Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Communication

  
  • COM 2601 - Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

    Credits: 4
    This course is designed to foster a broader level of awareness in regard to interpersonal communication. It presents a comprehensive view of the theory and research in interpersonal communication and, at the same time, guides students to improve a wide range of interpersonal skills and to apply these to personal, social, and workplace relationships. In so doing, the course will center on issues such as self-concept, perception, self-disclosure, listening, power, and conflict. While it does not offer a formula for interpersonal success, the student will become aware of the communication processes that both disintegrate and nurture the dyadic human relationship.
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • COM 2701 - Introduction to Organizational Communication

    Credits: 4
    This course focuses on how organizations serve as an entity for members of a society to achieve their collective goals-from making laws and building bridges to the local and international trade of goods and services. Organizational communication is the study of how persons accomplish these goals via the ongoing, mutual exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages. This course provides students with a firm grounding in organizational communication theory, while at the same time highlighting the very practical nature of this endeavor by (1) applying various theoretical perspectives to organizational settings and situations; (2) identifying communication problems in a variety of organizational contexts; and (3) utilizing current scholarly research and theory to further our understanding of organizational phenomena.
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • COM 2801 - Introduction to Applied Communication

    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 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 sucessfully influence others. This course will prepare students to be competent communicators in a variety of contexts.
  
  • COM 3312W - 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010. 
    Fulfills: Writing Intensive (W) Requirement.
    Note: No prerequisites for IFS (Film Studies) minors.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites. 
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2801 or COM2801 or COM2010.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010. 
    Fulfills: AL in LS Core.
    Note: No prerequisites for IFS (Film Studies) minors.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010. 
    Fulfills: X in LS Core.
    Note: No prerequisites for IFS (Film Studies) minors.
  
  • COM 3450 - Basic Digital Photography

    Credits: 4
    Students will develop visual ability in a digital context to make, share, and publish photographs. Examples of photographic work from the history and philosophy of photography will provide for the development of a photographic vision. Composition, manipulation, restoration, and creating images for other uses, such as Power Point, will be stressed. Students will also develop an on-line portfolio. A digital camera capable of 3 mega pixels or greater is required.
    Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites.
    Cross-Listed: FAA2450
    Fulfills: Humanities distribution requirement. AL in LS Core.
  
  • COM 3452 - Newspaper and New Media Production

    Credits: 4
    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.
    Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core.
  
  • COM 3453 - Newspaper and New Media Productions II

    Credits: 4
    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): No prerequisites.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010.
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010
  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
    Note: No prerequisites for ESS students or SOJ students.
  
  • COM 3850W - 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): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010 and consent of the instructor. 
    Fulfills: Institutional Writing Intensive requirement. W and X in LS Core.
  
  • 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): COM1020 or COM2401 or COM2801 or COM2010 and consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • COM 4100W - 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
    Fulfills: Writing Intensive Requirement.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
    Cross-Listed: POL3140
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement.
    Note: No prerequisites for Politics majors/minors.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
    Note: No prerequisites for Politics majors/minors.
  
  • COM 4265W - Feminist Media Studies

    Credits: 4
    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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
    Fulfills: (D) Diversity and (W) Writing Intensive Requirements.
    Note: No prerequisites for WGS students.
  
  • COM 4274 - Media Ethics & Law

    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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • COM 4400 - Advanced Mass Communication Theory

    Credits: 4
    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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
  
  • COM 4420 - History of Photography

    Credits: 4
    The various forms, uses, styles, and genres of photography will be examined within social, philosophical, and aesthetic dimensions that have evolved in the medium from its beginnings through the 1980s. Students will participate in darkroom laboratory exercises and demonstrations in photochemical production.
    Cross-Listed: FAA 4420  
    Fulfills: Humanities distribution requirement. AL in LS Core.
  
  • 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 expecations in different contexts. 
    Prerequisite(s): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801
    Fulfills: xperiential Learning (x)
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
    Fulfills: Diversity requirement in LS Core
    Note: No prerequisites for WGS and SOJ students. 
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC and D requirement in LS Core.
    Note: No prerequisites for WGS and SOJ students. 
  
