School of Arts & Sciences

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

BIOL 1151: Introduction to Biology Practicum

This course will introduce students to the four major themes of our curriculum: ecosystems, organisms, cell and molecules. Practicum in scientific methodology, critical thinking, reading and writing, focusing on analysis of scientific literature through discussion, team based learning and invited researcj presentations. Laboratory 3 hours per week. Co-requisite: BIOL 1351

BIOL 1152: Basic Lab Techiques in Biology

Introduction to biology as a scientific process as revealed through inquiry-based laboratories. Introduction to quantitative and qualitative laboratory methods in cell and molecular biology. Meets 3 hours per week.

BIOL 1351: Introduction to Population Biology and Evolution

Overview of biological concepts underlying the unity and diversity of life. Focus on basic Mendelian genetics, population biology, evolutionary concepts, the origins of life, plant colonization of land, animal diversity and ecological concepts.

BIOL 1352: Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology

Continuation of overview of biological concepts underlying the unity and diversity of life. Focus on the molecular and cellular foundations of life as revealed in study of water, macromolecules, membranes, cellular metabolism, photosynthesis, cellular reproduction, and the molecular basis of inheritance.

BIOL 1422: Ecosystems, Society and Health

Combines the lecture and laboratory for a four credit, compressed track course that will investigate a local or foreign ecosystem and correlate features of that ecosystem with human health. The course includes a domestic or international fieldtrip and will allow students to integrate the concepts of ecology biodiversity and epidemiology through observation, data collection and data analysis.

BIOL 2201: Nutrition

A study of the nutrients in foods and the body's response. Nutrient requirements associated with health at various life stages will be explored. Teaching methodologies will include a combination of classroom-based lectures and online modules.

BIOL 3055: Computational Methods Research

This course will introduce students into different methods, techniques, and approaches for conducting computational research applied to different disciplines such as Biology, Health Sciences, Textual Analysis, Humanities, and more.

BIOL 3061: Cell Biology Lab

Study of cellular structure/function relationships. Focus on membranes, internal compartments, cytoskeleton and cellular communication. Laboratory will include inquiry-based investigations.

BIOL 3134: Biochemistry Lab

(CHEM 3134) Preparation of dilutions, buffer preparation, titration of amino acids, colorimetric tests for proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids, chromatography, preparation of standard curves for unknown identification, spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics and electrophoresis. Accompanies CHEM 3334. Laboratory: 3 hours per week. Prerequisites: CHEM 2343, 2143.

BIOL 3162: Introduction to Computational Biology

Students will receive an introduction to the role of computation and programming in the biological sciences and work with a faculty member in the Biology Department to set up an internship with a computational biology laboratory or company. Prerequisites: BIOL 1315/1151, BIOL 1352/1152

BIOL 3163: Introduction to Computational Biology Internship

Students will receive an introduction to the role of computation and programming in the biological sciences and work with a faculty member in the Biology Department to set up an internship with a computational biology laboratory or company. Prerequisites: BIOL 1315/1151, BIOL 1352/1152

BIOL 3194: Introduction to Biological Research

This course is the introductory research course for all students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Biology or Cell and Molecular Biology. It will offer an introduction to conducting research in the biological field. Emphasis will be placed on the foundations of scientific literacy, writing and presentation. Students will meet all Biology research faculty and hear about open projects. This course will also offer safety and lab proficiency training.

BIOL 3300: Field Studies in Ecology and Environmental Science

Field course in ecology and environmental science. Survey of physical and biological processes and their interactions in different natural settings. Introduction to field techniques and methodologies, ecosystem dynamics, and issues in natural resource management and conservation in selected locations in the United States and abroad. Much of the course time will be spent outdoors.

BIOL 3321: Genetics

Organization and function of the genetic material in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Includes basic principles and problems in molecular and biochemical genetics as well as study of patterns of inheritance.

BIOL 3331: Ecology

Principles governing interactions between organisms and their physical and biotic environments. Includes study of the biology of populations, communities and ecosystems. Prerequisite: BIOL 3321

BIOL 3339: Neuroscience

Study of the structure and function of the nervous system of vertebrates and invertebrates. Lecture: 3 hours. Prerequisites(With Grade of 'C' or Better): BIOL 3321. Offered when necessary.

BIOL 3341: Marine Biology

Description of the physical characteristics of the world ocean and of the plants and animals associated with marine habitats. Emphasis on ecological interactions and adaptations of marine organisms. Prerequisite: BIOL 3331.

BIOL 3345: Physiology

Introduction to the basic concepts of physiological regulation from cellular level to organ system level. Emphasis on mammalian systems.

BIOL 3351: Molecular Biology

An examination of the structure, organization and replication of DNA and the control of gene expression through transcription and translation. Emphasis also on theory behind current techniques. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321; CHEM 2343.

BIOL 3362: Cancer Biology

This course will explore the basic biology of cancer using current knowledge in cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cancer development, propagation, and metastasis. Students will learn about current cancer treatments, novel approaches for cancer therapeutics and explore ongoing cancer research by studying, presenting and critiquing the scientific literature, as well as through guest lectures from scientists and physicians.

BIOL 3435: Human Anatomy and Lab

A systems-based approach to understanding the major anatomical structures of the human body is essential to understanding human biological functions. This upper-division lecture and lab course will examine the major organ systems independently (muscles, cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory etc.) as well as how each system interacts with one another. The course will focus on gross anatomy (macroscopic; visible to the naked eye) via lectures, models, animal dissections and the Anatomage Table. Additionally, we will discuss relevant histological structures (microscopic anatomy) using mounted specimens Virtual Dissecto and virtual histological libraries. The course will also examine relevant applications of anatomical systems to the medical field. This comprehensive introduction to human anatomy and histology is designed for biology majors and/or those on a pre-health track.

BIOL 3440: Plant Physiological Ecology

Study of abiotic and biotic factors that influence the dynamics of plant communities. After initial study of individual leaves and whole plants, the physiological processes are scaled up to canopy and ecosystem level. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours. Laboratory methods in plant physiological ecology. Addresses ecological principles, vegetation sampling methods and physiological and biochemical techniques. Local field trips for sampling. Prerequisites: CHEM 2343, BIOL 3321, MATH 3430.

BIOL 3444: Invertebrate Zoology

A survey of the invertebrates, with emphasis on their evolution and their structural and physiological adaptations. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours. Prerequisites BIOL 1342, 1142, CHEM 1342,1142.

BIOL 3445: Developmental Zoology

Embryonic development in vertebrates and invertebrates. Emphasis on early embryonic events, molecular interactions and gene expression. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, 3351.

BIOL 3446: Comparative Histology

Comparison of the structure and ultrastructure of cells and tissues that constitute the organs and organ systems of vertebrates and invertebrates. Laboratories will feature the use of the light microscope for study of prepared slides of animal tissues. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours.

BIOL 3448: Comparative Anatomy

This course will study how the similarities in anatomy and physiology of vertebrates can be linked via phylogenetic associatins. The class will also use the evolutionary history to understand how morphology (anatomy) is intertwined with function (physiology). The class is enhanced via detailed dissections and examinations of the major organ systems of selected model vertebrates including the dogfish shark and cat. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321

BIOL 3450: Plant Physiology

Introduction to basic concepts of plant function, carbon metabolism, energy acquisition, regulation of growth and development, stress responses and nutrient uptake. Lecture: 3 hours, Laboratory: 3 hours: Study of the function and performance of plants in their environment. Focus on physiological and biochemical processes involved in plant growth, development and survival in the environment. Prerequisites: CHEM 2343, BIOL 3321, MATH 3430.

BIOL 3461: Cell Biology

Study of cellular structure/function relationships. Focus on membranes, internal compartments, cytoskeleton and cellular communication. Laboratory will include inquiry–based investigations. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory: 3 hours.

BIOL 4111: Bioscience Communication I

Discussion of current topics in biology. Students will be required to read, present and discuss current articles in the biological literature. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing

BIOL 4112: Bioscience Communication II

Discussion of current topics in biology. Students will be required to read, present and discuss current articles in the biological literature. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing

BIOL 4194: Guided Biological Research

This course is the second research course for all students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Biology or Cell and Molecular Biology. Students will perform biological research under the supervision of their Research Mentor. Research mentors will provide specific research goals that students are expected to meet through the semester. Students will also be expected to identify and read scientific literature relevant to their research project. At the end of the semester, students must present their project to a committee of faculty members. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, BIOL 3194. Min. of 50 documented research hours with your Biology Faculty member.

BIOL 4195: Biology Senior Thesis

This course is the third and final research course for all students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Biology or Cell and Molecular Biology. This writing intensive course will focus on the production of an undergraduate research thesis. Students will learn effective strategies for scientific writing and apply those lessons by writing about their own research. Students will be required to perform multiple revisions prior to final submission and will conduct extensive peer-to-peer review. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, BIOL 3194, 3195 and 100 documented research hours with your Biology Faculty member.

BIOL 4212: Neuropsychology Research Topics

This is a capstone class for students minoring in Neuroscience. Students will read and present on current primary literature and learn how to critically evaluate scientific claims. Students will study primary Neuroscience literature in order to learn and apply appropriate statistical methods, strategies for reading scientific literature, and tips for successful oral presentation of technical material. Students will be graded heavily on participation and performance on the final presentation. Prerequisite: PSYC 3434 or MATH 3450 and BIOL 3339

BIOL 4321: Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids are a class of incredibly interesting biopolymers that make life possible. Once considered simply information molecules, we now know that nucleic acids are actually quite versatile in their activity and function. This class will delve into the different aspects of nucleic acid structure and function in detail. Pre/Co-requisite: BIOL 3321

BIOL 4332: Evolution

Introduction to modern evolutionary theory. Includes discussion of adaptation, speciation, phylogenetics and molecular evolution. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, senior standing.

BIOL 4333: Research Methods in Biological Investigation

Introduction to methodology utilized in biological studies, including both field and laboratory techniques. Emphasis on student research, including preparation of research proposal and written as well as oral presentation of results. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321; junior standing.

BIOL 4334: Research Methods in Ecology

Introduction to methodology utilized in ecological research, including both field and laboratory techniques. Emphasis on student research, including preparation of research proposal and written and oral presentation of results. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, 3331; junior standing.

BIOL 4336: Cells, Genes and Molecules

Cells, Genes and Molecules is a course that will address the latest advances in genetics, investigate developmental mechanisms, and explore human genetic disorders by understanding the underlying connection between genes, and the molecular and biochemical basis for the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of clinical disorders. Observations and phenomena will be described as they were discovered in a variety of model organisms, including humans, mice, nematodes, fungi, and fruit flies. The format of the course will be a combination of lectures, discussion of current literature, and group problem-solving sessions. The course will also feature presentations by guest speakers from Houston's world-class Medical Center.

BIOL 4354: Pathogenic Microbiology

Study of disease-causing microbes with a focus on host-pathogen interactions, virulence factors, host response, transmission, detection, and prevention. The course will stress important human, plant and animal diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and protozoans. Emphasis will be placed on the emerging molecular techniques used to understand, identify and control epidemics. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321

BIOL 4440: Microbial Ecology

Relationships between microorganisms and their biotic and abiotic environments. Includes the study of fundamental principles of the ecology of microorganisms as well as the significance of microbial interactions with plants and animals and their effect on human health and environmental quality. Lecture: 3 hours. Laboratory; 3 hours. Prerequisites: BIOL 3321, 3331.

BIOL 4450: Microbial Genetics

Study of all aspects of the genetics of bacteria, including DNA replication, bacterial genome structure, gene expression and regulation, gene transfer, and bacteriophage genetics. Students will learn about these topics in light of both classics and cutting-edge molecular and bioinformatics-based approaches. The class will also survey the latest applications of microbial genetics to the fields of biotechnology, genetics engineering, agriculture and medicine. 3 lecture hours, 3 hours laboratory per week. Prerequisties: BIOL 3321/3121

CHEM 1100: The Chemistry of Food Lab

This lab course will introduce students to the scientific method, chemical transformations and analysis using food, cooking and baking as the model system. Students will be expected to perform a combination of take-home cooking exercises and in-lab analysis of various foods. Comparisons of how different starting materials and different amounts of certain materials influence the final product will be emphasized. Analytical test on foods will be carried out to emphasize food quality and chemical components

CHEM 1102: Quantitative Reasoning for Chemistry Scholars

The Quantitative Reasoning for Chemistry Scholars course will cover relevant quantitative concepts and problem-solving strategies for General Chemistry I (CHEM 1341). This course focuses on the application of those concepts which are discussed in CHEM 1341 lecture. The course involves developing speed, accuracy and proficiency with the following quantitative skills: Basic arithmetic operations, calculations with exponents, decimals and the metric system, basic algebraic manipulations, dimensional analysis, conversions, significant figures, word problems, quantitative relationships in the periodic table, chemical nomenclature, balancing equations, stoichiometry, and concentrations. All MSEIP Scholars are required to enroll in this course. However, non-MSEIP Scholars must receive instructor approval to enroll. This is a Pass/Fail course.

CHEM 1141: General Chemistry I Laboratory

The experiments illustrate and reinforce chemical principles and concepts presented in General Chemistry I. Emphasis is on the interpretation and reporting of data as well as facility in handling laboratory equipment.

CHEM 1142: General Chemistry II Laboratory

The experiments illustrate and reinforce chemical principles and concepts presented in General Chemistry II. Emphasis is on the interpretation and reporting of data as well as facility in handling laboratory equipment.

CHEM 1300: Chemistry of Food

This core course will introduce students to the scientific method and chemistry using the components and transformations associated with food and cooking/baking. This course will cover general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry topics as they relate to food and cooking. Student will be expected to utilize their knowledge of the chemical properties and the cooking/baking process to predict how alterations to a recipe will alter the final food produced

CHEM 1341: General Chemistry I

Fundamental laws and concepts are presented and studied qualitatively and quantitatively. Topics include atomic and molecular structure; bonding, intermolecular forces, stoichiometry, and aqueous solutions.

CHEM 1342: General Chemistry II

Fundamental laws and concepts are presented as they relate to thermochemistry, gases, colligative properties, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibria, electrochemistry, and solids.

CHEM 2143: Organic Chemistry I Laboratory

Practical experience in the fundamental techniques of preparing, purifying and identifying organic compounds, and investigations into some of the more important reactions of specific compounds. Laboratory: minimum 4 hours per week.

CHEM 2343: Organic Chemistry I

Chemistry of carbon–containing compounds. First semester: principles of structure, mechanism and reactivity as a basis for explaining organic chemical reactions. Second semester: these basic concepts are used to develop an understanding of the reactions of functional groups found in organic molecules.

CHEM 3133: Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

Practical experience in the fundamental techniques of preparing, purifying and identifying organic compounds, and investigations into some of the more important reactions of specific compounds. Laboratory: minimum 4 hours per week.

