Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Psychology

  
  • PSY 3150 - Behavioral Neuroscience

    Credits: 4
    Examines the relationship between the neurophysiology of the brain and cognition. Topics include the neurophysiology of vision, touch, learning, memory, sleep, mental illness, hemispheric functions, and consciousness. The role of neuronal plasticity in altering brain structure and function after injury or learning is given special emphasis. Lab work will demonstrate principles discussed in class.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1100  and BIO 1106 .
    Corequisite(s): PSY 2110  or permission of instructor.
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
    This course has separate lecture and laboratory components.
  
  • PSY 3250 - Cultural Psychology

    Credits: 4
    Analyzes current theories and research on culture, race and ethnicity; and explores the ways in which the individual, social relations and culture mutually constitute each other. The course analyzes the rich interconnections between language and culture, and the role of culture in the construction of self and higher-order psychological processes. Students will examine cultural groups within and outside of the United States. Also includes consideration of cultural issues in the interpretation of personal experience and the role of cultural diversity in contemporary society.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 .
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement and D in LS Core.
  
  • PSY 3340 - Developmental Psychopathology

    Credits: 4
    Explores psychological disorders that affect children. Topics include depression, autism, suicide, hyperactivity, mental retardation and learning disabilities. Also investigates treatment modalities and theories of etiology.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 .
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • PSY 3380 - Psychology of Aging

    Credits: 4
    Investigation of the major issues, theories, and findings in the psychological study of aging. Topics are organized around the themes of the psychosocial context of aging, cognitive aspects of aging, problems of aging, and positive aspects of aging. Emphasis is on current research findings, placed in the historical and theoretical contexts of contemporary psychology.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 .
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • PSY 3410 - Abnormal Psychology

    Credits: 4
    Formerly: Adult Psychopathology
    Examination of basic issues in psychopathology. Focus on description, etiology and treatment of neurosis, character disorder, and psychosis from varying theoretical and clinical perspectives.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 .
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • PSY 3450 - Biological Bases of Abnormal Behavior

    Credits: 4
    Examines the anatomical basis of several neurological disorders and diseases. Investigates the neuroanatomical mechanisms through which diseases and disorders are thought to occur, as well as the diagnostic criteria and current treatments for each. Some of these disorders discussed will include: Autism, Sleep disorders (Insomnia, Narcolepsy), Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Ataxia, Multiple Sclerosis), and neuropsychiatric disorders (Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, ADHD, Schizophrenia, PTSD).
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 ; BIO 1106  or PSY 3150 .
    Fulfills: Social Science distribution requirement. SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • PSY 4700 - Selected Topics in Psychology

    Credits: 4
    An intensive, faculty-directed research-based course.
    Prerequisite(s): Junior/Senior, consent of the instructor.
  
  • PSY 4800 - Directed Study

    Credits: 1 - 4
    In lieu of a formal course, qualified advanced students may, with the approval of the department, substitute an intensive program of study under the direction of a faculty member.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 ; departmental approval.
  
  • PSY 4810 - Directed Research

    Credits: 4
    In lieu of a formal course, qualified advanced students may, with the approval of the department, substitute a research project under the direction of a faculty member.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 , departmental approval.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • PSY 4900 - Psychology Seminar

    Credits: 4
    Senior capstone seminar on a special topic of the professor’s choosing. Students will read and discuss a series of primary and secondary texts and compose an integrative paper, written in APA format, related to the theme of the seminar.
    Prerequisite(s): Senior standing, or permission of instructor.
  
  • PSY 4910 - Senior Thesis Research I

    Credits: 4
    A two-semester sequence of research and scholarship. May be started in the second semester of the junior year or in the first semester of the senior year.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 , departmental approval.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • PSY 4915 - Senior Thesis Research II

    Credits: 4
    A two-semester sequence of research and scholarship. May be started in the second semester of the junior year or in the first semester of the senior year.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 1000 , departmental approval.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • PSY 4950 - Field Experience: Internship

    Credits: 4
    The course will support students in their work in a community setting (with a counseling or a psychology focus). The student will spend at least 10 hours per week at their internship and meet in a weekly seminar to gain clinical skills as well as examine the issues growing out of their experiences.  This course will engage students in learning applied clinical skills and relating their internship experiences to theories of human development, social policy, and clinical treatment.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY1000 and consent of the instructor.
  
  • PSY 4960 - Field Experience in Psychology: Adult Clinical Studies

    Credits: 4
    Two semesters of supervised participation by senior psychology majors in the activities of psychologists. Offers the possibility of placement in a variety of facilities that provide mental health services to adults.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 3410 , senior standing or permission of instructor.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • PSY 4965 - Field Experience in Psychology: Adult Clinical Studies

    Credits: 4
    Two semesters of supervised participation by senior psychology majors in the activities of psychologists. Offers the possibility of placement in a variety of facilities that provide mental health services to adults.
    Prerequisite(s): PSY 3410 , senior standing or permission of instructor.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core

Religious and Theological Studies

  
  • RTS 1001 - Introduction to Religious and Theological Studies

    Credits: 4
    The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basic elements of the study of religion and theology. In this course we analyze dimensions and elements of religion in the context of diverse religious traditions using a variety of approaches. Special attention will be given to the Roman Catholic tradition and the contributions of St. Augustine.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1010 - World Religions

    Credits: 4
    This course is an introduction to a variety of the world’s religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Indigenous Traditions, Christianity, Islam, and Taoism. We examine origins, beliefs, practices, sacred texts, and historical and cultural aspects. Special attention will be given to Christianity and Catholicism. We will also examine St. Augustine’s life and ideas using various sources.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1050 - Quest for Meaning

    Credits: 4
    What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? What is my purpose? What constitutes a life well lived? Questions like these have plagued human beings for centuries. This course will examine a variety answers to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Students will be exposed to a variety of religious and non-religious responses to this question and be asked to formulate their own answer to this question.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1100 - Christianity in Context

    Credits: 4
    As an introduction to Christianity, this course will investigate a number of the contexts in which it began, in which it developed, and in which we find it today. Students will study Christianity in the historical contexts within the ancient world and of ancient Judaism, in the literary contexts of the Christian Bible and its interpretation, in the intellectual context of church history, and in contemporary global contexts. In keeping with the College’s Augustinian identity, mission, and vision, this course will also highlight the contributions of St. Augustine.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1560 - Sports and Spirituality