  • 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):  COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
  
  • COM 4633 - Advanced Interpersonal Theory

    Credits: 4
    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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
  
  • COM 4740 - Advanced Organizational Theory

    Credits: 4
    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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801. 
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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): COM1020 and COM2401 and COM2801 and senior standing.

Criminology

  
  • 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.
    Prerequisite(s): Social Science distribution requirement.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
  
  • 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
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC and D in LS Core
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Three hours a week.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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 ciminal 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 or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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   or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor. Required for majors.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
  
  • CRM 3050/3050(W) - 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC and D and W in LS Core (when offered as writing intensive)
  
  • CRM 3380/3380(W) - 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   or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: D and W in LS Core (when offered as writing intensive)
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core
  
  • CRM 3600(W) - 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 or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: W in LS Core
  
  • 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 or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor. Required for majors. Juniors and Seniors only.
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement.
  
  • 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  or consent of the instructor. Required for majors. Juniors and Seniors only.
  
  • 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
  
  • 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
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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
  
  • 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.
  
  • 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.

Computer Science

  
  • 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. For Information Technology majors, a minimum grade of a C is required to continue.
    Fulfills: Mathematics/Science distribution requirement. STEM requirement in LS Core.
  
  • CSC 1520 - General Computer Science

    Credits: 4
    The perception that Computer Science equals programming is a simplification that misrepresents the breadth of what Computer Scientists do and how we approach the world. This course introduces freshman Computer Science majors to the breadth of their discipline, from examining the physical computer and how it stores digital data to understanding classic problem-solving. Time will be spent on the topics of mathematics that tie most directly into problems in our field. Students will also work on collaborative interdisciplinary projects with introductory students in the Engineering majors throughout the semester.
  
  • CSC 1610 - Problem Solving with Programming

    Credits: 4
    An introduction to computer science techniques with an emphasis on algorithms, test driven design, development and structured programming. Topics include program development, modularity, streams, control structures, functions, and arrays. For Computer Science and Information Technology majors, a minimum grade of C is required to continue in the major.
    Prerequisite(s): MTH 1000  or placing out of MTH 1000  on the math placement exam.
    Fulfills: Mathematics/Science distribution requirement. STEM requirement in LS Core.
  
  • CSC 1611 - Problem Solving with Python

    Credits: 4
    An introduction to computer science techniques with an emphasis on algorithm development and structured programming. Topics include program development, modularity, streams, control structures, functions, arrays, and recursion. 
    Prerequisite(s): MTH 1016   or a math placement exam score of 9 or higher.
    Fulfills: STEM in the LS Core
  
  • CSC 2001 - Information Technology Internship I

    Credits: 1
    Student interns are placed in the Merrimack College Information Technology Center and are expected to work 4 hours per week for 15 weeks under the supervision of the manager of User Services.
  
  • CSC 2002 - Information Technology Internship II

    Credits: 1
    Student interns are placed in the Merrimack College Information Technology Center and are expected to work 4 hours per week for 15 weeks under the supervision of the manager of User Services.
  
  • CSC 2003 - Information Technology Internship III

    Credits: 1
    Student interns are placed in the Merrimack College Information Technology Center and are expected to work 4 hours per week for 15 weeks under the supervision of the manager of User Services.
  
  • CSC 2004 - Information Technology Internship IV

    Credits: 1
    Student interns are placed in the Merrimack College Information Technology Center and are expected to work 4 hours per week for 15 weeks under the supervision of the manager of User Services.
  
  • CSC 2620 - Object Oriented Programming

    Credits: 4
    A study of object oriented design and its key concepts: data abstraction, inheritance, information hiding, polymorphism, and encapsulation. Object oriented design and analysis concepts will be introduced and implemented using UML. Programs illustrating key concepts will be written in Java.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 1610   or CSC 1611 with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
  
  • 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. Introduction to NP-complete problems will also be discussed.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of instructor, MTH 1314, and MTH 1217.
  