CHEM 3134: Biochemistry Laboratory

(BIOL 3134) Preparation of dilutions, buffer preparation, titration of amino acids, colorimetric tests for proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids, chromatography, preparation of standard curves for unknown identification, spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics and electrophoresis. Accompanies CHEM/BIOL 3334. Laboratory: 3 hours per week. Corequisite: CHEM 3334. Prerequisites: junior standing; CHEM 2343, 2143 or permission of instructor.

CHEM 3333: Organic Chemistry II

Chemistry of carbon–containing compounds. First semester: principles of structure, mechanism and reactivity as a basis for explaining organic chemical reactions. Second semester: these basic concepts are used to develop an understanding of the reactions of functional groups found in organic molecules.

CHEM 3343: Analytical Chemistry

Classical Quantitative Analysis. Gravimetric and volumetric methods of analysis, including stoichiometry, equilibria, acids, bases, buffers, redox chemistry and electrochemistry. Instrumental methods are introduced. The use of statistics in data analysis will also be covered. Co–requisite: CHEM 3143.Prerequisites: CHEM 1341, 1342.

CHEM 3353: Computational Chemistry

Introduction to the main areas of computational chemistry including theoretical background, algorithms and implementation, and applications in molecular modeling. Major topics include potential energy surfaces, molecular mechanics, continuum methods, docking, molecular dynamics, quantum mechanics, basis-sets, and post Hartree-Fock methods. This hands-on course will also provide experience in scientific programming in Python, and use a variety of free software tools for molecular visualization and simulation. No prior programming experience is assumed.

CHEM 4112: Scientific Communication

This course develops the abilities of students to communicate science effectively in a variety of contexts. Topics include speaking and writing science. Students will also research an approved topic and present their work in the form of a professional meeting. Prereq: Junior/Senior standing

CHEM 4131: Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory

Application of modern laboratory techniques in research projects encompassing use of the literature, modern synthetic protocols, including “green chemistry” and spectroscopic analysis. Minimum 4 hours of laboratory each week.

CHEM 4150: Laboratory Research Methods

Students participate in an independent research project under the direction of a faculty member. A minimum of 3 laboratory hours per week is required. Students interested in taking this course should seek a faculty research advisor in advance of registering for this course since this course is only offered when funding and enrollment positions are available. Enrollment by instructor permission only.

CHEM 4151: Senior Thesis

Students in this course will continue the independent research projects begun in CHEM 4150. A minimum of 3 laboratory hours per week are expected for students enrolled in this course. Successful completion of this course requires students to write a formal research paper over the research project. Enrollment by instructor permission only.

CHEM 4161: Physical Chemistry I Laboratory

Covers measurement techniques related to thermodynamics and kinetics. Topics include electronic measurements of pressure and temperature, gas phase spectroscopy, thermodynamic cycles, and reaction kinetics. Analysis topics include confidence intervals, linear and non-linear regression, propagation of errors, and Python programming for numerical analysis and visualization.

CHEM 4250: Laboratory Research Methods

Students participate in faculty and departmental research programs. The initial project may be continued or a new project undertaken for additional credit. A minimum of 3 laboratory hours per week per credit hour. Nonchemistry majors may enroll with permission of the faculty research advisor. Course is offered when research funding and faculty advisors are available. (Pass/Fail grade).

CHEM 4331: Advanced Organic Chemistry

Concepts of modern organic chemistry with special emphasis on bonding theory, stereochemistry, reaction mechanism, structure determination, synthesis design and heterocyclic chemistry.

CHEM 4332: Inorganic Chemistry

A selection of basic and current topics of inorganic chemistry. Topics include: atomic theory, ionic and covalent bonding, acid/bases and nonaqueous solvents, symmetry, transition metal (structures, chemistry and bonding) and organometallics. Prerequisites: CHEM 3333, 3133. Corequisite: 4132.

CHEM 4334: Advanced Biochemistry

Focus will be on advanced topics such as detailed analysis of nucleic acid chemistry, nucleic acid–protein interactions, protein–protein interactions and some special topics on the biochemistry of diseases. The course will include instructor–led lectures and group discussions of classical and current primary literature papers. Prerequisites: CHEM/BIOL 3334

CHEM 4344: Advanced Analytical Techniques

This advanced course has an applications-focused approach to analytical chemistry with an emphasis on the development of analytical skills useful to any scientific field. A major component of this course will be method development and optimization. Students will be expected to draw on prior knowledge of general and analytical chemistry concepts and laboratory skills. This course will allow the student to delve deeper into the analytical process using a variety of modern analytical techniques and instrumentation to separate, identify, and quantify analytes. Students will be encouraged to select new techniques and instrumentation that involve industrial, clinical and environmental applications.

CHEM 4350: Laboratory Research Methods

Students participate in faculty and departmental research programs. The initial project may be continued or a new project undertaken for additional credit. A minimum of 3 laboratory hours per week per credit hour. Nonchemistry majors may enroll with permission of the faculty research advisor. Course is offered when research funding and faculty advisors are available. (Pass/Fail grade).

CHEM 4361: Physical Chemistry I

Covers thermodynamics and kinetics from a molecular perspective. Major topics include atomic and molecular degrees of freedom, gases, statistical mechanics, macroscopic thermodynamics, and kinetics. An emphasis is placed on understanding the assumptions that go into first principle derivations and how those assumptions can break down in practical application. Main application areas are molecular spectroscopy, expansion/compression of gases, thermodynamic cycles, chemical equilibrium, pure and mixed phase behavior, and dynamics of chemical reactions. The language of calculus is used throughout.

CHEM 4362: Physical Chemistry II

Covers kinetic molecular theory and quantum mechanics. Major topics include continuous probability distributions, the origins of quantum theory, solutions to Schrodinger's equation for model systems and the hydrogen atom, approximation methods including perturbation and variational principle, and iterative solutions based off the Hartree-Fock method. Main application areas are molecular spectroscopy, tunneling, computational chemistry, and potential energy surfaces. The language of calculus and differential equations is used throughout.

CHEM 4364: Materials Science

This course will cover physical and chemical concepts of materials with a special emphasis on nanomaterials. After introducing underlying concepts of condensed matter physics the relationship between structure, properties (electrical, optical, chemical, magnetic) and performance of nanomaterials is investigated. Characterization and fabrication methods as well as interdisciplinary applications ranging from drug delivery and therapy to nanoelectronics and alternative energy production are discussed.

CHEM 4450: Laboratory Research Methods

Students participate in faculty and departmental research programs. The initial project may be continued or a new project undertaken for additional credit. A minimum of 3 laboratory hours per week per credit hour. Nonchemistry majors may enroll with permission of the faculty research advisor. Course is offered when research funding and faculty advisors are available. (Pass/Fail grade).

CHEM 5301: Engineering Flow and Heat Exchange

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to apply fluid mechanics and heat transfer in an industrial setting. Topics covered include: Mechanical energy balance; flow of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids in pipes; flow through packed beds; compressible flow of gases; conduction, convection, and radiation; heat transfer resistances; and heat exchangers.

CHEM 5302: Chemical Reactors and Separation Processes

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to apply reaction kinetics and thermodynamics in an industrial setting. Topics covered include: chemical reaction kinetics; homogeneous and catalytic reactions; batch, continuously-stirred, plug-flow, and fixed bed reactors; thermodynamics and mass transfer of separation processes; distillation; absorption and adsorption; membranes.

CHEM 5303: Analysis and Design of Chemical Processes

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to analyze and design a chemical process for the production of commodity chemicals. Topics covered include: process flow diagrams; tracing chemicals through the process flow diagram; process conditions; engineering economic analysis of chemical processes; process control and optimization; process performance; process simulation.

CHEM 6301: Industrial Organic Chemicals

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to analyze and design chemical processes for the production of commodity organic chemicals. Topics covered include: Natural gas, petroleum, and coal; distillation and refining of petroleum; chemicals from methane; chemicals and polymers from ethylene and propylene; chemicals and polymers from C4 and C5 streams; chemicals and polymers from BTX.

CHEM 6302: Industrial Inorganic Chemicals

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to analyze and design chemical processes for the production of commodity inorganic chemicals. Topics covered include: Sources of inorganic raw materials; sulfuric acid and sulfates; ammonia and nitrogen compounds; phosphorous compounds; chlor-alkali compounds; titanium dioxide.

CHEM 6303: Waste Management

Course aims to equip students with the practical tools needed to effectively manage waste streams generated from chemical processes. Topics covered include: Air, water, and solid waste legislation and regulations; pollution prevention; green chemistry; air pollution management of stationary sources; industrial wastewater management; management of solid wastes.

CHEM 6304: Capstone Project/Internship

Under the supervision of an external advisor, students complete a capstone project involving a techno-economic analysis of a chemical process or an internship project with their current or other employer.

COMM 1310: Writing for the Media

Introduces students to the basic skills needed for a career in mass communication. No matter which field of communication they will enter, good writing must lie at the heart of their craft. Throughout the course, students learn standard conventions of the English language, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, diction, and paragraph construction to help them construct clear, simple messages for various audiences. They also discuss the nature of news, both print and broadcast, and the difference between news writing, public relations, marketing and propaganda. They cover research and interview techniques for both news and public relations, and learn how to write leads, craft copy, and edit.

COMM 1312: Pathways in Communication

This course introduces students to career pathways in Communication related fields – industry, media, research, academia, etc. Prominent guest lecturers from respective fields will share key insights with students and help to position them for career opportunities and success after college. Students will research various career pathways, create a personal development plan, and engage in a variety of external professional experiences with community and industry partners.

COMM 1331: Public Speaking

Study of the fundamental principles and practices of oral communication and rhetorical strategies; methods of selecting, organizing, evaluating and communicating information. Designed to give students an understanding of their own speaking and listening abilities and an opportunity to develop these abilities to make them more effective in various communication situations. Enrollment limited

COMM 2310: Communication and the Liberal Arts

This course examines the relationship between communication media and the classical tradition of the liberal arts. The different ways in which oral and written communication, auditory and visual forms of media, shape the epistemic organization of human culture and values are studied in their mutually constitutive relation to the philosophical, aesthetic, and theological foundations of liberal arts instruction in western society.

COMM 2330: Intro to Media Studies

This course introduces students to the discipline of media studies and the fundamentals of rhetoric, strategic communication, representation theory, history of media, genre studies, analysis, and other key themes that allow students to better understand the business, circulation, socio-cultural implications, rhetorical strategies, and humanistic considerations of media, communication, and representation. These foundational skills translate across media modes, genres, and platforms by empowering students to understand and gain a critical awareness of how media and communication impacts our lives, and how our subjective understandings, in turn, impact the processes of production.

COMM 2341: Newswriting and Reporting

Introduction to newswriting, news story style, structure and readability. The course also acquaints the student with techniques of interviewing and reporting routine stories, i.e., deaths, crimes, accidents, meetings and simple features.

COMM 2361: Introduction to the Mass Media

History, economics, public control, programming, social effects and future of telecommunications, primarily radio and television broadcasting and broadband cable communication systems. Citizens’ responsibilities in the development of telecommunication systems and services.

COMM 2362: Digital Audio Production

Introduction to audio production. Students learn to create digital audio media for commercial, artistic, and news purposes. The course includes laboratory experiences in programming, writing and performance.

COMM 2463: Television Production I

Theoretical background and practical application of television production. Bridges a variety of techniques applied to both commercial and educational fields. Studio practice in the producing and directing of programs for television.

COMM 3310: Media, Society, and Technology

This course explores the reciprocal relationship between digital media, society, and technology. Drawing from Marshall McLuhan's theories and the concept of media ecology, students examine how digital media shapes and is shaped by active audience engagement. Through theoretical readings, case studies, and discussions, topics such as identity formation, social relationships, and cultural production are explored. Students gain insights into the holistic nature of media ecosystems and develop a nuanced understanding of the dynamic inter play between digital media and society. The course focuses heavily on the socio-cultural, ethical, moral, and humanistic questions that arise with the advent of new technologies. Practical assignments allow for hands-on exploration of digital media phenomena, equipping students with critical thinking skills for navigating the ever evolving digital landscape.

COMM 3333: Nonverbal Communication

Analysis of vocal and nonverbal interaction variables, including gestures, posture, territory/space, paralanguage, facial expressions, eye behavior, environment, touch, clothing and time.

COMM 3342: News Editing

Functions, responsibilities and techniques of news editing, evaluation and processing of news. Headline writing, picture editing and page makeup. Prerequisite: COMM 2341.

COMM 3345: Public Relations I

Nature of public relations practices in business, education and government. Emphasis on public relations strategies, identifying target public, press relations, cost management and planning public relations programs. Prerequisite: at least sophomore standing and COMM 2341 (concurrent registration acceptable).

COMM 3346: Public Relations II

Practical application of public relations theories and strategies; students develop hypothetical persuasive campaigns of “professional” quality. Prerequisite: COMM 3345.

COMM 3350: Interpersonal Communication

Grounded in a Catholic humanist perspective, this course studies advanced concepts in the field of interpersonal communication, such as: the phenomenology and semiotics of interpersonal interaction, understanding, and meaning; the interpersonal development and maintenance of conceptions of selfhood; the sociocultural background of interpersonal action; the technologically mediated character of contemporary social interactions; and the ethics of dialogue and friendship.

COMM 3353: Journalism for the Media

Newswriting and reporting for the digital media, focusing on the development of a journalistic style applicable to the digital media news style writing. The course teaches students to integrate audio and visual aesthetics with writing, while including criticisms, criteria and measures of media effectiveness. Prerequisites: COMM 1310, 1331.

COMM 3354: Film & Society

This course looks at how films of the 20th and 21st centuries have been a mirror to society. By viewing a selection of films from various decades, students will accumulate a portfolio of social/cultural issues set against the backdrop of modern and contemporary society. Students will study each film for its aesthetic values and they will analyze the film for its social themes.

COMM 3355: Advanced Screenwriting

In this course students will simulate the creative writing process of professional TV and film writers. Working in a team, they will conceptualize and write a television series. All students will work on the pilot as a group. Each student will also be assigned an individual episode. Additionally, each student will write a film script. COMM 2352 or permission of department chair.

COMM 3363: Beginning Digital Media

Theoretical background and practical applications of digital media production for commercial, artistic and news related content, taught in a studio setting.

COMM 3364: Advanced Digital Media

Advanced Digital Media enhances student understanding of all the elements of digital media production (in the studio and in the field), such as camera placement and operations, camera color balancing, camera optics, light levels and the use of special filters, lighting techniques, including existing light and three-point lighting. Also included are elements of effective visual composition, an understanding postproduction, along with the ability to critique the strengths and weaknesses of digital media production. Prerequisites: COMM 3363

COMM 3367: Performing for the Media

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed in broadcast announcing. It emphasizes radio and television announcing skills such as voice quality, articulation, enunciation and pronunciation, including preparation for on-air and voice over positions. The focus is on performance skills used in voice over as well as on-camera work. Students learn the following: how to interpret copy, how to ad lib or speak impromptu, how to vary voice pitch and volume effectively, how to write a broadcast script, and how to be part of a television production or show.