    Credits: 4
    This course examines aspects of church history, the history of sport, philosophy, and Christian doctrine to develop a vision of sport and its relationship to Christianity. This will include an investigation of how a theology of sport can shed light on a wide range of ethical issues, including cheating and the use of performance enhancing drugs. Finally, and in keeping with the College’s Augustinian identity, mission, and vision, this course highlights the contributions of St. Augustine in order to see what lessons athletes (and sports fans) can learn from him.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1610 - Doors to the Sacred

    Credits: 4
    Search for the manifestation of the transcendent sacred in Scripture; Liturgy and Sacraments; the writings of the Church Fathers, especially Augustine; the Medieval mystics; nature; Christian art, music, and literature; the history Christian love; and social justice; especially Catholic Social Teaching.
    Fulfills: First institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. RTS in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 1650 - Passages: Rituals and Sacred Texts of the Abrahamic Religions

    Credits: 4


    An introduction to the study of religion, theology, and interfaith studies, this course is framed by three questions: What is religion? How do religious communities and indivduals come into being and define themselves? How do words and acts, stories and practices, rituals and sacred texts contribute to forming one’s identity? This course explores actions, lived ritual practices, and sacred texts and scriptures of rites of passage that shape one’s identity within communities of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The variance and diversity across and within these religions is considered, as well as the historical, social, and cultural contexts. In addition, the course considers the relationship between religions’ enacted beliefs and their integration into and contribution to ethical orientation and values, and examines shared values and commitments across religious traditions.

     
    Fulfills: RTS in LS Core

  
  • RTS 2000 - Hinduism

    Credits: 4
    An introductory study of Hinduism that examines cultural, historical, moral, and symbolic aspects of Hinduism, including the origins of Hindu culture, iconography, ritual and the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Uses primary and secondary sources as well as fiction and videos. Analyzes excerpts from Rig-Veda, the Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita as well as a complete abridged version of the Ramayana. Fiction explores questions regarding Hindu culture before and during the Hindu diaspora, bringing in issues of contemporary Hinduism, inside and outside of India.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2010 - Buddhism

    Credits: 4
    An introductory study of the religious tradition as it developed in India and spread throughout Asia. The course concentrates on Theravada, Zen, and Vajrayana (Tibetan) forms of Buddhism, using examination of text, ritual, and images to understand the diversity of the Buddhist world. Studies varieties of practice, monastic as well as popular, cultural influences on Buddhism, and contemporary political and social issues such as women in Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhists in exile.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2100 - Judaism

    Credits: 4
    This course will examine how early themes in Judaism affected modern Judaism and how relations with other faith groups have influenced Judaism. In addition, there will be a discussion of some of the modern challenges facing Judaism and an exploration of certain aspects of the modern world that could affect the survival of the Jewish people. Finally, given the rapidly changing landscape of world religions and their influence on world politics, students will be asked to compare the teachings of Judaism with those of the two other Abrahamic faiths, Christianity and Islam.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2150 - Islam

    Credits: 4
    An introductory study of Islam, a complex religious tradition founded by Mohammed and drawing adherents from all over the world. Studies the historical movement and the charismatic impact of the founder of Islam, ritual practices, theological issues expressed in the Holy Qur ‘an and supplemented by Hadith literature, the personal and communal life of the people, and the mystical sects such as the Sufis. Modern Islamic movements and trends studied to bring traditional Islam into a modern perspective.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2200 - Introduction to Hebrew Scripture

    Credits: 4
    This course introduces students to the Hebrew Scriptures as history, story, and literature. The importance of this literature for religious communities (Jews, Christians and Muslims) as well as its influence on the Western literary imagination (from Shakespeare to Tolstoy and Faulkner) is difficult to overemphasize. The approach to study in this class is informed by historical-critical methods of scholarship; in addition other academic approaches will be welcomed, such as literary criticism, feminist criticism, liberation theology, socio-historical approaches, etc., especially when raised by students in the class.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. AL in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2300 - Introduction to the New Testament

    Credits: 4
    This course is a critical, historical, literary, and historical study of the collection of Christian writings known as the New Testament. Attention will be given to the religious, cultural, and political background of the New Testament documents, their literary form, composition and religious significance, as well as the inspiration this collection of documents has provided for writers and artists of many ages.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. AL in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2400 - Sex, Politics, Religion, and St. Augustine

    Credits: 4
    This course explores how the social, political and religious environment of 4th and 5th century North Africa influenced the development of Christianity. The life and thought of Augustine of Hippo shows how contemporary Catholic and Protestant teachings on human sexuality, political systems, sin, God and religion can be traced back to early Christian centuries.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. H in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2425 - Pellegrinaggio in Italia: In Search of Augustinian Community

    Credits: 4
    This course is a study of St. Augustine of Hippo as well as an exploration of the origin of the Augustinians, the Religious Order which bears his name. Classes meet weekly during the semester, then students journey during spring break to Augustinian Italy to examine, first hand, sites of importance in Augustine’s life and in the origin and early history of the Augustinian friars and their involvement in medieval, renaissance, and modern European culture. This experience provides active, engaged learning and dialogue among a community of friends, and offers a number of inter-disciplinary opportunities. The course will enhance the student’s search for the wisdom that can result from a deeper understanding of self, others and God, the search which captivated the life of Augustine.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. AL (effective 2014-2015) and X in LS Core. Permission of professor required.
  
