Most SCS students have a number of Liberal Arts or Free Electives that they must enroll in to complete their degree requirements. Knowing which courses to take is sometimes challenging. We are hopeful that this page will make this choice easier for you. Please find below some course descriptions of new and/or interesting course options. If you have 5 or 6 Electives to fill, you may also want to consider adding a certificate or minor to your degree. This way you will graduate with additional credentials. Please contact your Advisor to discuss the possibilities.
[LA = Liberal Arts Elective, FE = Free Elective]
Do you need a Fine Arts?
CORE 105.41 The Artistic Impulse T/TH 6:00-9:45 Providence
This course examines a variety of masterworks and artists from the western traditions of art, dance, music, and theater. The course situates art and artists in historical perspective, emphasizes Classicism, Romanticism, Modernism and relates them to contemporary modes of expression.
Works of art will be presented in context, so the impact of historical circumstance and cultural expectation on the creative artist will be apparent. Students will respond through oral and written analysis to masterworks studied in class and to works experienced at outside performances. While all sections of the course will include historic masterworks from the fields of art, theater, dance, and music, specific content of individual sections will reflect the interests and expertise of the professor.
Throughout the semester, we also examine the work and ideas we study in order to explore the role, meaning and implications of questions that have shaped the human experience:
- Who am I?
- What can I know?
- How should I act?
[LA, FE]
MUSIC 121.41 Evolution of Jazz M/W 6:00-9:45 Providence
This course is an overview of the development of America’s original art form. It deals with events of the times, the cultural and societal influences on the development of Jazz and on the music itself. Through reading, viewing, and listening, we will study the many styles of this uniquely American phenomenon.
[LA, FE]
The SCS offers many interesting Psychology courses, such as Legal Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Work, etc. To be eligible to take these, you must first take the pre-requisite course:
PSYCH 100.41 Intro to Psychology M/W 6:00-9:45 Providence
Introduction to the basic conceptual approaches through which psychology derives its intellectual
form. Emphasis is placed upon the nature of scientific inquiry and its role in obtaining an understanding of human behavior. Exposure to various psychological theories, including Freudianism, behaviorism, social learning, and humanism.
[LA-Social Science, FE]
Speaking of interesting Psychology courses…
PSYCH 205.41 Psychology and Work T/TH 6:00-9:45 Providence
In this course, students will learn how psychology is applied to industry and business settings. Students will be exposed to psychological tools and methods in hiring, evaluating and training of employees.
The course will also cover sexual harassment in the workplace; organizational attitudes and behaviors; employee motivation and satisfaction; stress and well-being; leadership; and group dynamics.
[LA, FE]
Do you find the Criminal Justice field interesting?
The following courses are available to all majors.
CJS 207.31 Law and Family TH/Online 5:00-7:00 Providence
The course examines the nature of the relationship between the law and families in the United States. The course focuses on an analysis of how the law structures marital and familial relationships and how, in turn, society’s changing definitions and conceptions of marriage and family impacts both criminal and civil law.
The course examines the proper boundaries of state intervention in people’s most private relationships and highlights how family law and changes in family law both shape and reflect some of society’s most strongly held social values. Topics include marital privacy, child-parent relationships, divorce, child support and custody, domestic violence, and intra-family crime.
[FE]
CJS 424.31 Securing the Homeland W/Online 5:00-7:00 Providence Critical analysis of homeland security perspectives, practices, and strategies through a broad review of systemic social (dis)organization including the criminal justice role, education/training, media, and community processes.
[FE]
Do you want to bolster your knowledge and skills in the workplace?
COMM 431.91 Special Topics: Media Relations Online
Regardless of your intended career direction, chances are, you will be required to work with the media at some point, in some capacity. You might be called upon to write a news release about a new joint venture, to give an interview on a late-breaking, international development, or to advise your organization’s top spokesperson in advance of a news conference.
This course will examine the role of media relations in the public, non-profit and private sectors. We will discuss the importance of eveloping a positive, pro-active relationship with the media and how to do so. Students will learn the protocol for communicating with traditional print and broadcast outlets and online media and how to develop and maintain a “media list.”
Students will also learn the essentials of good news writing, how to compose specific pieces such as news releases, backgrounders and facts sheets, and how to assemble a press kit. We will also discuss how to prepare for media interviews and how and when to organize a news conference.
[LA, FE][webcam required]
CIS 101.91 Intro to Spreadsheets Online
Explores the use of spreadsheets to solve common business problems. Topics include the Microsoft Windows environment, spreadsheet design with application to business modeling, built-in functions, designing macros, exchanging data with other applications, basic statistical analysis and graphical presentation of data.
[FE]
PA 360.91 Communications in Organizations Online
A study of the nature and importance of communications in complex organizations such as corporations and agencies. Topics include communication theory, theory of organizations, managing communications in organizations, and effects of communication on behavior and attitudes.
[LA,FE]
PA 430.31 Special Topics: Leadership Wed/Online 6:00-8:00 Newport
An overview of the field of leadership theory and practice, with emphasis on the roles of public and health organizations and their capacity to achieve their missions. Among the topics studied will be leader assessments, leader characteristics, leader styles, leader behaviors and leader evaluation and development.
[FE]
PA 430.32 Special Topics: Nonprofit Strategic Planning Thur/Online 6:00-8:00 Providence
Leaders and managers of non-profit organizations must be effective strategists if these organizations are to fulfill their mission, meet their mandates, satisfy their constituents, and create public value in the years ahead. Strategic planning is a set of concepts, procedures, and tools designed to assist leaders and managers with these tasks.
Since strategic planning is both a creative and participatory process, all members of these organizations will at some point take part in a strategic planning process and knowledge of these concepts, procedures, and tools will assist all members contribute to the organization’s success.
[FE]
SHS 417.31 Human Resource Development Thur/Online 6:00-8:00 Providence
Human Resource Development (HRD) is commonly confused with the areas of Human Resources or Human Resource Management (HRM). To clarify, Human Resources is an umbrella term that contains both HRM and HRD. HRM concerns itself with the goals and activities surrounding hiring, benefits, compensation, labor management and compliance. HRD is a fairly young field of academic study, although it is well established in the field of practice.
The purpose of HRD is to focus on the resource that humans bring to the success equation – both personal success and organizational success. This course will introduce HRD and then review the theories, paradigms, and perspectives that are the foundation of its practice. Two main areas of practice will be examined; training and development and organizational development. We will also explore various roles in HRD and the competencies required to be a successful HRD professional.
[FE]
Here is one more that just looks interesting…
PA 430.91 Special Topics: The Politics of Terrorism Online
This course will focus on understanding the terrorist threats and responses to those threats in the post- 9/11 world and what they mean to America. Modern terrorist attacks have shaped the policy priorities of the United States and its role in the international arena. This course will analyze the policies that have been instituted to counter these threats and how those policies relate to the Constitution.
[LA, FE]