Online Course Offerings

General Information

All Wintersession courses are fully online delivered in Blackboard 9.1 and accessible via the Internet. All courses are 4 weeks in length beginning December 21, 2012 and ending January 21, 2013.

Courses

A Afs 150 (Class # 1084)
Life in the Third World (3)
Introduction to cultural variation and fragmentation among third-world developing communities. Some lectures and discussions are led by third-world graduate students. Whenever possible, distinguished visitors from third-world countries are also involved in the course.
Instructor: Alexander Gyamfi

A Afs 287 (Class # 1045)
Africa in the Modern World (3)
Africa since 1800: exploration, the end of the slave trade, the development of interior states, European partition, the colonial period, and the rise of independent Africa. Only one of A Aas 287 and A His 287 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Frank Essien

A Ant 220 (Class # 1024 or # 1070)
A Lin 220 (Class # 1025 or # 1071)
Introduction to Linguistics (3)
Introduction to the study of language, including examination of the characteristics and structural principles of natural language. After exploring the basic characteristics of sound, word formation and sentence structure, these prinicples are applied to such topics as: language variation, language change, psycholinguistics, pragmatics, and animal communication. Only one of A ANT 220, A LIN 220, and A ENG 217 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Lee Bickmore

A Ant 269 (Class # 1095)
A Lcs 269 (Class # 1094)
The Caribbean: Peoples, History and Cultures (3)
Peoples, history and cultures of the 20^th century Caribbean. Special emphasis will be placed on responses to colonialism and nationalism. Only one version of A ANT 269 or A LCS 269 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Lissette Acosta

A Ant 341 (Class # 1085)
A Lcs 341 (Class # 1093)
Ethnology of Mesoamerica (3)
Survey of the cultures and history of the native peoples of Mexico and Central America. Beginning with the documents created by and about native peoples around the time of the Spanish invasion, the course follows the experiences of these societies through the colonial period and up to the present. Only one version of A ANT 341 or A LCS 341 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A ANT 100 or 108.
Instructor: Walter Little

A Cas 150 (Class # 1026)
A His 150 (Class # 1111)
Cultural Diversity and the Human Condition (3)
Interdisciplinary study of selected cultures or societies focusing on six themes: family and social structure; religion and cultural values and traditions; art and nature; continuity; change and their global implications; work and play; health, ecology, science/technology. Each semester two or more cultures, including at least one non-Western culture will be compared and contrasted with each other and with the contemporary US experiences. Examples will include Brazil, China, France, India, Mexico, Peru, Russia and West Africa. May be repeated once for credit when content differs.
Instructor: Risa Faussette

A Com 369 (Class # 1014)
Theories of Organizational Communication (3)
Theoretical models and empirical studies of communication within complex organizations. In-depth case study of one or more organizations. Prerequisite(s): A Com 265 or permission of instructor.
Instructor: Alan Belasen

A Com 370 (Class # 1086)
Theories of Mass Media (3)
The theories, research methods, and empirical research findings related to the effects of mass communication on individuals and society. Prerequisite(s): A COM 238 and 265, or permission of instructor.
Instructor: James Bonville

A Com 375 (Class # 1046)
Computer-Mediated Communication (3)
Possibly the most important technological innovation of the latter half of the 20^th century, computer-mediated communication is revolutionizing interaction in the global village. This course explores how social life is accomplished in a variety of Internet CMC systems, including threaded email forums, instant messaging, chat rooms, videoconferencing, and World Wide Web pages.
Instructor: Alan Zemel

A Com 386Z (Class # 1027 or # 1028)
Persuasion and Film (3)
This course will examine cinema as a vehicle of persuasion. Cinematic themes will be analyzed for their manifest and latent advocacy of various positions and points of view. A variety of films will be critically evaluated, including those that raise issues about race, gender, power, and politics. Contemporary thinking about persuasive message design will be drawn upon to investigate the cinematic presentation of these and other issues. A Com 368Z is the writing intensive version of A Com 386; only one may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor.
Instructor: William Husson