COMM 3375: Editing for the Digital Media

Applied theory and technique in editing digital video. Students learn the process of non-linear digital video editing using appropriate professional software. The class covers the technical and aesthetic elements of editing for news, commercial and artistic purposes.

COMM 3376: Motion Graphics for Digital Media

The course focuses on editing systems and methods. It enables students to process image and video elements in media content, and organize such content for total effect and final delivery. Students apply a comprehensive set of critical and evaluative skills to make sound judgment calls and educated decisions for digital motion graphics.

COMM 3381: Social Impact of the Media

Study of the process and effects of mass communication, including audience characteristics, diffusion of innovations, political processes, media violence, social learning, children and television and social effects of emerging media technologies. Prerequisites: junior standing; 9 credit hours of English.

COMM 3382: Mass Communication Law

Analysis and examination of statutory laws, congressional legislation and federal rules and regulations governing the mass media in the United States. Focus on the First Amendment, libel and slander, privacy, copyright, free press/fair trial, obscenity, advertising, antitrust and monopoly, taxation and licensing. Prerequisite: junior standing, completion of 6 credit hours of communication.

COMM 3383: Intro to Media Management

This course will educate students on the practical aspects of media management; from training, recruiting and acknowledging both professionals and volunteers, to ethical fund-raising, development and measurement of success, along with detailed emphasis on aspects of the Catholic Church teachings on mass media as expressed in the Vatican II decree.

COMM 3464: Television Production II

Advanced work in television production, concentrating in electronic field videography and news– gathering techniques. Classroom lecture will be supplemented with extensive practical application. Prerequisite: COMM 2463 or its equivalent.

COMM 4191: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 4192: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Communication

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Substantial research paper or audio/video production required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisites: junior– or senior–level status; permission of faculty member

COMM 4291: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 4292: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Communication

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Substantial research paper or audio/video production required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisites: junior– or senior–level status; permission of faculty member

COMM 4350: Feature Writing

Techniques of nonfiction feature writing for newspapers and magazines. Students will gain practical experience in preparing query letters and manuscripts for publication. Prerequisite: COMM 2341 or permission of faculty member.

COMM 4354: Documentary Production

This course provides an intensive, hands-on experience in documentary media production, including logistics, research, planning, project-management, and delivery/exhibition. Working in teams, students conceptualize, develop, and implement a documentary film, video, or digital media project over the course of the semester. All students will receive training in core aspects of the documentary production process, but the course will culminate in a team project with students filling specific crew roles based on prior coursework and individual experience – research, producing, directing, cinematography, production sound, and editing.

COMM 4355: Film Practicum

In an advanced lab setting, seniors will build their portfolios by creating a number of projects ranging from fully developed scripts to short films, documentaries and TV episodes. Prerequisites: COMM 2351, 2352, 3363, 3364, 3375

COMM 4360: Digital Media Practicum

Students will build their digital media portfolios, in a lab setting, by creating a number of projects ranging from news stories and features to documentaries and short films.

COMM 4361: Project-Based Practicum in Communication

This course provides students the opportunity to apply a Catholic liberal arts perspective to contemporary media and communication through the collaborative creation of digital projects in formats which may include one or more of the following: podcast, video, blog/newsletter, website, social media account, graphic design, and gaming.

COMM 4375: Media Ethics

A systematic, case–study approach to moral dilemmas encountered by media practitioners, including questions of truth, privacy, confidentiality and conflicts of interest. Prerequisites: junior standing or permission of faculty member; PHIL 2314.

COMM 4380: Propaganda & Mass Communication

The class gives students a deep understanding of what propaganda is, how it differs from persuasion and what role it has in societies, both past and present. Students gain insights of the historical and social contexts in which various types of propaganda have occurred from a mass communication and media filtered perspective. Students also analyze and research various topic-specific case studies in propaganda, both past and current. Emphasis is also placed on the role of film and documentary making in various propaganda campaigns.

COMM 4383: Communication Theory

Analysis of various theoretical models of communication, behavioral science theories and communication research paradigms. Topics include information theory, scientific method, balance and congruity theories, dissonance, perception, attitude change, group dynamics, persuasion, interpersonal communication and nonverbal communication. Prerequisites: completion of or current enrollment in COMM 1331, 2350, 2361.

COMM 4385: Small Group Interaction

Principles of current methods and theories of human interaction in group situations, both formal and informal. Emphasis on behavioral antecedents and consequences of messages and on processes of positive group interaction. Prerequisites: COMM 1331.

COMM 4391: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 4392: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Communication

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Substantial research paper or audio/video production required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisites: junior– or senior–level status; permission of faculty member

COMM 4399: Senior Thesis

Optional research–based written project in which the serious senior communication major, in consultation with the appropriate Communication Department faculty member, selects an issue or problem for scholarly study, chooses a faculty committee (consisting of at least two members of the Communication Department and one member outside the department), undertakes significant and substantial research and produces a major paper of publishable quality. This course may be repeated for up to a maximum of 6 credit hours. The chair of the Communication Department sits as a voting member on all senior thesis committees. Prerequisite: approval of the chair.

COMM 4491: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 4492: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Communication

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Substantial research paper or audio/video production required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisites: junior– or senior–level status; permission of faculty member

COMM 4591: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 4691: Internship in Communication

Practicum or on–the–job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the communication field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

COMM 6310: Media, Technology, & Society

This course explores the reciprocal relationship between digital media, society, and technology. Drawing from Marshall McLuhan's theories and the concept of media ecology, students examine how digital media shapes and is shaped by active audience engagement. Through theoretical readings, case studies, and discussions, topics such as identity formation, social relationships, and cultural production are explored. Students gain insights into the holistic nature of media ecosystems and develop a nuanced understanding of the dynamic interplay between digital media and society. The course focuses heavily on the socio-cultural, ethical, moral, and humanistic questions that arise with the advent of new technologies. Practical assignments allow for hands-on exploration of digital media phenomena, equipping students with critical thinking skills for navigating the everevolving digital landscape.

COMM 6312: Media Theory and Criticism

This course introduces media criticism and theory, examining the ways in which media shapes our culture and society. Key theorists such as Marshall McLuhan, Stuart Hall, Bill Nichols, Vivian Sobchack, Jean Baudrillard, Michael Renov will be discussed, and students will develop skills in analyzing and critiquing media representations across different platforms. By examining filmic texts and other media artifacts as case studies, students learn to analyze various representational strategies and modes of mediation and manipulation through media. We also consider strategies for employing media theory as a structuring vehicle for applied production.

COMM 6316: Virtual Engagement

Students learn to create, produce, and lead high-quality virtual events, meetings, and live-streaming experiences. This includes social media content, YouTube podcasts, Insta/TikTok/FB reels, etc. Through Microsoft VIP content area lectures and applied demonstrations, students learn technical troubleshooting, audio/visual production strategies, production equipment, content management, and general engagement techniques for hosting effective virtual sessions.

COMM 6318: Documentary Production

This course provides an intensive, hands-on experience in documentary media production, including logistics, research, planning, project-management, and delivery/exhibition. Working in teams, students conceptualize, develop, and implement a documentary film, video, or digital media project over the course of the semester. All students will receive training in core aspects of the documentary production process, but the course will culminate in a team project with students filling specific crew roles based on prior coursework and individual experience – research, producing, directing, cinematography, production sound, and editing.

COMM 6322: Advanced Strategies in Content Creation and Streaming

This course focuses on advanced strategies for content creation and streaming. Students will explore techniques for producing high-quality audio and video content, as well as developing engaging social media and marketing strategies for reaching and building an audience. Through practical projects, students will gain skills and knowledge for creating successful and sustainable online content.

COMM 6324: Advanced Screenwriting and Narrative Storytelling

This course focuses on advanced screenwriting and narrative storytelling for digital media. Students learn to craft compelling stories for film, television, and web-based platforms using a range of techniques such as character development, dialogue, and pacing. Through practical assignments and projects, students develop and practice skills in creating effective narratives for a variety of contemporary formats. Students also develop a production concept to be executed in COMM 6508 Production II.

COMM 6326: Emergent Technology in Media

This course surveys the latest emergent technologies in media and communication. Students will examine cutting-edge technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, and their implications for media and communication. Through discussions and research projects, students will explore the potential and challenges of these technologies in shaping our media landscape.

COMM 6328: Visual Anthropology & Media Ecology

This course in visual anthropology takes a media ecology approach, examining how visual media shape culture. Drawing inspiration from Marshall McLuhan and other media theorists, the course explores the dynamic relationship between visual media and society. Additionally, the course highlights the contributions of a notable anthropologists and media theorists grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including such scholars as Rene Girard (mimesis and the triangulation of desire through media), James Carey (media ethics, community, and ritual view of communication), Walter Ong (sensory inscription and the relationship between orality, literacy, and technology). Course readings provide a theoretical and historical context, while contemporary case studies, guest speakers, and class exercises offer insights into the intersection of visual culture, anthropology, communication, and Catholic philosophy.

COMM 6338: Representing Reality – Mediating Fact, Fiction, and Truth

Filmmaker Werner Herzog famously claims, "Facts create norms, but truth creates illumination." In this course, we explore the important functional distinction between facts, actuality, and truth in representation and human experience by examining documentary film, Reality TV, documentary-realism in fiction media, and other intersections of what Herzog refers to as “stylization, fabrication, and imagination.” We also survey the art and rhetoric of filmmaking by examining some of the most profound documentary films of the past and present, in order to analyze the strategic use of “reality” and “factuality” in media.

COMM 6340: Advanced Directing and Producing

This course provides students with the skills necessary to produce and direct a professional quality digital media project (e.g., film, podcast, commercial, advertising campaign, promotional video, etc.). Producing - learn and practice essential producing skills, including talent acquisition, project management, funding processes, and production logistics. Directing – focus on developing a guiding vision for the project, articulating that vision, and working with talent and cast/crew members to deliver a viable final product.

COMM 6344: Advanced Digital Editing

This course provides advanced techniques in digital media and video editing, and trains students in the art of narrative storytelling through content editing. Students are expected to gain proficiency in contemporary video editing software (Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc.), but this is an advanced production course, so the focus is on the art of content and story editing. The course culminates in a capstone editing project in collaboration with either a community partner/client or a student team enrolled in another advanced COMM production course (e.g., Project-Based Practicum, Virtual Engagement, Documentary Production, Fiction Production, etc.)

COMM 6346: Advanced Cinematography and Sound Production

The course introduces students to advanced techniques in cinematography and sound in film, video, and digital media, with an emphasis on controlling and constructing the cinematic experience. Students gain a foundational understanding of visual theory and aesthetic techniques – contrast/affinity, composition, hue/saturation, spatial depth, visual progression, etc. Focus topics include visual theory, cinematic lighting, camera, sound production/design, and production planning. The course culminates in a crew experience, where students conceptualize, plan, and produce a team-based digital media project. Students also learn the principles of sound recording, editing, and mixing, as well as the use of sound effects and music in various media productions. Through hands-on projects, students will develop practical skills and techniques for creating effective and engaging soundscapes.

ENGL 1301: Composition I

In this course, students will learn and practice the strategies and processes that successful writers employ as they work to accomplish specific purposes. In college, these purposes include comprehension, instruction, entertainment, persuasion, investigation, problem-resolution, evaluation, explanation, and refutation.

ENGL 1302: Composition & Rhetoric

The course will teach students the skills of writing and research processes. Students will develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence. Students will learn to write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action. Apply the conventions of style manuals for documents ( APA or MLA).

ENGL 1310: Introduction to Academic Writing

Intensive study of grammar and usage, and development of analytical and writing skills necessary for college level courses. Students must earn a grade of at least “C” for admission to the first core curriculum English course: ENGL 1341– The Classical Tradition: Literature and Composition I. The 3 credit hours for 1310 do not fulfill any core curriculum requirement in English. They may, however, count toward the total number of hours required for graduation.

ENGL 1311: The Culture of Writing

This course is intended to aid students in their transition into an academic culture that depends on writing for much of its most important communication. The course will include the review and application of principles and techniques of effective writing, critical reading, and critical thinking. Prerequisite: Acceptance in the Mendenhall Summer Institute. Co-Requisite: MATH 1325.

ENGL 2327: American Literature I

A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement to the present. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.

ENGL 3306: Modern Catholic Writers

Study of the authors whose Catholicism makes up a significant component of their works. Works studies may range from the nineteenth to the twenty–first century and may include all genres. May focus on the early twentieth century English Catholic literary revival. Authors may include Newman, Hopkins, Belloc, Chesterton, Claudel, von le Fort, Bernanos, Waugh, Tolkien, Flannery O'Connor, and Walker Percy.

ENGL 3312: Perspectives in World Literature

An overview of Classical, Medieval, Renaissance and Modern world literature, focusing on the abiding impact of this literature across and within cultures. For students with 6–9 credit hours of transferred English core credit only.

ENGL 3314: Development of the Novel

A study of the early development of the novel in English, from Richardson through Austen. May include study of works of Fielding, Sterne, Smollett, Goldsmith, and others; may also include study of works of precursors such as Defoe.

ENGL 3316: Shakespeare

A selection of comedies, tragedies, history plays and romances; intellectual and social backgrounds; the theater milieu.

ENGL 3326: Milton

Intensive study of Paradise Lost; minor works and selected prose; Milton as Puritan and Humanist.

ENGL 3330: The Augustan Age

Major works of Dryden, Pope and Swift; selected plays of the Restoration and 18th century; intellectual background and aesthetic theory of the Enlightenment.

ENGL 3335: Professional Writing and Editing

Provides historical and theoretical background in professional writing and editing, including editing in literary and organizational settings. Explores professional writing’s emergence as a field of scholarship and practice.

ENGL 3337: Creative Writing: Play Writing

Workshop on play writing; emphasis on discussion of students' writing and attention to the performative dimensions of dramatic writing, including the composition of dialogue as well as construction of character, situation, and plot. Limited enrollment.

ENGL 3344: Victorian Poetry

Selected works of Tennyson, Arnold, Browning and some notable minor poets; historical and intellectual backgrounds; aesthetic theory.

ENGL 3380: Introduction to Film and Literature

A study of film as literary text and the primary form of dramatic presentation in contemporary culture. The course will offer students the opportunity to view film masterpieces in various genres as well as adaptations of major theatrical or literary works in a seminar format. Students will be introduced to the critical apparatus necessary to view motion pictures as a literary medium.

ENGL 4199: Senior Thesis/Writing Portfolio

A one hour credit appended to any appropriate upper division course, required of all English majors before graduation. The research project or the writing portfolio includes oral presentation to a jury of professors and peers. This final writing project and oral presentation is designed as a part of the major's capstone experience. Prerequisites: [9 Hrs ENGL (Lower Div Core) & Instructor's Consent] OR [6 Hrs ENGL Transfer Credit, ENGL 3312, & Instructor's Consent].

