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2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Chemistry |
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CHM 4650 - Medicinal Chemistry Credits: 4
This course will cover medicinal chemistry concepts with an emphasis on the drug discovery process. Topics will include catalytic strategies, genres of inhibitors, drug discovery processes, and the biochemical basis of disease. The course will also examine the mode of action of antibiotics and other influential drugs. The course will also have a brief overview of pharmacology. The course will be composed of both lecture and laboratory components.
Prerequisite(s): Grades of C or better in both CHM 2210 and BIO 3037 .
Six hours per week.
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CHM 4800 - Directed Study Credits: 2 or 4
In lieu of a formal course, qualified upper class students may substitute an intensive program of study under the direction of a member of the department and with departmental approval, which must be obtained prior to registration.
Prerequisite(s): CHM 2220 and consent of the instructor.
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CHM 4910 - Directed Research I Credits: 4
Chemistry and Biochemistry majors will take this laboratory research course directed by a faculty member. In addition to laboratory work, course requirements include literature reviews, group discussions, and presentation of a seminar to the department.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
When Offered: Every fall semester.
Scheduled by arrangement with research advisor.
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CHM 4920 - Directed Research II Credits: 4
A continuation of CHM 4910 . A senior thesis and final presentation of results completes the two-semester project.
Prerequisite(s): CHM 4910 .
Fulfills: X in LS Core
When Offered: Every spring semester.
Scheduled by arrangement with research advisor.
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CHM 4930 - Senior Internship I Credits: 4
The Senior Internship course offers Chemistry and Biochemistry majors experiential learning opportunities in an industrial setting. The course offers students the opportunity to explore a career in industry and to establish experience which may lead to employment after graduation. Students work 10 hours per week in an industrial, governmental, or other laboratory setting. Students should meet with the internship coordinator in the semester prior to the internship to determine an appropriate placement. A memorandum of understanding concerning the responsibilities of the student must be signed by the student, the industry representative, and the internship coordinator.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.
When Offered: Every fall semester.
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CHM 4940 - Senior Internship II Credits: 4
A continuation of CHM 4930 . At the end of the semester, students are expected to give a presentation on their work experience.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department.
When Offered: Every spring semester.
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Communication |
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COM 1020 - Public Communication Credits: 4
This course focuses on the concepts and practices associated with effective public communication. A central aspect of this course entails the mastering of public speaking through the process of researching, preparing, and delivering presentations in a variety of formats (e.g., informative, persuasive, and impromptu). The classroom serves as a laboratory to develop the skills needed for effective public communication. In addition, students will also analyze public speaking events as a means of developing a critical understanding of the public communication process.
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COM 2010 - Research Inquiry Credits: 4
This course is offered to help students examine both quantitative and qualitative methodologies utilized by researchers in Communication. Students will be introduced to the concepts of research design, sampling, measurement, data collection, behavioral observation, statistical analysis and ethics. The difference between implications of humanistic/interpretive research and positivistic/objective research will be emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): Communication majors only.
Fulfills: W in LS Core
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COM 2401 - Introduction to Media Credits: 4
Formerly: Introduction to Mass Communication
This course focuses on the basic principles of mass communication and its historical development. Issues explored include media access, media ethics, media effects, and current trends in the growth of digital and wireless mass communication technologies. Students examine the role of the media industry in reinforcing and challenging dominant values, attitudes, and beliefs central to American culture. An additional feature of the course studies how mass media-created ideals have been disseminated internationally, as well as how media businesses reflect, influence and sometimes defy societal norms. Students will also have the opportunity to develop their own independent mass media project.
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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COM 2801 - Introduction to Communication Credits: 4
Formerly: Introduction to Applied Communication
Having a great idea is not enough; you have to be able to effectively communicate your idea to others. This course will examine principles of interpersonal, organizational, and community-based communication as a means of shaping how individuals respond to advocacy efforts. The critical skills discussed will help students understand how people influence one another and how one can successfully influence others. This course will prepare students to be competent communicators in a variety of contexts.
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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COM 3011 - Praxis Special Topics Credits: 4
This course provides focused study and praxis of a specific and significant communication skill. The topic varies each time the course is taught. Descriptions will be available in the Communication and Media office and on MyMack. This course includes student preparation of communication artifacts that will contribute to a portfolio of work.
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COM 3312 - Television Criticism Credits: 4
This course is an introduction to the scholarly study of television. We will consider television in terms of aesthetics and style, representation (and how it contributes to our identities and culture), viewing practices, politics and regulation, and its industrial practices and structures. In this class we will take all television shows seriously. From The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Breaking Bad to Ballers and The Wire, all programming is important ideologically, politically, and socially.
Fulfills: W in LS Core
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COM 3322 - Radio Production Credits: 4
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of the radio industry and how to work in radio. Throughout the semester they will be writing, producing, recording, and editing various audio projects, including underwriting spots, public service announcements, newscasts, long-form stories, and hour-long music or talk radio shows. This class will help students develop on-air performance and broadcast communication skills as well as provide them with a foundation in working with audio editing software.
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COM 3360 - Visual Communication Credits: 4
This course explores the history, theory and criticism of visual communication and examines basic assumptions about visual imagery and its impact when combined with words. This course also considers how visual discourse is shaped and transformed by social history and mechanical inventions such as the camera and computer. Discussions will consider images before and after the development of reproducible print, the shift from pre-industrial to industrial image production, major art movements, architectural styles, photographic reality, graphic design, and digital imaging. Students will learn how to effectively produce persuasive and aesthetically pleasing visually communicated messages.
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COM 3401 - Principles of Public Relations Credits: 4
This course presents an overview of basic public relations principles, concepts and relation of theory and practice. Students will explore the field of professional public relations covering the role, origin and trends affecting the future of the practice. Special emphasis will be placed on problem solving and the tools and techniques of the trade as applied to real-life situations. The scope of the course will also examine the foundations of public relations as a communications discipline, as understood historically in the role of society, public opinion, effective strategy and tactics, process, identification of public, publicity techniques and effective use of media. Moreover, the course will address ethical and legal implications of the profession.