A Eco 110 (Class # 1109)
Principles Economics I: Microeconomics (3)
Analysis of supply and demand in markets for goods and markets for the factors of production. Study of various market structures, price determination in perfectly competitive and imperfectly competitive markets. May not be taken for credit by students with credit for A ECO 300. Prerequisite(s): plane geometry and intermediate algebra or A MAT 100.
Instructor: Papa Gueye

A Eng 202Z (Class # 1002)
Introduction to Studies in Rhetoric and Poetics (3)
During this four week online writing class, students will study the art of meaning in several different media. Students will craft responses to readings as graded discussion posts, and will contribute to threaded discussions and peer workshop groups. Writing assignments will include a rhetorical analysis, a story, a set of poetry exercises, a persuasive essay and a final project in open form. Most of the readings for the course are online as course files, but students are asked to read two additional required texts: 1984 by George Orwell and The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore.
Instructor: Jill Hanifan

A Eng 240Z (Class # 1087)
Growing Up in America (3)
The English course catalog describes this course as an “Introduction to problems of social significance related to growing up in a multi-ethnic society through the study of American literature and culture.” We will be looking at a variety of texts this semester in order to unpack this definition. For example, what is America? And what does it mean to “grow up” in it—or even with it? What are the problems? And how, why, and to whom are they socially significant? Moreover, what counts as American literature, or American culture? Why study it in an English course in college? While these questions may seem to have obvious and easy answers, we are going to interrogate their seeming simplicity and look more closely to unpack what often remains hidden and/or unquestioned. The category of “America” begins long before Columbus or the Declaration of Independence, and what “America” means—at home and abroad—has changed with the development of its national identity, expanding national borders, and trade with varying nations of the world. The various changes and development of “America” have not and do not always comfortably coexist with beloved notions of American freedom and opportunity. Throughout the term we will examine discrepancies between and breaks with what was expected and what is in social life. The goal of the course is to challenge you to look deeper into issues that we most likely don’t need a course to introduce us to, but by the same token, that collective inquiry can help us understand more fully. ENG 240z, the fully online, writing intensive version of Growing Up in America includes novels, essays, poems, and films about issues of diversity and pluralism in America from its First Nations to contemporary life today. Assignments include participation in daily discussions, text-based and multi-media projects, formal papers, and lessons in analytical writing skills, including revision. This is not a self-paced course; students are required to log in daily, sometimes several times a day. Students will work individually and collaboratively, reading and responding to colleague’s work. To pass this course, students should expect to devote a minimum of 20 hours a week.
Instructor: Allison Craig

A Fre 365 (Class # 1088)
Contemporary France Media (3)
A study of print and online media in French with an emphasis on content analysis and language practice. Prerequisite(s): A FRE 301 or placement.
Instructor: Gretchen Oliver

A His 100 (Class # 1003)
American Political and Social History I (3)
Survey of American history from the colonial era through the Civil War, with emphasis on the development of our political, constitutional, economic, social, and cultural institutions.
Instructor: Jennifer A. Lemak

A His 101 (Class # 1047)
American Political and Social History II (3)
Survey of American history from the Civil War to the present, with emphasis on the development of political, constitutional, economic, social, and cultural institutions. Only one version of A HIS 101 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Britt Haas  

A His 225 (Class # 1112)
A Jst 225 (Class # 1048)
American Cinema and the Jews (3)
This course will explore the creative contributions that American Jews have made to the art of motion pictures, as well as the manner in which they have influenced and shaped the motion picture industry both on-screen and behind the camera.  Through a representative sample of Hollywood studio and independent films, we will examine how Jewish filmmakers have explored many of the central issues in American life and culture and, more specifically, how their works have reflected the lives and concerns of American Jews. Additionally, film language and technique will be analyzed. Many of the American motion picture industry’s founding fathers were Jews who came to the United States from Eastern Europe.  Many Hollywood stars, directors, and writers also were Jewish. This course will touch upon the manner in which the roots and ethnic identities of these men and women impacted on their careers, shaped the style and content of the films they made, and influenced the evolution of the motion picture industry. Artful cinematic approaches from their native lands, such as German Expressionism and Soviet montage theory, also contributed to the creation of a uniquely American style of filmmaking; the dark, fatalist humor of the shtetl would blossom in the hands of writers and filmmakers from Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Woody Allen to the Coen Brothers. The course also will underscore the manner in which ethnicity and religion became factors in the Hollywood Blacklist of the late 1940s-1950s. Only one version of A HIS 225 or A JST 225 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Robert Edelman

