2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
|
|
|
At the end of each course description, information is provided to indicate when the course will be scheduled.
Please Note: Schedules are subject to change; consult the Office of the Student Financial Services prior to registration. The Registrar’s website is www.iona.edu/registrar.
Courses designated NLA (non-liberal arts) cannot be applied toward the minimum liberal arts credit requirements. Course prerequisites are included in this listing. Unless otherwise specified, a course does not have a prerequisite.
|
| |
Political Science Courses may be classified as follows:
Corequisites: POL 201 , POL 203
Major Core: POL 302 , POL 497
- Political Theory: POL 313 , POL 314 , POL 315 , POL 316 , POL 317
- American Politics: POL 320, POL 323 , POL 324 , POL 325 , POL 326 , POL 327 , POL 328 , POL 329 , POL 332 , POL 333
- Policy and Administration: POL 380 , POL 381 , POL 382 , POL 383
- International Politics: POL 331 , POL 362 , POL 364 , POL 365 , POL 366 , POL 368
- Comparative Politics: POL 341 , POL 346, POL 347
- Scope & Statistics: POL 301 , POL 305
- Special Topics, Seminars, Internships, & Independent Studies: POL 336 , POL 385 , POL 483 , POL 484 , POL 491 , POL 492 , POL 499
|
| |
-
POL 383 - The Public Policy Process
Study of the dynamics of the policy -making process - what governments do, how decisions are implemented, why some policy alternatives are pursued over others. Analysis of interactions among those demanding change in policy, those with authority to make decisions, those afected by the policy, and pressures outside government seeking reform of policy.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in Alternate Years
|
| |
-
POL 385 - Pre Law Internship
Internship in a cooperating private law office, in the legal department of a cooperating corporation or with a government agency such as a district attorney’s office, etc. Conferences with the Pre-Law Coordinator and research reports will supplement the student’s practical experience. This course is open to any student with the approval of the department chair. Preference will be given to Pre-Law minors if positions are limited.
Internship
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
POL 483 - Internship in Political Science
Internship in cooperating governmental or other agency under supervision of a faculty committee. The processes of government, internal operations, political, organizational and environmental influences on the operations of various agencies will be studied. Conferences with designated faculty members and research reports will supplement the student’s practical experience in government.
Internship
3 Credits
Offered in Fall & Spring
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
POL 484 - Internship in Political Science
Internship in cooperating governmental or other agency under supervision of a faculty committee. The process of government, internal operations, political, organizational and environmental influences on the operations of various agencies will be studied. Conferences with designated faculty members and research reports will supplement the student’s practical experience in government.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in Fall & Spring
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
POL 491 - Special Topics in Political Science
Intensive study opportunities in areas of specialization not covered in depth by existing courses. Special topics may include: Public Opinion, Terrorism, Identity Politics, Political Protest Movements. Students may take more than one special topics course.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
POL 492 - Special Topics in Political Science
Intensive study opportunities in areas of specialization not covered in depth by existing courses. Special topics may include: Public Opinion, Terrorism, Identity Politics, Political Protest Movements. Students may take more than one special topics course.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
POL 497 - Capstone in Political Science
Research and readings in selected topics and problems.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: POL 201 , POL 203 , POL 302 , senior status and approval of the department chair
Capstone Course Open to Seniors Only Offered in the Spring Semester
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
POL 499 - Independent Reading and Research
A supervised course of study concentrating on a specific topic approved by a faculty advisor. Student and advisor meet on a regular basis for purposes of guidance and the submission of progress reports.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: Senior Standing
Open to Seniors Only Offered in Fall & Spring
Department Consent Required
|
Psychology |
| |
-
CDS 1111 - Human Sexuality: Fact and Fallacy
A course dealing with myths and realities about human sexuality. The following topics will be explored: anatomy and psychology, conception and birth, gender roles, sexual behavior, marriage, love, coercive sexual behavior, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Lecture
1 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester Weekend Intensive
|
| |
-
DAA 3001 - Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Abuse Studies
A study of the biological, psychological and sociological aspects of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. An emphasis on the psycho-pharmacology of commonly abused substances, the disease concept of chemical dependency and an overview of substance abuse problems in the family, school and industry.