  • RTS 2450 - History of Christian Thought

    Credits: 4
    As a course in the history of ideas, there will be an investigation in depth of a theological idea, for example, God, Christ, humanity, etc, in the history of Christian thought and doctrine from the biblical period through to the present. The emphasis will be on how Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox thinkers, responding to cultural influences in each historical period, developed Christian understandings of the selected theological idea in various times and cultures.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. H in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2650 - Spirituality of Running

    Credits: 4
    This course investigates ways in which running can be used as a spiritual exercise. Students will examine the nature of spirituality in a variety of religions and cultures throughout history, and discover how running has been and can be used. Themes will include the existence of God and the nature of sanctuary, prayer, meditation, sacrament, and pilgrimage. Finally, students are encouraged to explore their own experience of running to see how this can assist them in becoming more authentic persons and how running can enhance their experience of the world around them, and of God.
    Prerequisite(s): The prospective student must demonstrate that he/she is a serious runner, and obtain permission of instructor.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. X in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2700 - Science and Religion

    Credits: 4
    The purpose of this course is to introduce students to some of the main ways in which people have interpreted the interaction of science and religion, to help them understand some of the basic contours of the history of science and scientific method, and to give them an intellectual context in which they can explore ways of integrating science with a religious world-view. This will include discussion of topics such as scientific cosmology and the Bible, miracles and natural laws, as well as the pressing problems relating to ethics and the most current advances in science and technology - specifically in the area of healthcare ethics.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 2800 - Social Ethics: Christian Perspectives

    Credits: 4
    An examination of the Christian sources and methodologies used for addressing social, political and economic issues peace, war, violence, economic justice, environmental justice, criminal justice, political justice, racism, sexism, homophobia and social justice). In particular, emphasis will be placed on the ethics of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures; Catholic social thought and how other religious traditions approach various issues of social justice. Students will be encouraged to explore the intersection of ethical theory and real-life issues of social injustice.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E, D and X in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2810 - Sex, Marriage, Family & Work

    Credits: 4
    This course explores Christian understandings of human sexuality, marriage, family, as well as career and work responsibilities. In addition to studying the theological foundations of these personal, relational, and social commitments, students will focus on multiple ethical perspectives and practices related to sexuality, marriage, family and work. Topics covered may include: reproductive choices, parenting, gender roles, divorce and remarriage, same- sex marriage, family management and decision-making, and the rights and duties of labor in and outside the home. Students will explore diverse approaches to these topics. The course will include biblical, traditional, and contemporary religious and philosophical perspectives.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2820 - Bioethics & Healthcare: Theological Approaches

    Credits: 4
    This course considers medical and healthcare issues derived from new technologies and capabilities within the human sphere. Theological Bioethics aims to integrate the discipline of theology with the field of biomedical ethics to critically evaluate the goals of healthcare and practices associated with these goals. The course will involve an examination of the Theological sources and methods used for addressing biomedical and healthcare issues (e.g., End of Life Care, Physician Assisted Suicide, Abortion, Reproductive Technologies, Organ Donation, Genetics, and Social Justice concerns) in a contemporary context. In particular, emphasis will be placed on the ethics of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, Christian moral tradition, and some nonreligious sources in their approach to a variety of issues facing the healthcare community. Attention will focus on foundations for religion, medicine, and spirituality as they intersect in care for the body and soul in the first half of the class while the second half of the course will turn to bioethical issues that involve religious and ethical discernment.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2900 - Holocaust: Theology, Reality and Aftermath

    Credits: 4
    The course will identify the components of the Holocaust as well as those of any genocide paying particular attention to the historical development of antisemitism, especially within the Christian and Western contexts. Special attention will be given (as per the directive of the Holy See in implementing “We Remember”) to the examination of Christian and Western actions and attitudes during the Holocaust to try to determine how cognitive, moral and faith development operated when propaganda attempted to manipulate them for evil. Lastly, it will examine how we remember the lives of those lost and the lessons of the event. Three hours a week.
  
  • RTS 2950 - Ethics in the Abrahamic Tradition

    Credits: 4
    This course is an introduction to how the Abrahamic religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) approach ethics both in theory and in practice. The course explores (1) the sources and methods of ethical reflection in each tradition including sacred texts and their interpretation, history, concepts of law, religious authority, role of conscience, role of reason and ethical principles (love, common good, freedom, etc.) and (2) a host of contemporary dilemmas currently under debate in these traditions (e.g. abortion, capital punishment, war and peace, biomedical ethics, sexual ethics). Attention will be paid to the consistencies and inconsistence within and between the “people of the book.”
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 2990 - Special Topics in Religious Studies

    Credits: 4
    This course will offer a focused study of selected topics of interest in Religious Studies.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in Religious and Theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3000 - Buddhism & Islam: Body & Belief

    Credits: 4
    This course is a comparative study of Buddhism and Islam, including origins, historical and geographical development, scriptures, and doctrine with a focus on religious restrictions and prescriptions relating of food, clothing, sex, gender roles and ritual practices, exploring similarities and differences and their implications. Similarities point to the universal nature of human needs and drives; differences stem from variations in religious worldviews (conception of body and soul, relationship between humans and the divine).
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3030 - Humans, Earth, & the Sacred: Religion & the Environment

    Credits: 4
    This course surveys different religious traditions and their understandings of nature and human relations to other humans, animals, environment, and cosmos. In each case we will be looking at how those belief systems, or worldviews, result in particular attitudes that affect the environment and other humans by influencing human actions in relation to nature, and in turn how those actions (and thus the worldviews) affect humans, animals, plants, earth, and space, often in unintended ways, such as the way that those on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder suffer greater hardship and health issues such as exposure to pollution or toxins, environmental illnesses, and poorer food sources. Attention will be paid to power structures inherent in religious ways of understanding the roles of humans in relation to nature. Course requires site visits outside of class.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D and X in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3050 - Religion and Popular Culture

    Credits: 4
    This course examines religion in the United States-its definition, history, motivations and expressions-especially focusing on the relationship between religion and popular culture. In all cultures and throughout history people have practiced religion in other forms than those officially sanctioned; these are the focus of this course. Topics may include religious camps, religion and commerce, religion and leisure, religion and the media, miracle sightings, secularization, music, online religious practices (pilgrimage, e.g.), religious toys, religious apps, etc. We will explore religion as a living, changing phenomenon that people make their own to satisfy psychological and social needs, a phenomenon that makes use of available technologies and social changes.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3100 - Contemplation & Compassion: A Course in Meditation Practice

    Credits: 4
    This is a course in which participants practice meditating. It also entails some study and conversation about meditating its relationship to prayer, to religion, to ideas about God, to what may be disclosed about human beings by the act of meditating, the relationship of meditativeness (contemplativeness) to compassion and some comparative perspectives on the contemplative stream in some world religions.
    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Instructor.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. X in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3200 - God in the Hebrew Bible