A His 263Z (Class # 1015)
Art, Music and History I (4)
"Art, Music, and History I" is a survey of European culture from ancient Greece through the Renaissance, which examines the many historical contexts that underlie art and music. Students do not need any background in the arts, as this is a course we will build from the ground up by first exploring the questions: What is art? Is it necessary? Where does it come from? Why is it important? And "What does it mean?" Our world is filled with art and music, and it did not get that way by accident. Broadly speaking, this is a course about cultural history, or how people live their lives in society--what they think, what they value, and what they do. If you can understand these basic ideas within your own life, then you will be able to understand them in history and vice versa. Although our focus here is on the arts, it is important to emphasize that we will study them within the political, social, economic and technological backgrounds from which they sprang and which they also influenced. Hopefully, you will see art, music, history and the world around you in ways you never thought possible.
Instructor: Anthony Anadio

A His 275 (Class # 1118)
A Jst 275 (Class # 1031)
Antisemitism in Historical Perspective (3)
Reports of antisemitism have dramatically increased in recent years, especially as the conflict between the State of Israel and the Palestinians has intensified and events in the Middle East escalate far beyond the region's borders and into the rhetoric of globalization and anti-globalization. This course investigates premodern forms of anti-Jewish hatred, the emergence of antisemitism in the modern period, and several of the debates on antisemitism in the present day. By the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of the development of anti-Jewish hatred throughout the ages and the critical tools to understand contemporary debates about antisemitism.
Instructor: Barry Trachtenberg

A His 300 (Class # 1004)
The History of American Indians and the United States (3)
A detailed survey of the history of Native Americans, particularly those now within the territory of the United States, as communities and nations, from earliest history to the present. Prerequisite(s): A His 100 or A His 100Z.
Instructor: Kwinn Doran

A His 346 (Class # 1089 or # 1110)
History of England I (3)
The historical development of English society and government from early times to the 17^th century. Only one version of A HIS 346 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing or 3 credits in History.
Instructor: Patrick Nold

A His 390 (Class # 1090)
"That '70s" Class: America 1968-1984 (3)
This History topics course explores America in the long 1970s, approximately 1968 to 1984. Some have described the Seventies pejoratively as the "forgotten decade" when "nothing happened"-- an era of bad hair, bad clothes, and bad music, when Americans were "running out of gas" and lost faith in their elected leaders and their government. Reassessing the significance of this often dismissed decade, we will examine the key political, social and cultural transformations that shaped America in the long-1970s, through first-hand and interpretive accounts, in addition to film and music. A few major topics provide the overarching framework for our focused study of the Seventies: the decline of liberalism and the rise of conservatism; the "end of the great American ride," as postwar affluence came to a crashing halt; the crisis of oil and energy; the decline of American dominance on the world stage; and the ongoing rights revolutions, including black power, cultural nationalism, the women's movement, gay rights, and the sexual revolution. These developments shaped the larger themes or the big conceptual questions about the 1970s that we will analyze and discuss to arrive at useful, informative--and often contentious!--conclusions about the era. The Seventies became a time of reckoning and recognizing new limits, in both the literal and figurative sense: domestically and in international affairs. But the "zero-sum" society, the "culture of narcissism," or the "me decade," as it has been alternately labeled, also gave rise to the more transformative features of our time, developments that laid the framework for and shaped our contemporary society and culture. The rights revolution fostered an increasingly inclusive, yet diverse society; music and cinema underwent a remarkable renaissance; personal liberation fostered self-improvement; relaxed sexual and social mores transformed society in many positive and liberating ways for men and women; while the many subcultures of the Seventies, including skate, punk, rap, and pc tech shaped what are now multi-million and billion dollar industries. Ultimately, there is more to the 1970s than meets the eye, as you will discover over the course of this session. This is a “topics in American history” 300-level course, designed to meet the requirements for the AHIS390 credit. Specific topics for 390 courses are announced during advance registration periods. The course may be repeated for credit when the content varies. Prerequisites include permission of instructor, junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in History.
Instructor: Jennifer Armiger