  • CSC 2820 - Data Structures

    Credits: 4
    Basic concepts in the representation and manipulation of data. Topics include: data abstraction and classes, dynamic memory, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, sorting techniques and graphs. For Computer Science majors, a minimum grade of C is required to continue.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 1610  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
    Corequisite(s): MTH 1314 .
    Fulfills: Mathematics/Science distribution requirement. STEM requirement in LS Core.
  
  • CSC 3320 - Operating Systems

    Credits: 4
    This course will provide a clear description of the concepts that underlie any operating system. Topics discussed will include process management, input/output, memory management, the file system, protection and security, concurrency, and distributed systems. Examples drawn from UNIX and Microsoft Windows will be used. Programming projects will introduce students to system level programming.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 3335 - Artificial Intelligence

    Credits: 4
    This course explores the concept of the thinking machine, capable of its own reasoning and extending itself beyond the limits of its programming. Core topics focus on extending a machine’s ability to search for its own solutions through the exploration of problem spaces and the use of reasoning through propositional and first-order logic. Advanced topics may include game theory, expert systems, machine learning, artificial life, and natural language understanding. Course time is also spent on discussing the impact of the idea of the thinking machine on philosophy, ethics, and society.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2710 .
  
  • CSC 3500 - Web Development II

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: Human Computer Interaction
    This course is a continuation of Web Development I (CSC 3950 ), and in this course students will explore web development through the use of server-side programming, databases, Ajax, and XML. Students will also be exposed to developing web sites, and by the end of the semester, students will have the tools to produce web sites that are up to industry usability standards.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 3950  or permission of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 3555 - Theory of Computation I

    Credits: 4
    A study of the theoretical foundations of computer science and computability. Students will explore formal languages (regular and context free), their acceptance by finite state automata, and their description by regular expressions and context free grammars. Turing machines and the Church-Turing Thesis will be studied. The limitations of algorithmic computation will be examined.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820 with a minimum passing grade of C or permission of the instructor, and MTH 1314 .
  
  • CSC 3725 - Numerical Analysis

    Credits: 4
    Theory and application of selected topics from Numerical Analysis. Topics include: solutions of equations and systems of equations, interpolation, numerical differentiation and integration, and numerical solution of differential equations. Error bounds are treated. Emphasis given to methods that can be implemented on a computer. If time allows, other topics may be added such as Least Squares and Eigenvalues.
    Prerequisite(s): MTH 1218  and CSC 1610  or consent of the instructor.
    Cross-Listed: MTH 3725  
  
  • CSC 3810 - Database Principles

    Credits: 4
    The study of the concepts and structures necessary to design and implement a Database Management System (DBMS) focusing on the principles and best practices. Topics include the relational database model, relational algebra, data modeling, relational query languages such as SQL, and underlying database subsystems including storage management and transaction control.
    Prerequisite(s): MTH 1314  and CSC 2620  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 3875 - System Administration and Privacy

    Credits: 4
    This course puts the student in ethical situations through hands on laboratory exercises and research. It also addresses specific privacy and ethical concerns that the average user may not be aware of in their day to day activities. In addition, this course also is an introduction to the Linux operating system which will include the internals of how Linux boots, runs and operates; system administration tasks; monitoring system resources; kernel loadable modules; configuration settings, and understanding the desktop GUI.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 1610 or permission of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 3950 - Web Development I

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: Web Technologies
    This course takes a look at web development from the client-side perspective. Students will learn to build web pages in HTML5, style the pages using CSS, and write scripts for client-side event handling and dynamic pages in JavaScript. In addition, students will be exposed to fundamental user-interface design principles from a standpoint of usability, including usability testing, and an exploration of human-computer interaction principles.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2620  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 4720 - Computer Architecture

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: CSC 3720
    The course covers the analysis and design of the control, address and data buses, memory, caches, pipelining, and parallel processors. The MIPS instruction language will also be covered.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 1610 with a minimum passing grade of a C or consent of the instructor, Junior Standing, and one of either CSC 1510 or CSC 1520 or EEN 1200.
  