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COM 3420 - The Film Experience Credits: 4
This course will offer students an overview of the cinematic experience. The course will focus on three specific parts of the film experience. First, students will gain an understanding of classic and modern film theory. Second, students will learn how to critically analyze films as well as how to write journalistic and scholarly analyses of films. In the class, students will watch six movies as a group in order to give students a common subject for thoughtful analysis and spirited discussion. Third, students will be given the opportunity to produce, direct, act in, and edit their own short films.
Fulfills: AL in LS Core.
Note: No prerequisites for IFS (Film Studies) minors.
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COM 3421 - A Cultural History of Photography Credits: 4
Formerly: COM4420
The various social and material uses, styles, and genres of photography will be discussed within social, political and aesthetic dimensions that have occurred in the medium from its conception, as well as drawing parallels between this history and contemporary issues. Students will develop an awareness of the sociopolitical and psychological forces concerning photographic meaning, and the power of a photograph to manipulate truth in mass culturFAA3420.
Cross-Listed: FAA3420
Fulfills: AL in LS Core.
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COM 3422 - Introduction to Television Production Credits: 4
This introductory course is intended to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the art and skill involved in creating television programming. Students will examine historical milestones and develop the skill to analyze the craft. Pre-production, production, and post-production techniques will be introduced. Students will work in teams to gain experience both in front of and behind the camera and develop storytelling strategies. They will also write copy for television, and work on camera shots and angles, lighting and composition, all of which will prepare them to produce original Merrimack College campus programming.
Fulfills: X in LS Core.
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COM 3423 - Field Production Credits: 4
This course introduces the student to the various elements of shooting video in the field and skills including basic scriptwriting, cinematography, audio recording, and non-linear editing. Throughout the semester students will create video projects including public service announcements and multiple news-style packages. Students will also watch and critique videos in class. By the end of the semester, students should be able to effectively plan and execute basic video projects from pre-production to post-production, resulting in content that could be used for the MCTV news show.
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COM 3424 - Pre & Post Production Credits: 4
Shooting video is only one phase of the production process. To be able to successfully create media projects, you need to understand how to develop an idea before production happens and what to do with the material after production happens. The purpose of this class is to introduce you both the pre-production and post-production phases of media production. The first part of the semester will focus on pre-production, which includes brainstorming, concept development, scripting, storyboarding, and scheduling. While this class is not production focused, you will also be shooting video for your projects to be used for editing. The second part of the semester will focus on editing audio and video to create impactful media pieces.
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COM 3450 - Basic Digital Photography Credits: 4
Students will develop visual ability in photography through the in-depth study of DSLR camera functions, composition, light and time, while processing photographic images in a digital darkroom lab setting with Photoshop. Analysis of photographic work from different genres and styles will elicit development of a photographic vision. Through shooting assignments, students will explore technology and ways of seeing photographically, working toward the development of an on-line portfolio. A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera is required.
Cross-Listed: FAA3450
Fulfills: AL in LS Core.
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COM 3452 - News and New Media I Credits: 4
Formerly: Newspaper and New Media Production
This course focuses on the application of media theory, journalism ethics, and production techniques to the school newspaper and the expansion of the current news operation into new media formats. Students will produce issues of the Beacon; learn story construction, selection and framing; write stories for the regular publication of the paper; and explore and produce different methods of new media production.
Fulfills: X in LS Core.
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COM 3453 - News and New Media II Credits: 4
Formerly: Newspaper and New Media Productions II
This course focuses on the advanced application of media theory, journalism ethics, and production techniques to the school newspaper and the expansion of the current news operation into new media formats. Students will produce issues of the Beacon; learn advanced story construction, advanced selection and framing; write stories for the regular publication of the paper; and explore and produce different methods of new media production.
Prerequisite(s): COM3452
Fulfills: X in LS Core.
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COM 3454 - Introduction to Journalism Studies Credits: 4
This course is an introduction to the journalism outlets that report, shape, comment on, and sometimes create news. In addition, this course explores the laws, rules and ethical codes by which journalists are supposed to work; the relationship of journalism to U.S. culture; and the nature of journalism itself.
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COM 3529 - The Future of Media: Integrated Marketing Communication Credits: 4
This course is designed for students planning to pursue careers as communication professionals in the fields of advertising, public relations, marketing, and media. This kind of employment requires skills in integrated communication and demands a more complete understanding of the strategies and tactics used in traditional advertising, public relations, and marketing. In this course students will explore the emergence of integrated communication, analyze new dimensions of mass communication, and develop practical skills to transform the way memorable ideas are delivered.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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COM 3586 - Sports Communication Credits: 4
This course will have a dual focus on sports media production and social scientific sports communication research. Students will have the opportunity to co-produce two to four Merrimack College Sports News and Information TV programs. These shows will be produced both on-campus in our TV studio and off-campus at CAM, North Andover’s cable access station. The sports news programs will appear on both North Andover’s cable access channel and MCTV10, the on-campus TV station. Students will also examine relevant research in communication and sport and have the opportunity to participate in a large content analysis-based research project.
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COM 3621 - Conflict Management Credits: 4
This course is designed around the assumption that conflict in its various forms is an integral and unavoidable component in human affairs. The course approaches the study of conflict from a communication-centered perspective. As such, students explore how communication theory and research can add to our understanding of conflict. Wide ranges of conflict contexts are examined (e.g., interpersonal; intercultural; small group; organizational) along with contemporary models and theories of effective conflict management.
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COM 3625 - Health Campaigns Credits: 4
Sir Ken Robinson, education advocate and author, has been vocal in his texts and Ted Talks about how the education system is killing student creativity. This course is a response to his call by tasking students to think outside the traditional confines of the collegiate classroom. This course provides an overview of theory and research focused on the practice of mediated health communication. Topics discussed will include media advocacy and health policy change, direct-to-consumer prescription marketing, and challenges confronting the field of health communication. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to develop a health based campaign message aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and/or disease prevention. These campaign messages will be launched on campus and evaluated for success.
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COM 3742 - Communication and Nonprofit Organizing Credits: 4
This course provides an examination of communication problems encountered by nonprofit organizations. The students will explore the nonprofit sector, understand the similarity and differences among government and for-profit organizations. Topics that will be explored include: superior subordinate relationships in volunteer-based organizations, interactions with special stakeholders (e.g., volunteer boards, funding agencies, community groups, under-served client populations), inter-organizational coordination efforts within communities of nonprofits, image and representation of nonprofit organizations, formal and informal structure within non-profits, and planned change implementation in the context of multiple stakeholder relationships.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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COM 3801 - Praxis Directed Study Credits: 4
This course prepares stude nt s to conduct communication skills-based projects in a focused area decided upon by professor and student. Through these experiences, student s w ill learn disciplinary conventions and refine their skill s as commun ication professionals with sm all group or one-on-one professor feedback. The topic varies each time the course is taught. Descriptions will be available in the Communication and Media office and on MyMack.