Lecture
4 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
DAA 3011 - Assessment, Referral and Treatment Methods
A study of the process of appraisal and evaluation of the chemical abuser and his/her family in order to determine the patient’s needs. Emphasis will be placed on understanding behavioral and medical symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction and the tools needed to make the appropriate treatment referral. Treatment resources will be explored.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 or permission of instructor
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
DAA 3023 - Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling with Family
An investigation of the alcoholic and drug abusing family system, and the cumulative crisis in the family resulting from addiction. Emphasis will be placed on co-dependency, the characteristics of Children and Adult Children of Alcoholics (COA/ACOA) and other chemical abusers, prevalent treatment approaches and the role of self-help programs.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 or PSY 3001 or HEC 3001 or permission of instructor
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
DAA 3031 - Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling
Application of counseling approaches, including treatment planning, setting goals and objectives, the therapeutic interview, the process of recovery and relapse counseling, to the drug and alcohol abuse situation.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 or permission of instructor
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
DAA 3220 - Psychology of Drug Habituation and Addiction
Behavioral effects of sedative hypnotic compounds, stimulants, convulsants, anti-psychotic agents, psychedelics, hallucinogens, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other drugs of psychological influence will be examined. Consideration will be given to attitudes toward drugs, theories of drug addiction and treatment. Methods of therapy will be discussed. Comparisons will be made with use of other methods for behavioral change.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 /PSY 3001
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
DAA 3400 - Employee Assistance Program
This course explores the history and changing models of employee assistance programs focusing on the impaired employee with drug and alcohol abuse and dependency problems, and personal and employment based difficulties that interfere with work performance. Students will learn about employee training, modes of intervention, supervisory and union participation, and the use of community and professional resources.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 /PSY 3001
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
PSY 201 - General Psychology 1
An introduction to the fundamental data and theories of the science of psychology; the nature, scope, and methods of experimental psychology. Emphasis is on the biological foundations of behavior, development, language, intelligence, testing, perception and social foundations of behavior.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 202 - General Psychology 2
An introduction to the fundamental data and theories of the science of psychology. Emphasis on learning, memory processes, motivation, emotion, personality, maladaptive behaviors and psychotherapies.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 210 - Educational Psychology
An examination of psychological findings applied to the school situation. Emphasis is given to the fundamental principles involved in teaching and learning and the processes and interactions facilitating each. Topics include motivation, intelligence, standardized testing, developmental problems and group processes.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 101 , SOC 102 , POL 201 , POL 203 , PSY 201 , PSY 202 , ECO 201 or ECO 202
Not for core credit Not Open to Freshman Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 212 - Child Psychology
A study in developmental psychology which introduces the student to the major aspects of change in childhood and pre-adolescence. Special attention is given to an evaluation of current cognitive, behavioral, and affective theories of child development and their respective contributions toward understanding the child’s reactions and interactions in the home, school and other settings.
Lecture
3 Credits
Not for core credit Not Open to Freshman Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 213 - Adolescent Psychology
An examination of the major themes of adolescent development. Adolescent behavior as related to intellectual, emotional, and biological growth and development. Implication for formation of self-concept, search for identity, peer group influence, problems and processes related to educational and vocational goals.
Lecture
3 Credits
Not for core credit Not Open to Freshman Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 220 - Psychology of Women
This course examines the scientific evidence regarding sexual differences and the controversies about these differences. Crucial issues affecting contemporary women and the women’s movement are examined from a psychological perspective.
Lecture
3 Credits
Not for Major Credit Offered in Alternate Years
|
| |
-
PSY 221 - Psychology of Human Sexuality
A study of human sexuality from a psychological viewpoint in order to help the students clarify their attitudes toward their own and other’s sexuality. Areas to be investigated include environmental determinants of sexuality, sexual arousal and response, marital sexuality, sexual variance, sexual attitudes and other topics selected by the class. Note: it is recommended that students meet with the instructor prior to enrollment to discuss the content of the course.
Lecture
3 Credits
Not for Major Credit Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 222 - Psychology of the Criminal Offender
A course covering the basic issues and theories in criminal psychology with emphasis on criminal personality types, their evaluation and treatment, and prevention, as well as the causes of delinquent behavior.
Lecture
3 Credits
Not for Major Credit Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 241 - Mental Hygiene
A study of disordered personal reactions and their fundamental dynamics; neurotic, psychotic and inadequate reactions to life and its circumstances; the defense mechanisms; possibilities for wholesome personality development in home, school and other environments; detection and prevention of poor adjustment; formal and informal therapeutic interventions.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 246 - Self Assessment and Career Development
This course will provide students with the tools for making effective career decisions through the use of self-assessment instruments, computerized career information systems and individual research projects. Skills fundamental to job seeking such as personal management, skill development, life goal clarification, interviewing and networking will be emphasized.