A Lcs 100 (Class # 1091)
Cultures of Latin America (3)
Survey of the diverse pre-Columbian and New World societies and cultures of Spanish and Portugese America from the pre-conquest period to the present. Broadly interdisciplinary introduction to the historical developmentof Latin American society, culture, politics, and economics with a special emphasis on elements such as race, gender, and class. A Lcs 100Z and A His 140Z are the writing intensive verions of A Lcs 100 or A His 140. Only one of A Lcs 100, A Lcs 100Z, A His 140, and A His 140Z may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): Any course in Latin American Studies and/or Women's Studies and/or History.
Instructor: Katiuscia Pelerin

A Lcs 100Z (Class # 1032)
Cultures of Latin America (3)
Survey of the diverse pre-Columbian and New World societies and cultures of Spanish and Portugese America from the pre-conquest period to the present. Broadly interdisciplinary introduction to the historical developmentof Latin American society, culture, politics, and economics with a special emphasis on elements such as race, gender, and class. A Lcs 100Z and A His 140Z are the writing intensive verions of A Lcs 100 or A His 140. Only one of A Lcs 100, A Lcs 100Z, A His 140, and A His 140Z may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): Any course in Latin American Studies and/or Women's Studies and/or History.
Instructor: Natacha Bolufer-Laurentie

A Lcs 201 (Class # 1092)
Latino USA (3)
Intensive examination of Hispanic American society. Major Hispanic groups (e.g., Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans, Cubans) will be studied with emphasis on interaction between these groups and mainstream society, culture and value change in contact situations, and efforts to deal with prejudice and discrimination. Only one version of A LCS 201 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Katharine Paarlberg-Kvam

A Lcs 216 (Class # 1005 or # 1120)
A Mus 216 (Class # 1006 or # 1121)
Music and Society in Latin America: Past and Present (3)
This course will deal with two basic issues: the evolution of musical thought throughout Latin America from pre-Hispanic times to the present, and the relationship between musical manifestations and the prevailing social order in which those activities took place. A Mus 216Z & A Lcs 216Z, the writing intensive versions of A Mus 216 & A Lcs 216, are NOT offered online; only one of the four courses may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Max Lifchitz

A Lcs 282 (Class # 1037)
A Soc 282 (Class # 1036)
Race and Ethnicity (3)
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the sociological study of race and ethnicity in the United States. Specifically, the course emphasizes understanding the social, demographic, economic, political, and historical forces that have resulted in the unique experiences of different groups of Americans. Further, the student will be provided with the opportunity to analyze and discuss the impact of public policy on issues that pertain to various racial and ethnic groups. Only one version of A LCS 282 or A SOC 282 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A SOC 115.
Instructor: Zachariah Lee

A Mat 220 (Class # 1096)
Linear Algebra (3)
Linear equations, matrices, determinants, finite dimensional vector spaces, linear transformations Euclidean spaces. Prerequisite(s): A MAT 113.
Instructor: Kehe Zhu