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COM 3850 - Communication Internship Credits: 8
This course is a work-study experience co-supervised by the Communication and Media Department and a mentor in the workplace. Students are placed according to interest and career path in a clinical, academic, communication or industrial setting for the purpose of gaining hands-on experience in the communication discipline. Students must work at least an average of 20 hours per week in the field. In addition, students will work individually and in groups with the Internship Director to produce a 20-25 page research paper on a topic related to the internship experience.
Prerequisite(s): Communication Majors only and consent of the instructor.
Fulfills: Fulfills X in LS Core.
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COM 3851 - Summer Communication Internship Credits: 4
This course is a work-study experience co-supervised by the Communication and Media Department and a mentor in the workplace. Students are placed according to interest and career path in a clinical, academic, communication or industrial setting for the purpose of gaining hands-on experience in the communication discipline. Students must work in the field at least an average of 15 hours per week for eight weeks, totaling 120 hours in the field. In addition, students will work individually through email with the Internship Director to produce a 10-15 page reflective research paper on a topic related to the internship experience.
Prerequisite(s): Communication majors only and consent of the instructor.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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COM 4011 - Special Topics in Communication Credits: 4
This course provides focused study of a specific and significant topic from a communication orientation. The topic varies each time the course is taught. Descriptions will be available in the Communication and Media office and on MyMack. This course includes student preparation of seminar papers and critiques.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4100 - Humor and Media Credits: 4
This course focuses on examples of mediated humor and the ideologies they advance. Throughout this course, students will learn about theories of humor motivation (what makes people laugh) and read communication journal articles analyzing humor from rhetorical, qualitative, and quantitative methods. Students will be encouraged to think critically about how humorous texts invite particular readings and to develop such arguments in their own writing.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Fulfills: W in LS Core
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COM 4132 - Mass Media and American Politics Credits: 4
This course examines of the role of the media in shaping political opinions and behavior. In addition, students will examine the role of the media in setting political agendas and reporting and interpreting political events. Lastly, students will study the nature and influence of public opinion in a democratic society will be studied.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801 .
Cross-Listed: POL3140
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
Note: No prerequisites for Politics majors/minors.
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COM 4222 - Political Communication Credits: 4
This course examines the role of political communication in the United States. The course will cover topics such as political advertising, campaign consulting and management and policymaking, polling, speech writing, negotiation, mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Students will write and present a political lobbying project on a contemporary political issue.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Note: No prerequisites for Politics majors/minors.
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COM 4265 - Media, Culture and Identity Credits: 4
Formerly: Feminist Media Studies
This course brings together works from feminist scholars around the world in order to map the contemporary feminist and/or post-feminist context as well as feminized popular culture by examining everything from Pinterest and pregnancy apps to books, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, or TV shows, such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians. This class takes very seriously, in accordance with feminist media studies and critical cultural studies as fields of inquiry, the study of “low” cultural texts, which are traditionally considered to be feminized, and are thus marginalized. Ultimately, this course will give students a foundation in feminist media studies and feminist media theory by considering issues of passion, bodies, and labor as related to the production, circulation, and consumption of mediated texts.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Fulfills: D and W in LS Core
Note: No prerequisites for WGS students.
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COM 4274 - Media Ethics Credits: 4
Throughout this course, students will gain a foundational understanding of ethical principles, guiding ethical codes for media industries, and key laws and court decisions that shape media practices. These ethical principles and codes are grounded in religious and philosophical writings. This class will ideally help students develop their own moral compass and ability to analyze complex issues from a variety of perspectives. The course will be taught largely through analysis of case studies and application of ethical theories in order to encourage students to think proactively about difficult decisions across a variety of situations.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4281 - Media Marathoning Credits: 4
This course examines media marathoning from both an audience perspective and a textual perspective. From the audience perspective, the course considers viewers/readers as agentic and explores their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagements with marathoned narratives. In terms of the textual perspective, the course explores themes and character types found in commonly marathoned stories. Because media marathoning is an emerging area of scholarly study, students will be conducting original qualitative research in groups to offer enhanced understanding of this notable phenomenon.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4326 - New Media & Digital Communication Credits: 4
This course provides an overview of the history of new media and examines various contemporary issues related to social media, digital communication, and technological evolution, including surveillance, privacy, big data, human quantification, identity, knowledge (creation, distribution, and ownership), and mediated relationships (human to human and human to machine). Ultimately, this course provides a foundation for understanding new media technologies, their numerous impacts on social life, and the way social life impacts the development and use of new media technologies.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4350 - Misinformation in the Digital Age Credits: 4
This course explores the circulation of fake news, hyperpartisan or propagandistic news, clickbait, memes, and other kinds of online misinformation across various websites and social media platforms. We will consider misinformation as it relates to the news industry and contemporary practices in journalism, public cynicism, and growing distrust in media organizations. We will also consider information and technology industry practices as well as policy debates and issues impact ing the
spread of information around the world. Finally, we will examine communication theories to better understand both who is likely to share and/or believe online misinformation and what we can do about it. This course draws on scholarship in media and communication studies, political science, psychology, library and information sciences, and other fields of inquiry .