Lecture
3 Credits
New Freshman Only
Not for core credit Open only to new Freshman & New Transfer Not for Major Credit Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 323 - Quantitative Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences 1
An introduction to statistics as applied in the behavioral sciences. Statement of psychological constructs in quantitative terms. Included are measures of central tendency and variability, characteristics of the normal curve, correlation and prediction, and hypothesis testing techniques such as t, chi square, and analysis of variance.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 324 - Quantitative Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences 2
Advanced concepts in experimental design and quantitative research methods for the behavioral sciences; an overview of principles and techniques including higher order analysis of variance designs, analysis of covariance, multiple regression, repeated measures designs, and mixed designs.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 323 or Approval of Dept Chair
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 331 - Personnel Psychology
The application of psychological principles and techniques to personnel procedures in organizational settings; includes recruitment and selection, job analysis and design, employee performance, training, and development, leadership, motivation, and various aspects of organizational behavior.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
PSY 336 - Psychological Tests and Measures
Principles and practice of psychological measurement; administration, scoring, and interpretation of various types of psychological tests including intelligence, aptitude, achievement, interest and group measures of personality; problems of construction and standardization of measuring instruments; standards for evaluating tests.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 338 - History and Systems: Psychology of Learning
An examination of contemporary empirical investigations and theoretical positions of human and animal learning, placing each position in its historical context within psychology.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 201 or PSY 202 or approval Dept Chair
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 339 - Personality Theory
An examination of the historical and current scientific efforts to bring insight to the analysis of human personality. The theoretical contributions, research approaches, and clinical impact of major theories are analyzed. The theories reviewed include psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, trait, humanistic, and biopsychosocial contributions.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 341 - Physiological Psychology
Physiological foundations of behavior, including the development, anatomy, and functions of the nervous system. Explores neurological dysfunction and the effects on sensation, perception, movement, language, and learning.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 342 - Violence Toward the Self
This course includes an in depth study of suicide and self-harm behaviors. The initial portion of the course defines the continuum of self-harm and is multidisciplinary in nature examining sociological, religious, and philosophical perspectives of self-directed violence. The latter portion delves into the psychological literature including theories and empirical research addressing clinical description, assessment, etiology, and prevention and treatment techniques for self-harm and suicidal behaviors. Not for psychology major credit.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 390 - Experimental Psychology 1
This course will provide an introduction to experimental methods in psychology. Emphasis will be placed on ethical conduct of research, research techniques, statement of research problems, methodology, statistical analysis, interpretation of results, preparation of reports in APA style, and presentation of findings.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 323 or approval of department chair
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 412 - Social Psychology
This course offers a broad introduction to social psychology exploring the various ways people think about, influence, and relate to one another. Topics include but are not limited to social cognition, self-concept, social judgment, attitudes, persuasion, group processes, conformity, aggression, helping behavior, prejudice, and interpersonal relationships.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 441 - Developmental Psychology
A study of the theories of psychological development from birth to old age. Emphasis on the cognitive, motivational, physiological and social changes during infancy, childhood, adolescence, maturity and old age.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 461 - Abnormal Psychology
A study of the principal forms of disordered personal reactions to life and its circumstances; focus on the explanations of psychopathology with reference to psychodynamic, social, learning, and biological dimensions. Insight into the developmental aspects of abnormal and maladjusted behavior broaden the student’s understanding of various approaches to evidence-based psychotherapy and prevention.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 491 - Experimental Psychology 2
A continuing laboratory course in which the student originates his or her own experiments in areas such as emotion, auditory and visual perception, social processes, etc. Lectures primarily in the areas of emotion, the senses and perception.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 390 and PSY 324 or approval of department chair
Capstone Course Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 493 - Individual Experimental Research
A field or laboratory and seminar course for senior psychology majors within which each student will complete a research project of his or her own design under supervision of one of the members of the Psychology Department; class meetings devoted to analysis of project designs and to the study of periodical literature. Integration and coordination of previous coursework. Weekly progress reports; laboratory hours at the convenience of the student.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 390 or approval of department chair
Capstone Course Open to Seniors Only Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 496 - Senior Seminar
A coordinating seminar and internship experience for senior psychology majors aimed at effecting a synthesis of previous learning and various orientations; applications of ethics in psychology; career explorations; and special topics in areas of interest to student and faculty are examined.
Seminar
3 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 390 or approval of department chair
Capstone Course Open to Seniors Only Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 497 - Independent Study
The psychology of a student’s chosen topic is explored in-depth utilizing a variety of current methodologies and directed by a particular faculty member. Prerequisite: Approval of Department Chair or Advisor. Not for major credit. 1, 2, 3 credits respectively.
Lecture
1 Credits
Not for Major Credit
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
PSY 499 - Independent Study
The psychology of a student’s chosen topic is explored in-depth utilizing a variety of current methodologies and directed by a particular faculty member. Prerequisite: Approval of Department Chair or Advisor. Not for major credit. 1, 2, 3 credits respectively.
Independent Study
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
PSY 3001 - Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Abuse Studies
A study of the biological psychological and sociological aspects of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. An emphasis on the psycho-pharmacology of commonly abused substances, the disease concept of chemical dependency and an overview of substance abuse problems in the family, school and industry.
