Special Arts and Sciences Programs

What is human fulfillment and how does one find it? Beginning with the Scriptural understanding of the great human drama, the course will explore the Catholic understanding of who we are and therefore what kind of human fulfillment is suited to us. The course will investigate the basics of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition through theology, history, literature, philosophy and end with a look at ultimate fulfillment in the life of heaven. The course will look at primary resources from several disciplines, including theology, philosophy, history, and literature, and from different ages of the Church, ancient, medieval and modern.

Introduction to significant doctrines and an exploration of Christian theology in a historical context. Emphasis on the development of Christian faith and theology.

Approaches to revelation and theology, the reality of God and the triune nature of God; cosmology; and the problem of evil, the Church and the sacraments in the teaching of Vatican II. Traditional and nontraditional eschatology.

The course will feature a study of key elements in the development of sacred music practice as seen through the prism of 2000 years of musical development in the Roman Catholic Church, from Plainchant, commonly known as Gregorian Chant, to Vatican II.

The course will feature a study of key elements in the development of sacred music practice as seen through the prism of 2000 years of musical development in the Roman Catholic Church, from Plainchant, commonly known as Gregorian Chant, to Vatican II.

Continuation of the basics of reading Latin, including an introduction to some of the best-loved Latin authors: Catullus, Cicero, Horace, Vergil and Ovid. Prerequisite: LATN 1102.

This course treats the history of Italy from the early Middle Ages to the Council of Trent. Emphasis is placed on the dramatic changes in peoples, state institutions, religion, the economy and society that occurred during these centuries. The abiding and sometimes determinant role of geography in Italian history is a subject that receives particular attention. All areas of the peninsula are discussed, with special attention to relations between peripheral or provincial areas and cultural or administrative centers. Major intellectual, religious, social and political developments are explored through primary and secondary readings, and a mixture of lecture and class discussion.

This course treats the history of Italy from the Baroque Age down to contemporary events. Emphasis is placed on the dramatic changes in peoples, state institutions, religion, the economy and society that occurred during these centuries. The abiding and sometimes determinant role of geography in Italian history is a subject that receives particular attention. All areas of the peninsula are discussed, with special attention to relations between peripheral or provincial areas and cultural or administrative centers. Major intellectual, religious, social and political developments are explored through primary and secondary readings, and a mixture of lecture and class discussion.

Emphasizing the Catholic social encyclical tradition, the course investigates the theoretical and practical relationships between Christian belief and thought, and social and economic life (involving issues of economic justice, peace, race, gender, family, etc.). In so doing, we explore the lives of those who have worked to shape Christian social justice movements, and other concrete contemporary applications of Catholic social teaching.

This course seeks to deepen a student’s understanding of the relationship between the Catholic theology of creation and contemporary empirical science. Topics to be covered include the birth of science; the historical-philosophical environment of this birth; the interventions of recent Popes on the issue; the specificity of the cosmos as shown by current science; the unity of the cosmos and its beauty; the importance of philosophical realism; the doctrine of creation ex nihilo et cum tempore; the theory of the Big Bang; and the theory of evolution. Primary sources will be emphasized.

The history of science is often told as a chronological account of practical and theoretical developments from antiquity to modern times. Because of the modern assumption that science and religion have no relation, the theological influences of religions in various cultures are often ignored, or they are interpreted according to the historian’s biases, which is difficult to avoid. The worldview instilled by theologies, however, influenced how people of different cultures fundamentally understood the universe, so the fuller consideration of the history of science is the consideration of the theological history of science. In this course, the students will read a variety of writings with differing opinions and original sources. Cultures/periods will be treated in this order: Egypt, China, India, Babylonia, Greece, Arabia, Biblical cultures, early Christianity, European Middle Ages, and the Scientific Revolution.

Christianity is literally the religion of the Word, and Catholic writers have been expressing, exploring and communicating the mystery of “the Word made flesh” for two thousand years in every genre of the literary arts. The course will examine this legacy of “artful theology” in its many variations and in its constant features. Representative authors and works from different epochs will be examined both in their socio-historical context and for their enduring theological and spiritual significance.