ENGL 4307: Advanced Creative Writing

This course will be offered every other year for undergraduate and graduate students who plan to attend graduate school in creative writing, or who simply prefer an advanced workshop in which to hone skills as a poet or fiction writer.

ENGL 4310: American Literature I

Selected works of the Colonial and Romantic period, with emphasis on Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, Jonathan Edwards, Franklin, Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Whitman, Melville and Frederick Douglass. An exploration of the Puritan Vision (and critics of it) as well as Transcendentalism and the evolution of distinctively American literature.

ENGL 4314: Modern Poetry

Selected works of major and minor English and American poets; emphasis on Yeats, Eliot and Stevens.

ENGL 4319: Shakespearean Topics

Focused study of selected aspects of Shakespeare dramatic artistry and influence; organized around special topics, genres, or themes.

ENGL 4323: Literary Magazine

A production class, responsible for publication of the English Department’s formal literary magazine. Activities include solicitation of works, editing, page layout, graphic design and negotiation with printers. Permission of faculty member required.

ENGL 4326: Advanced Rhetoric

Study and application of rhetoric from both historical and practical perspectives. Includes reading and discussion of major texts that address patterns of discourse, communication, and other issues of rhetoric in a classical and a modern context.

ENGL 4327: Austen

Study of the novels of Jane Austen as set in their relevant historical, cultural, and literary context.

ENGL 4328: Dickens

Study of the novels of Charles Dicke11s as set in their relevant historical, cultural, and literary context.

ENGL 4329: Hardy

Study of the novels of Thomas Hardy as set in their relevant historical, cultural, and literary context.

ENGL 4334: Feature Magazine (Thoroughfare)

A collaborative production class, responsible for publication of the English Department's feature magazine (Thoroughfare). Activities include solicitation of submissions, editing, page layout, graphic design, and negotiation with printers.

ENGL 4339: Dante

Intensive study of the poetry of Dante Alighieri, read in translation, including La Vita Nuova together with the three canticles of the Commedia: the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

ENGL 5380: Introduction to Film as Literature

A study of film as literary text and the primary form of dramatic presentation in contemporary culture. The course will offer students the opportunity to view film masterpieces in various genres as well as adaptations of major theatrical or literary works in a seminar format. Students will be introduced to the critical apparatus necessary to view motion pictures as a literary medium.

HIST 1301: United States History I

A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government.

HIST 1302: United States History II

A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the Civil War/Reconstruction era to the present. United States History II examines industrialization, immigration, world wars, the Great Depression, Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History II include: American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, urbanization and suburbanization, the expansion of the federal government, and the study of U.S. foreign policy.

HIST 3123: Unborn Child in Western Tradition

This course explores the history of ideas, attitudes, and practices regarding the unborn child in the Western tradition, with a special focus on the Christian tradition and on America as both an articulation of and a departure from that tradition. After outlining pagan, Jewish, and Christian views of unborn life in the ancient and medieval periods, the course moves to a discussion of the “new embryology” of early modernity and its unfolding in American life and thought from colonial times to the present. Because understandings of unborn life have been so often shaped by the broader social circumstances under which such life has come to be, the course also examines issues of fertility and family formation, women’s identity as mothers, the experience of abortion, and the roles of law and medicine. Catholic teaching forms a normative template throughout the course.

HIST 3301: Greek and Roman History

Greek and Roman History will survey the 1000 year history from the founding of the Roman Republic, in the context of ancient kingdoms of the Mediterranean world, to the long collapse of the Roman Empire under the weight of a slew of historical problems, not least of which the invasions of barbarian hordes that led to the creation of Europe.

HIST 3303: Medieval Europe

This course will cover the main events, invasions, battles, church developments, dynasties, economy, ideas, and all the great personalities that contributed to the birth of Europe, from the Sack of Rome to Charlemagne and from the Year 1000 to the Black Death and Hundred Years War.

HIST 3304: Renaissance and Reformation

The European Renaissance, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations and the Age of the Baroque. The dividing of Europe in religion and politics (1300–1715).

HIST 3305: Renaissance Women

This course will examine the social history of early modern times in Europe, from the Renaissance, Italian and Northern, to the era of Protestant Reformation, with a focus on the every day life and conditions of women with attention to faith, family, class, and education.

HIST 3306: Medicine and Society

Medicine and Society uses an historical approach to study the dynamic interplay between disease and society in America. It examines the changing patterns of disease, the roots of morbidity and mortality, the evolution of medical theory and practice, the development of hospitals and the medical profession, the rise of the bio-technology, and post-humanism.

HIST 3307: Giants of Science

The course will survey the interdependent nature of scientific, technological and social change over time, with a focus on direct reading of primary texts in the history of science, from the Pre-Socratics to modern theoretical physicists.

HIST 3308: Music Since 1945

Music Since 1945 is a study of music across the genres of Western Art Music, Jazz, and Rock, with a focus on their mutual influences both internal to their compositional traditions and cultural contexts. A key focus of this course is the role of recording and listening technologies, and the music industry in the development of music during this period.

HIST 3310: East Asian History and Culture

This course will survey the history and cultures of east Asia, including the modern regions of China, Japan, South East Asia, and Korea and the role this region has played in world history, ancient and modern.

HIST 3311: Indo-Pacific History & Culture

Students in this course will study the rise and influence on world events of the vast but inter-connected Indo-Pacific region, geo-politically, economically and militarily, examining the international connections and tensions between Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South East Asia, India, New Zealand, and China.

HIST 3312: South Asian History & Culture

This course will survey the history and cultures of south Asia, including the modern regions of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the role of this region in world history, including ancient, modern and diaspora history.

HIST 3313: Opera and Ideas

Opera and Ideas explores the interrelation between Western European opera and ideas mainly through the study of major operas and music dramas from the 17th century to the 20th century. No prior musical training is necessary to succeed in this seminar. The seminar requires listening assignments, and attendance at a live opera performance.

HIST 3314: History of Strategic Management

Strategic management is the process of setting goals, procedures, and objectives in order to make a company or organization more competitive and innovative. Strategic management has a history that dates back to antiquity. Students in this course gain knowledge about strategic management and leadership by studying historical examples of successful and unsuccessful organizational strategies. This course examines the evolution of strategic management in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, but also probes the less discussed sources of strategy in the Ancient world (Greece, Rome)

HIST 3315: The Crusades

This course will study the causes and the consequences of the conflicts arising from the expansion of militant Islam and the feudal states of Europe over control of the Holy Land, from the time of Mohammed to the Battle of Lepanto.

HIST 3316: History & Cultures of Africa

This course will survey the long history of continental Africa from pre-history to modern national histories and global contexts, including geographical, social, religious, economic, and political factors.

HIST 3317: History of Sacred Music

This course provides an in-depth exploration of the historical development of sacred music from its origins in early Christian worship to contemporary expressions of faith through music. Students will engage with significant composers, works, and styles across various Christian traditions, including Gregorian chant, medieval polyphony, Renaissance choral works, Baroque sacred music, and modern compositions. The course emphasizes the theological, liturgical, and cultural contexts that shaped sacred music, offering insights into the role of music in religious life and its continuing relevance in contemporary worship practices.

HIST 3318: Medieval Women

The course will provide a study of medieval history, in terms of politics, society, economy, and culture, from the perspective of women's experience. We will study queens, writers, artists, nuns, merchants, artisans, and peasants in terms of how they were shaped by the times and in turn contributed to shaping their times.

HIST 3319: Hist & Culture of Jewish Ppl

Jewish history from its beginnings down to the 20th century, including political history, religious practices and everyday life, Jewish philosophy and literature depending on interests of the instructor.

HIST 3320: Church Confronts Modernity

The course will survey the range of responses among Catholic laity and Church hierarchy to the crises arising from modernization in general and from the French revolution, in particular: questions of church and state, religious freedom, educational freedom, the “social question” and the rise of revolutionary atheistic socialism. Students gain an understanding of how the pillars of Catholic Social teaching (human person, common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity) developed.

HIST 3321: Liberal Learning Through the Ages

Liberal learning, study of the liberal arts, has been the hallmark of free, self-governing persons since Greek and Roman antiquity. This course will survey the meaning and relevance of liberal education as part of a flourishing human life, from the origin of the concepts to our own hyper-specialized scientific and technology-driven world of today

HIST 3322: The Inklings

This course explores the literary works and intellectual legacy of the Inklings, an informal group of writers and scholars who met in Oxford from the 1930s to the 1950s. We will focus on the core members—J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield—while also examining the broader circle of associated figures. The course emphasizes how the Inklings' friendships, discussions, and mutual critiques influenced their individual and collective literary output. By emphasizing both individual achievements and collaborative influences, students will gain insight into the power of literary fellowship and its influence and impact on members’ individual works.

HIST 3323: Unborn Child in Western Tradition

This course explores the history of ideas, attitudes, and practices regarding the unborn child in the Western tradition, with a special focus on the Christian tradition and on America as both an articulation of and a departure from that tradition. After outlining pagan, Jewish, and Christian views of unborn life in the ancient and medieval periods, the course moves to a discussion of the “new embryology” of early modernity and its unfolding in American life and thought from colonial times to the present. Because understandings of unborn life have been so often shaped by the broader social circumstances under which such life has come to be, the course also examines issues of fertility and family formation, women’s identity as mothers, the experience of abortion, and the roles of law and medicine. Catholic teaching forms a normative template throughout the course.

HIST 3324: Crime & Punishment in America

This course examines the history of crime and punishment in America from colonial times to the dawn of the twenty-first century. It addresses changing theories of crime and punishment and their varying applications, including corporal punishment, the rise of the penitentiary, and the attempted reforms of the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The course also examines changing definitions and categorization of crime in areas such as sexual conduct, economic activity, race, and religion.

HIST 3336: Texas History

From the early explorers to the present day: the six flags over Texas, the struggle for independence, the Lone Star Republic, statehood and the creation of the “Texas Mystique.”

HIST 3343: Latin American Revolutions

A topical examination of the history of one or more Latin American nations since independence, with a concentration on the persons, events and institutions that help to explain current developments in Latin America.

HIST 3350: Revolutionary America

A study of colonial origins and revolutionary results such as how Great Britain lost an empire and how Americans created the first democratic republic. This course will focus on society, politics and culture from 1607–1789. Spring,

HIST 3353: The American Civil War

A study of the contributing factors that help explain the coming of the Civil War, and the resulting failure of attempts to reconstruct the South along desired lines.

HIST 3365: History of Ireland Since 1600

Irish History from the end of the reign of Elizabeth I to the recent Time of Troubles. Special emphasis on the influence of English History, the revolutions of the 18th century, the development of Irish nationalism, the emergence of an Irish nation under the leadership of de Valera and the unsettling issues in the time of troubles.

HIST 3370: The Enlightenment and its Critics

After critical reading of selections from the main thinkers of the Enlightenment, from Descartes to Kant, founders of the ideological currents that lead through modernism to post-modernism, we will consider some important thinkers who have gone against the current of Enlightenment axiomatic beliefs about human nature and human fulfillment, so to speak, with alternative paradigms on the great issues confronting modernity.

HIST 3372: Exploring Human Perspectives

This course introduces students to qualitative research methods, focusing on understanding human perspectives through interviews, ethnographies, case studies, and content analysis. Students will develop skills in designing, conducting, and analyzing qualitative research, with emphasis on ethical considerations and actual-world applications.

HIST 3388: America in the World

This course is a survey of American diplomacy and foreign relations, major conflicts, treaties and alliances, from the colonial era to the present

HIST 3390: Capitalism and Communism

In this course we will critically read selections both the classical liberal, free market tradition, such as Smith and Bastiat to Friedman and Hayek, and from the communist tradition, from Marx to the Frankfurt School.

HIST 4191: Internship in History

Practical experience in historical research and archival work under the direction of professionals. Maximum: 3 credit hours. Open only to majors who qualify for the program.

HIST 4291: Internship in History

Practical experience in historical research and archival work under the direction of professionals. Maximum: 3 credit hours. Open only to majors who qualify for the program.

HIST 4330: The Historian’s Craft

Students will distinguish conflicting scholarly interpretations of major events in American, European, and World history as well as examine the nature of historical development and causation, the reasons for writing and studying history, the nature of historical evidence, “objectivity” in history, and the emergence of new subfields.

HIST 4345: Greek & Roman Historians

In this course students read from the founders of “history” – Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Livy, Tacitus, and Plutarch, for instance – as they explore the human condition and lessons from the past.

HIST 4391: Internship in History

Practical experience in historical research and archival work under the direction of professionals. Maximum: 3 credit hours. Open only to majors who qualify for the program.

MACL 1301: Critical Language

Provide the directed student with specific vocabulary, structure, and cultural insight via individualized computer–based study. Using native–speaker tutors, the course emphasizes both interaction between the English–speaking and the target language–speaking communities, as well as access to target language sources. Intended as an introduction to the language and culture of a selected country especially for students participating in a study abroad program or an area studies program. Consult department chair for availability.

MACL 1302: Critical Languages (Vary)

Provide the directed student with specific vocabulary, structure, and cultural insight via individualized computer–based study. Using native–speaker tutors, the course emphasizes both interaction between the English–speaking and the target language–speaking communities, as well as access to target language sources. Intended as an introduction to the language and culture of a selected country especially for students participating in a study abroad program or an area studies program. Consult department chair for availability.

MACL 4372: Culture in Translation

This course intends to foster the development of students who have raised cultural consciousness, i.e., a familiarity with, an appreciation for, and an ability to interpret and evaluate/critique culture in general and to apply all of the aforementioned to a specific cultural miieu and perspective from its origins through the present.

MACL 4393: Special Topics: Perspectives of Literature in Translation

Taught in English by specialists in foreign languages and literatures, this course offers unique insights into literature from perspectives within and across cultural boundaries as well as into the problematic of translation itself. Original language, content and theme vary. Prerequisite: Permission of the department chair.

MATH 1314: College Algebra

The study of functions, and their graphs, inequalities, and linear, quadratic, piece-wise defined, rational, polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic functions.

MATH 1324: Math for Business & Social Sciences

The application of common algebraic functions, including polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and rational, to problems in business, economics, and the social sciences are addressed. The applications include mathematics of finance, including simple and compound interest and annuities; systems of linear equations; matrices; linear programming; and probability, including expected value.

MATH 1325: The Nature of Mathematics

This course is an exploration of great ideas of mathematics. The course describes the nature of mathematics and provides insights into various strategies used by mathematicians in solving problems. The course emphasizes creative and effective thinking through an introductory examination of a wide variety of topics such as number theory, geometry, infinity, topology, chaos and fractals, and decision making. Prerequisite: Acceptance in the Mendenhall Summer Institute. Co-Requisite: ENGL 1311.