Lecture
4 Credits
|
| |
-
PSY 3011 - Assessment Referral and Treatment Methods
A study of the process of appraisal and evaluation of the chemical abuser and his/her family in order to determine the patient’s needs. Emphasis will be placed on understanding behavioral and medical symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction and the tools needed to make the appropriate treatment referral. Treatment resources will be explored.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 3001 , DAA 3001 or permission of instructor.
|
| |
-
PSY 3023 - Drug/Alcohol Abuse Counseling with the Family
An investigation of the alcoholic and drug abusing family system, and the cumulative crisis in the family resulting from addiction. Emphasis will be placed on co-dependency, the characteristics of Children and Adult Children of Alcoholics (COA/ACOA) and other chemical abusers, prevalent treatment approaches and the role of self-help programs.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 3001 , DAA 3001 or permission of instructor
|
| |
-
PSY 3031 - Drug and Alcohol Counseling
Application of counseling approaches, including treatment planning, setting goals and objectives, the therapuetic interview, the process of recovery and relapse counseling, to the drug and alcohol abuse situation. Same course as DAA 3031 .
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: PSY 3001 , DAA 3001 or permission of the instructor.
|
| |
-
PSY 3220 - Psychology of Drug Habituation and Addiction
Behavioral effects of sedative hypnotic compounds, stimulants, convulsants, anti-psychotic agents, psychedelics, hallucinogens, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other drugs of psychological influence will be examined. Consideration will be given to attitudes toward drugs, theories of drug addiction and treatment. Methods of therapy will be discussed. Comparisons will be made with use of other methods for behavioral change.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 /PSY 3001
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
PSY 3400 - Employee Assistance Programs
This course explores the history and changing models of employee assistance programs focusing on clinical issues of drugs, alcohol, and psycho-pathologies as they relate to the workplace. Students learn about practitioner professionalization, supervisory and union representative training and the use of community resources to address personal and health problems.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: DAA 3001 /PSY 3001
|
Religious Studies |
| |
-
RST 101 - Religion in the Contemporary World
A consideration of human religious experience in the contemporary world with a particular focus on Christianity, Islam, and at least one other religious tradition.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
RST 204 - Christian Scriptures
This course will familiarize students with the Scriptural bases - both Old and New Testaments of Catholicism. Special attention will be paid to the original context and meaning of the Scriptures, as well as their relevance and application in contemporary settings.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 205 - Buddhist Wisdom
Grounded in the Second Vatican Council’s “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religion,” the course will introduce the heart of the Buddhist tradition by reflecting on the experience, life and teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, The Buddha. Examining the religious and cultural context within which he lived and taught, the course will explore the insight and wisdom of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Attention will be given to the development of Mahayana Buddhism though a consideration of primary texts from within that tradition.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 206 - Spirituality
An exploration of contemporary Christian spirituality as the lived experience of faith - the on-going life-project of person integration and self-transcendence - offering theological, historical, cultural, psychological and interfaith contexts for understanding its manifold expressions. The course will survey select trends and issues in contemporary Catholic spirituality signaled by Vatican Council II such as the post-modern quest for meaning; the impact on personal self-understanding of contemporary psychology and cosmology; the challenge of social and ecological commitment; the variety of contemplative resources available for the development of the inner self; the way of Gospel conversion and sacramentality; and the relevance of the Catholic vocation - its vision, values, and practice virtues - for the life of the self and of the world.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 207 - Vatican II and Catholic Reform
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) revolutionized the relationship of the Roman Catholic Church to the modern world. Within a few short years, a church that had been characterized as clerical, juridical, and triumphal assumed a different, more humble posture characterized by dialogical engagement with contemporary society. The Council renewed the Church’s self-understanding and consequently all areas of Catholic theology experienced radical rethinking. The sixteen documents of the Council will frame a study of the renewed meaning and practice of Catholicism in a post-conciliar age. The renewal of theological categories such as revelation and scripture, God, Christ, ecclesiology, and Christian praxis will be examined.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 208 - Ethics and Morality
An exploration of the history of Christian ethics - its language, norms, sources - with particular consideration given to Roman Catholic teaching on morality. Contemporary issues such as war, sexuality, poverty, biomedicine and ecology will be examined to determine how a Christian ethical perspective informs a particular response to the questions raised within these areas.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 209 - Peace and Social Justice
A consideration of Catholic ethical thought, as an expression of Christian ethics in history, regarding movements for peace and social justice in the contemporary world, with a particular focus on the Christian foundations of economic, racial and political movements for justice.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 210 - Religious Pluralism Series
This series provides a context to explore the opportunities and challenges presented by twenty-first century religious pluralism. According to Harvard Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Dr. Diana Eck, “Pluralism” and “diversity” are sometimes used as if they were synonyms, but diversity is just plurality … [p]luralism is the engagement that creates a common society from all that plurality. It is the energetic engagement with diversity.” Cross-cultural religious literacy and engagement with the religious Other is essential in the contemporary global context as cross-currents of secularism, new religious movements, and resurgent fundamentalist articulations of all the major world religions collide and mingle with each other. One discrete field of focused study will be chosen for each semester the course runs. A non-exhaustive list of possible topics that can be rotated in the series are: Islam, Jainism, Afro-Caribbean religions, Hinduism, Indigenous Religiosity, Atheism/Humanism, and hybrid interfaith religious expressions.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 213 - Religion and the Natural World
This class will explore the relationship between religion and the natural world, investigating how religious worldviews have traditionally conceived of nature and have shaped human attitudes and behaviors toward it. Adopting a broad, religiously diverse perspective, the course will explore the convergences and distinctions among global religious traditions in their identification and celebration of nature as a sacred reality and their capacity to creatively respond to contemporary challenges and threats to the viability and integrity of nature in its planetary expanse.
