will focus on the perspective of Britain and the British Empire, as we seek to understand what it was like for soldiers and civilians to live through the war.

4 CreditsI, H, CW,WK-HT 

HS-204 Australia/New Zealand

This course is a comparative introduction to the history of New Zealand and Australia. We will begin the course by studying the indigenous people of the region: Australian Aborigines in Australia and Maoris in New Zealand, before moving to think about the arrival of white settlers. During the semester, we will pay particular attention to the process of colonization and dispossession, race and gender relations, the search for national identity, popular culture, and politics in the two countries.

4 CreditsI, H 

HS-213 History of Ireland

This course is an introduction to the history of Ireland, beginning with an overview of the early history. We will explore the Tudor revolutions, English colonialism, the question of identity in the island, Irish Republicanism. home rule movements, the partition of Ireland, and the " troubles " in the North of the island of Ireland.

4 CreditsH, WK-HT 

HS-309 Civil War and Reconstruction

Examines the political, social, military, economic and ideological origins and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The course looks deeply into several important questions. What caused the Civil War? Why was the Union victorious? Why did the war proceed as it did? What was the nature and legacy of reconstruction? What does this period in our history mean to us now?

4 CreditsH, CW, CTDHPrerequisites: HS115 or HS116 and SO, JR, or SR standing.

HS-313 Disease, Medicine & Empire

What can the study of the history of medicine tell us about the nature of rule and the politics of race in European empires? How did medical theories of disease and healing shape ideas about colonial environments, populations, bodies, and racial differences in the imaginations of European colonizers? How did medicine and science function as tools of colonial domination and as part of broader "civilizing" projects, and what were the limits of such efforts at social control? Can the study of medical reforms and everyday life shed light on how colonial subjects conceptualized, challenged, and defined their own positions in the social order?

4 CreditsCA, I, H, SW-GE, CTGESPre- or Co-Requisite: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.

HS-367 Women in Africa

This course will provide students with an understanding of women in sub-Saharan African cultures, their history, traditions, diversity, resilience and adaptability. To do this we will be looking at social structure, kinship networks, economic systems, gender relations, ethnicity and ethnic conflicts, traditional religion, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other health issues.

4 CreditsCA, H, I, CTDH 

HS-400 Crimes Against Humanity

This course explores the emergence, evolution, varieties, underlying causes, and means of confronting and coming to terms with genocide and other crimes against humanity. During the course of the semester, we will examine a range of historical contexts and we will also confront tough questions about ethics, resistance, and responsibility. 

4 CreditsI, HPrerequisites: Junior or Senior standing. Sophomores require permission.

---

POLITICS COURSES:

PS-222 Western Political Thought

Surveys selected works of philosophers from Plato to Nietzsche. The course will focus on enduring questions -- what is the good, the nature of the best regime, how do freedom and authority intersect, and so on.

4 CreditsH, WK-HTPre-Req or Co-Req: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109

PS-235 Migration

This two-course series (PS-235/236) The fall semester pre-departure course examines the full range of policy issues related to migration in North America. The winter course/trip travels to southern Mexico, where professors and students from the Autonomous University of Chiapas (UNACH) will help students to gain first-hand insight into Mexico's migration policies through lectures, discussions, and visits to government migration detention centers. In addition to learning from the UNACH scholars, students will learn about Mexican culture from their homestay families. Students must complete both courses in the series to fulfill a Global Engagement course requirement. The total course fee is divided equally between PS-235 and PS-236.

2 CreditsI,S,SW-GE

PS-236 Eyewitness to Migration in Mexico

This two-course series (PS-235/236) The fall semester pre-departure course examines the full range of policy issues related to migration in North America. The winter course/trip travels to southern Mexico, where professors and students from the Autonomous University of Chiapas (UNACH) will help students to gain first-hand insight into Mexico's migration policies through lectures, discussions, and visits to government migration detention centers. In addition to learning from the UNACH scholars, students will learn about Mexican culture from their homestay families. Students must complete both courses in the series to fulfill a Global Engagement course requirement. The total course fee is divided equally between PS-235 and PS-236.

I,S,SW-GEPre-Req: PS-235.

PS-318 Parties, Elections & Campaigns

Examines the role political parties and elections play in democratic theory and practice in the U.S. Topics include party systems in the U.S., history, party organization, comparisons with parties in other countries, electoral competition, and elite mass linkages. Contemporary issues such as campaign finance, campaign strategy, and the role of the mass media are also explored. 

3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PS101.

PS-334 Human Rights

This class focuses on some of the debates concerning human rights: realism versus idealism; individualism versus communitarianism; universalism versus relativism; religious fundamentalism versus secularism; women's rights as human rights; liberalism versus socialism. We review the historical evolution of human rights. We devote part of the semester to the role of literature and the arts in creating and promoting human rights. 

3 CreditsI, SPrerequisite: PS102.

PS-340 Topics in International Politics

Examines international politics in light of a specific topic or issue. The topics include themes such as: Global Environmental Politics, Nationalism, and Competing World Ideologies.

3 CreditsS, I 

---

INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES:

CONN-202 Science and Society

This course on Science and Society is intended to review historical issues in science and the debate that surrounds societal decision-making. Thus, students will examine this topic from the perspective of scientific process and social inquiry. In addition, we will also review current " hot topics " in science, research these topics from various aspects including societal impacts and scientific advancements. They will also discuss potential resolutions, moving toward becoming more scientifically literate. We will also be discussing current " popular " books on related science. Ultimately, we will compare what the scientists are saying in professional journals versus the interpretation presented to the general public. NOTE: Students are expected to be in their third or fourth year when taking a Connections course.