MATH 1351: Finite Mathematics

Topics from contemporary mathematics, their development, applications and role in society. Some typical topics, to be chosen by the instructor, include graph theory, mathematical finance, critical path analysis, statistical inference, coding, game theory and symmetry. Applications are in the management, natural and social sciences.

MATH 1355: Fundamentals of Statistics

An introduction to statistical reasoning focused on data collection, descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis and simple linear regression. Other topics will include basic probability, normal distributions and fundamentals of hypothesis testing. This course is open only to students in the AAS-GENB program.

MATH 1425: Success Through Enhancement of Mathematical Skills (STEMS)

Topics covered will include numerical evaluation of logarithms and the use of methods for working with them, the interpretation and manipulation of numbers in scientific notation; trigonometric functions; the quantitative interpretation and generation of graphs; the evaluation of ratios of numbers with integer exponents; the simplification of rational expressions, and the use of percentages; estimation methods without the use of calculators; dimensional analysis; trigonometric functions. The course emphasizes creative and effective problem solving techniques in a real world context and an enhancement of mathematical skills leading to greater achievement in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics) courses. Prerequisite: Acceptance in the Mendenhall Summer Institute. Co-requisite: UNIV 1201.

MATH 1430: Pre-Calculus Algebra & Trigonometry

An integrated review course in pre–calculus algebra and trigonometry covering function concepts and symbols, rectangular coordinates, linear and quadratic functions, polynomial and rational functions, trigonometric functions, inequalities, systems of equations, complex numbers and analytic geometry.

MATH 1431: Calculus I

Limits, continuity, differentiation, integration and applications of both differentiation and integration.

MATH 1432: Calculus II

Transcendental functions, techniques of integration, applications of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite sequences and series.

MATH 2330: Introduction to Statistics for Nursing Research

Provides students with the methods and logic to perform elementary statistical analysis used in clinical research including: descriptive meansures, probability, sampling, normal distribution, Student t and Chi squared distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, regression and correlation.

MATH 2370: Introductory Statistics for Nursing Research

Provides students with the methods and logic to perform elementary statistical analysis used in clinical research including: Descriptive measures, probability, sampling, normal distribution, Student t and Chi squared distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, regression and correlation.

MATH 2431: Calculus III

Vectors and the geometry of space, vector functions, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, Green’s Theorem, curl and divergence, Stokes’ Theorem, The Divergence Theorem.

MATH 2435: Introduction to Statistical and Quantitative Analysis

An introduction to quantitative and statistical analyses focusing on applications of algebraic and statistical methods. Topics to be covered include functions and graphs, break-even analysis, descriptive statistics, probability distributions, estimation, simple linear regression and basic hypothesis testing will be covered. This course may not be used as part of the mathematics courses required of mathematics majors.

MATH 2437: Contemporary Mathematics for Elementary Teachers

A modern approach to the mathematics commonly taught to young children. Theoretic bases for computation and measurement are established. The geometric properties of shapes and solids are explored both visually and through computations. The basics of theoretical and empirical probability are developed using models and manipulatives. Additional topics such as problem solving algorithms, elementary logic and statistics are introduced. Prerequisites: successful completion of a University core mathematics course. Does not satisfy the University core requirements in mathematics.

MATH 3315: Engineering Statistics and Probability

Fundamental concepts of probability and statistics with a focus on engineering applications. Topics include descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, random variables, probability distributions and functions of random variables.

MATH 3332: Elementary Statistical Methods for Economics & Business

Basic concepts of statistics with emphasis on statistical inference. Sampling and experimentation, descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, probability, two–sample hypothesis tests for means and proportions, Chi–squared tests, linear and multiple regressions, analysis of variance. Not open to students with credit in MATH 2434 or 3430. This course may not be used as part of the upper–division mathematics courses required of mathematics majors.

MATH 3334: Linear Algebra I

Matrices, inverses, linear systems, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, vector spaces, linear transformations, inner product spaces, Fourier series and orthogonal bases.

MATH 3335: A First Course in Probability

An elementary introduction to the mathematical theory of probability for students of mathematics, engineering and the sciences (including the social sciences and management science). Topics include combinatorial analysis, axioms of probability, conditional probability and independence, and random variables. Prerequisite: MATH 1432.

MATH 3343: Differential Equations II

Continuation of Math 2343. Power series solutions of differential equations and Bessel functions, Fourier series and transforms, matrices, systems of differential equations, introduction to generalized functions. Recommended for students interested in applications of mathematics and engineering.

MATH 3346: History of Mathematics

Evolution of mathematics from earliest to modern times. Major tends in mathematical thought, the interplay of mathematical and technological innovations, and the contributions of great mathematicians. Appropriate for prospective and in–service teachers.

MATH 3360: Discrete Mathematics

Analysis topics chosen at the discretion of the instructor from logic, set theory, combinatorics, and graph theory. Methods of enumerative combinatorics: sum, product, and division rules, bijective and recursive techniques, inclusion and exclusion, generating functions, and the finite difference calculus. Advanced topics to be selected from the theory of partitions, Polya theory, designs, and codes, graphs and trees with applications including games of complete information. Combinatorial existence theorems, Ramsey’s theorem.

MATH 3371: Introduction to Data Analytics

Data analytics is a process that turns data into usable information for answering questions. This course will introduce the process of acquiring, managing and analyzing data. Readily available real-world data sets will be analyzed using supervised and unsupervised learning methods.

MATH 3372: Data Visualization

Appropriate visualizations of data are a key to revealing patterns and communicating important findings in research. This course will build on statistical and analytical thinking by emphasizing the role and use of visualizations in the analysis of data. Theories, techniques and software for managing, exploring, analyzing, displaying and communicating information about various types of data will be introduced. Visualizations will be produced using readily available real-world data sets.

MATH 3450: Biostatistics I

Basic concepts leading to advanced applications in biostatistics. Topics include study design, data collection, descriptive statistics, probability and probability distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, power of statistical tests, and simple regression with an emphasis on applications in the biomedical sciences and biomedical research. Data will be analyzed using statistical software packages. Students may be required to register for MATH 1050 for this course.

MATH 4331: Real Analysis I

Introduction to concepts and methods basic to real analysis. Topics such as the real number system, sequences, continuity, uniform continuity, differentiation, infinite series and integration.

MATH 4332: Real Analysis II

Continuation of Math 4331 covering such topics as uniform convergence and functions of several variables. Strongly recommended for students planning to enter graduate school or secondary teaching and those interested in applied mathematics.

MATH 4335: Topology

The basics of point–set topology. Open and closed sets, limit points, topological spaces, countability, compactness, connectedness, metrics and metric topologies.

MATH 4338: Abstract Algebra I

Fundamental algebraic systems including groups, rings and fields. The structure of a system as a set with its operations and relationships between systems.

MATH 4341: Linear Algebra II

Continuation of Math 2341. Linear transformations and similarity, eigenvalues and diagonalization, complex vector spaces, unitary and self–adjoing matrices, Spectral Theorem, Jordon canonical form. Selected topics in linear programming, convexity, numerical methods, and functional analysis.

MATH 4343: Introduction to Partial Differential Equations

Mathematical formulation of physical laws. Existence and uniqueness for Cauchy and Dirichlet problems; classification of equations; potential–theoretic methods; other topics at the discretion of the instructor. Recommended for students interested in applications of mathematics and engineering.

MATH 4344: Mathematical Modeling

This course provides an introduction to developing mathematics models from real world situations through discussion of a series of examples, and hands-on exercises and projects that make use of a range of continuous and discrete mathematical tools.

MATH 4350: Biostatistics II

Application and extension of Biostatistics I with a focus on advanced statistical concepts which recur in biomedical research literature; multiple regression, logistic regression and survival analysis. Other topics may include time series analysis and clinical trials. Practival experience with the widely used statistical research software package R. Emphasis on realistic data typically encountered in applications of biostatistics.

MATH 4370: Capstone Project

The student will work with faculty supervision and undertake a research project. The project will culminate in a tangible product such as a paper, a presentation or a research poster.

MLA 5312: Conducting

The director's role in presenting liturgical choral music, including rehearsal techniques, diction, balance, phrasing, interpretation and working with instruments.

MLA 5335: The Stoic and the Saint

Does happiness consist in autonomy or is grace required? This course will examine two responses to this question by comparing the letters of the stoic Seneca and the writings of St. Augustine.

MLA 5350: Interpersonal Communication

Grounded in a Catholic humanist perspective, this course studies advanced concepts in the field of interpersonal communication, such as: the phenomenology and semiotics of interpersonal interaction, understanding, and meaning; the interpersonal development and maintenance of conceptions of selfhood; the sociocultural background of interpersonal action; the technologically mediated character of contemporary social interactions; and the ethics of dialogue and friendship.

MUSC 1033: Concert Attendance

The Music Department offers a wide variety of musical programs and lectures by faculty, students and guests. Attendance at 10 of these offerings, or at similar Houston-area events, is required of all Music majors each fall and spring semesters. P/F

MUSC 1100: Liturgical Music

This is a course that will be offered to any interested students regardless of major, and an audition will not be required. It will be a chance for students to learn how to perform music for the Catholic liturgy, and it will involve performing in one or two daily Masses per week.

MUSC 1105: Jazz Ensemble

Repertoire emphasizes current and historical trends in jazz music. Open to all members of the University community with permission of faculty member.

MUSC 1106: University Singers

A group of singers who perform music of many styles and periods. Open to all members of the University community with permission of faculty member.

MUSC 1107: Chamber Music Ensemble

Performance of instrumental duos, trios, quartets, etc., from the classic period to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of faculty member.

MUSC 1108: Wind Ensemble

An ensemble of wind, brass and percussion instruments that performs music from the 18th century to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of faculty member.

MUSC 1109: Opera & Musical Theater Workshop

This workshop is designed for students to explore and perform a varied repertoire from opera and musical theater in fully-staged productions. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 1111: Percussion Ensemble

An ensemble of percussion instruments that performs music of various styles. Open to all members of the University community with permission of music director.

MUSC 1120: Orchestra

An ensemble of strings, winds and percussion that performs music from the Baroque period to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 1331: Introduction to Music

An appreciation and understanding of music through study of its basic elements, aesthetics and role in society. Listening assignments and concert attendance required. Open to all students.

MUSC 2340: The Story of Theatre I

A basic introduction to the major developments in the theater from antiquity to the restoration. This course will explore the people, the places and the performances in which the human story has come to life on the stage. Play attendance and practical projects are among requirements of this course. (Odd fall) No prerequisite

MUSC 2463: Music Theory I

An accelerated introductory course covering the elements of music, melody, harmony, terms, rules and aural memorization.

MUSC 3105: Jazz Ensemble

Repertoire emphasizes current and historical trends in jazz music. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 3106: University Singers

A group of singers who perform music of many styles and periods. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 3107: Chamber Music Ensemble

Performance of instrumental duos, trios, quartets, etc., from the classic period to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the faculty member.

MUSC 3108: Wind Ensemble

An ensemble of wind, brass and percussion instruments that performs music from the 18th century to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 3109: Opera & Musical Theater Workshop

The workshop is designed for students to explore and perform a varied repertoire from opera and musical theater in fully-staged productions. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 3120: Orchestra

An ensemble of strings, winds and percussion that performs music from the Baroque period to the present. Open to all members of the University community with permission of the music director.

MUSC 3141: Classical Music

A survey of Western music from 1750 to 1800: Music of the Enlightenment including opera, the development of the sonata, symphony and concerto, music of Haydn and Mozart. Prerequisite: MUSC 3342

MUSC 3220: Diction

This course will emphasize pronunciation in singing in Italian, German, French and English.

MUSC 3221: Piano Literature

Study of keyboard literature from the Baroque period to the present as well as the history of piano performance.

MUSC 3231: Materials and Curriculum: Wind/Brass/Percussion

Methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development for stringed music. For practicum experience, the student will be assigned to work under a mentor teacher to learn about the day-to-day responsibilities and requirements of the music teacher.

MUSC 3233: Materials and Curriculum: Stringed Instruments

Methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development for stringed music. For practicum experience, the student will be assigned to work under a mentor teacher to learn about the day-to-day responsibilities and requirements of the music teacher.

MUSC 3236: Piano Pedagogy

The teaching of piano in private and school settings. Emphasis on music resources for piano teachers. Prerequisite: permission of faculty member.

MUSC 3238: Materials and Curriculum: Vocal/Choral

Materials and Curriculum: Methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development for vocal and choral music. For practicum experience, the student will be assigned to work under a mentor teacher to learn about the day-to-day responsibilities and requirements of the music teacher.

MUSC 3241: Medieval Music

A survey of early Western music through the 14th Century: Pre-Christian roots, Roman liturgy and chant, early polyphony and secular music. Prerequisite: MUSC 3341

MUSC 3242: Renaissance Music

A survey of Western music of the 15th and 16th Centuries: English and Continental composers, the Reformation, madrigal and rise of instrumental music. Prereq: MUSC 3341

MUSC 3243: Baroque Music

A survey of Western music from 1600-1750: the development of opera, sacred music and instrumental genres up to the death of J.S. Bach. Prereq: MUSC 3341

MUSC 3333: Form and Analysis

The structure of music from its smallest motival elements through larger complete movement forms; simple and compound song forms, rondo, sonata, dance forms, techniques of variation, fugue and canon. Prerequisites: MUSC 3164, 3364.

MUSC 3334: Basic Conducting

Basic Conducting is an introductory course that emphasizes on basic patterns of conducting, baton technique, left hand technique, non-verbal communication, terminology, transpositions, score reading and leadership. Prerequisites: MUSC 3364 and MUSC 3164

MUSC 3335: Orchestral Conducting

This course is an introduction to basic conducting skills with an emphasis on baton technique, left hand technique, non-verbal communication, leadership, conducting terminology, transpositions and score reading. Co-requisites: MUSC 3364, 3164. Permission of faculty member.

MUSC 3336: Choral Conducting

Study of the director’s role relative to choral music, including rehearsal techniques, auditions, tone, balance, diction, phrasing and interpretation. Practical experience in rehearsing choral, ensemble. Selection of appropriate literature. Prerequisites: MUSC 3364, 3164. Permission of faculty member.

MUSC 3337: Counterpoint

A study of two–, three– and four–part contrapuntal compositions in the style of 18th century composers. Writing of exercises of two and three and four parts, culminating in composing three–part inventions. Prerequisites: MUSC 3164, 3364.

MUSC 3351: Art Song

A historical survey of the art song, Leider, chanson and vocal chamber music repertoire from the Baroque period to the present.

MUSC 3375: Orchestration

This course will cover the fundamentals of writing and/or arranging for different types of performing groups, including vocal and instrumental ensembles.

MUSC 4132: Workshops

Short–term (one or two weeks, usually in summer) intensive study (morning, afternoon, evening) of limited scope. Master classes, lecture demonstrations, etc. Fees vary with the event.