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
RST 215 - Islam: History, Belief, and Practice
This course serves as an introduction to Islam. It is an exploration of Islam as a lived religion, which examines the diversity of Islamic practices, beliefs, and worldviews - in history and in the contemporary world. The course engages topics such as Islamic sacred texts, art and music, politics, and mysticism. The goals of this course are to introduce students to texts and tenets at the core of Islam and to foster an appreciation for the complexity and the diversity of Muslim practice historically and globally. This course takes a multifaceted approach to the study of Islam: course materials include primary Islamic texts, academic readings, memoirs, works of fiction, as well as audio-visual materials.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: RST 101
|
| |
-
RST 301 - Church History: Patterns and Paradigms of the Christian Tradition
The life and thought of the Christian church from the apostolic period to the present, providing an introduction and orientation to the Christian tradition in its various social, ethnic and period settings.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 310 - The Religious Traditions of China
This course will examine the insights, contributions and development of the three major traditions that have largely defined Chinese religious culture: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Emphasis will focus on the study of those primary textual sources (available in English translation) that most effectively illustrate the seminal concepts and subsequent elaborations within each of those traditions and their overall significance to chinese religious sensibility.
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 311 - Christian Approaches to Morality
This course is an investigation of the fundamental themes of moral theology. The course will include a survey of the historical, methodological and philosophical approaches to Christian morality with reference to the ethical dilemmas that confront the modern world.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 320 - Spiritual Masters Series
An exploration of the sacred wisdom of the great masters of the spiritual life drawn from a variety of traditions, cultures and periods of history. Each semester the spiritual path of one such Great Teacher will be selected as subject for inquiry and experimentation (e.g., Jesus, the Buddha, Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Thich Nhat Hanh, Therese of Lixieux, Thomas Merton, Rabbi Heschel, Mother Ann Lee and the American Shakers, Dorothy Day, Thomas Berry, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, Bede Griffiths, John of the Cross, Rumi, Martin Luther King, Mohammad and Black Elk).
Lecture
3 Credits
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 324 - Christian Sexual Ethics
An exploration of the history of Roman Catholic and Protestant teaching on the meaning of human sexuality with particular attention to the sexual ethics that have developed in the Christian tradition.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 326 - Theology of Christian Service
A critical exploration through academic analysis and community engagement into the theological meanings of Christian service, the particular interconnections of service and justice in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, contemporary understandings of service as informed by Christian theology, Catholic social teachings, and modern day icons of faith. Service Learning Course.