This course is designed to help students to understand and to explore the experience of voluntary conversion in the Catholic tradition. Beginning with conversion even before Christianity with the story of Moses, moving through the New Testament and St. Augustine to later converts like John Henry Cardinal Newman and Dorothy Day, the course examines the nature of conversion, what led to it in each case, and the impact on the life of the converted and his or her society.

Study of various genres and styles Latin language and literature of late antiquity and the Middle Ages; with readings from the Vulgate, Church Fathers, hymns, drama, history, secular songs, satire, biography and romance. Selections include St Augustine, St Jerome, Bede, the Carmina Burana and the Apollonius Romance. Prerequisite: LATN 2102 or equivalent.

This course represents an integrating experience of the student¿s participation in the Catholic Studies program, whereby theological understanding and lived experience of Catholicism become intertwined. Particular attention is paid to how Catholicism¿s incarnational theology necessarily applies to and acts within the specific setting of the student¿s life, parish and community.

Few countries exhibit as strong a connection of its history, culture and identity with the Catholic Faith as does Poland, a factor which proved decisive in its return to freedom. The course examines how the Polish people and Church endured through the periods of partition and Nazi/Soviet tyranny until their resurgence in the epochal pontificate of Pope John Paul II and the collapse of Communism. This course is part of the Catholic Studies foreign study program.

Drawing from a variety of sources - historical, literary, philosophical and theological - this course examines the origins and nature of Christian culture, exploring in particular the value of culture itself as an aspect of revelation and incarnation. Looking at figures such as the historian Christopher Dawson, the poet-philosopher-playwright G.K. Chesterton, the novelist-philologist J.R.R. Tolkien, the theologian Bernard Lonergan and the novelist-Christian apologist C.S. Lewis, it offers some answers from the contemporary Christian tradition to the ancient questions: How am I meant to understand the world? How am I meant to understand myself? This course is part of Catholic Studies foreign study tour program.

Italy enjoys a pre-eminence as a spiritual center for the Christian world alongside its importance in the development of Western civilization's art, music, architecture and political thought. The course will examine the interplay between Italy's profound spiritual heritage and cultural achievements, focusing on the contributions of such key figures as the Apostles Peter and Paul, Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Ignatius of Loyola. This course is part of Catholic Studies foreign study tour program.

Selected topics in Irish History chosen by the instructor.

Visualization is crucial for understanding complex information and for enabling humans to act on information appropriately. For example, visualization is used in many application areas such as social and health sciences, business, the natural sciences and engineering. This course introduces the foundations of information visualization rooted in cognitive psychology and perception. This course also teaches retrieving information from data sources, such as data bases and the internet, preparing data for processing, as well as creating and presenting information visualizations using standard software.

This course introduces the foundations of applied data mining. There is a need for extracting useful information from raw data in fields such as social and health sciences, business, the natural sciences and engineering. This course covers the fundamental ideas and algorithms of data mining. Furthermore, it teaches applying data mining techniques in order to extract useful information from data. Standard software for data mining will be used. The course is intended for any student desiring an introduction to data mining. Prerequisite: MATH 0012 or appropriate placement.

A majority of data collected today is unstructured and therefore not immediately accessible to standard data mining techniques. Much of that unstructured data comes in the form of text. Analyzing textual data requires a specialized suite of tools, tools which collectively constitute the field of text mining. This course introduces the foundations of text mining and provides techniques and ideas that demonstrate how text mining can be used to extract useful information from a large text corpus. Applications include examples in the humanities, law, business, and the sciences. Text processing and analysis will be carried out using standard software for text mining. The course is intended for any student desiring an introduction to text mining.

This course provides credit for students participating in an internship experience through the Career Center. As part of the requirements, students are required to give a presentation about their experience in the departmental seminar. Students interested in the internship experience are required to consult the departmental internship adviser.