MUSC 4191: Internship in Music

Practicum or on–the–job experience under the guidance of practicing specialists in the music field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the program chair.

MUSC 4232: Workshops

Short-term (one or two weeks, usually in summer) intensive study (morning, afternoon, evening) of limited scope. Master classes, lecture demonstrations, etc. Fees vary with the event.

MUSC 4291: Internship in Music

Practicum or on–the–job experience under the guidance of practicing specialists in the music field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the program chair.

MUSC 4391: Internship in Music

Practicum or on–the–job experience under the guidance of practicing specialists in the music field. To be supervised individually by a department faculty member with the approval of the program chair.

PE 1112: Surfing

Students will learn the fundamental physical activities of surfing Gulf Coast waters (catching waves, popping–up, riding waves) and the basic culture of riding long boards and short boards, including safety, vocabulary, local coastal geography, etiquette, weather reading, and accessing surfing related information.

PE 1120: Golf

An exploration of the fundamentals of the rules of golf to include stances, grips, strokes, putts, chipping, pitching, club selection and course etiquette.

PE 1130: Racquet Sports

Individuals will learn rules, terms and etiquette of the following racquet sports: racquetball, badminton, and pickleball. Basic skills and game strategy will be taught for each sport.

PE 1140: Tennis I

The course is designed to teach the basic skills of the game to include history, rules, terminology, scoring and etiquette.

PE 1150: Weight Training

Instruction will provide the student with an understanding of the theory of weight training principles through demonstration and examination. Practical on–site training through participation will include terminology, muscle groups and proper lifting techniques.

PE 1160: Fitness for Life

Instruction and practice in the concepts and techniques in a self–paced physical activity program, emphasizing health and fitness concepts. Approved activities include jogging, cycling, swimming, stair climbing and walking.

PE 1170: Team Sports I

Through discussion, practice and examination two lifetime team sports will be offered. In addition to developing individual skills, students will experience group dynamics such as cooperation (teamwork); collaboration (leagues); and competition (matches). Team sports to be offered include bowling and volleyball.

PHIL 1315: Ancient Philosophy

A study of being, nature, knowledge, man and the state, as developed by the pre–Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, the Stoics and Plotinus.

PHIL 3314: Business Ethics

A second course in ethics with emphasis on the moral issues that arise in modern business life. Among issues to be considered are the role of profits, property rights, workers’ rights, fairness in hiring, truth–telling and whistle–blowing.

PHIL 3315: Ancient Philosophy

A study of being, nature, knowledge, man and the state, as developed by the pre–Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and other significant figures.

PHIL 3316: Medieval Philosophy

A study of significant philosophical thinkers of the medieval period, such as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, and others.

PHIL 3317: Modern Philosophy

A study of philosophical issues concerning human nature, knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics as treated by the more significant figures of the modern period, such as Descartes, Hume, and Kant.

PHIL 3318: Bioethics

A second course in ethics with emphasis on the moral issues that arise in modern health care. Issues to be discussed include patient autonomy, life issues, the right to refuse treatment and the right to health care.

PHIL 3320: Philosophy of Nature

This course will examine the fundamental question: What is nature? The course treats fundamental principles like substance, form, matter, causality, motion, and the soul. Consideration will be given to the comparison of ancient and modern perspectives of nature and science.

PHIL 3333: Logic (Traditional Logic)

A practical study of the rules of correct reasoning, both inductive and deductive, together with analysis of the concept, the proposition and fallacies.

PHIL 3338: God in Philosophy

A study of the teachings of some of the major philosophers, including St. Thomas Aquinas, concerning the existence and attributes of God, divine action, evil, and religious experience.

PHIL 3340: Philosophy Politics, and Economics

This course will be a required gateway course for the minor in Catholic Social Thought. It explores the Catholic philosophical pillars of the political and economic life in the Western tradition. The main topics are human nature, natural law, virtue, providence and salvation, common sense, and free-market. Authors discussed: Aristotle, Aquinas, Maritain, Novak, Weber. Students will be asked to apply this knowledge to contemporary public life.

PHIL 3341: Classical Islamic Philosophy

A survey of some of the most important philosophical topics and thinkers of classical Islamic civilization. This philosophical tradition reflects the distinctive cultural environment of the Muslim world from the 7th century until the 15th century or so. Includes major Muslim figures such as Al-Kindi¯, Al-Fa¯ra¯bi¯, Avicenna (Ibn Si¯na¯), al-Ghaza¯li¯, and Averroes (Ibn Rushd). May also include Christian figures such as Yahya ibn Adi, and Jewish figures such as Saadya Gaon and Moses Maimonides.

PHIL 3350: Contemporary Logic

This course aims to introduce students to the significant philosophical advances made in the past 150 years in the field of logic. Some of this material can be grouped under the rubric of symbolic logic, but this course will go beyond the field of mathematical logic by discussing theories of modal and tense logic, and, more generally, by discussing why 20th– century philosophers see such formal logic as the most suitable tool for the discovery and development of logical truth. Prerequisites: PHIL 2314 or PHIL 2316/3316.

PHIL 3353: Aquinas Seminar

A study of the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas based on selected texts from his works. This course functions as a Junior Seminar for philosophy majors and is required of philosophy majors and minors.

PHIL 4312: Philosophy of Knowledge (Epistemology)

A study of the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge. Includes topics such as a priori and a posteriori knowledge, justification, truth, skepticism, abstraction, demonstration, first principles, and revelation. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

PHIL 4319: Continental Philosophy

A study of major streams in contemporary continental philosophy, and their influence on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, and deconstruction (Husserl, Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida).

PHIL 4324: Faith and Reason

A study of the relationship between faith and reason. Examines possible conflicts between what reason (or science) discovers and what faith believes. Considers classical, modern, and contemporary authors.

PHIL 4331: Philosophy of Art and Beauty

This course explores fundamental themes in the philosophy of art and beauty: the metaphysics of beauty and its relationship with goodness and truth, aesthetic categories and representation, and moral and political aspects of art.

PHIL 4335: Analytical Philosophy

A study of major topics and figures in Analytical philosophy. May include topics such as developments in logic and philosophy of mathematics made by figures such as Frege, Russell, Goedel, Quine, and Kripke; logical empiricism; philosophy of mind; causation; the rehabilitation of metaphysics via the Kripke-Barcan revolution in modal semantics; and Analytical approaches to historical figures such as Aquinas. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

PHIL 4350: Philosophy of Law: Tradition of Natural Law

An introduction to the philosophy of law and the natural law tradition. Considers Thomas Aquinas’s formulation of the traditional natural law theory and select contemporary discussions concerning the nature and function of law.

PHIL 4352: Philosophy of Science

A study of philosophical issues in natural science, with emphasis on questions about scientific knowledge and the metaphysical commitments of science. May include topics such as the scientific method, the Demarcation Problem, causation and explanation, laws of nature, induction, scientific models, realism/anti-realism, and cosmology. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

PHIL 4357: The Thought of Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II)

The course will present a holistic understanding of the thought of Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II). Although the emphasis is placed upon the philosophical aspect of his work, the course will allow the student to explore the literary, mystical, and theological contributions to his philosophical thinking and writing, as well to consider the social and political applications of his thought as well. The special philosophical achievement of Karol Wojtyla pertains to his blending of the philosophy Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas with the phenomenological approach of Max Scheler and the personalism of Kant. His philosophical synthesis brings great insight and argument for the dignity of the person, the special character of love and marriage, work and society, politics and human rights, the existence of God and humanism. Readings will include selections from his drama and poetry, his writings on John of the Cross, essays on Scheler, Kant, and Thomism, and portions of his great works the Acting Person, and Love and Responsibility.

PHIL 4390: Senior Seminar

Research, with oral and written presentations, as a culmination of the philosophy major. Required of philosophy majors and open to them exclusively.

PHIL 5300: MA Thesis Direction

MA students work with a thesis director to select a topic and write a thesis proving mastery of philosophical subject matter.

PHIL 5304: Thomistic Metaphysics

As the culmination of this trio of fundamental courses in Thomistic philosophy, this course in metaphysics, the highest of the philosophical sciences according to Aquinas, has as its first task the nature of metaphysical inquiry itself. This inquiry will involve a crucial set of distinctions, including the distinctions between natural philosophy and metaphysics, substance and accident, essence and existence, act and potency. The Thomistic texts for this course are chosen at the discretion of the instructor.

PHIL 5308: God in Philosophy

This course introduces Thomistic philosophical theology. After surveying sources influencing Aquinas—including figures such as Aristotle, Pseudo-Dionysius, Avicenna, Damascene, Anselm—the course engages in close reading of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa contra Gentiles.

PHIL 5311: Selected Problems in Epistemology

This course covers a selection of topics in Thomistic cognitive theory and epistemology. Focusing on both primary literature and recent secondary literature, the course will treat St. Thomas’s theories of intellectual cognition, the inner senses (focusing on the cogitative power and memory), intellectual self-knowledge, and human knowledge concerning the divine.

PHIL 5314: Thomas Aquinas on Human Nature

This investigation of Aquinas’s philosophy of the human person will have as its primary focus Aquinas’s solution to the question of how the human soul can be identified both as the form in the human form-matter composite and as a subsistent entity capable of surviving the corruption of the body. Among other key issues to be discussed are the nature of the passions and the relationship between the intellect and will. Readings from the Prima pars of the Summa theologiae will play a central role in the discussion, with other readings from the Thomistic corpus chosen at the instructor’s discretion.

PHIL 5320: Aristotle's Posterior Analytics

This course will focus upon Aristotle's Posterior Analytics. It will involve a close reading of the Posterior Analytics, with comparison to works of Plato. Interpretation of Posterior Analytics will be guided by Aquinas's commentary as well as other sources, including 20th and 21st Century sources.

PHIL 5333: Logic

(Traditional Logic) A practical study of the rules of correct reasoning, both inductive and deductive, together with analysis of the concept, the proposition and fallacies.

PHIL 5338: Introduction to Thomistic Ethics

Building on the achievements of the course in Thomistic anthropology, this course highlights the human person as agent, as moving toward ends or goods, and finally toward the ultimate end which Aquinas calls beatitudo: happiness. The nature of the ultimate end will thus be the centerpiece of the course discussion, with other key concepts and distinctions which contribute to Aquinas’s understanding of the ultimate end coming strongly into play, e.g., the nature of the human act, the distinction between right and wrong action, the nature of and the distinctions between the virtues, and the role of law in human happiness. Discussion will be focused on but need not be limited to questions in the Secunda pars of the Summa theologiae.

PHIL 5340: MA Comprehensive Course Exam

The MA Comprehensive Exam Course, and the MA Comprehensive Examination toward which it aims, is taken in the semester after all other courses have been finished, which will normally be the fourth semester of study. It is a directed readings course supervised by a Center faculty member, designed to help students prepare the readings for the MA Comprehensive Examination.

PHIL 5354: Plato's Phaedo & Aristotle's On The Soul

This course will focus upon Plato’s Phaedo and Aristotle’s De Anima. It will involve a close reading of the De Anima, with comparison to the Phaedo, guided by Aquinas’s commentary as well as by other sources, including contemporary.

PHIL 5359: Philosophical Latin

The objective of this course is to produce facility in reading medieval, philosophical Latin, and in particular the Latin of Thomas Aquinas. Every student in the Center must take this course unless granted a waiver by the Director of the Center for Thomistic Studies. The course must be taken in one semester during the first year of graduate study. The format and content of the course will be set by the faculty member who is responsible for teaching the course that year. It will be taught as part of the regular course load by a member of the Center faculty or another person competent to teach the course. The grade in the course will be determined by the outcome of the Latin test, with grades determined in the following way: Pass at the MA level = “A-”. Pass at the PhD level = “A”. No grade will be given for the course until the Latin test is passed at one of these two levels. For an entering student who passes the Latin exam at the PhD level this course is waived.

PHIL 5363: Law & Grace in Aquinas

Aquinas’s Commentary on the Metaphysics stands out as perhaps the clearest commentary ever written on the metaphysical treatise(s) of Aristotle. This course will offer a guided reading of the Commentary, exploring several questions, including: To what extent do Aquinas’s own distinctive metaphysical views appear in his Commentary? How does Aquinas understand the structure of metaphysical science? What are some of the influences on Aquinas’s interpretation of the Metaphysics? Some previous familiarity with Aristotle’s Metaphysics is encouraged but not required.

PHIL 5379: Evil

This course explores the nature of evil, especially as understood in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. Evil in general is subdivided into suffering and sin. Most questions surrounding the nature of evil concern sin. What is the distinctive nature of sin? What are the diverse causes of sin? What is the very first cause of sin? Do human beings have free will? These are some of the many questions that may be addressed in this course.

PHIL 5392: Twentieth Century Thomist Rev.

This course discusses the genuinely twentieth-century philosophical phenomenon of Thomistic Revival. In almost quixotic manner, literally thousands of Catholic authors worldwide, in monographs, periodicals, and in the entire standard teaching venues, offered Thomistic cures for modern ills. Who were these authors? What motivated them? Why did the Neo-Thomist revival die at Vatican II? Do any hopes exist for a Neo-Thomist revival today? We will address these questions from the perspective of the history of philosophy and from the perspective of philosophy itself.

PHIL 5393: Contemporary Thomism

This course will consider the work of John Finnis, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Servais Pinckaers, who are arguably the three most significant Thomists of the past twenty-five years. Each represents a different background and scholarly community. John Finnis has a background in analytical jurisprudence and has been influential in the revival of natural law in political philosophy and philosophy of law. Alasdair Macintyre’s background is in Anglo-American philosophy, sociology and the New Left. His book After Virtue was enormously influential in philosophical circles and he has since developed a more Thomist position. He has had great influence in moral philosophy, both Protestant and Catholic theology, and political philosophy. Servais Pinckaers is a francophone Dominican and his theological formation was at LaSartre and Rome. He was a professor at the University of Fribourg. His attempt to revive Thomist moral theology is the best known. Although the content of his work is closer to that of MacIntyre than that of Finnis, his Dominican background and theological concerns set him off sharply from MacIntyre. The course will focus on these figures’ various approaches to such themes as moral goodness, practical reasoning, the common good and justice.

PHIL 5603: MA Comprehensive Exam Preparation Course

MA students would register for this 6 hour, non-tuition bearing course in the 4th semester of their MA program along with PHIL 5340: MA Comprehensive Exam Course ( a regular tuition bearing course, part of 30 hour MA) in order to maintain a full-time enrollment status.

PHIL 5605: Doctoral Exam Preparation I

A six-credit course to be taken by Ph.D. candidates who have completed course work and are either studying for Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams or preparing for their Dissertation Proposal Defense.

PHIL 5606: Doctoral Exam Preparation II

A six-credit course to be taken by Ph.D. candidates who have completed course work and are either studying for Ph.D. Comprehensive Exams or preparing for their Dissertation Proposal Defense.