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4400 - Mass Communication Credits: 4
Formerly: Advanced Mass Communication Theory
This course focuses on in-depth examination of the central mass communication theories as discussed in scholarly research and the popular press. The course asks students to not only understand the basic principles of important mass communication theories but also to apply those theories by putting them into practice and/or by conducting research to test those theories. The course examines theories developed within the social sciences and the critical/cultural approach to communication research. By the end of the course students will better understand the various ways humans use mass communication technologies as well as the effects these media sources might have on the individual and society. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to apply communication theories to the production of mass media messages.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4450 - Global Media Credits: 4
This class will look at how media flows and changes as it crosses borders, whether imported from or exported to other countries, and how this may reinforce notions of cultural imperialism, the creation of a global village ,or other ways in which cultures and texts intersect and overlap. Additionally, we will look at emerging media industries outside the U.S. that produce and circulate mass media around the world, and examine key issues in global media from a critical perspective, including the hegemony of U.S. media, television formatting, global conglomeration, political economy and copyright laws, national communication policies and quota systems, and audience practices and expectations in different contexts.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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COM 4500 - Communication and Advocacy Credits: 4
Having a great idea is not enough; you have to be able to effectively communicate your idea to others. This course will examine the principles of interpersonal, organizational, and community-based communication as a means of shaping how individuals respond to advocacy efforts. The critical skills discussed will help you both understand how people are influencing you, and how you can more successfully influence others. This course will prepare you to be a competent communicator in a variety of contexts.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4510 - Persuasion and Social Influence Credits: 4
This course is designed to examine the study of persuasive communication as it evolved from the disciplines of psychology and sociology. Special emphasis is placed on types of social influence and how people try to influence one another attitudinally or behaviorally in a wide variety of real-life communication contexts, situations, and settings. Some topics discussed will include consistency, credibility, and compliance-gaining. The course will also investigate structuring and ordering persuasive messages, the relationship between choice and coercion, as well as tactics for resisting another’s attempt to persuade. Ethics, deception, motivational appeals, propaganda, social responsibility, and conformity are other areas critically assessed.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 andCOM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4520 - Gender and Communication Credits: 4
This course explores how gender influences the form, style and content of our communication. In addition, this course considers how gender relates to larger issues in communication such as dominance, violence, the power of language and how that structures our world, influences our culture and our perceptions, and the promotion of dominant ideologies of gender. To accomplish these ends, we will examine popular culture both historically as well as contemporary. Students will be asked to look at the underlying assumptions about what it means to be and behave like one gender or another and what it means to live with intersexuality. Exploration of cultures that recognize three gender categories will be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Fulfills: D in LS Core
Note: No prerequisites for WGS and SOJ students.
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COM 4531 - Intercultural Communication Credits: 4
This course examines scholarly research and current events with concerted attention towards the improved practice of communication in intercultural, international, and interfaith settings. The primary questions investigated in the course will address the dynamics of culture, ethnicity, religion, and identity in terms of issues of representation, inequality, and empowerment against the backdrop of global transition in the 21st Century. The course will pay particular attention to the ways religion and ethnic identity influence each other at the individual, community, national, and international levels and will closely interrogate communication practices between people of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. The course will call upon research from critical and functional perspectives that utilize qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
Fulfills: SOSC and D in LS Core.
Note: No prerequisites for WGS and SOJ students.
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COM 4543 - Lying and Deception Credits: 4
This course explores deceptive communication, its causes and consequences in a wide range of contexts (family and romantic relationships, art, media, politics, etc.), and the strategies used to detect their occurrence (behavioral cues, polygraphs, etc.). We will examine the processes by which people attempt to deceive others and/or themselves. We will consider communicative processes involved in specific deception phenomena such as doublespeak, equivocation, false advertising, forgery, political spin, and white lies, among others.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4550 - Food as Communication Credits: 4
This discussion-based course focuses on the roles culture, media, and society play in the dialogue and production of food. Topics addressed in this course include: Cultural representations through food (e.g., barbecue), mediated depictions of food (e.g., print, film, radio, television, podcasts), gender and politics surrounding food (e.g., celebrity chefs, advertising, social movement campaigns), and societal health implications of food promotion (e.g., health literacy). The overall objective of this course is to generate a “community of inquiry” regarding food, culture, society, and media.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4625 - Health Communication Credits: 4
This course explores the way in which communication as symbolic activity affects the form and practice of contemporary health care. Because the provision of quality health care is a human activity central to the maintenance of society, health communication plays a crucial role not only by promoting the effective exchange of medical information, but by helping to shape the very conditions and perceptions of how health is practiced. This course addresses what communication has to do with health, and how taking action through communication can contribute productively to the increased humanization of health care institutions and routines.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801 .
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COM 4633 - Interpersonal Communication Credits: 4
Formerly: Advanced Interpersonal Theory
This course helps students understand the nature and practical application of a variety of interpersonal communication theories, their role in shaping scholarship within the discipline and the results of research that follow from such theories. Students will be expected to be critical consumers of theory and use theory to examine actual communication events in real-world situations in order to improve outcomes. Methods of investigation unique to the study of interpersonal interaction will be addressed and the difference between implications of humanistic/interpretive research and positivistic/objective research will be emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4705 - Leadership and Collaboration Credits: 4
This course focuses on the enactment of leadership through communication. Students explore the relationship between leadership and communication. Traditional and contemporary approaches to leadership within various social contexts are examined. Special emphasis is given to how communication theory can enhance our understanding of leadership. Students engage in course-curriculum activities, including personal interviews, aimed at uncovering leadership as a product of human communication, as well as refining individual leadership potential and skills.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4740 - Organizational Communication Credits: 4
Formerly: Advanced Organizational Theory
This class provides students with an in-depth discussion of organizational communication topics. Students build upon the theoretical base developed in the introductory course as they apply organizational communication topics and theories to real world examples. Students will examine topics such as decision-making, technology, conflict, socialization, organizational change and innovation, culture, and ethics. The class involves analysis of theory through case studies and practical learning models. Students will dissect and assess organizations while discussing the benefits and problems that stem from certain theoretical perspectives.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4801 - Directed Study Credits: 1 - 4
In lieu of a formal course, qualified upper-class students may, with the approval of the Chair of the Department, substitute an intensive program of reading and/or writing under the direction of a member of the department. A student wishing to take this course will be required to submit a proposal to the program, receive approval prior to registration, and have the consent of the member of the department under whose supervision the Directed Study will be conducted.
Prerequisite(s): COM 1020 and COM 2401 or COM 2801
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COM 4900 - Senior Seminar Credits: 4
This is the capstone course for Communication and Media majors. Students will engage in self-assessment of their academic and social development, skills, values, ethics, and knowledge gained during the course of study as a Communication and Media major at Merrimack College. Focus is also placed on preparing students to enter the professional workforce or graduate school. Through contact with a variety of professionals in the field students will discover opportunities available, strategies for entry into their chosen areas and the realities of life beyond college. Students should learn how scholarly development and competence in skills such as critical thinking, leadership, creativity and resourcefulness will lead to the accomplishment of their goals. Required for all Communication and Media majors.