3 CreditsCONN,CA,CW

EN-251 Slave Narratives

The personal autobiographies of American slaves are the foundational works of the African American literary tradition, and they have influenced generations of American authors. Originally written as a means of promoting the abolition of slavery, contemporary writers have taken this historical form and transformed it to reflect upon the past and engage with problems of the present. Neo-slave narratives are a reminder that, as Faulkner writes, " The past is never dead. It's not even past. " In this course, we will read a variety of original slave narratives and put them in dialogue with contemporary fictionalized slave narratives. In doing so, we will explore topics such as the boundaries between fact and fiction, the political uses of literature, the afterlife of slavery, and many others.

4 CreditsH, CWPrerequisites: EN110 or EN109.

EN-392 Crossing the Border

This class will examine the many meanings of " border crossing " in 20th- and 21st-century literature about immigration to the United States. Using critical race theory, this class will put works of fiction and autobiography in historical context to better investigate the influence of immigration law on U.S. national literature. Beginning with short texts from the turn of the twentieth century, we will focus primarily on contemporary works dealing with the post-1965 (or " new wave " ) immigrant experience. Topics will include: " American Dream " mythology, social mobility, generational conflict, acculturation and assimilation, hyphenated identity, nativism, barriers to full citizenship, and more.

4 CreditH,CW,SW-USPrerequisites: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109

PC-239  Nuclear Threat

This course examines the development and ramifications of nuclear weapons. Students will learn the basic physics upon which these devices operate, and explore moral issues that arose in the interactions of communities impacted by their construction, use, and testing, including the perspectives of scientists, government officials, and affected citizenry. Current issues and concerns regarding nuclear weapons will be studied as well.

4 CreditsCA,N,H,CW,WK-SP 

PL-265  Environmental Ethics

As the life-support system for everyone, the environment is unquestionably of high value. Yet decisions about its care and its uses evoke controversy. This course explores contrasting viewpoints and practices that impact the earth and its plant and animal life. Through readings, projects, and critical discussion of cases, students apply ethical theories to selected contemporary issues. 

4 CreditsH,SW-ERPrereq or coreq: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109 

PL-101  Introduction to Philosophy

This course provides students with the background and conceptual tools that are required for more advanced study in the subject. At the discretion of the instructor, the course will either examine fundamental philosophical problems or provide a survey of important thinkers. 

3 CreditsH,WK-HTPre-Req or Co-Req: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109 

PL-105  Introduction to Logic

An analysis of practical reasoning skills, including a systematic approach to informal arguments and the meaning of everyday claims. Aristotelian logic, Venn Diagrams, propositional logic and symbolic logic are included.

4 CreditsH,WK-FR 

PY-205 Social Psychology

The study of human interaction and interpersonal relationships, including selected areas of current research and theory such as social perception, interpersonal communication, attitude formation and change, conformity, aggression, and interpersonal attraction. 

3 CreditsS 

PY-312 Cultural Psychology

Cultural psychology is the scientific study of how cultural norms influence how individuals think, feel, and behave. Cultural psychologists study the ultimate social situation: culture. Questions from this field are relevant to our everyday lives and are important in shaping our understanding of ourselves and views of others.

3 CreditsS 

RL-341  Religion and War

This course explores the role of religion in warfare. It looks at the evolution of religion and war in our species, modern anthropological investigations of religion and war, religious discussions of war in Western and non-Western religions.

4 CreditsCA,H,CW 

SP-275 Art and Activism in Latin America

Studies art --literature, film, music, plastic arts, etc.--that denounces social injustice and seeks to trigger fundamental reforms in Latin American societies. Known as arte comprometido or committed art in Latin America, selected violence, economic exploitation, racism, and machismo. The course is conducted in Spanish.

3 CreditsI, H, CSPrerequisites: SP210 or by permission of the instructor.

SP-375 Art and Activism in Latin America

Studies art --literature, film, music, plastic arts, etc.--that denounces social injustice and seeks to trigger fundamental reforms in Latin American societies. Known as arte comprometido or committed art in Latin America, selected artistic texts treat topics such as political violence, economic exploitation, racism, and machismo. The course is conducted in Spanish.

3 CreditsI, H, CSPrerequisites: SP250 or SP255 or by permission of the instructor.

SP-301 Voice for Voiceless-LA Testimonial Narr

The testimonial genre developed in Latin America during the 1960s to give voice to the voiceless and bear witness to the world of the marginalized and oppressed. A representative sample of testimonial narratives will be read to examine topics such as the testimonial pact established with readers, social realities represented, processes of textual production, and narrative forms incorporated. Text will be read in English translation and the class will be conducted in English. 

3 CreditsCA, I, H, WK-HTPrereq: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109. (Previous course title: Latin American Testimonio)

---

CAPSTONE/INTERNSHIP

Complete one of the following options below (at least 3-4 credits).  A capstone in History, Economics or Politics may be substituted in consultation with POE advisor.

OPTION 1:

 

OPTION 2:

---

POE Credit Total = 45-60

Students must complete at least 18 credits at the 300/400-level.  Any course exception must be approved by the advisor and/or department chair.