  • CSC 4805 - Directed Study

    Credits: 2
    Qualified students may propose a course of individual study and work to be conducted under the direction of a faulty member.
  
  • CSC 4810 - Directed Study

    Credits: 3
    Qualified students may propose a course of individual study and work to be conducted under the direction of a faulty member.
  
  • CSC 4815 - Directed Study, Special Projects

    Credits: 4
    Qualified students may propose a course of individual study and work to be conducted under the direction of a faulty member. May be taken more than once.
    Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor with approval of department. CSC4815.
  
  • CSC 4905 - Computer Science Seminar

    Credits: 4
    Special topics class.
  
  • CSC 4910(W) - Software Engineering

    Credits: 4
    An in-depth study of the methodologies involved in designing, developing, and maintaining software systems, particularly large systems with multiple developers who must cooperate effectively to produce a quality product. Core topics include requirements analysis, specification, user interface design, software design, testing, implementation and maintenance. The major focus of the course is a semester-long project where the students work in software development teams to produce a small software system using object-oriented analysis and design methods. This course serves as a capstone experience calling on a variety of knowledge and skills and involving significant practice in professional writing in both collaborative and individual environments for different audiences: the team, the manager, the client, and the user.
    Prerequisite(s): Senior standing or consent of instructor.
    Fulfills: W and X in LS Core
  
  • CSC 4920(W) - Information Technology Systems

    Credits: 4
    A capstone course for Information Technology majors that focuses on a semester-long experience exploring the process by which information technology systems are selected, researched, implemented, and maintained. Students will work in teams to create and support a complete system that addresses a concrete problem. Threaded throughout this experience is an emphasis on professional conduct, skills, and both written and oral communication - with a client, with a team, with superiors, and with end-users.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 3500 and Senior standing.
    Fulfills: W and X in LS Core
  
  • CSC 5030 - Analysis of Algorithms II

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: CSC 6030
    This course provides an exploration of advanced algorithms in terms of design, efficiency analysis, and implementation. It includes an in-depth look at networks and flows, dynamic algorithms, approximation algorithms, amortized analysis, linear and integer programming, computational geometry, and other advanced topics as time allows.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2710 .
  
  • CSC 5055 - Network Security I

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: Computer and Network Security, CSC4055
    This course is a survey on network security technology. All of the basic building blocks of network security, including: access control, intrusion prevention, malicious software, symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, authentication, digital signatures, and many of the techniques used to protect computers will be covered. This is a required course for all IT Majors, an elective for all others.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2620  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor, and MTH 1314 .
  
  • CSC 5056 - Network Security II

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: CSC 6055
    This course is a continuation of CSC 5055 Network Security I. Topics include: advanced study of protocols for authentication, agreement, anonymity; security protocol analysis techniques; advanced host and server side security. Analysis techniques may include: Strand Spaces, BAN Logic, and the Applied π-Calculus.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 5055 .
  
  • CSC 5120 - Programming Language Principles

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: CSC3120
    This course explores the underlying nature of computer programming languages and how they are processed. Topics include language syntax and semantics, parsing, data types, variable binding and scope, functions and parameter passing, control flow, recursion, and data types. Alternative paradigms of programming, including functional languages and logic languages, will be explored in case studies, labs, and regular programming assignments.
    Prerequisite(s): CSC 2820  with a minimum passing grade of C or consent of the instructor.
  
  • CSC 5155 - Cryptography I

    Credits: 4
    This course is an introduction to modern cryptography. Topics will include a rigorous treatment of fundamental primitives including: theoretical and applied aspects of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography with associated security models, message authentication codes, stream ciphers, cryptographic hashing, digital signatures, and various advanced primitives. Necessary mathematics will be introduced as needed, though a strong background in mathematics is expected.
    Corequisite(s): CSC 3555 - Theory of Computation I  or consent of the instructor.
 

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