    Credits: 4
    n selected biblical passages within their literary, historical, and cultural contexts. The course also introduces students to the hermeneutical complexities of reading texts that are regarded “sacred” in Judaism and Christianity but often stand in sharp contrast to doctrinal teachings about the divine. Discussions about the appropriations of these texts in contemporary religious, political, and academic discourses feature prominently.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3210 - Gender and the Bible

    Credits: 4
    The course investigates the Bible as a “gendered” text of Christian and Jewish religious history and practice. It introduces students to the pertinent gender theories, primary texts, and scholarly discussions. The course also helps students to develop an understanding about the lasting influences of the Bible on past and present formations of gender as practiced in Western culture, politics, and religion.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3400 - American Catholicism

    Credits: 4
    The Catholic experience in the American environment from colonial times to the present. Analysis of the theological, cultural, social and political influences which have affected Catholicism.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. H in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3600 - The Roman Catholic Church

    Credits: 4
    A systematic and interpretative study of the Church which explores the biblical and historical foundations of it nature, mystery and mission. An examination of the ways in which the Roman Catholic Church is affected by the structure and dynamics of society.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3610 - Sacramental Theology

    Credits: 4
    This course explores sacraments through examination of anthropological, theological perspectives. The human phenomena of word, symbol, ritual, myth and the theological perspective of God’s call and humanity’s response form the basis of investigation, providing rationale of why growth in spiritual life is inherent to personal joy and freedom. The study of historical origins, which gradually evolved into the contemporary rituals, will enlighten the deeper mystery and meaning of Catholicism’s seven sacraments. In addition, the course explores the ecumenical discussion on “sacrament” and recent studies including Protestant understanding and practice.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3620 - Theology of the Virgin Mary

    Credits: 4
    This course explores contemporary thinking on the Blessed Virgin Mary and its implications for interfaith dialogue, liberation, meaning of woman, and spirituality for the Christian. References to Mary in scripture and liturgy are also examined, as well as interdenominational theological approaches including the ecumenical dialogue on Mary, common sources of the first centuries, the Jewish Mary, goddess and mother images in other world religions, human rights and feminism, and a critical analysis of the meaning of apparitions and Marian prayer. 
  
  • RTS 3650 - Death and Dying in History, Religion, and Society

    Credits: 4
    This course examines the question “What happens when we die?” in conversation with the many individuals and cultures that have proposed answers to this and related questions. The course will investigate the ways religions and philosophies throughout history define and cope with the fact of death, as well as the scientific and religious study of near-death experiences, hauntings, and claims of communication with the dead. A final section examines treatments of death and the afterlife in popular culture such as literature, cinema, and TV.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3710 - Theology through Women’s Eyes

    Credits: 4
    Attentive both to women’s contributions to the Christian tradition and to views of women articulated in the Christian tradition, this course examines the significance of women’s experiences for theological and ethical reflection. It explores the implications of this for theological reflection on such topics as the human person, Christ, the Trinity, the Church and the liturgy as well as for ethical reflection on such topics as family, bioethics and social ethics.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D and E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3750 - Christians and Jews: Conflicts and Reconciliations

    Credits: 4
    A Study and conversation about the history of Jewish-Christian relations: the origins of Christianity in Ancient Israel and its affinities with Judaism, the “parting of the ways, “the history of the “teaching of contempt,” of Judaism in ascendant Christianity, culminating in the 20th century in the Shoah, the Holocaust. Further study of historical and contemporary Jewish ethical, theological, spiritual and cultural richness, especially the centerpiece of Jewish ideals and practice Tikun Olam, the imperative to heal the world. (Current Israeli-Palestinian relations will be treated in this context). The course will also provide the opportunity to consider the nature of religion, the uses to which theological speech is sometimes put, and the importance in our time of embracing religious pluralism.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. D and E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3760 - Theology & History of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations

    Credits: 4
    This course considers the intertwined theologies and histories of the three “Abrahamic” Faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with a goal of fostering increased appreciation and understanding for all three traditions. It introduces the three Abrahamic Faiths and highlights some important theological issues that characterize and sometimes divide them, and also examines historical interactions between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 3780 - Charles Darwin, Evolution and Creationism

    Credits: 4
    This course is an investigation into the scientific history of the theory of biological evolution and will examine the religious and cultural impact of that theory over the past 150 years. Students will study the historical development of the theory of evolution through a study of the life and legacy of Charles Darwin, and examine the scientific and religious reaction that theory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as more recent reactions and developments, both scientific and religious.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. H in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3800 - Having Heroes: Their Lives and Yours

    Credits: 4
    Study and conversation about two people, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton, who sought from youth onwards to lives of consequence, purposeful lives beyond self-absorption and triviality, two persons set apart by Pope Francis (alongside Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.), as representatives of the American people,” Day for “…her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed,” Merton as “…a source of spiritual inspiration.” Day and Merton’s bumpy young lives, their evolutions and their times illuminate questions of war and peace, racial harmony, economic justice, the works of mercy, the counter-cultural witness of monastics, the lives of the saints, the social teachings of Roman Catholicism, the rise of interfaith relations and the subversive impact of contemplative practice.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3850 - War & Peace: Religious Perspectives

    Credits: 4
    This course explores war and peace from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives. It engages religious, philosophical, psychological, sociological and historical analyses of the phenomena of war and peace. Students will encounter such concepts as: Holy War (in both Christian and Muslim traditions); Pacifism (in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu traditions); and the Just War tradition (as employed by Jews, Christians, Muslims, philosophers and political scientists). The course also explores a variety of particular challenges to war and peace, such as: guerilla war, terrorism, nuclear war, and the use of military force for humanitarian causes.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies. E in LS Core.
  
  • RTS 3900 - Women’s Voices in the Holocaust

    Credits: 4
    This course first examines the event of the Holocaust and its components, but then turns to the lives and stories of the women who lived in Europe during the Third Reich. Situating their experiences against women’s unique ways of knowing and behaving, the course employs sociological constructs to assist in understanding how women victims, bystanders and perpetrators endured this period of history.  It also explores how religious faith was either abandoned or deepened through their experiences and how it aided in many women’s survival.  Lastly, it investigates second generation voices of the “daughters of” those victims, bystanders and perpetrators as they try to understand their mother’s voices and lives.
    Fulfills: second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 4400 - St. Augustine Seminar

    Credits: 4
    ish of several of St. Augustine’s primary texts, including his Confessions. Major theological themes that emerge from these texts will also be studied in a seminar format that emphasizes reading, discussion and writing. The contemporary relevance of Augustinian spirituality and theology, as well as the influence of the Order of St. Augustine throughout Christian history will also be explored.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 4800 - Directed Study

    Credits: 4
    In lieu of a formal course, qualified upper-class students may substitute an intensive program of reading under the direction of a member of the department. Normally, a student must possess a cumulative grade point average of not less than 3.00 and have completed three courses in religion and theological studies offered in traditional format.
    Fulfills: Second institutional requirement in religious and theological studies.
  