A Mus 226 (Class # 1033 or # 1034)
Hip Hop Music and Culture (3)
This course examines the evolution of Hip Hop music and culture (Graffiti art, B-Boying [break-dancing], DJ-ing, and MC-ing) from its birth in 1970's New York to its global and commerical explosion in the late 1990's. Students learn to think critically about both Hip Hop culture, and about the historical and political contexts in which Hip Hop culture took, and continues to take, shape. Particular attention is paid to questions of race, gender, authenticity, consumption, commodification, globalization, and good, old-fashioned funkiness.
Instructor: Nicholas Conway

A Phy 103 (Class # 1016 or # 1097)
Exploration of Space (3)
The solar system, modern developments in planetary and space science; human exploration of space; space travel and future colonization.
Instructor: Eric Woods

A Soc 115 (Class # 1007)
Introduction to Sociology (3)
Nature of culture and of human society, personality development, groups and group structure, social institutions, the processes of social change.
Instructor: Paul Calarco

A Soc 115 (Class # 1098)
Introduction to Sociology (3)
Nature of culture and of human society, personality development, groups and group structure, social institutions, the processes of social change.
Instructor: Mishel Filisha

A Soc 203 (Class # 1050)
Criminology (3)
Introduction to the study of crime, including the development of criminal law, the relationship between crime and social structure, and the individual and social causes of crime. Only one of A SOC 203, 381, R CRJ 200, 203 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Michael Barton

A Soc 220 (Class # 1051)
Introduction to Social Research (3)
Examination of the assumptions and techniques of social research: problems of design, data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis; review of current research in professional journals; the uses of survey research; application of concepts through individual and class projects.
Instructor: Erica Hunter

A Soc 235 (Class # 1052)
Sociological Theory (3)
Overview of major schools of theory influencing current sociological inquiry. Discussion of selected works of classical and contemporary theorists. The influence of values on theorizing and the issue of value neutrality. An evaluation of the role of theory in the growth of the discipline.
Instructor: Joseph Gibbons

A Soc 250 (Class # 1099)
Sociology of Families (3)
The family as a social institution; types of family organization; the family as a socializing agency and its interrelations with other institutions; the impact of social change on the American family with particular reference to the transition from a rural-agricultural to a predominantly urban-industrial society. Only one version of A SOC 250 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A SOC 115.
Instructor: Emily Pain

A Soc 262 (Class # 1100)
Sociology of Gender (3)
This course examines how gender is socially constructed in contemporary U.S. society. The course examines how gender orders our everyday lives, our sense of self, our friendships, romances, conversations, clothing, body image, entertainment, work, sexuality, and parenthood. Students will learn how conceptions about gender create and enforce a system of gender difference and inequality. This course will examine the lives, experiences, and representations of heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ) persons. The course will reveal the “common sense” world of gender that surrounds us by exposing the workings of institutions such as the family, the classroom, the workplace, and the media. Throughout the course we will emphasize the ways in which people experience gender opportunities and constraints differently according to their race, gender, class, and sexuality. Only one version of A SOC 262 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A SOC 115 or permission of instructor.
Instructor: Samantha Applin

A Soc 299 (Class # 1053)
Urban Sociology (3)
Investigation of a special topic in Sociology. The topic varies from semester to semester, and is indicated by the course subtitle. May be repeated once for credit if content varies.
Instructor: Chris Galvan

A Soc 362 (Class # 1102)
A Wss 363 (Class # 1117)
Sociology of Sexualities (3)
This course reviews the core of the sociology of sexuality from a sociohistorical perspective. Among the topics to be discussed are the theoretical approaches to sexuality, the making of sexual identities, the relationship between sexuality and social institutions, and sexual politics and ethics. Specific examples include hip-hop sexualities, gay marriage, sexual tourism, transgender identities, and heterosexual intimacy. Only one version of A SOC 362 or A WSS 363 may be taken for credit Prerequisite(s): A SOC 115.
Instructor: Nicole Lamarre

A Soc 389 (Class # 1104 or # 1105)
Sociology of 9/11 and the War on Terror (3)
This course explores the cultural and political impact of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The media's role in constructing meanings is the main organizing focus of the course. Areas of examination include: The attacks and their immediate aftermath, historical meanings and factors in place before 9/11, and how 9/11 changed our culture (and global culture) since and will continue to change it into the future. Prerequisite(s): A SOC 115.
Instructor: Nicole Michaud Wild