Prerequisite(s): Communication majors only and senior standing.
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Criminology |
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CRM 1000 - Introduction to Criminology Credits: 4
This course explores crime, justice, and punishment. In this course, the causes of crime and the solutions and policies in place to deter or solve crime will be critically examined. We will also examine the social processes whereby crime is defined and detected, and offenders are apprehended and punished. The overall objective of the course is to examine crime and punishment within the context of the society and culture which surrounds it. These topics are connected to inequalities of race, class, and gender, which will be key concerns throughout this course. Coverage of crime and punishment in the popular media is also a central focus of this course. Required for majors.
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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CRM 1100 - The Criminal Justice System Credits: 4
This course provides an overview of the US Criminal justice system, with a focus on this case processing of adults. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the historical development of the criminal justice system, how police, courts, and the correctional system operate, and how these branches work together to form a single justice system. Current policy issues and reforms will be assessed, with a focus on evidence based policies to produced desired outcomes (e.g., crime control, proportional punishment, equitable treatment). Overarching themes investigated throughout the course include discretion among criminal justice actors, disparities in justice processing, balancing the various objectives of criminal punishment (e.g., crime control, just deserts, rehabilitation), decentralization of decision-making, and “best practices” for a criminal justice system in a democratic society. Required for majors.
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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CRM 1200 - Inequality and Justice in Life and Literature Credits: 4
This first-year interdisciplinary course examines issues of inequality in the justice system and society at-large, through the lens of Criminology and literature. We will look at a variety of justice-related issues, cases, and social movements in conjunction with the art and literature that is inspired by and results from them. Race, gender, and class inequality within the U.S. justice system, perceptions of criminals and victims, immigration, genocide, domestic violence, and mass incarceration are some of the topics we will cover.
Cross-Listed: ENG 1200
Fulfills: AL in LS Core
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CRM 1500 - Rural Crime Credits: 4
This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the topic of rural crime generally and specifically to recent literature within criminology, rural sociology, rural studies, popular cultural studies, and cultural geography that addresses crime and its attendant social problems affecting rural people and places. Specific topics covered will include: loss of economic opportunities in rural regions; violent crime rates in the southern U.S. and misconceptions about the so-called “southern culture of violence”; OxyContin and heroin abuse in rural and small-town U.S.; methamphetamine and stereotypes about “hillbilly heroin”; arson and incendiarism in rural areas; poaching and wildlife crimes; the overlap between rural crimes and environmental crimes, and solutions to the problems plaguing the rural areas of the U.S.
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CRM 2000 - Youth, Deviance, and Crime Credits: 4
This course focuses on the social problem of youth and crime and the ways that this problem is defined and addressed through formal and informal means in society. What are the sources of juvenile delinquency? How are other social institutions (family, schools, economy) related to the decisions of youths to engage in deviant and/or unlawful behavior? How are the issues of race/ethnicity, social class, age and gender, and sexuality implicated in who is defined as delinquent and how they are treated by the larger society? Particular attention will be given to the history of the juvenile justice system and how it currently functions (police, courts, corrections). Non-punitive approaches to addressing this problem will also be covered (e.g. community-based corrections, restorative justice).
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC and D in LS Core
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CRM 2100 - Criminal Courts and Sentencing Credits: 4
This course is intended to provide students with a better understanding of American criminal courts. We will focus on the structure and jurisdiction of criminal courts in the US, how criminal courts operate, who the important actors are, and the most pressing issues facing US criminal courts today. Over the semester we will cover a variety of topics ranging from the organization of criminal courts, varieties of law governing behavior, criminal prosecution, judicial discretion, sentencing policies and reforms, disparities in court proceedings, and the connection between criminal courts and the US correctional system. Guest speakers with experience in criminal law will be invited to demonstrate careers in criminal courts. Students will be expected to understand the stages of court proceedings as well as consider both theoretical perspectives and empirical research evidence regarding criminal court operations. Additional focus will be given to recent criminal court reforms and current policy debates. Students will think critically about how our current knowledge about criminal courts and sentencing can help inform the future development and amelioration of the US criminal court system.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2200 - Corporate and White Collar Crime Credits: 4
The purpose of this course is to examine various topics and issues related to criminal, deviant and other harmful behaviors committed for economic advantage by both individuals and organizations in the business sector. How do we define corporate and white collar crime? How prevalent is white collar crime? What are the sources and motivations of corporate and white collar criminal behavior? What are the social and economic costs to local and national communities? How effective are the sanctions utilized to deter and control individual and corporate crimes?
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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CRM 2300 - Hate Crimes Credits: 4
This course examines prejudice, bigotry and hate and how they are manifested in criminal behavior. The criminology theory for hate crime is reviewed, as well as historical perspectives of this crime category. Various groups who have been labeled as supporting or engaging in hate crimes and domestic terrorism are studied. Focus is placed on federal and state laws and the dynamics of the criminal justice system’s response to hate crimes.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Three hours a week.