  • RTS 4850 - Internship in Religious and Theological Studies

    Credits: 4
    The Internship in Ministry and Religious Education (MRE) is a semester-long opportunity for students who have declared a major in Religious and Theological Studies to engage in service in a parish, congregation, synagogue, or religiously affiliated secondary school, as well as in hospice and hospital pastoral care agencies. The IMRE has been created especially for students who wish to pursue professional careers in ministry and religious education or who intend to pursue academic careers in religious and theological studies.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core
  
  • RTS 4900 - Seminar in Religious & Theological Studies

    Credits: 4
    This course will be limited to ten junior and senior majors. The professor may make exceptions to this rule. This course is required for majors in religious and theological studies. The specific topic of the course is of the professor’s choosing. It is designed to serve as a capstone to the major and to expose students to the type of course one might encounter at the graduate level.

Sports Medicine

  
  • SME 1104 - Introduction to Physical Activity, Fitness, and Wellness

    Credits: 4
    This course is a survey of the discipline of health and fitness, including knowledge derived from performing physical activity, studying about physical activity, and professional practice centered in physical activity. It includes an analysis of the importance of health and wellness in daily life, the relationship between physical activity and the discipline of kinesiology, and the general effects of physical activity experiences. The course surveys the general knowledge base of the Health Science discipline as reflected in the major sub disciplines and reviews selected concepts in each, showing how they contribute to our understanding of the nature and importance of physical activity. The students will learn about the fitness components of wellness; flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, nutrition, weight management, and cancer. Fitness and other positive life style habits that lead to better health, improved quality of life, and total well-being will be discussed. Students will be responsible for developing a self-paced fitness program that will be followed for the duration of the semester. In addition, the course introduces students to the general and specific characteristics of the health and wellness professions.
    Fulfills: Mathematics/Science distribution requirement. STEM requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SME 2250 - Research Methods

    Credits: 4
    This course introduces the student to current research in athletic training and sports medicine. The student learns about the research process, reads, comprehends and appreciates journal articles and begins writing a research proposal on a topic related to the sports medicine field. Specific attention is directed toward formal written communication using prescribed format.
  
  • SME 2345 - Strength and Conditioning I

    Credits: 4
    This course is a designed as an introduction to the principles of strength and conditioning with an emphasis on applications for improving health and performance in the athlete and non-athlete population. General content areas include concepts and applications of the exercise sciences, nutritional factors, psychology of athletic performance, physiological adaptation of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, hormonal responses, age and gender differences, performance enhancing substance. Lab will focus on an introduction to exercise technique, testing and evaluation, and program design in the strength and conditioning field. This course prepares students to sit for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122 HSC 1123 , SME 1304 .
  
  • SME 2350 - Professional Development in Health Sciences

    Credits: 2
    To provide the Merrimack College sophomore with a continuum of self and career exploration education in preparation for an internship or research experience. This professional development in health sciences course sets a foundation for building solid life and career decision-making skills through a series of exploratory exercises, as well as professionally prepares students for their upcoming internship or research experience.
  
  • SME 3307 - Therapeutic Exercise with Integrated Lab

    Credits: 4
    This course is designed to offer Athletic Training and Sports Medicine students a study of the principles and objectives of therapeutic exercise in the rehabilitation of athletic injuries. The course will examine different forms of exercise, resistance and motion and the proper application of each in order to stabilize, modify or reverse the process responsible for disability when the nature of the underlying cause is identifiable.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122 HSC 1123 , SME 1304 .
  
  • SME 3308 - Biomechanics with Integrated Lab

    Credits: 4
    The scientific factors affecting human movement are studied. Basic tissue, (bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon) influences are emphasized. Psychological and neurological control mechanisms are examined. Normal movement patterns are reviewed with emphasis on gait, fitness activity and performance analysis. Pathological implications are integrated into the course as the materiel progresses regionally from one area of the body to another. Modern techniques that quantify human movement and movement patterns are investigated. Current topics in biomechanics research and the design of such projects are made real by abstracting of grouped articles. Handouts are used in addition to course texts. In lab teams will be established to achieve common goals. Existing video analysis systems will be used to both study human motion and to create a database of human motion.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122  HSC 1123 , PHY 2201 .
  
  • SME 3309 - Therapeutic Modalities with Integrated Lab

    Credits: 4
    This course is designed to offer Athletic Training and Sports Medicine students the opportunity to comprehend the principles of physical agents used in the treatment of sports injuries. The various theories of therapeutic modalities, their application to the healing process and their physiological effects on the patient will be examined as well as their indications and contraindications.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122 HSC 1123 , SME 1304 .
  
  • SME 3311 - Exercise Physiology with Integrated Lab

    Credits: 4
    A detailed examination of cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic physiology, responses to acute exercise, and exercise training adaptations. Laboratory will emphasize exercise testing procedures and techniques as well as research principles.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122 HSC 1123 .
  
  • SME 3311L - Exercise Physiology Laboratory

    Credits: 0
    A detailed examination of cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic physiology, responses to acute exercise, and exercise training adaptations. Laboratory will emphasize exercise testing procedures and techniques as well as research principles.
    Prerequisite(s): HSC 1122 , HSC 1123 .
  
  • SME 3347 - Exercise Testing Techniques and Prescription

    Credits: 4
    The course will examine the principles of exercise testing and prescription as they apply to fitness and athletic performance. The course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of normal and abnormal exercise responses in a variety of populations. The course will cover topics in the following areas, energy production, nutrition, body composition, periodization, and fitness testing as related to strength and conditioning.
  