Service Learning
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 332 - The Spiritual Legacy of Thomas Merton
A study of the themes and issues that comprise the spiritual teaching of Thomas Merton, Ameican Monk, mystic and prophet. The desire for Christian contemplation, a passion for justice and an appetite for Buddhism marked Merton’s spirituality as uniquely contemporary and catholic. A modern spiritual master, Merton has sounded the keynotes for Christian life in the new millennium. By following Merton along his spiritual path, students may explore the legacy of this exceptional teacher and draw upon his wisdom and insight for their own lives.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
|
| |
-
RST 336 - The Church: Issues and Challenges
An exposition of the historical and theological foundations necessary for an examination of the nature and function of the church; an analysis of selected issues and challenges facing the contemporary church, with a view to the imaginative responses made by Christian churches.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 338 - Gospels
A detailed examination of the four canonical gospels, the process by which they were formed, the form and function of their individual parts, and the final literary and theological effect they now have as complete works.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
|
| |
-
RST 339 - Spirituality for an Ecological Age
An exploration of contemporary proposals for new modes of Christian praxis in response to the critical moment of 21st century Earth history, which calls for the activation of creative energies to meet the current planetary crises of climate disruption, species extinction, resource depletion, food scarcity and, in light of these, unprecedented levels of human distress and suffering. Since religious traditions perceive our environmental situation as a disorientation of human consciouness and spirit summoning moral conversion, this course asks what specifically Christian initiatives and resources are available to fund a disciplined, creative and celebratory ecological spirituality arising from the religious tradition, the new cosmology and in dialogue with other sacred and secular voices of wisdom.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
RST 340 - Creation Masters Series
It is urgent that the work of our age is to come into a new relationship with the natural world, so exhausted and abused by the demands of human kind. The ecological crisis, now at a critical stage, is essentially spiritual at root. Therefore, the task ahead of us will take tremendous religious awareness and spiritual commitment if we are to envision and then actualize a new sense of our human identity not against nature, but in communion with all the creatures and elements of the living Earth. This course will explore a variety of voices in the history of religions, with a special focus on Christian resources, who will guide us toward a vision of ecological wholeness. This course will take one or more masters or movements in religious cosmology under consideration each semester that it is taught. Examples include but are not limited to: Hildegard of Bingen, Celtic Creation Spirituality, the Benedictines, the Franciscans, Teilhard de Chardin, and Thomas Berry.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
RST 341 - Story of the Universe: Foundational Cosmology and Earth History
This class will explore the significance of the universe, the emergence of the earth, and the evolution of life as integral creative events; it will seek to identify a comprehensive narrative description of the cosmos from its primordial origin through the formation of galaxies, the birth of the solar system, the shaping of the earth, the diversity of life, and the role of human consciousness within its unfolding process.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
RST 343 - Sufism: Traditions of Islamic Mysticism
This course serves as an introduction to Sufism. Often defined as Islamic mysticism, Sufism is perhaps one of the most widely practiced forms of Islam in the world. Sufi practice is especially prominent in South Asia, West Africa, and Eurasia. This course will delve into ideas and debates that are at the core of Sufi philosophy and cosmology. It will survey various modes of Sufi practice and belief among lay adherents and among those on the mystical path. It will also take a close and critical look at aspects of Sufi practice that have permeated popular culture in Europe and America over the past century. This course takes a multifaceted approach to the study of Sufism: course materials include primary Sufi texts, academic readings, as well as audio-visual materials
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
|
| |
-
RST 370 - Contemporary Peacemakers
An exploration of critical issues of peace and justice through the faith and philosophies of several modern peacemakers, highlighting the causes of human violence and injustice and the conditions for social justice and peace.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 375 - Wisdom Literature
A study of the Wisdom books of the Old Testament in detail, their similarity to extra-biblical traditions, and their influence on the New Testament writings. Analysis will be primarily literary, though there will be some historical and comparative considerations.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
RST 400 - Internship in Religious Studies
Internships in Religious Studies with cooperating museum, NGO, church-related agency, or other related institution under the supervision of a designated faculty committee. Method and content in religious education, theological or biblical research, justice and peace advocacy, direct service, religious environmental education, and method and content in varieties of interreligious dialogue will be studied. Conferences with designated faculty members and research reports will supplement the student’s practical experiential learning.
Internship
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
RST 401 - Images of Jesus throughout History
A study of the mystery of Jesus as experienced and expressed by Christians throughout the tradition, including the biblical, patristic, medieval and contemporary periods.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 402 - Christian Sacramental Theology
An analysis of the Christian sacramental worldview, the Church’s ritual activity, and the challenges that sacramental theology poses to, and receives from, the practice of Christianity.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 404 - Catholic Creation Theology
This course traces the historical tradition of Catholic Christianity’s theology of creation, rooted in early biblical sources, particularly the Books of Genesis, Job and the Psalms; illuminated in new Testament texts, particularly Johannine and Pauline writings; explicated and refined by the Patristic teachers; metaphysically elaborated in the Scholastic masters; and flowering in a rich medieval Christian cosmology. It will also investigate the contraction and eclipse of this affirmative celebration of the mysteries of The Trinity and Incarnation in subsequent centuries, beginning with the Black Death; in response to the Protestant Reformation; the challenges of the Enlightenment; the emergence of a secular and scientific-technological global culture – all of which contributed to the disorientation and dislocation of Christian theology and practice. Finally, and in light of the crises of the natural world, the inquiry will engage the resurgence of renewed creation consciousness and ethic of care within the Catholic community, both “from below” in popular women’s and environmental spiritualities and movements, and “from above” in academic theological and magisterial developments.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