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CRM 2450 - Homicide Credits: 4
In this course, homicide will be examined from both an academic and popular culture perspective. We will investigate the causes, extent, nature, and consequences of homicide in the United States. We will discuss different types of homicide, the characteristics of homicide offenders and victims, the setting and circumstances surrounding homicide, the consequences of homicide for the individual, society, and criminal justice system, as well as the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of homicide offenders. Through the use of case studies, this course introduces students to some of the most notorious serial killers and mass murderers of our time and focuses on the myths and stereotypes that have evolved from mass media and public efforts to explain this extreme and relatively rare phenomenon.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2500 - The Death Penalty Credits: 4
This course reviews the history of the death penalty in the United States. Among Western democracies, the United States stands alone in its continued use of the death penalty as criminal punishment. This course examines the contemporary death penalty and the controversies surrounding its continued use by focusing on landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions around the constitutionality of the death penalty. Historical and contemporary controversies regarding the administration of the death penalty will be discussed including public opinion; international law and practices; the procedural requirements for capital sentencing trials; the role of the jury in capital cases; methods of execution; retribution and deterrence; wrongful convictions and innocence; the effect of race, gender, and social class on capital sentencing; as well as the execution of juveniles, those with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and the insane.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2600 - Policy and Prevention in the Public Sphere Credits: 4
This course is designed to provide students with the tools to analyze contemporary social problems and policies, with a primary focus on policy areas in which social workers and criminal justice practitioners play major roles: child welfare, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and aging. By developing critical skills including problem definition and analysis, review of relevant research, identification of possible actions, implementation and evaluation, and fiscal analysis, students will learn to become more sophisticated researchers and consumers of policy evaluation research.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2700 - Ethics of Criminal (In)Justice Credits: 4
This course employs a critical perspective in which the criminal justice system is scrutinized through a moral and ethical lens. This course focuses on the ethical dilemmas faced by police, courts, and correctional authorities in dealing with an increasingly diverse and multicultural society. We begin with a discussion of moral issues by exploring ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in the criminal justice system first, then move on to an examination of the major theoretical foundations of ethics within the context of criminal justice. This helps students understand real life ethical issues before grappling with the philosophical approaches to the resolution of those issues. We also examine the increasing diversity of society and how these changes are affecting the criminal justice system. We investigate the key issues surrounding race, gender, social class, and crime, and the roles these issues play in sentencing and punishment in contemporary United States.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2800 - Search and Seizure Credits: 4
Search and Seizure focuses on the constitutional and evidentiary principles of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 14th Amendments, as well as Article 12 and 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. Topics of focus will include expectation of privacy, valid and invalid search warrants, “stop and frisks”, consent searches, forensic searches, exigent circumstances, wire taps, confessions, the right to counsel, and Miranda rights. Emphasis will be placed on recent developments in the law, including constitutional issues unique to juveniles, undocumented immigrants and lawful property owners. Finally, the course will also underscore the procedures associated with the judicial process, including criminal procedure and court jurisdiction on federal and state levels.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 2900 - Police Culture Credits: 4
Police Culture is an introduction to the function and purpose of police operations. The course will examine the culture of American Policing today and include the study of police policy and procedure. Also included will be the study of organizational culture within law enforcement from a police officer’s perspective and the assessment of working environments within contemporary police departments. The effects of cultural diversity in law enforcement today will be examined in relation to traditional law enforcement models. Topics will include women in law enforcement, religion, employment rights and occupational attitudes in police work. Emphasis will also be on the growing problems in the Criminal Justice System as a result of societal changes in law enforcement and how it affects police management.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 3000 - Society and Law Credits: 4
This course addresses the social context of law, the legal structure, and the relationship between law and society. Law is at base a social phenomenon; we create laws to address social problems, settle disputes, and exert power over others. Just as society and culture are always changing, so does the law. In turn, as law evolves, it also affects culture. There are hundreds, even thousands, of laws constructed each year in this country. In the U.S., with fifty state legislatures and the federal government enacting new laws, and with the enactment of thousands of municipal and county ordinances, the sheer magnitude of law is overwhelming. Additionally, there are court decisions at the state and federal levels which often create new laws or modify existing laws. In this course, we will only examine a fraction of these. The larger goal of this course is to gain an understanding of the significant relationship which law plays in our everyday lives and its role in society. Throughout the course, we will address several questions: How, when, and why do laws arise? How do legal systems reflect the values of the society? What is the relationship between law and inequality in our political economy? How can laws promote (or inhibit) social change?
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 .
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
Note: Required for majors.
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CRM 3050 - Female Deviance, Crime, and Social Control Credits: 4
This course explores literature from social history, sociology, criminology, and law to address issues concerning female deviance, crime, and both informal and formal methods of social control. Women’s experiences with deviance and social control can be understood only within the context of cultural definitions of femininity. Our societal images of girls and women shape our beliefs of how they should behave and how they should be treated when they deviate. Deviance and criminality are defined as differing from the norm, but our norms are often expressed in stereotypes and strict gender roles. In this class, we will discuss girls and women who misbehave – who break norms and laws. We will also explore the societal reactions to these transgressions. We will consider feminist literature within criminology and the sociology of law to ask how are societal notions of female offenders changing and how should the criminal justice system address female criminality. *This course is sometimes offered as a writing intensive class.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC and D and W in LS Core (when offered as writing intensive)
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CRM 3380 - Race, Class and Crime Credits: 4
This course examines issues of inequality with regards to crime and punishment in America. This course will review the many ways that race and class interact with the criminal justice system. Drawing on historical and contemporary issues, this course will raise many questions about law, crime, and justice. Topics include: the history and development of the prison system, the construction of laws and punishment, ideas about criminals and victims, mass incarceration, and the death penalty. *This course is sometimes offered as a writing intensive class.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: D and W in LS Core (when offered as writing intensive)
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CRM 3430 - Criminal Justice and Mental Health Credits: 4
This course provides an overview of mentally ill individuals’ involvement in the criminal justice system and a historical perspective on how we have arrived to this point. Topics include development of mental health practice and policies, commitment status, profile of mentally ill individuals who get incarcerated, violence and mental illness, diversion, and unique challenges of special populations including women, juveniles and sex offenders.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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CRM 3500 - Domestic Violence Credits: 4
This course explores the social character and the causes of domestic violence. Various forms of abuse and violence are addressed on both a micro and a macro level. Each form of abuse and violence is discussed using sociological theories of causality. The objectives of this course are to enhance students’ abilities to: (1) gain knowledge and refute myths about domestic violence; (2) to understand the impact of social and cultural factors on violence; (3) to become familiar with the literature on domestic violence; (4) to become familiar with current controversies in the area of domestic violence; and, (5) to develop skills in discussing and dealing with controversial and sensitive topics.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
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CRM 3600 - Drugs and Society Credits: 4
This course examines the use and control of mind-altering and medicinal substances in the U.S. and abroad. Human beings have used drugs for medicinal, recreational, and cultural purposes since pre-historic times. Almost as long, societies have grappled with how to negotiate the role of drug use in social, political, and economic life. We will examine historical and contemporary drug scares; the juxtaposition of prescription drugs and illegal drugs; the response of the medical and criminal justice systems to drug “problems”; and the relationship between drug use, marginalized populations, crime, and punishment. We will pay particular attention to current issues and debates regarding drugs: the opiate crisis, the legalization debate, harm reduction, cartels, and the fallout from the War on Drugs.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 3700 - Forensic Criminal Investigation Credits: 4
This course will examine the methods, strategies, objectives, and processes employed by the criminal justice practitioner in the response to and investigation of crimes and crime scenes, suspects, victims, witnesses, motives, circumstances, and evidence related to criminal activity. Through mock investigations and trials, the goal of the presentation of the results of criminal investigations for trial and successful prosecution will be examined, evaluated, and simulated. Students will not only examine procedures, people (suspects, victims, witnesses), and evidence, but they will carefully consider the ethical obligations that those who are vested with the public trust undertake in their role as criminal investigators.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 3900 - Incarceration Credits: 4
Mass incarceration affects more people than ever before, yet the realities of incarceration are unknown to most of us. This course looks at prisons, jails, and alternative-to-incarceration programs in terms of daily life, operations, social hierarchies, and social institutions. We will examine what it is like to live, work, and conduct family life inside a total institution. Field trips are required.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 4000 - Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice Credits: 4
This course introduces students to a variety of research methods employed in the field criminology and criminal justice. The course provides a foundation for students to undertake research projects within their major. Students learn about the nature of scientific inquiry, how to conduct criminological research, and its application to the criminal justice system. Topics covered include the differences between quantitative and qualitative data, sampling, experimental and quasi-experimental research designs, survey research, secondary data analysis, and the analysis of official agency records. Students complete a semester long research project in order to demonstrate their understanding of the course material and apply it to their particular interests in the criminal justice system.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
Note: Offered as writing intensive. Required for majors. Juniors and Seniors only.
