General Education

An introduction to the fundamentals of composition presented in terms of both academic and professional writing. Students will learn rhetoric and the art of writing in a persuasive manner for business and social media purposes. Students will demonstrate grammatical competence while showing an ability to write in a thoughtful and well-informed manner.

Introducing students to the theory and practices or oral communication. Students will develop their ability to effectively communicate through speech in their academic, business, and social life. Students will learn to build a logical organization of expository, argumentative, and persuasive speaking. While there is an emphasis on public speaking, students will learn the art of critique, collaborative communications, and negotiation.

Introducing students to decision making, problem solving, argumentation, and persuasion. Students will learn to apply specific thinking strategies and tools to situations in a wide variety of workplace, personal, academic, and cultural situations. Students will learn to appraise information and influences, discuss controversial topics intelligently, and construct well-reasoned arguments on a variety of topics. The course will focus on group discussion and written analysis.

Advanced instruction in academic and professional writing, and in the analysis of texts composed by others. Students will have the opportunity to select a topic and explore ways to develop their skills in academic writing, business writing, marketing and social media writing, and in other creative writing arenas.

An exploration of the relationship of art, music, and drama to cultural issues in contemporary American society. Students will explore the rise of popular culture in the United States and the art forms that developed as a result of technological, economic, and social changes in American life.

An introduction to cross-cultural perspective on myths, mythologies, and folklore from around the world. Students will learn to interpret different theories of the cultural meaning as well as the various functions mythology and symbolism play in different societies.

An introduction to the philosophical study of morality. Students will study the evolution of ethical concepts, why people believe what they believe, and how to use moral theories to define their own sense of right and wrong behavior. Students will examine contemporary moral issues and learn to create and articulate a personal position on public policy solutions.

An opportunity for in-depth exploration and analysis of selected topics in the humanities with a specific theme selected for the quarter.

An opportunity for in-depth exploration and student-selected research on a topic in the humanities with a specific theme selected for the quarter.

An introduction to college-level algebra. Students will learn to use mathematical functions and apply them to everyday life. Topics include the definition of a function, the domain and range, linear, exponential and logarithmic, quadratic, polynomial, and rational functions and their graphs.

An introduction to math from a modeling perspective. Topics include modeling real-world situations with linear equations, modeling with proportionality, a study of linear equations, their solutions and applications, fitting data best with a straight line, and modeling with systems of linear equations.

An introduction to mathematical and problem-solving skills. Students will make connections between mathematics, business, and the society in which we live. Topics include set theory and logic, mathematical modeling, probability and statistical methods, and consumer mathematics.

An introduction to the form and function of the human organism. Organ systems are studied, and recent scientific and medical advances are investigated. Required laboratories involve exercises in blood pressure, sense perception, digestion, and respirometry.

An introduction to the basic principles and concepts of biology through selected topics at the cellular, organism, and population levels of organization. Students will be study critical contemporary advances in biology that have applications in medicine, agriculture, environment, pharmaceuticals, and many other industries.

An introduction to the physical sciences. Students will be introduced to the principles of astronomy, geology, physics, and related sciences. Thought provoking contemporary topics from the Big Bang to the evolution of the solar system and the Earth will be studied.

An introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry. Topics include chemical stoichiometry, the properties of gases, liquids, and solids, solutions, chemical equilibria, atomic and the molecular structure.

An exploration of the intellectual roots and contemporary applications of cultural studies and critical media studies. Focusing on different theoretical bases for analyzing power and meaning in the production of modern texts, students will engage readings in anti-racist, feminist, modern, postmodern, and LGBTQ cultural and social theory, to later compare them to traditional approaches in the humanities. This course is writing intensive, with special emphasis on developing skills in critical thinking and scholarly argumentation and documentation.

An introduction to the history of government. Students will explore how social organization developed in different societies. The role and function of government and how social organizations develop will be understood in terms of modern theories of economic and social change.

An introduction to the sociology of religion. Topics include an overview of religious practices, beliefs, and rituals in the context of social and political structures in different societies.

An opportunity for in-depth exploration and analysis of selected topics in the social and behavioral sciences with a specific theme selected each quarter.

An opportunity for in-depth exploration and student-selected research on a topic in the social and behavioral sciences with a specific theme selected each quarter.