RST 406 - Biomedical Ethics and the Christian Tradition
An investigation of the Christian ethical tradition and its resources for an analysis of the ever-increasing challenges posed by developments in biomedicine and in the life sciences.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 409 - Jesus and Judaism
This course examines the life of Jesus in its Jewish context in an effort to uncover more accurate trajectories of continuity and discontinuity between Judaism and Christianity. The period of 2nd temple Judaism will be explored. An examination of key texts in the development of Jewish-Catholic relations since 1965 porvides a contemporary perspective on the theological developments of the first century CE.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 410 - Religion and the Constitution
An examination of the concept of religious freedom as protected and defined by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, considering the historical purpose and original intent of the First Amendment’s separation of church and state, the judicial construction of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, and contemporary controversies regarding religious freedom and practice in American society.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 411 - Prayer: Theology and Practice
An exploration of the human quest to develop the spiritual life through a study of Christian religious sources and traditions in a variety of formats and experiments with some techniques for the cultivation of spirituality through meditation practice, art, writing, music, dance, attention to nature, and commitment to service.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered When Needed
|
| |
-
RST 412 - Environmental Ethics and Religion
Confronted by the mounting evidence of severe and unsustainable threats to the integrity and flourishing of planetary life, this course will examine principles of ethical behavior, drawn from a comprehensive survey of global cultural traditions which support authentic earth ethic in which human responsibility and care extends to the integral community of earth’s soils, waters, air and the multiple plant and animal species that inhabit them. This theoretic orientation will be complemented by consistent consideration of actual case studies that explore the tension between humans as members of the earth community and the appropriate limits of human intervention with it.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
RST 420 - Special Topics in Religious Studies
These courses are designed to offer an opportunity to explore selected topics in religious studies that are either not covered in the religious studies curriculum or that will be covered in greater depth.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
RST 422 - Special Topics in Religious Studies
These courses are designed to offer an opportunity to explore selected topics in religious studies which are either not covered in the religious studies curriculum or which will be covered in greater depth.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Department Approval Required. Offered When Needed
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
RST 425 - Special Topics in Religious Studies
An exploration of the sacred wisdom of the great masters of the spiritual life drawn from a variety of traditions, cultures and periods of history. Each semester the spiritual path of one such Great Teacher will be selected as subject for inquiry and experimentation (ex. Jesus, the Buddha, Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Thich Nhat Hanh, Therese of Lixieux, Thomas Merton, Rabbi Abraham Heschel, Mother Ann Lee and the American Shakers, Dorothy Day, Thomas Berry, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, Bede Griffiths, John of the Cross, Rumi, and Martin Luther King).
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
RST 448 - Oxford University Theology
Lecture
3 Credits
|
| |
-
RST 450 - Senior Seminar
Directed research, readings and discussions for all religious studies majors for the purpose of coordinating the various branches of religious studies and researching topics of special interest to majors.
Lecture
3 Credits
Prerequisite: any 200-level RST course excluding RST 203
Capstone Course Offered When Needed
Department Consent Required
|
Social Work |
| |
-
SOW 201 - The Camp Viva Experience
This one-credit course offers an introduction to the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and individuals and includes a service-learning experience. The classroom component involves an overview of HIV, a focus on related social issues and services, readings, films, an integrative paper, etc. The service component includes preparing for and participating in a Camp Viva reunion for HIV-infected and -affected families who attended the camp. Open to all students.
Lecture
1 Credits
|
| |
-
SOW 204 - Camp Viva Service Intensive Experience
This course offers an experiential exploration of the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and individuals. As camp counselors, students lead and participate in all daily activities of a residential camp for Westchester residents infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Academic components include preparatory readings, extensive pre-service training, on-site individual and group supervision, reflective journals, on-site lectures, a debriefing process, an integrative paper, and several classroom meetings during the fall semester. Open to all students by application and interview.
Service Learning
3 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
Department Consent Required
|
| |
-
SOW 210 - Introduction to Social Work
Social Work is a broad profession with common goals and purposes, practiced in a wide variety of settings. This course is designed to (a) introduce the student to the many roles and reponsibilities of the generalist social worker and (b) explore the various settings in which social work practices take place. The course emphasizes the impact of human diversity in addressing strengths, problems, and services. Open to all students for elective credit.
Lecture
3 Credits
Open to all students Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
SOW 2200 - Sustainability and Community: An Environmental Justice Perspective
Sustainability is often depicted as intersecting circles representing its social, economic, physical (environmental), and spiritual/ethical components. Following an overview, this course focuses on social sustainability in theory and practice. Social sustainability includes the development of trust, reciprocity norms, equity, and other conditions that permit coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit. With environmental justice as a lens, many aspects of sustainability and community will be considered. Over thirty percent of the grade is earned through service-learning projects, which will include an immersive rural experience and a local urban experience. The service-learning component will feature hands-on activities out of the classroom, work with community partners, and reflection, all with the goal of applying critical thinking to integrate course concepts. This course is open to all students with no prerequisites. It can be applied as elective credit to the Environmental Studies major/minor as well as the Diversity and Social Welfare minor.