  • SME 4348 - Exercise Program Design

    Credits: 4
    This course is intended to take the skills and principles acquired in SME 3347  and to integrate them into the development of specific strength and conditioning programs. These programs may aid in injury prevention, performance enhancement, and overall general fitness. The development of these programs may be achieved through periodized manipulation of acute and chronic training variables.
    Prerequisite(s): SME 2345 SME 3311  

Sociology

  
  • SOC 1000 - The Sociological Imagination

    Credits: 4
    This course develops students’ sociological imaginations through the introduction of basic sociological concepts. In the process, students learn how social forces influence their everyday lives. Culture, social interaction, group dynamics, bureaucracy, socialization, deviance, crime, urbanization, collective behavior, and social change are some of the topics studied. The course also explores society’s institutions, such as the family, the political system, the economy, religion, education, and the medical system. A central focus of the course is understanding the nature of social inequality.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 1500 - Success and the American Dream

    Credits: 4
    For most people in the U.S., the answer to the question “What causes success?” is simple. They look within the individual for personal qualities and characteristics that give rise to achievement and success: genetic make-up, intelligence, ability, character, drive, etc. Sociologists, in sharp contrast, ask the following questions: What cultural beliefs shape how individuals pursue and measure success? What stereotypes, social processes, and social structures fuel different levels of accomplishment in individuals and between groups? What is the link between success, social identity, social inequality, and social justice? This interdisciplinary course will analyze ongoing debates about the nature of and misunderstood connections between success, happiness, intelligence, and ability.  We will study and apply theoretical insights and practical strategies from sociology, psychology, education, and neuroscience that strengthen achievement by maximizing effective learning and enhancing happiness. This course is based on the assumption that learning, at its best, opens minds, changes lives, and is fun.  Instead of analyzing abstract topics that are often hard to relate to, we will connect the ideas that we explore to our questions, beliefs, and dreams.
  
  • SOC 1600 - Happiness

    Credits: 4
    This interdisciplinary course will analyze the key sources of and debates about happiness.  As we explore possibilities of increasing happiness, individually and collectively, we will focus on the relationship between happiness and success, culture, motivation, social media, food, and exercise. This course is based on the assumption that learning, at its best, open minds, changes lives, and is fun.  Instead of analyzing abstract ideas that are often hard to relate to, we will constantly connect the issues we explore to your questions, beliefs, and dreams. 
  
  • SOC 1700 - Social Problems, Creative Solutions

    Credits: 4

    For most people in the U.S., the answer to the question “What causes social problems?” is simple. They look within individuals for personal qualities that lead to problems: personality traits, character flaws, free will, and other individual characteristics.  They ask the “Who questions”: Who caused it? Who is responsible? Who has a problem and who gets the blame?

    Sociologists, in sharp contrast, ask the “What questions” about social problems: What social structures, power relationships, and social processes contribute to widespread social problems such as crime or poverty?  What cultural beliefs, values, and norms encourage harmful behaviors such as violence, sexual assault, and alcohol/substance abuse? In short, what kind of society promotes persistent social problems, and what is the link, if any, between social problems, social inequality, and social injustice?

    This course will explore how some of the most pressing social problems in the U.S. - such as crime, violence, addiction, sexism, racism, class inequality, and heterosexism - are created by unequal power relationships, hierarchical social structures, and taken-for-granted cultural beliefs and social practices.

    This course is based on the assumption that learning, at its best, opens minds, changes lives, and is fun.  Instead of analyzing abstract ideas that are often hard to relate to, we will constantly connect the issues we explore to your questions, beliefs, and dreams.

  
  • SOC 1800 - Tough Choices, Conflicting Values

    Credits: 4


    This course will analyze difficult decisions that most of us grapple with in the U.S. As we study works by sociologists, psychologists, and ethicists, we will explore how people wrestle with complex choices such as:

    • What fuels the epidemic of lying and cheating in classrooms, bedrooms, boardrooms, sports, medicine, and politics? How can you align your behaviors with your beliefs about honesty and morality?
    • When does the pursuit of wealth, status, and pleasure (from alcohol, drugs, digital technology, food, sex, etc.) conflict with caring for and staying connected to self and others? How do you discover your core values and live accordingly?
    • Why do many people who support “justice for all” sometimes, through words and deeds, disrespect or discriminate against females, people of color, LGBTQ folks, etc.?
    • What helps people to challenge cultural beliefs and resist social pressures that encourage us to cheat and mistreat others, and how can this ability be strengthened?

    The course is based on the assumption that learning, at its best, opens minds, changes lives, and is fun.  Instead of analyzing abstract ideas that are often hard to relate to, we will constantly connect the issues we explore to your questions, beliefs, and dreams.
    Fulfills: D in LS Core

  
  • SOC 1900 - Addictive Society

    Credits: 4

    This course will analyze why addiction, broadly conceived, is not the pathological state of a few, but has become a driving force in our culture and daily lives.  As we explore the complex links between addiction, culture, and social structure, we will use the sociological imagination to analyze: the rapid growth and harmful effects of addiction to substances, digital technologies, food, shopping, gambling, love, and sex; the social conditions and cultural beliefs fueling addictive behaviors in the U.S.; and the personal and social changes needed to reverse the alarming escalation of addictive behaviors. The course is based on the assumption that learning, at its best, opens minds, changes lives, and is fun.  Instead of analyzing abstract ideas that are often hard to relate to, we will constantly connect the issues we explore to your questions, beliefs, and dreams.