Students participate in a project in data analytics under the guidance of a faculty member. The topic of the project is closely integrated with the learning experience in the students' data visualization and analysis curriculum. The topic is chosen in collaboration with the faculty member.

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies, through lectures and discussion led by environmental studies program faculty from the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities.

Descriptive survey of the science of the earth; the composition of the earth; weathering and erosion; the formulation and movement of glaciers; the origin of mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes and deserts; and geological history of the earth. Field trips when possible.

Geography as a periodic relationship between the physical environment and life. Elements of the natural environment and their influences on human cultural activities.

Examination of current theoretical and practical issues in the field of environmental ethics, among them, obligations to future generations, human relationships to nature, and the inherent value of the natural world.

Application of basic scientific laws, principles and concepts to environmental and resource problems. Scientific concepts such as matter and energy resources; soil, water and food resources; ecosystems, atmosphere and geologic processes; air and water pollution and pesticides will be studied. Problems such as deforestation, loss of biodiversity and global climate change will be examined. Three-hour lecture, three-hour laboratory per week. (Part of the environmental studies program; not a biology major elective course.) Lab fee TBA.

Examines diverse socio-cultural strategies used by human societies throughout the world. Addresses a broad range of social formations such as those used by tropical hunters and foragers, small scale agriculturists & pastoralists, peasant farmers, and agro-industrial corporations, as they respond to and transform the natural environment. Students will learn to apply an anthropological perspective towards the understanding of topics of great global import such as population, pollution, industrialization, sustainable development, and ecosystems.

Explores the changing relationship between people and the environment in the United States. As a general survey of the nation’s environmental history, the course examines a variety of issues, including our changing understanding of the “natural” world and our place in it; the consequences of human efforts to commodify and control nature; social and ethical responses to environmental problems; and the evolution of environmental policy.

An introduction to social science research. Topics include problem selection and hypothesis formation and testing; research design; sampling; construction and administration of research techniques; elementary data analysis and ethical issues. Some statistical and computer applications.

Explores the relationship between politics and environmental policy in the United States. Looks at specific problems such as pollution, global climate change, species depletion, land management and hazardous waste. Explores attempts by government and other interested parties to rectify these problems.

Topics are chosen by the environmental studies faculty. Through lectures, discussion of readings, written assignments, field work and other means, students explore a special topic in the field of environmental studies.

Topics are chosen by the environmental studies faculty. Through lectures, discussion of readings, written assignments, field work and other means, students explore a special topic in the field of environmental studies.

Geographic Information Systems are mapping technologies used in a variety of professional fields. In this course, students will acquire basic GIS software skills for representing and interpreting data on maps. Individual and group projects emphasize real-world applications.

Sustainability in the marine environment involves synchronizing human activities with the rhythms of nature. Students learn the theory of sustainability from the perspectives of marine biology and resource management, religious values, and socio-economic constraints, and study the application of these concepts in a particular geographic setting, Campobello Island, at the US-Canada border. This “travel and learn” course is offered in the summer term, and includes travel and residence for one week on Campobello Island, off the coast of Maine. The course fulfills the University Core Signature 3 requirement.

This course explores the various paradigms of the natural world that have been developed over the course of the Catholic intellectual tradition, broadly understood. These paradigms have had enormous influences on the ways that we in the west have thought about, organized, and acted upon in the natural world. These paradigms include significant descriptions and norms about the relationship of humans to the natural world. During this course we analyze and evaluate these dimensions of the paradigms of nature as well as human relationships to the earth. The course fulfills the University Core Signature 3 requirement.

The ethics, principles and practices of permaculture (permanent agriculture and permanent culture) are introduced with real life examples of urban, suburban and rural landscape regeneration projects. Using whole systems thinking, students will design human habitats that yield perennial abundance and enduring value. Focus on habitats that are adaptive, resilient and secure places, in a future of peak oil, climate instability, and deepening economic insolvency. The course is accompanied by Permaculture Design Lab (1 credit). Together, the course and the lab lead to a professional certificate in Permaculture Design.