Lecture
4 Credits
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 2210 - Introduction to Social Work
Social work is a broad profession with common goals and purposes, practiced in a wide variety of settings. This course is designed to introduce the student to the many roles and responsibilities of the generalist social worker and explore the various settings in which social work practice takes place. The course emphasizes the impact on human diversity in addressing strengths, problems and services.
Lecture
4 Credits
Open to all students Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
SOW 2220 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Human Diversity
This course is designed to teach students the principles underlying multicultural assessment and intervention drawing on knowledge, awareness and tolerance of differences among people. Through a process of self-examination and cross-cultural participant/observation experiences, students will explore themselves and the society in which they live, develop an appreciation of the multifaceted meaning of diversity, and cultivate professional alternatives for combating discrimination, stereotyping, and oppression across age group, race, gender, class, religion, physical disability, and sexual orientation. Attention will be given to increasing students’ understanding and assessment of the impact of diversity on clients’ lives.
Lecture
4 Credits
Open to all students Offered in Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
SOW 2230 - Social Welfare and Society
This course seeks to provide a basic foundation for understanding the place and function of social work in the context of the broader social welfare institution in the United States. It examines the meaning of social welfare in contemporary society. Social welfare is defined, and the history and current patterns of provision of services within social welfare systems are explored. Historical antecedents will be compared to recent approaches to the same issues. The role of values is examined, particularly as these values impact upon policy. One credit of this course is satisfied by independent work.
Lecture
4 Credits
Open to all students Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3120 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Life Course
Human Behavior and the Social Environment utilizes the bio-psychosocial perspective, which stresses a multi-dimensional view of human development and behavior. The multi-dimensional view of person in the context of the environment takes into consideration the challenges, stressors, and life tasks that occur during the life course. The individual and his/her environments are examined in their relationship to each other. The course stresses the importance of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, spirituality, and socioeconomic environment. One credit of this course is satisfied through a weekly lab in which students develop their cross-cultural group projects.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisites: PSY 201 , SOC 101
Open to all students Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3130 - Social Welfare Policy
The purpose of this course is to help entry-level social workers understand policy formulation, implementation and analysis, and to use them as interventive strategies for social work practice. Policies of concern to the general practitioner are studied with particular attention given to the impact of such policies on the lives of women, people of various ethnic, cultural, racial and religious groups, individuals of varying sexual orientation, those who are economically disadvantaged, and those with physical or mental disabilities. A weekly one-hour online “policy skills lab” accompanies this course.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: SOW 2230
Open to all students Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3200 - Research for Social Work Practice
This course is designed to teach students basic research skills so they can develop an appreciation of the significance of research in generalist social work practice. The scientific method (as well as its alternatives) is explored with specific relevance to social work and social welfare issues. As such, quantitative and qualitative research strategies are addressed. Ethical behavior and the protection of research participants are examined. Varying approaches to practice evaluation are emphasized by means of a final assignment that requires students to apply their knowledge of research in formulating a comprehensive evaluation research proposal.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite or Corequisite: CS 140 . Corequisite: SOW 3240
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3220 - Social Work Processes I
This is the first in a sequence of three courses designed to prepare students for generalist social work practice with diverse client systems of all sizes, including the individual, the family, the small group, the organization and the community. Students are exposed to the broad theoretical base for generalist social work, to various fields of practice, and they explore a range of social work roles within the generalist framework. The planned change process is also introduced as the systematic intervention approach utilized by generalist social work practitioners and the requisite skills for its implementation are covered. A one credit skills lab is also attached to this course.
Lecture
4 Credits
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3230 - Social Work Processes II
This course focuses on knowledge and skills related to interviewing, assessment, planning, contracting, goal -setting, ending and transitioning across client systems such as individuals, families, groups and communities. A multi-contextual (dimensional) framework is used to examine a wide range of factors (age, class, color, culture, diversity, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, etc.) that not only differentially influence behavior, but also contribute to increased understanding of the unique ways in which people and communities respond to life crises. Appropriate research based knowledge is considered in relation to the content, process, and outcomes of practice. A one credit practicum allowing students to test out classroom learning in the context of a social agency accompanies this course.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: SOW 3220
Offered in the Spring Semester
|
| |
-
SOW 3240 - Social Work Processes III
This is the third in a sequence of three courses designed to introduce students to generalist practice skills and techniques that enable them to manage the planned change process with client systems of all sizes (individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, etc.). This class focuses specifically on application of the Planned Change Process to macro-level systems. Macro-level approaches include work utilizing task groups and advocacy, as well as intervention on the organizational, community, societal, and global levels.
Lecture
4 Credits
Prerequisite: SOW 3230 , Corequisite: SOW 3610
Offered in the Fall Semester
|
| |
Page: 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
|
|
|
|
Print this Page