  
  • SOC 2000 - Social Inequality - Class, Gender, and Race

    Credits: 4
    This course examines the most important bases of inequality in contemporary society: social class, race/ethnicity, and gender. These categories determine the distribution of social resources, shape people’s experiences, and influence interactions with others, often in ways that we cannot immediately recognize. A more complete understanding of the issues related to these categories will give you greater insight into some of the most significant contemporary social problems.
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC and D requirements in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 2050 - Social Work

    Credits: 4
    This course is designed to introduce students to the broad field of social work. Students who take this course become competent in the multi-disciplinary foundation of social work including values and ethics, diversity, populations-at-risk, social and economic justice, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services and social work practice. Special attention is given to services for children and families, people with disabilities, gays and lesbians, the elderly, people with addiction and/or mental illness, and individuals in the criminal justice system. In addition, students are introduced to the various methods that social workers use including casework, group work and community organization.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3000 - Social Theory

    Credits: 4
    This course examines the classic origins of sociological thought in response to the emergence and conditions of modernity as found in the writings of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Students will also explore the ideas and writings of contemporary theorists responsible for Conflict theory, Structural-Functionalism and Symbolic- Interaction.  
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3100 - Research Methods

    Credits: 4
    An introduction to the research methods employed in sociology. The course examines the nature of science, causality, research ethics, and how to conduct a literature review. Students will gain hands-on experience with the most important methods of data collection, sampling, variable measurement, and analysis. Upon completion of this course students will produce an original piece of sociological research.
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3150 - Social Movements

    Credits: 4
    The course is organized around key sociological questions about social movements: When and why do they occur? Who joins, supports, and leaves them? How are movements organized, and what do they do? How are they influenced by external forces, such as the state and mass media? Finally, why do movements decline, and how can we measure any changes that they ultimately bring about? In the process of answering these questions, we will examine the dominant ways of thinking about social movements, including resource mobilization theory, the political process model, and cultural approaches.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3300 - Sociology of Education

    Credits: 4
    This course addresses a variety of sociological questions about the relationship between schools and society, including: Who is involved in the process of education, and what roles do they play? How and why are schools, classrooms, and curricula organized in the ways that they are? How do schools socialize children and adolescents? How do schools reproduce stratification and inequality? How is the education system connected to other social institutions? What are alternatives to the traditional education system? The primary goal of the course is to encourage students to understand their own educational backgrounds from a sociological, rather than individualistic, perspective.
    Fulfills: SOSC in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3330 - Race and Ethnic Minorities


    Formerly: SO333A
    The purpose of this course is to examine racial and ethnic diversity in the United States both historically and currently.  The course will introduce students to a number of sociological explanations and theoretical issues in the study of minority and majority group relations.  The specific experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in contemporary U.S. society will also be examined.  We will also explore the interrelationships of gender, race, ethnicity, and class to gain an understanding of current social conditions which affect us all.  By examining the intersections of race, class, and gender we can see a diversity of experiences and think about ways in which these experiences can (and do) reshape and enrich our society.

    Prerequisite(s): SOC1001 or consent of instructor
    Fulfills: social science requirement in LS Core
  
  • SOC 3370 - Urban Sociology

    Credits: 4
    Urban sociology is the sociological study of the city. It examines the various historical, cultural, geo-political and economic factors that help explain the origin and development of the city as a social invention and changing human form. The course begins with a general review of the historical origins and theories of urbanization and a more specific focus on urbanization, suburbanization and the growth of metropolitan regions in the United States. Life as it is experienced in the city and its neighborhoods is examined in terms of class, gender, race-ethnicity, and lifestyles. Common problems of urban life such as poverty, racism, crime, and homelessness are addressed.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3400 - Population Problems

    Credits: 4
    This course explores the history of world population growth and consider the prospects for future growth. We look at where the world’s population is distributed and from where population data emerge. Theories of population by Malthus, Marx, and others are discussed. We analyze important demographic variables of fertility, migration, and mortality. Some questions we consider are: What fertility differences are there among countries in the world and within the United States? Who has the highest birth rates? How does migration of the population vary among countries and within the United States? What has been the American experience with regard to immigration? How does mortality vary among countries in the world and between groups within the United States? Who has the highest death rates? Problems of environmental deterioration, food shortages, and inequality between countries are also discussed, as are possible policy solutions to them.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3450 - Sociology of the Family

    Credits: 4
    This course provides a sociological overview of the family as a major institution. The changing form and function of the family are discussed in terms of their effects on individuals and society. The objectives of the course are to: (1) introduce students to the essential concepts, theories, and research used by sociologists to analyze the family; (2) enhance students’ understanding of the complexity of family life and how family experience is shaped by race, social class, gender, and culture; (3) enable students to identify and examine sociologically relevant problems and issues within the contemporary family; and (4) encourage critical thinking and writing skills that demonstrate students’ abilities to understand and analyze social phenomena.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3550 - Statistics

    Credits: 4
    This course gives students an understanding of both simple descriptive statistics and the more advanced statistical techniques used by sociologists. The course answers four fundamental questions about social statistical analysis: What are the different statistical techniques that sociologists use to analyze data? How do we know when to use which technique? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? How do we interpret the results of any given statistical analysis? Among the topics covered are measures of central tendency and dispersion, the standard normal curve, t-tests, analysis of variance, chi-square, and regression. The course has a required lab component, in which students use SPSS to analyze real data.
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  and SOC 3100  or consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: Q in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3600 - Sociology of Health

    Credits: 4
    This course examines health, illness and healing as not merely physiological states but also human experiences shaped by sociological forces. The course begins with a brief historical review of medicine and the emergence of scientific medicine. Social epidemiology, health behavior, social stress, social support, the stages of the illness experience, the sick role, the doctor-patient relationship, technology and medicine, and the delivery of medical care in the U.S. and how it compares to other countries are among the topics examined.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3650 - Sociology of Immigration

    Credits: 4
    The immigration process, from the decision to leave one’s home country, to the crossing of international borders, to establishing oneself in a new host country, to the reception of the host population, to the acquisition of citizenship, to eventual assimilation, to the politics of immigration, is fascinating and falls directly under the purview of sociology. In SOC 3650 we will analyze all aspects of immigration through a sociological lens. We will focus on immigrants originating from all over the world with a primary focus on the United States and Western Europe as destination countries. We will also consider both historical and contemporary case studies to illustrate important theories and concepts. Upon completing this course, you will gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the immigration process as well as the science of sociology more generally. Note that this course may be offered during short-term abroad programs with a particular country of focus.
    Fulfills: D, X and SOSC in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3800 - Sociology of Gender

    Credits: 4
    This course examines the differences in socialization and life experiences of males and females. The purposes of this course are to: (1) discuss the differential experiences of females and males; (2) relate current sociological theory to these experiences; and (3) apply knowledge learned to students’ own lives. Consequently, students’ experiences, insights, questions, and ideas are a key part of the course. The class considers not only what is in terms of gender roles, but also what might be and how we, as change agents, may act to improve our individual and collective lives.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 3850 - Sociology of Aging