B Itm 645 (Class # 1106)
Psychology and Information Security (3)
This course provides students with an appreciation for and understanding of the psychological processes that impact information security. Three broad themes are covered. The first explores the psychology of the attacker, and examines the motivation and techniques of cyber criminals and hackers. The second theme stresses the importance of the user in the success of security systems. Students will be introduced to basic perceptual, cognitive, and motivational processes and biases that compromise security and increase vulnerability to attacks. The third theme examines how humans interact with machines and technology and how this interaction affects security in organizations.
Instructor: Kevin Williams

E Est 300 (Class # 1056)
Social Foundations of Education (3)
Inquiry into educational policies, purposes, and ideas based upon the resources and insights of the humanities and the social sciences. Only one of E EST 300 and 301 may be taken for credit.
Instructor: Gina Giuliano

E Spe 460 (Class # 1017)/E Spe 560 (Class # 1107)
Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)
Characteristics of individuals whose cognitive, physical, or emotional development differs from typical individuals. Special education history and laws are discussed, as is the process leading to the development of individualized education plans and special education services. Selected strategies for students with special needs are also presented. (Not open to those students who previously completed E Psy 460).
Instructor: Matthew Lafave

E Spe 460 (Class # 1020)/E Spe 560 (Class # 1018)
Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)
Characteristics of individuals whose cognitive, physical, or emotional development differs from typical individuals. Special education history and laws are discussed, as is the process leading to the development of individualized education plans and special education services. Selected strategies for students with special needs are also presented. (Not open to those students who previously completed E Psy 460).
Instructor: Sean O'Connell

I Csi 103 (Class # 1008)
Topics in Computer Literacy: Web Programming (3)
Students will be introduced to computer programming by learning some of the coding that is specific to making websites. Topics include Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Styles Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript. Students will upload their work to a live web server that is viewable on the World Wide Web. There are no prerequisites and programming experience is not required, but basic computer skills such as typing and file management are preferred. Required textbook: "Programming the World Wide Web" by Robert W. Sebesta - 6th edition is preferred, but 3rd, 4th or 5th editions are also acceptable.
Instructor: Michael Kolta

R Crj 202 (Class # 1054)
Introduction to Law and Criminal Justice (4)
Students will study judicial decisions involving constitutional and other legal issues relevant to criminal justice, including the government’s power to define conduct as criminal, procedural rights, defenses, the rights of juveniles, and punishment. In addition to class meetings, students will enroll in a discussion section where they will engage in legal writing and moot court exercises.
Instructor: Joanne Malatesta

R Crj 203 (Class # 1038)
Criminology (3)
Introduction to the study of crime, including the development of criminal law, the relationship between crime and social structure, and the individual and social causes of crime. Only one of A Soc 203; A Soc 381; or R Crj 203 can be taken for credit.
Instructor: Megan Kurlychek

R Pos 101 (Class # 1055)
American Politics (3)
Introduction to the study of politics, focusing on American national government. Includes some discussion of theoretical questions (such as authority, representation, and consent) and some illustrative examples from the area of comparative and international politics.
Instructor: Anne Hildreth

R Pos 343 (Class # 1108)
Homeland Security (3)
This undergraduate survey course introduces students to the US government response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, specifically, the second largest reorganization of the executive branch that produced the US Department of Homeland Security.  Topics examined include border and transportation security, customs, immigration policy and enforcement; preparedness and capabilities building, response and resilience; critical infrastructure protection; threat and vulnerability assessment and risk management; cyber security; counter-terrorism. Although the course is primarily focused on US federal government activities, it will also examine state and local dimensions of homeland security as well as US government interactions with other countries in the homeland security domain.
Instructor: Rick Mathews

Study Abroad

For a listing of the study abroad course offerings, please refer to the Office of International Education.