The tutorial courses provide opportunities for a senior student to pursue an in-depth reading and writing project in close consultation with a member of the environmental studies faculty.

The tutorial courses provide opportunities for a senior student to pursue an in-depth reading and writing project in close consultation with a member of the environmental studies faculty.

The tutorial courses provide opportunities for a senior student to pursue an in-depth reading and writing project in close consultation with a member of the environmental studies faculty.

This course provides a field experience under the supervision of a member of the environmental studies faculty. The specific form and requirements of the practicum, e.g. internship, service learning, etc., is developed in close consultation with the instructor. Students share their reflections on the experience during the semester and make a formal presentation of the results.

This course is the senior capstone for all students majoring in environmental studies. A broad topic of pivotal importance to the field is selected annually. Each student prepares an independent research project on a specific aspect of the topic, closely mentored by faculty of the environmental studies program. The course is taught in the fall semester, but students begin preparation through required summer reading. The fall semester is a structured research/writing seminar that culminates in a formal written and oral presentation of the student’s findings.

Introduces the various racial, ethnic, and religious groups who comprise the current American mosaic, from its earliest Native American inhabitants to the most recent immigrants. An overview of their cultural contributions and the manner in which gender and class influences their experiences constitute an important focus. Readings are drawn from original sources as well as monographs. Guest speakers and films will be used in this interdisciplinary multicultural course.

Presents a comparative overview of those foreign cultures that have sent and are sending America immigrants from Asian, African, European, Caribbean, and Latin American nations. Readings are obtained from original sources and monographs. A multicultural course exploring cultural diversity in a global context. Guest speakers and films will be used in this interdisciplinary course.

This course is a senior seminar for students in the Liberal Studies Program. The aim of the course is to give students the chance to examine how their previous coursework in the program contributes to their education in the context of a rigorous seminar. This is a writing-intensive course that focuses on issues within the humanities and discussions with the director.

Interdisciplinary senior seminar for social science majors which fulfills the graduation requirements for the SOBS or the SOBT major. Topics for the participants are decided upon in consultation with the faculty members directing the seminars and vary by the student’s minor field.

This course provides students with the foundational knowledge required to begin studying cybersecurity and prepare for a career in this field. The students develop the knowledge of Enterprise Security principles that are common in today’s business environment. This knowledge will be critical to success in the positions of Security Analyst, Network Security Engineer, and Risk Analyst. The material covers the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including risk management, network security, endpoint protection, disaster recovery, and business continuity. Prerequisites: The students must have basic Windows user skills, fundamental understanding of computer and networking concepts, and the ability to use Blackboard.

The course teaches the foundations of computing and programming in a scripting language, such as Python, Perl and Scala, for professions dealing with data and information, including cybersecurity, data science, and data and information engineering, and addresses the impact of information systems and cybersecurity on society. It teaches the fundamentals of programming for informatics, to solve problems in cybersecurity, data science applications, and information systems. The course focuses on the design process that leads students from a problem statement to a well-organized solution.

This course focuses on the Network+ test principles and the material necessary to pass the CompTIA Network+ (N10 – 007) examination in Cybersecurity. The course conveys knowledge and understanding of networking concepts and acquire the required skills to prepare for a career in network support or administration, or who wish to prepare for the CompTIA Network+ certification exam.

This course focuses on the Security+ test principles and the material necessary to pass the CompTIA Security+ examination in Cybersecurity. The students develop the knowledge of the Enterprise Security principles that are common in today’s business environment. This knowledge will be critical to success in the positions of Network Security specialists. The course material discusses the common practices of security, network protection and the protection practices of industry.

This course is a survey of legal and public policy issues arising from the problem of cybersecurity. It begins with a review of Internet law concepts, highlighting the importance of social norms and “soft law” in the Internet’s development, while also recognizing the ways in which the Internet’s minimal legal governance frameworks contribute to its security risks. It then focuses on computer crime law, including the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which contains provisions that address data theft and hacking. This discussion of computer crime leads to consideration of online privacy, government surveillance, and legal process for government investigations, and cyberwar. The final portion of the course covers legal and policy issues relating to private information infrastructure.