    Credits: 4
    Aging is a complex process involving biological, psychological and sociological forces that interact and affect the nature and quality of human development in later life. This course examines the sociological dimension of growing older by investigating how social forces influence the experience of aging. The impact of the modern demographic revolution responsible for the aging of the American population and the policies and programs that have developed in its wake are examined. In considering the promises and problems of growing older, such topics as family relationships, housing, retirement, social security, and the social service and health care maze are examined. The roles that gender, class, race and ethnicity play in creating the mosaic aging experience are also considered, and the social dimension of Alzheimer’s disease is explored. The course concludes by considering the politics of aging.
    Fulfills: SOSC requirement in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 4000 - Internship

    Credits: 4
    The Internship course provides students a chance to experience possible career interests, to learn from those working in the field, to consider the need for further education, and to establish contacts that may be helpful in acquiring employment. Working in the field, and using and applying the sociological perspective, are integral and vital activities of the sociological tradition. Students volunteer at the placement agency between 12 to 15 hours a week. Students arrange with the supervisor at their placement an agreed upon work schedule and specific responsibilities and tasks. These agreements are stipulated in a Memorandum of Understanding which is signed by the student, the agency, and the instructor. The academic component of the Internship course requires that students meet on a periodic basis with the instructor to discuss their progress toward applying the sociological perspective to their experiences. The course grade, therefore, is based on two components: a Placement Evaluation of Student Performance and a Course Project where the student applies a sociological analysis to the internship experiences.
    Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.
    Fulfills: X in LS Core.
  
  • SOC 4810 - Directed Study

    Credits: 4
    An intensive program of research or reading for qualified upper-class students, done under the supervision of a full- time faculty member in the department.
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  and consent of the Chair and a full-time faculty member in the department under whose supervision the Directed Study will be conducted.
  
  • SOC 4815 - Directed Study

    Credits: 4
    An intensive program of research or reading for qualified upper-class students, done under the supervision of a full- time faculty member in the department.
    Prerequisite(s): SOC 1000  and consent of the Chair and a full-time faculty member in the department under whose supervision the Directed Study will be conducted.

Social Justice

  
  • SOJ 1000 - Introduction to Social Justice (Theory & Practice)

    Credits: 4
    The study of social justice involves questions of power, discrimination and institutionalized violence, deprivation and oppression. This course surveys major philosophical, theological, sociological, cultural, feminist, environmental and political theories of justice. In addition to these theoretical explorations, the course also focuses on narratives of injustice-how people have responded to liberate themselves and how those in power have endeavored to keep their privileged position. As the foundational course for the Social Justice minor and major, this interdisciplinary course exposes students to both historical and contemporary instances of injustice and the various responses people have taken to rectify them, as well as to the practical, organizational aspects of Social Justice work. As an experiential learning course, students will be engaged in a collective volunteering project that will connect the class to Merrimack College’s immediate context.
    Fulfills: D and E in LS Core.
  
  • SOJ 3800 - Encountering Cuba: History, Culture, Environment

    Credits: 4
    This Study Travel Course will provide Merrimack College Honors students with a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding Cuba and its complex relationship with the United States. The course will be structured around three thematic units or plotlines: Revolution, Race, and the Environment, and it will include a pre-travel section, where students and instructors will work together on building a framework from which to approach Cuba. This framework will be based on political, social and cultural history (from being a Spanish colony through US domination to the Revolution and beyond); constructions of and engagements with Cuba’s nature before and after the Revolution; and a study of alternative modes of social organization in Contemporary Cuba. Students and instructors will travel to La Habana, Cuba, where they will participate in workshops on topics such as US-Cuba relations, cooperative modes of production, and sustainability; they will engage with students from said university, and will visit sites of historical importance as well as contemporary relevant sites (rural co-operatives, sustainable enterprises). Upon returning, the class will decompress the experiences lived in Cuba, reflect on what they have learned and on the images of Cuba that circulate in the US, and work together on a project that will disseminate in the community the positive aspects of life in Cuba, the challenges the country faces, and any other relevant observations. This course will be team-taught by professors of History, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Global Justice, Spanish, and Social Justice. The course will also feature guest speakers from a variety of departments (such as Economics, Visual and Performing Arts, Criminology, and Spanish) that will allow the community to be better prepared to encounter Cuba and to appreciate the accomplishments that its people have achieved, and the challenges they face.
  
  • SOJ 3800 - Encountering Cuba: History, Culture, Environment

    Credits: 4
    This Study Travel Course will provide Merrimack College Honors students with a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding Cuba and its complex relationship with the United States. The course will be structured around three thematic units or plotlines: Revolution, Race, and the Environment, and it will include a pre-travel section, where students and instructors will work together on building a framework from which to approach Cuba. This framework will be based on political, social and cultural history (from being a Spanish colony through US domination to the Revolution and beyond); constructions of and engagements with Cuba’s nature before and after the Revolution; and a study of alternative modes of social organization in Contemporary Cuba. Students and instructors will travel to La Habana, Cuba, where they will participate in workshops on topics such as US-Cuba relations, cooperative modes of production, and sustainability; they will engage with students from said university, and will visit sites of historical importance as well as contemporary relevant sites (rural co-operatives, sustainable enterprises). Upon returning, the class will decompress the experiences lived in Cuba, reflect on what they have learned and on the images of Cuba that circulate in the US, and work together on a project that will disseminate in the community the positive aspects of life in Cuba, the challenges the country faces, and any other relevant observations. This course will be team-taught by professors of History, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Global Justice, Spanish, and Social Justice. The course will also feature guest speakers from a variety of departments (such as Economics, Visual and Performing Arts, Criminology, and Spanish) that will allow the community to be better prepared to encounter Cuba and to appreciate the accomplishments that its people have achieved, and the challenges they face.
  
  • SOJ 4900 - Directed Study

    Credits: variable credit
    If a course on a specific Social Justice issue or problem is not being offered by Merrimack College, qualified senior majors may, with the approval of the director of the Social Justice program and the instructor, design an intensive program of reading and research under the direction of the director of the program or one of its instructors. This course will offer the student the possibility of working in depth on a specific problem or issue not covered by courses that Merrimack College offers. It requires a formal proposal approved by the director and the instructor. The end result should be a public presentation of the results of the work done, either in a related class, or in events such as Social Justice Week.
 

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