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CRM 4030 - Criminal Justice Administration and Management Credits: 4
This course will provide students with an overview of various criminal justice organizations from the perspective of management and leadership. Students will be tasked with understanding the makeup of organizations, and how the mission drives the organization. The topics discussed will focus on budget preparations, grant writing, human resources, and professional development in the workplace. The final assessment will require students to prepare to apply for a senior level management position, including completing a mock oral board.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and junior or senior standing.
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CRM 4100 - Victimology Credits: 4
This course provides an overview of the US Criminal justice system, with a focus on this case processing of adults. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the historical development of the criminal justice system, how police, courts, and the correctional system operate, and how these branches work together to form a single justice system. Current policy issues and reforms will be assessed, with a focus on evidence based policies to produced desired outcomes (e.g., crime control, proportional punishment, equitable treatment). Overarching themes investigated throughout the course include discretion among criminal justice actors, disparities in justice processing, balancing the various objectives of criminal punishment (e.g., crime control, just deserts, rehabilitation), decentralization of decision-making, and “best practices” for a criminal justice system in a democratic society.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000
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CRM 4500 - Statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice Credits: 4
This course introduces students to both descriptive and inferential statistics in criminology and criminal justice. Students become familiar with available datasets in criminology and criminal justice including the Uniform Crime Reports, National Crime Victimization Survey, and self-report studies. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify which statistical techniques are the most appropriate for the type of data collected, as well as be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each technique. Topics include measures of central tendency and dispersion, t-tests, analysis of variance, correlation, chi-square, and multivariate regression. Students will learn to analyze real data and interpret results using IBM® SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 . Required for majors. Juniors and Seniors only.
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CRM 4600 - Practicum in Correctional Education Credits: 4
The practicum in correctional education is a hands-on teaching and learning experience for Merrimack students who are interested in working with incarcerated people. Students work as teacher’s assistants with professors teaching courses at Essex County Correctional Center (or other facilities, tbd). Students are required to attend class and/or writing tutorials at least 2x per week to assist incarcerated students with writing assignments, test preparation, or other coursework. This course is a considerable amount of work, as students are responsible for completing all reading assignments in their assigned TA course, as well as a selection of readings related to mass incarceration and higher education. Reflection papers and a final paper are also required. Students must complete an orientation session at the jail prior to the beginning of the semester and attend regular meetings with Dr. Aiello and/or the professor of the jail course. This course is by permission of professor only and requires an application process.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and permission of the instructor.
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CRM 4800 - Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship Credits: 4
The Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship course offers students who major in Criminology and Criminal Justice experiential learning opportunities. The course provides students with a unique opportunity to experience possible career interests, to learn from those already working in the field, and to establish valuable contacts that may be helpful in acquiring fulltime employment. Students volunteer at the placement agency 10-15 hours a week, meet periodically with the internship coordinator, and complete written work related with the internship. Students should meet with the internship coordinator in the semester prior to the internship to determine an appropriate placement. A memorandum of understanding concerning the responsibilities of the student will be signed by the student, agency and the internship coordinator.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and consent of the instructor. Criminology and Criminal Justice majors only.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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CRM 4850 - Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship II Credits: 4
The Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship course offers students who major in Criminology and Criminal Justice experiential learning opportunities. The course provides students with a unique opportunity to experience possible career interests, to learn from those already working in the field, and to establish valuable contacts that may be helpful in acquiring fulltime employment. Students volunteer at the placement agency 10-15 hours a week, meet periodically with the internship coordinator, and complete written work related with the internship. Students should meet with the internship coordinator in the semester prior to the internship to determine an appropriate placement. A memorandum of understanding concerning the responsibilities of the student will be signed by the student, agency and the internship coordinator.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and consent of the instructor. Criminology and Criminal Justice majors only.
Fulfills: X in LS Core
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CRM 4900 - Directed Study Credits: 4
In lieu of a formal course, qualified upper-class students may, with the approval of the Chair of the Department, substitute an intensive program of reading, research and writing under the direction of a full-time member of the department.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and consent of the Chair and a full-time member of the department under whose supervision the Directed Study will be conducted.
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CRM 4910 - Directed Study Credits: 4
In lieu of a formal course, qualified upper-class students may, with the approval of the Chair of the Department, substitute an intensive program of reading, research and writing in a special topics area within Criminology under the direction of a full-time member of the department.
Prerequisite(s): CRM 1000 and consent of the Chair and a full-time member of the department under whose supervision the Directed Study will be conducted.
