B.A. Core Curriculum

Arts Center; Arts and Sciences, Corrigan, Fahy, and Jubilee Halls
CHDCM@shu.edu

The hallmark of a liberal arts education is that it entices a student to examine the tree of knowledge, to see both the distinct nature and interdependence of its branches. Through its programs, the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media (CHDCM) and its Core Curriculum for students pursuing Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees offers students the opportunity to examine areas of the communication and the arts in depth, while exposing them to the breadth of related disciplines.

B.A. Core Curriculum Overview

The CHDCM's B.A. Core Curriculum focuses on the following nine categories:

  • Social and Political Engagement - To cultivate a sense of meaningful citizenship, students will study the ways in which humans engage social and political issues through civic actions and cultural expressions.
  • Historical Contexts - To appreciate the way historical analysis helps us understand the world, students will take a course in the History Department that offers a broad investigation of social, political, cultural, and/or ideological forces shaping society over a long period of time and a course in Communication and the Arts that offers a history of a specific topic taught within the college.
  • Aesthetics - To cultivate an understanding of how visual and other forms of cultural production both reflect and affect the societies that produce them, students will learn about the aesthetic, cultural, social, and political implications of various art forms over the ages.
  • Identity and Difference - To develop an awareness of the ways that identities work and to understand the importance that identities play in society, students will study how identities are shaped by historical moments; how identities are predicated on differences of race, class, gender, nation, region, etc.; and/or how scholarly studies have theorized the construction of identities.
  • The Creative Process/Digital Cultures - To cultivate a sense of how creativity operates, students will learn how people make cultural works in historical periods, institutional settings, communicative modes, and/or artistic practices. To develop a meaningful understanding of our participation in the contemporary world, students will study how cultures work, circulate, and are accessed in digital environments.
  • Speaking and Listening - To understand the range of public discourse and prepare to contribute to and lead social groups, students will learn and practice presentations and other forms of spoken communication.
  • World Languages and Cultural Studies - To increase awareness of cultural roots and traditions in countries other than the United States, students will demonstrate understanding and appreciation of classical language, modern language, or world cultures.
  • Math and Science - To sharpen abilities to use and interpret quantitative information and use mathematical reasoning to solve problems, students will learn mathematical methodologies, models, and their applications; and to better understand the natural and physical world, including the challenges and impacts of discovery, students will examine scientific principles and practices.
  • Ethics - To examine what it means to lead a good and just life, students will use the principles of sound reasoning to make well-informed decisions about moral issues.

As of Fall 2016, all incoming freshmen and transfer students with 29 or fewer credits who are candidates for a B.A. degree in the CHDCM must demonstrate college-level competence by successfully completing all courses.  Some important details include.

  1. a course successfully completed to fulfill one CHDCM B.A. core requirement may not be used to fulfill another core requirement.  In addition, a course successfully completed to fulfill a core requirement may not be used to fulfill a program requirement; 
  2. a course successfully completed to fulfill a core requirement may not be used to fulfill a program requirement unless the student has a minor or a double major in a program offered by the CHDCM only.  In this case, a student with a declared minor can apply two (2) courses (not to exceed 6 credits) from their minor/major into the CHDCM B.A. Core; and
  3. for students with a double major, three courses (9 credits) can be applied to both major(s) and the CHDCM B.A. Core. 

Students accepted as a transfer with an awarded Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from an accredited institution are waived from the CHDCM's Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Core and University Core -- except for the Engaging the World, Ethics, and Aesthetics categories.  Qualified students should contact their academic advisor to learn more.

CHDCM Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Core Curriculum

The following outlines the requirements of the 16-credit University Core and the Core Curriculum of the CHDCM's B.A. degree programs. To obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree, students within the College are required to complete both the University- and CHDCM B.A. Core Curriculum, as well as declare a major to earn a minimum of 120 credits.