Students participate in a collaborative cyber-security group project under the guidance of a faculty member in the cyber-security program. The topic of the project, chosen in consultation with the faculty member, is closely integrated with the learning experience in any of the courses offered in the cyber-security program. The project will focus on providing a solution to a real-world cyber-security issue that an actual or hypothetical organization may face.

This course considers ways in which the critical analysis of gender-related issues might contribute to the discipline of philosophy, including in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, and ethics.

Examines biological, cultural and psychosocial differences and similarities between women and men with respect to development and personality. Emphasizes the role of gender in contemporary culture.

Examines the causes, manifestations, preventive strategies, and interventions applicable to the inappropriate use of force between and among persons known to each other, including acquaintance rape; spouse battering; child, adolescent and elder abuse. 3 credits (Cross-listed SOWK 1335)

An interdisciplinary course designed to introduce students to the contributions of women to history, society and culture, and enable them to understand and evaluate the effects of social institutions and cultural expectations on gender.

Examination of the wide range of theories and perspectives that constitute feminism today. Three main parts: historical overview of the development of feminist thinking; analysis of major feminist theories; and examination of the intersections between traditional philosophy and feminist thinking.

An exploration of the contributions of women writers to Western literature from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, including an examination of relevant works in cultural history. Cross-listed with Women and Gender Studies for credit toward women and gender studies minor. (Formerly ENGL 2113).

This course explores textual representations and conceptualizations of ‘woman’ from the early 19th century to the present, primarily but not exclusively in the Western tradition. Students will examine how ideas of ‘woman’ are influenced by factors such as race, class, religion, and colonization.

Women are often omitted from the story of science. In reality, women have always been part of science, and have made significant contributions and discoveries to fields such as Physics, Biology, Medicine, and Chemistry. But who are these women? What did they do? How did they get written out of science? What happens if they’re included? Students in this course will learn about women who contributed to science; examine the methods and systems (ex. social, economic, educational) by which women have been excluded from it and from the narrative of science’s discoveries and development; and explore the impact on the story of science of including women’s contribution.

Directed study and research in chosen area of women and gender studies selected by the student in consultation with the program director. Requires extensive collaboration with a faculty member in the specific discipline and a major research problem.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the experiences of women varied widely. Focusing on four broad categories – queens, wives, religious women, and women of ill-repute – this course looks at the broad scope of women’s roles in medieval Europe. How did a woman’s marital status affect the expectations of her role in society? What was life like for women in towns versus peasant women? What did medieval families look like, and what were the roles of family members? What legal rights and obligations did women have, and what recourse did they have in resolving disputes? What limitations and opportunities existed for women in the Middle Ages? Why did women become prostitutes? How and when were women able to wield very real political power? Readings will include primary sources such as letters, literature, legal documents, saints’ lives, histories, handbooks, and other contemporary writings.

This course considers how race, region, and gender have shaped Americans’ understandings of families in poverty in the twentieth century. We will consider the solutions to poverty proposed by reformers and policymakers alongside the lived experience of poor families themselves. Our goal will be to think critically about the sources of poverty as well as about how ideas about social justice, poverty, and poor families themselves have changed over time. 3

This course introduces students to the study of gender and sexuality in US History. This class examines how sexuality has been socially constructed, how understandings of sexuality have changed over time, and how questions about sexuality have been shaped by public debates about categories like race and class. Topics will include sexual violence, queer communities, sexual rights, and the regulation of sexuality by the state.

Through texts by and about English Catholic women composed between 1660 and 1800, students in this course will learn about the challenges and opportunities facing these women and the ways – textual and practical – in which they faced them. Students will explore how text, whether private or public, provided 17th and 18th century English Catholic women with a means for negotiating the opportunities and limitations they faced as women, as Catholics, and as Catholic women.

Survey of women's participation in the media and the portrayal of women by the media. Critical study of how women have been represented in journalism, film, television and advertising. 3 credits.