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CRM 5001 - Advanced Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice Credits: 4
Criminology is the systematic study of the causation, patterns, and control of crime and criminal behavior in individuals, groups, organizations, cultures, and societies. Criminology fosters theoretical debates and ideas about lawmaking, lawbreaking, and the social consequences of both. Criminologists also offer suggestions for reducing crime and improving crime policies. In this class we focus on current issues within the field of criminology, including such topics as: interrogations and interviewing, investigations and evidence collection, ethics in policing, social media and policing, the use of intelligence in post 9-11 society, and careers in law enforcement and justice advocacy. A goal of this class is to help students cultivate critical thinking and informed analysis about crime - its causes and the policies in place to deter or solve crime. Faculty consent required.
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CRM 5002 - Forensic Behavioral Analysis Credits: 4
This course is designed to allow students to examine the development of individual criminality and criminal careers, the role of social group processes in criminal activity, varieties of criminal behavior including violent, sexual and predatory crime, mental disorders, psychopathy and crime, victims and victimization, offender profiling, and the broader topic of forensic criminal investigation. The course will also explore the contribution of psychology to our contemporary understanding of crime and the criminal justice processes through the application of psychological theory in the investigation of crime and the efficacy of the criminal justice system. Faculty consent required
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CRM 5010 - Police, Courts, and Corrections Credits: 4
This foundational course will consider the origins, evolution, continuing refinement, and development of the primary components (law enforcement, the courts, and the correctional system) of the criminal justice system in the United States. The organicity and dynamism of the system of criminal justice will be deconstructed in a framework of critical analysis that will examine the history and the legacy of the oppression of “underclass” populations by this system and the ways in which the manifestations and remnants of that history inform contemporary criminal justice practice. Faculty consent required.
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CRM 5020 - Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice Credits: 4
This foundational course will provide an overview of the means through which criminal justice policy is envisioned, developed, and implemented in the United States. Political considerations as well as research and evidenced-based practice will be investigated and interrogated. The frequent disconnect between the intended objectives and goals of criminal justice policy from conception to street- level implementation will also be considered and questioned. Criminal justice policies relating to immigration issues, homeland security, law enforcement practices in communities of Color, the “War on Drugs,” stop and frisk, gang- related enforcement, intimate-partner violence, sex offenders, and community policing will be critically examined and evaluated. Faculty consent required.
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CSC 1010 - Problem Solving with Java Bootcamp Credits: 0
This course is intended to improve mastery of introductory programming material found in CSC1610 Problem Solving with Java or CSC1611 Problem Solving with Python. Any student that earns a passing grade in CSC1010 will be able to take any class that depends on a B- or better in CSC1610 or CSC1611. Students who received between a C- and C+ in CSC1610 or CSC1611 should enroll in this course.
Prerequisite(s): CSC 1610 or CSC 1611 with a C- or better.
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CSC 1011 - Data Structures Bootcamp Credits: 0
This course is intended to improve mastery of programming material found in CSC2820 Data Structures. Any student that earns a passing grade in CSC1011 will be able to take any class that depends on a B- or better in CSC2820. Students who receive between a C- and C+ in CSC2820 should enroll in this course.
Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820 with a C- or better.
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CSC 1510 - Introduction to the Science of Computing and Information Credits: 4
This course introduces students to how Information Technology can be leveraged for storing, managing, and exploring data in the Information Age. Topics include: how computers work, information management, networks, operating systems, the Web, and a short introduction to computer programming.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 1000 or placing out of MTH 1000 on the math placement exam.
Fulfills: STEM in LS Core.
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CSC 1600 - Data Science Programming Using Python Credits: 4
CSC 1600 Data Science Programming using Python 4 cr.
An introduction to programming using the Python language.
Topics include computers and memory, the python language
and syntax, libraries, input/output, data types, control
structures, files, functions, objects and data structures. This
course is intended for data analysis and data science students.
Does not satisfy the LS Core STEM.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 1000 or place out of MTH1000 on the math placement exam.
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CSC 1610 - Problem Solving with Java Credits: 4
Formerly: Problem Solving with C++
An introduction to computer science techniques with an emphasis on algorithms, test driven design, development and structured programming in the Java language. Topics include program development, modularity, variables and data types, I/O and file I/O, functions/methods, JavaDoc, conditionals, testing (JUnit), strings, arrays and vectors, loops, classes, objects and references, Java APIs, command-line arguments.
Prerequisite(s): MTH 1000 or placing out of MTH 1000 on the math placement exam.
Fulfills: STEM in LS Core.
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CSC 1611 - Problem Solving with Python Credits: 4
An introduction to computer science techniques with an emphasis on algorithm development and structured programming using the Python language. Topics include program development, data types, functions, conditional execution, recursion, and collections. Students should be aware of that this course is not an easy how-to-use Python course, but an “intensive” computer programming course involving scientific analysis and reasoning. Satisfies the mathematics and science (STEM) distribution requirement.
Prerequisite(s): MTH1000 or placing out of MTH1000 on the math placement exam.
Fulfills: STEM in LS Core
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CSC 2620 - Object Oriented Design Credits: 4
A study of object oriented design and analysis, whose concepts will be introduced and implemented using UML and Java. Topics will include anonymous and inner classes, abstract classes and interfaces, the use of GUI elements, UML and modeling, object-oriented design, version control, design patterns, regular expressions, threads, and sockets.
Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820 with a B- or better, or a P in CSC 1011 , or consent of the instructor.
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CSC 2710 - Analysis of Algorithms I Credits: 4
Introduction to the basic principles and techniques for analyzing algorithms. A discussion of the asymptotic complexity of algorithms using standard measures in the best, average, and worst cases. Applications of the basic principles and techniques and study of upper and lower bounds of standard computer science problems including: searching, sorting, graph, string matching, polynomial, and matrix algorithms. Basic strategies for developing algorithmic solutions to problems using divide and conquer, dynamic programming, and greedy techniques will be covered.
Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820 with a minimum passing grade of B-, P in CSC 1011 , or consent of instructor. Additinally, MTH 1314 with a minimum passing grade of C or better, and MTH 1217 .
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CSC 2820 - Data Structures Credits: 4
Basic concepts in the representation and manipulation of data and preliminary object orientation, including inheritance and polymorphism. Topics covered include: recursion, data abstraction, error handling and exceptions, generic classes, stacks, queues, lists, collections, graphs, trees, dictionaries, maps, and hash tables.
Prerequisite(s): A grade of B- or better in either CSC 1610 or CSC 1611 , or a P in CSC 1010 .
Fulfills: STEM in LS Core.
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