PHIL 6100: Ph.D Dissertation

This dissertation guidance course is taken after the dissertation proposal has been approved. It is repeatable up to six total times.

PHIL 6308: Essence and Existence

Thomists distinctively hold the position that in creatures essence and existence are related to each other as potency to act. Since act is really distinct from potency, essence and existence are really distinct. This course will look at Thomas’ views on essence and existence in the context of later developments of the Thomistic position and criticisms.

PHIL 6390: MA Thesis Direction

Candidates for a BA/MA degree in the Center for Thomistic Studies must take either PHIL 6390, MA Thesis Direction or 5340 MA Comprehensive Exam Course. Students choosing PHIL 6390,in consultation with a faculty adviser, will select an MA paper submitted for a previous CTS course to be devel;oped into a thesis according to a plan agreed upon by both. The courseI is aimed at helping the student develop skills in research and writing. The acceptability of the paper is not essentially tied to length, and the faculty will accept quality papers in the 30 to 40 page range. The M.A. thesis must be approved by two readers, one of whom is the faculty adviser who approved and supervised the project.

PHIL 6392: Independent Study

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty.

PHIL 6600: PhD Dissertation Continuation

This dissertation guidance course is taken after the dissertation proposal has been approved. It is repeated until the student completes the dissertation defense.

PSYC 1332: General Psychology

An introduction to the basic processes and principles of human behavior. Methods and findings which characterize scientific psychology, including historical and recent developments in the following areas, will be covered: motivation; perceptual, cognitive and physiological processes; and social, personality and abnormal processes. NOTE: General Psychology is a minimum prerequisite for all other psychology courses. Students may enroll simultaneously in General Psychology and PSYC 3433.

PSYC 2301: General Psychology

An introduction to the basic processes and principles of human behavior. Methods and findings which characterize scientific psychology, including historical and recent developments in the following areas, will be covered: motivation; perceptual, cognitive and physiological processes; and social, personality and abnormal processes.

PSYC 2332: Child Psychology

A study of the physical, psychological and social development of the child up to approximately age 13. Motor, perceptual, cognitive, emotional and social functioning are reviewed with emphasis on biological, environmental, and cultural factors. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 3337: Abnormal Psychology

A study of past and present conceptions of abnormality, the dynamics underlying normal and abnormal behavior and an examination of the key classification systems utilized in understanding abnormal behavior. Issues related to etiology, the nature of development and symptoms of abnormal behavior are reviewed. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 3338: Experimental Psychology

An introductory course in research methodology and its application to sychological domains. Research design, measurement, data collection, analysis and write–up will be covered. Corequisite: PSYC 3138; Prerequisites: PSYC 1332, 3433, 3434.

PSYC 3341: Theories of Personality

Consists of the study and evaluation of theories of personality. Psychoanalytic, behavioral, existential and humanistic theories will be studied. Emphasis is placed on the structure and dynamics of human behavior and empirical findings related to theories. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 3345: Sport Psychology

The field of sport psychology examines psychological variables that impact athletic participation, performance, and enjoyment in sport. This course explores theories and research across diverse areas of psychology, including personality, cognitive, social, and clinical, with an emphasis on using theories and research to educate athletes, coaches, parents, athletic trainers, and fitness professionals about the psychological aspects of sport.

PSYC 3351: Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Explores the psychology of organizations, with applications in business and industry, and is rooted in research methodology and theories of scientific psychology. Topics include the nature, design and development of organizations; personnel psychology, with an emphasis on psychological testing; motivation; decision–making; leadership; and conflict within the organization. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 3433: Foundations of Statistical Analysis

An introduction to the use of descriptive statistics, exploratory analyses, probabilities, prediction, and model–fitting, this course will provide opportunities for the use of SPSS for statistical analysis, the interpretation of published empirical studies and the interpretation and reporting of statistical results. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 3434: Inferential Statistics

An introduction to the use of inferential statistics including univariate and multivariate data analyses. This course will provide opportunities for the use of SPSS for statistical analysis, the interpretation of published empirical studies and the interpretation and reporting of statistical results. Prerequisites: PSYC 1332, 3433.

PSYC 4191: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: senior status and screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 4192: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Psychology

Entails extensive reading of scholarly sources to enable majors to secure specialized, individual instruction. The course involves a major paper or project. Prerequisites: a minimum of 18 credit hours of psychology; Permission of the faculty member required.

PSYC 4212: Neuropsychology Research Topics

This is a capstone class for students minoring in Neuroscience. Students will read and present on current primary literature and learn how to critically evaluate scientific claims. Students will study primary Neuroscience literature in order to learn and apply appropriate statistical methods, strategies for reading scientific literature, and tips for successful oral presentation of technical material. Students will be graded heavily on participation and performance on the final presentation. Prerequisite: PSYC 3434 or MATH 3450 and BIOL 3339

PSYC 4291: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: senior status and screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 4292: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Psychology

Entails extensive reading of scholarly sources to enable majors to secure specialized, individual instruction. The course involves a major paper or project. Prerequisites: a minimum of 18 credit hours of psychology; Permission of the faculty member required.

PSYC 4320: Sociocultural Perspectives on Sport

An introduction to the social institution of sport, and its different role in the various multicultural contexts of the United States and other societies. The course will examine topics such as the social organization of sport from play to professional sport, deviance and violence in sport, the influence of sport on different social groups, and the effects on socialization from participating in and spectating in sport.

PSYC 4337: Counseling and Psychotherapy

An introduction to the theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis, ego therapies, behavior therapy, family therapy and humanistic/existential therapy. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332. PSYC 3337 or 3341 is strongly recommended.

PSYC 4342: Psychology of the Adolescent

The study of the physical, psychological and social development of the adolescent, from approximately age thirteen to young adulthood. Course includes family and peer influences on development; self and identity development; adolescent psychopathology, sexuality and cognition; schools and workplaces as contexts for socialization. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 4345: Applications and Careers in the Psychological Sciences

This course explores how the psychological sciences are applied in practice, and identifies education and training paths required for work in the psychological sciences. Students will gain significant exposure to career and education planning considerations within psychology and its various sub-specialties (basic and applied research settings).

PSYC 4388: Research in Psychology I

Research in Psychology I will guide students through the beginning of the research process focusing on effective background research, developing a clear testable hypothesis, and designing a study to address their hypotheses. Students will write a well­-developed research proposal as well as complete a UST IRB application for their project.

PSYC 4389: Research in Psychology II

Research in Psychology II will guide students through the middle and conclusion of the research process focusing on implementing an approved research proposal. Students will collect data, analyze it, and produce a report for presentation as a poster or paper.

PSYC 4391: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: senior status and screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 4392: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Psychology

Entails extensive reading of scholarly sources to enable majors to secure specialized, individual instruction. The course involves a major paper or project. Prerequisites: a minimum of 18 credit hours of psychology; Permission of the faculty member required.

PSYC 4393: Special Topics in Psychology

Topics will be selected on the basis of current issues in contemporary psychology and on the basis of faculty research and scholarly interests. Topics will be announced on the UST website. Recent topics include Psychology of Women, Psychology of Religion, Cultural Intelligence, and Psychology of Creativity. Prerequisite: PSYC 1332.

PSYC 4434: Experimental Social Psychology

This course studies knowledge related to the experience and behavior of individuals in interaction with one another in sociocultural settings. Laboratory activities provide hands–on experience in related research. Prerequisites: PSYC 3433.

PSYC 4435: Cognitive Psychology

An introduction to research, theory and applications of memory, thinking, language, reasoning, decision–making, problem–solving and creativity. Laboratory activities provide hands–on experience in related research. Prerequisites: PSYC 3433.

PSYC 4436: Perception

A survey of research, theory and applications of perceptual experiences and their underlying sensory processes. The course examines sensory/perceptual disorders and unusual perceptual performances. Laboratory activities provide hands–on experiences in related research. Prerequisites: PSYC 3433.

PSYC 4438: Biopsychology

Reviews brain structure and function and surveys the role of the central nervous system in sensation, perception, movement, regulation of internal states, learning and memory, language, brain damage and psychological disorders. Laboratory activities focus on brain structure and function, sensation/perception simulations and other computer–based activities. Prerequisites: PSYC 3433.

PSYC 4439: Special Topics in Applied Psychology

This lab course surveys the various settings and professions which require the use and application of psychology and psychological principles. The course will focus on a specific area in applied psychology and provide descriptions of the settings in which various psychologists, including clinical psychologists, developmental psychologists, or others in related fields do their work. Students will engage in hands-on laboratory exercises and assignments as part of the course work. Prerequisite: PSYC 3433

PSYC 4440: Psychometrics

This course reviews principles of psychological test construction, administration, evaluation and interpretation. Students will be exposed to measurement theory, ethical standards, reliability, validity, item analysis and standardization. Students will be introduced to psychological testing of intelligence, personality and sychopathology. Laboratory activities will provide hands–on experience with the measurement of a psychological construct. Prerequisites: PSYC 3338/3138.

PSYC 4491: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: senior status and screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 4492: Directed Reading/Independent Study in Psychology

Entails extensive reading of scholarly sources to enable majors to secure specialized, individual instruction. The course involves a major paper or project. Prerequisites: a minimum of 18 credit hours of psychology; Permission of the faculty member required.

PSYC 4691: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: senior status and screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 5310: Designing Mental Skills Training

This course focuses on teaching students how to design mental skills training programs for groups, teams, and individuals. Students will explore program development, evaluation, and have the opportunity to gain practical experience working in performance settings and designing mental skills training. This course will provide students with a hands-on experience working with individuals seeking to improve their mental skills. Mentorship pours earned during this class will partially fulfill the requirements for the CMPC certification.

PSYC 5315: Group Performance Interventions Training

This course focuses on designing and implementing performance interventions for groups. Students will get hands-on experience working with groups to improve performance and mental skills through designing workshops and other forms of intervention. Students will work with groups under the supervision of a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Mentorship hours and direct client hours earned during this course will partially fulfill the requirements for the CMPC certification.

PSYC 5333: Counseling and Psychotherapy

This course focuses on the theories behind building professional helping relationships. Topics in this course include an in-depth review of helper and client characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, and personality.

PSYC 5337: Abnormal Psychology

This course studies past and present conceptions of abnormality, the dynamics underlying normal and abnormal behavior, and an examination of the key classification systems utilized in understanding abnormal behavior. Issues related to etiology, nature, development, and treatment of abnormal behavior are reviewed. Graduate project required.

PSYC 5339: Human Growth and Development

This course provides an overview of human growth and development across the life span and explores physiological, psychological, emotional, cognitive, social, and personality development. The influence of nature and nurture on development will be explored and different theoretical approaches to life span development will be discussed.

PSYC 5341: Theories of Personality

A view of current theories of personality structure, development, and current research are presented through original manuscripts, empirical literature, and case conceptualizations. Theories presented in the course include Trait Structure, Behavioral Genetics, Psychoanalysis, Object Relations, Social Learning, Cognitive Behaviorism, Phenomenology, and Multicultural Perspectives.

PSYC 5345: Applied Sport and Performance Psychology

The purpose of this course is to provide students an understanding of the theory, research, both qualitative and quantitative, and practice of sport and performance psychology. The course will cover topics related to psychological processes that influence human performance in demanding settings, factors related to performance and participation in high performance settings, and techniques and strategies to increase performance.,

PSYC 5352: Health Psychology

The field of health psychology is focused on promoting health and wellness as well as the prevention and treatment of disease and illness. Students will discover how biological, social and psychological factors influence health and illness and explore how research-based interventions can improve health and wellbeing. Students will learn about a wide range of health-related behaviors, including healthy eating, coping strategies, and interventions designed to create a life worth living.

PSYC 5355: Professional Ethics and Standards

This course covers ethical standards of professional practice within the field of applied sport and performance psychology. Students will review the AASP ethics code and APA ethics code. Topics will include ethical and legal issues in professional activities in the field of applied sport and performance psychology, guidelines for resolving ethical dilemmas, and professional orientation to sport psychology, including professional roles and functions, credentialing, standards, and professional organizations.

PSYC 6105: Field Problems in Applied Sport and Performance Psychology

This course focuses on addressing common problems faced within the field of Applie Sport and Performance Psychology. Common issues such as group dynamics, performance anxiety and effects of culture will be addressed in regards to individual and team interventions. Students will get hands-on experience skills through designing workshops and other forms of intervention. These hours will be completed under the supervision of a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and will partially fulfill the requirements for the CMPC certification.

PSYC 6191: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply. Prerequisites: screening by psychology faculty committee.

PSYC 6193: Special Topics in Psychology

Topics will be selected on the basis of current issues in contemporary psychology and on the basis of faculty research and scholarly interests. Topics will be announced on the UST website. Recent topics include Psychology of Women, Psychology of Religion, Cultural Intelligence, and Psychology of Creativity.

PSYC 6291: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply.

PSYC 6293: Special Topics in Psychology

Topics will be selected on the basis of current issues in contemporary psychology and on the basis of faculty research and scholarly interests. Topics will be announced on the UST website. Recent topics include Psychology of Women, Psychology of Religion, Cultural Intelligence, and Psychology of Creativity.

PSYC 6320: Sociocultural Perspectives on Sport

This course will examine the social institution of sport, and its role in the various multicultural contexts within the United States and other societies. The course will examine topics such as the social organization of sport from play to professional, deviance and violence in sport, the influence of sport on different social groups, and the effects on socialization from participating in and spectating in sport. Sports reflect the values of society and culture, and we find all types of social issues in sports: incidents of racism, sexism, and violence in sports, as well as teamwork, leadership, and cooperation.

PSYC 6330: Diversity and Cultural Considerations in Helping Relationships

This course examines the influence of diversity and cultural differences on the delivery of counseling and consultation services. Students explore topics relating to diversity, multiculturalism, and cultural awareness (e.g., ethnicity, race, nationality, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, values, and socioeconomic status). Students will develop a better understanding of effective intervention strategies for addressing individual needs. Topics will include theories, effective multicultural counseling methods, ethical delivery of services, and culturally responsive assessments.

PSYC 6333: Industrial Organizational Psychology

This course examines psychological principles that contribute to effective organizations, including aspects of organizational leadership, teamwork, productivity, employee health, personnel decisions, and diversity in the workplace. Students will gain an understanding of the history of the field of I/O Psychology and how the field has changed in the last few decades with regards to technology and diversity in the workplace, among other evolving aspects of work. This course will also cover the different approaches, theories, and methodology currently used in the field of I/O psychology.

PSYC 6342: Psychology of the Adolescent

This course emphasizes the role of developmental factors that contribute to the psychological, sociological, and biological changes that occur during adolescence. Developmental theories will be an integral part of the course, as well as the practical, real-world issues, research, and applications related to the adolescent period. Key ecosystems, including family, peers, schools, media, and employment, on adolescent development will be explored.