University Core

All students must successfully complete the following courses:

CORE 1001University Life1
CORE 1101Journey of Transformation3
CORE 2101Christianity and Cult in Dial.3
CORE 3XXXEngaging the World3
ENGL 1201Core English I3
ENGL 1202Core English II3
Total Hours16

CHDCM Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Core Curriculum

Social and Political Engagement - Select one course from each of the following categories6
Category A
Media Law
Gender and the Media
Literary Journalism
Dynamics-Human Comm
Intercultural Communication
Communication Ethics
History of Rhetoric
Team Building and the Group Process
Persuasive Speaking
Rhetorical Criticism
Moral Argumentation and Debate
Category B
History of the Civil Rights Movement
Black Politics
Political Economy of Racism
Intell Trad-Global African Exp
Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Law
United States Politics
Western Political Thought
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Introduction to Sociology
Social Problems and Solutions
Social Change
Introduction to Social Work
Historical Contexts - Select at least two courses; one from each of the following categories6
Category A
Art and Human Needs
Art of the Western World
American Art
Introduction to Television and Radio History
Sound, Technology and Culture
History of American Journalism
History of Rhetoric
Theater History
The Practice of Catholic Liturgical Music
Music and Civilizations
American Music as an Agent of Change
Music of Broadway
Category B
History of Africa I
History of Africa II
World History I
World History II
Western Civilization I
Western Civilization II
American History I
American History II
History of Latin America I
History of Latin America II
History of Traditional Asia
History of Modern Asia
Gender, Culture and Society
Aesthetics - Select one of the following3
Art and Human Needs
Art of the Western World
History of Photography
Introduction to Visual Theory
Film Criticism
Literary Journalism
Rhetorical Criticism
The Practice of Catholic Liturgical Music
Music and Civilizations
American Music as an Agent of Change
Music of Broadway
Music and Cultural Dialogue
Music in Film
Identity and Difference - Select at least two courses; one from each of the following categories6
Category A
American Art
Digital Media Studies
Reality Television
Sports, Media and Culture
Gender and the Media
Dynamics-Human Comm
Intercultural Communication
Non-Verbal Communication
Moral Argumentation and Debate
Theatre As Cultural Dialogue
Category B
Introduction to African-American Studies
Early African-American Literature
Modern African-American Literature
Psych. of the Black Experience
Peoples and Cultures of America I
Peoples and Cultures of America II
Philosophy and Classical Mind
Philosophy and Modern Mind
Feminist Theories
Introduction to Psychology
International Psychology
Psychology of Religion
Religions of the World
History of Asian Relig Reflect
The Black Church
Jewish Beliefs and Practices
Intro to Islam
Gender, Culture and Society
The Creative Process/Digital Cultures - Select one of the following3
Drawing I
Painting I
Sculpture
Digital Art and Design I (Formerly ADIM 2312)
Intro to Multimedia Comm
Brand Evolution - Logo Design
Drawing as Design
User Experience & Interface Design I
Digital Painting
Introduction to Digital Media Production
Writing for the Media
Performing Literature: Story-Telling and the Narrative Process
Introduction to the Theater
Acting I
Songwriting - Music Fundamentl
Speaking and Listening - Required Course
COST 1600 Speaking and Listening in a Digital and Global Age3
World Languages and Cultures - Select a sequence of two (2) courses from one of the following6
ARAB
Arabic
CHIN
Chinese
FREN
French
GERM
German
GREK
Greek
ITAL
Italian
JAPN
Japanese
LATN
Latin
RUSS
Russian
SPAN
Spanish
Math and Science - Select one course from each of the following categories6
Category A - Math
Stat Concepts and Methods
Mathematical Perspective
Stats Models for Soc Science
Calculus I
Calculus I - Math - Phys Sci
Category B - Science
Introduction to Biology
Biology in the World Around Us
Human Structure-Function I
Human Structure-Function II
Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Human Anatomy and Phys I Lab
Human Anatomy and Phys II
and Human Anatomy and Phys II Lab
General Biology- Organisms
and General Biology-Organisms Lab
General Biology-Cell
and General Biology-Cell Lab
Chemistry and the World Around Us - An Integrative Approach
Principles of Chemistry I
Principles of Chemistry II
General Chemistry I
General Chemistry II
Elements of Organic and Biochemistry
Intro to Physical Science
Intro to Astronomy
General Physics I
General Physics II
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics II
Ethics - Select one of the following3
Ethics
Business Ethics
Biomedical Ethics
Environmental Ethics
Contemporary Moral Issues
Christian Ethics
Faith and Justice
Buddhist World Thought-Culture
Total Hours42

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