PSYC 6355: Practicum in Applied Sport and Performance Psychology

The practicum is designed to provide a structured practical experience in the field of sport and performance psychology. During practicum, students will gain field-based experience in a sport performance environment. The experience will challenge graduate students to apply psychological skills training programs to teams and/or athletes. The goal of this course is for students to demonstrate a mastery of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with being an effective professional in field of applied sport and performance psychology.

PSYC 6393: Special Topics in Psychology

Topics will be selected on the basis of current issues in contemporary psychology and on the basis of faculty research and scholarly interests. Topics will be announced on the UST website. Recent topics include Psychology of Women, Psychology of Religion, Cultural Intelligence, and Psychology of Creativity.

PSYC 6399: Capstone

The capstone requirement is designed to serve as a reflective project that tracks the progress of the CMPC certification process. Throughout the program, students will work directly with athletic and/or performing arts populations. As part of the applied work, students will reflect on their observation and consultation experiences. This project will be submitted as a portfolio and will include student’s reflections on their experiences applying performance knowledge to teams and individuals.

PSYC 6439: Special Topics in Applied Psychology

This course surveys the various settings and professions which require the use and application of psychology and psychological principles. The course will focus on a specific area in applied psychology and provide descriptions of the settings in which various psychologists, including clinical psychologists, developmental psychologists, or others in related fields do their work. Students will engage in hands-on laboratory exercises and assignments as part of the course work.

PSYC 6491: Internship in Psychology

A one–semester internship related to the student’s special interest and preparation in undergraduate psychology with academic and field supervision. Seniors in good academic standing may apply.

PSYC 6493: Special Topics in Psychology

Topics will be selected on the basis of current issues in contemporary psychology and on the basis of faculty research and scholarly interests. Topics will be announced on the UST website. Recent topics include Psychology of Women, Psychology of Religion, Cultural Intelligence, and Psychology of Creativity.

THEO 2314: Theological Methods

An introduction to theology as a science, including its principles, sources, and methods, and an exploration of the parts of theology and how they cohere. Topics will include the skills and virtues necessary to the practice of theology; revelation and its witnesses in Sacred Scripture and Tradition; faith and its preambles; dogma and doctrine; development of doctrine; Magisterium; faith and reason; and the motives of credibility.

THEO 3311: Teachings of the Catholic Church

Introduction to the fundamentals of Catholic dogmatic theology, the science of sacred doctrine, as revealed in Scripture and Tradition and defined by the Magisterium of the Church.

THEO 3332: Theology of the Sacraments

Study of the sacramental principle: relationship of the sacraments to Christ and the Church; and biblical, historical and doctrinal introduction to the seven sacraments, with special emphasis on their role in Christian life.

THEO 3333: Theology of Worship

Worship, ritual and the human condition; Christian worship and the history of salvation; spiritual worship and liturgical action: objective and subjective aspects; play and festivity; sacred actions, times, and places; liturgy and holiness.

THEO 3336: Christian Spirituality

Systematic study of the concepts and practices of the Christian spiritual life, illustrated by reading selected texts from the great spiritual masters and writers of the Church.

THEO 3339: Christ the Savior

Basic themes concerned with the person and work of Jesus Christ as they emerge in scripture and tradition; emphasis on Jesus’ public ministry, the paschal mystery, and the Christology of both the early and contemporary Church; modern problems regarding the meaning of salvation.

THEO 3345: Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas

Introduction to the theological method and major contributions of St. Thomas. Each semester will concentrate on one of the following topics: God–Trinity, creation, the Holy Spirit, grace, the moral life, etc.

THEO 3349: Christ and the Moral Life

A study of fundamental Catholic teachings on the moral life, founded upon the truth that the power to live the moral life flows from Christ and the divinizing power of his grace, particularly in the sacraments. Course content includes the beatitudes, freedom, the morality of human acts and passions, moral conscience, the theological virtues, sin, social justice, and the Ten Commandments.

THEO 3351: Prophets of Ancient Israel

Prophecy in the Old Testament in its historical and religious contexts; critical methods of studying the prophets; current interpretations of the prophetic books.

THEO 3353: Pentateuch

The Torah in its historical and religious contexts; the development of pentateuchal criticism; critical methods of studying the Pentateuch; theologies of the different traditions and their relations to biblical theology as a whole.

THEO 3354: Synoptic Gospels

The synoptic gospels in their historical and religious contexts; critical methods of studying these gospels and their relations to biblical theology as a whole.

THEO 3355: Book of Psalms

Contemporary exegetical approaches to Psalms, including the genre of “psalm” with a comparison to similar literature from the ancient Near East; types of psalms; relation of the Psalter to temple and synagogue worship; interpretations of individual psalms.

THEO 3356: Theological Anthropology

Studies the Christian vision of man under the light of divine revelation; his creation in God's image and likeness, his ultimate end, and his spiritual and material faculties. Reading focus on the development of Christian anthropology in its historical context, both ancient and modern, as well as the anthropological foundations of moral action, ascetical praxis, and sacramental discipline. Primary source readings will typically be chosen from scripture, the fathers, and recent Magisterium, including documents of the Second Vatican Council, with an eye to comparison and contrast between Christian anthropology and modern and post-modern views of the human person. Key topics may include deification, personhood, freedom, the mind, passions, relationality, or sexuality.

THEO 3359: Theology and the Liberal Arts

Introduction to the tradition of Catholic reflection on liberal education. The course considers the nature of the liberal arts, the relationship between theology and the other disciplines from a theological point of view, the question of the unity of knowledge, and the spirituality proper to the life of learning.

THEO 3365: Gospel and Letters of John

The fourth gospel and the epistles of John; critical methods of Johannine study; current status of Johannine scholarship; theological messages of the gospel and epistles.

THEO 4321: Catholic Epistles

This course is designed to explore the historical and religious contexts of the Christian communities at the end of the first century as reflected Hebrews and in the Catholic Epistles: James, 1-2 Peter, Jude, and the three Johannine letters. Topics include: narrative characteristic of the Greek text, the problem of the authorship, internal and external problems of the Proto-Christian communities, literary analysis of selected periscopes and theological developments manifested in the texts.

THEO 4324: Christian Ethics and the Law

A theological examination of ethical issues relating to the making and application of the law: e.g., the concept of justice; legal positivism and the relation of civil and criminal law to ethics and the legitimacy of the adversary system; obligations relating to confidentiality, equal access to legal services, punishment and sentencing, contracts; the practice of law as a Christian calling.

THEO 4334: Social Justice and the Church

Catholic teaching on social, political and economic issues: freedom; law; conscience; marriage and family; political authority; just war and nuclear arms; human dignity and rights; work; private property and social justice.

THEO 4339: Celtic Spirituality

Systematic study of the concepts and practices of the Christian spiritual life, with a special emphasis placed upon an understanding of Celtic Spirituality and the influences of Anglo-Saxon spirituality on it. This study will be undertaken by a reading and study of selected texts by the great spiritual masters and writers of the Church from the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tradition.

THEO 4347: Fathers of the Church

Lives and thoughts of the great saints and scholars of the first millennium who shaped the Church’s teaching and life. Reading their works is essential to the course. Among those to be discussed are the Desert Fathers, Origen, Basil, Ambrose and Augustine.

THEO 4348: Theology of the Body

Introduction to the writings of John Paul II on the sacramental nature of creation, and in particular, the human body, male and female. Marriage as sacrament of the Communion of Persons in the Trinity. The ethics of human sexuality as integral to the responsible relationship between persons and the theology of the total, reciprocal gift of persons.

THEO 4351: Wisdom in Israel

Introduction to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Qoheleth, Song of Songs, Wisdom and Sirach.

THEO 4360: John Henry Newman

A study of the thought and influence of John Henry Newman through a selection of his writings, including The Idea of a University.

THEO 4367: Mariology

Mary’s role in the salvation of humanity. Mary in scripture and in the tradition of the Church. The teaching of the contemporary magisterium: Pius XII, Vatican II, Paul VI, John Paul II. Mary in contemporary theology.

THEO 4368: Book of Revelation

Origin and development of apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament and the intertestamental period; formation, structure and style of the Book of Revelation; redactional and literary analysis of the text to define its theology and the situation which produced it.

THEO 4390: Triune God

Theology engages the mind and heart as a work of "faith seeking understanding." This course examines the Christian doctrine on God as one and trinitarian. It will explore the biblical/theological foundations, historical development, and contemporary approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity, with attention to the development of doctrine and how Trinitarian faith impacts the life, prayer and liturgy of Catholic Christians.

THEO 5332: Theology of the Sacraments

Study of the sacramental principle: relationship of the sacraments to Christ and the Church; and biblical, historical and doctrinal introduction to the seven sacraments, with special emphasis on their role in Christian life.

THEO 5339: Christ the Savior

Basic themes concerned with the person and work of Jesus Christ as they emerge in scripture and tradition; emphasis on Jesus' public ministry, the paschal mystery, and the Christology of both the early and contemporary Church; modern problems regarding the meaning of salvation.

THEO 5349: Christ and the Moral Life

A study of fundamental Catholic teachings on the moral life, founded upon the truth that the power to live the moral life flows from Christ and the divinizing power of his grace, particularly in the sacraments. Course content includes the beatitudes, freedom, the morality of human acts and passions, moral conscience, the theological virtues, sin, social justice, and the Ten Commandments.

THEO 5351: Prophets of Ancient Israel

Prophecy in the Old Testament in its historical and religious contexts; critical methods of studying the prophets; current interpretations of the prophetic books.

THEO 5353: Pentateuch

The Torah in its historical and religious contexts; the development of pentateuchal criticism; critical methods of studying the Pentateuch; theologies of the different traditions and their relations to biblical theology as a whole.

THEO 5354: Synoptic Gospels

The synoptic gospels in their historical and religious contexts; critical methods of studying these gospels and their relations to biblical theology as a whole.

THEO 5355: Book of Psalms

Contemporary exegetical approaches to Psalms, including the genre of “psalm” with a comparison to similar literature from the ancient Near East; types of psalms; relation of the Psalter to temple and synagogue worship; interpretations of individual psalms.

THEO 5361: Biblical Exegesis

This class studies the interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures, including the contribution from the Patristic and Medieval period as well as from modern Biblical scholarship. Special attention will be paid to the tensions between modern Biblical scholarship and the Patristic and medieval tradition of interpreting the Bible, as well as to the areas in which the two traditions might enrich each other. The course attends to the philosophic and theological questions inextricable from Biblical exegesis.

THEO 5362: Theology of Grace

This course undertakes to examine the theological, historical, and dogmatic aspects of the doctrine of Grade in the Catholic tradition, and emphasis will be placed on central thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas as well as certain important modern controversies.

THEO 5365: Gospel and Letters of John

The fourth gospel and the epistles of John; critical methods of Johannine study; current status of Johannine scholarship; theological messages of the gospel and epistles.

THEO 5367: MA Thesis Direction

Masters students will work with a thesis director to select a topic and write a thesis proving mastery of the subject matter.

THEO 5375: Patristics I

This course offers close readings of influential works from some of the most important Eastern Church Fathers for the development of the Catholic Theological and dogmatic traditions. The course is usually taught with a unified theological theme in mind.

THEO 5376: Patristics II

This course undertakes an examination of the life and thought of St. Augustine and includes a close reading of some of his most influential works.

THEO 5377: Medieval Theology I

This course undertakes a reading of important theological selections from the Early Scholastic period, ranging from Anselm, Abelard, the Victorines and Bonaventure.

THEO 5378: Medieval Theology II

This course undertakes a reading of selections from Thomas Aquinas (and other Dominicans such as Albert the Great and Catherine of Siena) for the development of the Catholic theological and dogmatic traditions.

THEO 5382: The Triune God

Theology engages the mind and heart as a work of "faith seeking understanding." This course examines the Christian doctrine on God as one and trinitarian. It will explore the biblical/theological foundations, historical development, and contemporary approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity, with attention to the development of doctrine and how Trinitarian faith impacts the life, prayer and liturgy of Catholic Christians.

THEO 5383: Modern Theology I

This course examines the history and theology of the Catholic Church from 1860-1960, including Vatican I, Aeterni Patris and the Thomistic revival, the Modernist Crisis, and the nouvelle théologie.

THEO 5384: Modern Theology II

A theological exploration of the documents of Vatican II and related documents of the magisterium, their theological and historical context, and the grounding in Scripture and Tradition. Special attention is given to ressourcement and aggiornamento and to the "hermeneutics of reform" and "hermeneutics of continuity" as contrasted with a "hermeneutic of rapture."

THEO 6321: Catholic Epistles

This course is designed to explore the historical and religious contexts of the Christian communities at the end of the first century as reflected Hebrews and in the Catholic Epistles: James, 1-2 Peter, Jude, and the three Johannine letters. Topics include: narrative characteristic of the Greek text, the problem of the authorship, internal and external problems of the Proto-Christian communities, literary analysis of selected periscopes and theological developments manifested in the texts.

THEO 6324: Christian Ethics and the Law

A theological examination of ethical issues relating to the making and application of the law: e.g., the concept of justice; legal positivism and the relation of civil and criminal law to ethics and the legitimacy of the adversary system; obligations relating to confidentiality, equal access to legal services, punishment and sentencing, contracts; the practice of law as a Christian calling.

THEO 6325: Faith and Moral Development

An examination of the stages, processes and methods of Christian moral development. Topics include: how ethical norms are known; relation of faith to ethics; the concept of habit and the development of theological and moral virtues; the effect of culture on morals; the role of myth, symbol and identification in moral development; academic subjects and moral development.

THEO 6334: Social Justice and the Church

Catholic teaching on social, political and economic issues: freedom; law; conscience; marriage and family; political authority; just war and nuclear arms; human dignity and rights; work; private property and social justice.

THEO 6339: Celtic Spirituality

Systematic study of the concepts and practices of the Christian spiritual life, with a special emphasis placed upon an understanding of Celtic Spirituality and the influences of Anglo-Saxon spirituality on it. This study will be undertaken by a reading and study of selected texts by the great spiritual masters and writers of the Church from the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tradition.

THEO 6351: Wisdom in Israel

Introduction to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Qoheleth, Song of Songs, Wisdom and Sirach.

THEO 6360: John Henry Newman

A study of the thought and influence of John Henry Newman through a selection of his writings, including The Idea of a University.

THEO 6367: Mariology

Mary’s role in the salvation of humanity. Mary in scripture and in the tradition of the Church. The teaching of the contemporary magisterium: Pius XII, Vatican II, Paul VI, John Paul II. Mary in contemporary theology.

THEO 6368: Book of Revelation

Origin and development of apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament and the intertestamental period; formation, structure and style of the Book of Revelation; redactional and literary analysis of the text to define its theology and the situation which produced it.

THEO 6374: Modern Challenges to Christianity

The impact of the 19th and early 20th century scientific, economic, philosophical and psychological critiques of Christianity; emphasis on method for analyzing theological responses to these and other contemporary challenges.