Course Catalog System (Course Inventory Management and Review System, CIMRS)

PHIL 200: Introduction to Ethics

2023-11-29T23:44:58+0630

In this course we will confront some of the major ethical issues that arise in our society—the treatment of animals (vegetarianism, experimentation), the beginning of life (abortion, in vitro, PGD testing), the ethics of war (when to go, how to wage), the ethics of politics (what ought our representatives do), the end of life (right to die, suicide, euthanasia), fear of death, the ethics of food, and the environment.

In Ethics, we seek not simply opinions or personal positions on these contentious problems, but hope to make a broader claim about right and wrong. These issues are ethical issues insofar as when we take a position on them we make a claim about what is the right or wrong thing to do. And we are not simply making the statement that this is right or wrong for me, but also for anyone else who is as properly thoughtful and informed as I am. That is, I think I have good reasons for saying such-and-such is right or wrong, and you ought to also be convinced by my reasons.
In order to have such convincing reasons, we will need to say what it means for something to be right or wrong in general. This is where ethical theories come in. An ethical theory makes a claim about what makes something right or wrong in general. If we know that, then we ought to be able to look at each of these specific problems and any cases in which they arise, and evaluate them to see how they ought to be resolved. That will be our goal in this course–to introduce and engage students in the theories of ethics and their application to practical ethical problems so that they develop the knowledge of each ethical theory and the ability to apply them to particular issues.

Prerequisites: None

POL 301: Power & Resistance

2023-11-30T07:52:03+0630

How does power operate in contemporary society? How do subjects navigate power – are they able to resist, and if so, how is resistanceable to manifest? The course will explore these respective domains and how they articulate together.

Prerequisites: POL 100: Introduction to Political Science

POL 100: Introduction to Political Science

2023-11-30T00:32:44+0630

The course is a broad introduction to the discipline of political science. Students will be introduced to subfields within the discipline: political theory, comparative politics, and international relations. Then, the bulk of the course examines major themes in comparative politics, including the formation of nation-states, political regimes, and political violence. We will also examine themes that cut across the subfields, including globalization, populism, and human rights.

Prerequisites: None

SSST 100: Craft of Social Inquiry

2023-11-30T00:18:54+0630

This course is an introductory course for social studies. We will cover what social inquiry is and why it is important.
During this course we will look at different methods of knowing and making sense of the world. We will focus on typical questions that are asked in social science and specific approaches to answer these questions. You will learn the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to answering questions in the field of social science, for instance through a in-depth study on climate change. Selected readings from different social science disciplines will be used as an interdisciplinary approach to addressing questions in this field.

PHIL 251: Comparative Philosophy

2023-11-29T23:55:20+0630

This course will take a global perspective on the practice of philosophy. It will introduce students to a variety of philosophical traditions, and explore their continued resonance in the present day.

Prerequisites: SSST 100: Craft of Social Inquiry, PHIL 100: The Art of Argument

PHIL 201: Introduction to Political Philosophy

2023-11-29T23:48:42+0630

This course introduces students to the questions, theories, and classic texts of political philosophy, engaging issues of ethics, citizenship, democracy, representation, shared resources and other features of theoretical approaches to politics. This course will introduce and critically engage students in the fundamental questions of how we are to live in the world with others.

Prerequisites: None

ECON 111: Introduction to Macroeconomics

2023-06-26T18:15:51+0630

This course is an introduction to Macroeconomics from a very broad
perspective. Macroeconomics analyzes topics such as economic
growth, inflation and unemployment. How can the central bank
influence the economy in times of crises? What should the government
do in order to counteract environmental issues? Why do countries trade
with each other? Though ultimately based on the actions of individuals
and firms (which we will analyze in Microeconomics), Macroeconomics
is concerned with developments on the aggregate level: countries as a
whole, government spending, taxation and Central Bank policies. This
course is a foundation course which is needed in order to follow higher
level courses in the Economics module.

POL 140: Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies

2023-11-29T23:32:55+0630

Peacebuilding Through Drama stands as an innovative and intercontinental forum, where exploration and engagement in peacebuilding converge with the transformative power of drama and theater. It is crafted to unite students from varied backgrounds, creating a collaborative space to study and practice the art of fostering peace through online performative arts. Delving into the core principles of Agosto Boal's "Theater of the Oppressed," this course provides an empowering platform for participants to drive social change through theater. Furthermore, the curriculum incorporates Petro Janse van Vuuren's "Redemptive Theatre," which melds performance with healing.

OSUN NCC: Sustainable Development and Social Enterprise [Updated Schedule]

2023-11-29T23:23:40+0630

One way to achieve the UN SDGs is through social enterprise: creating mission-drive businesses and non-profit organizations. This cross-institution course provides a critical introduction to the SDGs, and the forces behind global change. Students will work with and learn from other classes in the global OSUN network, while conducting and sharing research projects on local enterprise solutions to issues like energy, food, affordable housing, immigration, or gender equity.

ECON 110: Introduction to Microeconomics

2023-11-29T18:19:41+0630

This course is an introduction to Microeconomics from a very broad perspective. Microeconomics is the science of how people use resources. A large part is about decision making: Which is the best route for going to school, and should I walk or take the bus? Can I get a dog as a pet, should I buy vegetables in the market in the morning or in the afternoon, and why are the prices different in different cities? This course is a foundation course which is needed in order to follow higher level courses in the Economics module.

Prerequisites: None

PHYS 102: Science Behind the Internet

2023-11-30T12:22:26+0630

This course is designed for non-science majors. The course will explore the physical concepts that explain how information is transmitted, retrieved and stored. By studying basic concepts of waves, light and atoms, the topics will be covered ranging from radio to wireless network to fiber optics.

PHYS 103: Science of the Universe

2023-11-30T00:28:35+0630

This course is a general introduction to astronomy and cosmology for non-science majors. Topics will cover the latest discoveries about stars, galaxies and the universe as a habitat for life. The science of the universe relies on the tools of physics and astronomy, quantitative reasoning is an integral part of this course. However, previous knowledge of physics and astronomy is not required.

STAT 100: Introduction to Statistics

2023-11-30T00:23:51+0630

This course provides an introduction to the quantitative tools for monitoring, analyzing data, and evaluating data. Through practical and real-world applications, students learn statistical methods that can be used in quantitative analysis of real-world problems. This course focuses both on concepts underlying statistical methods as well as problem solving through the use of STATA, a popular statistical software package.

Prerequisites: None

MATH 111: Calculus II

2023-11-29T22:41:00+0630

This course is a continuation of Calculus I. The topics cover integration and its applications, series and sequences.

Prerequisites: MATH 110: Calculus I

MATH 110: Calculus I

2023-11-29T19:09:05+0630

This course is an introduction to differential calculus and is designed to meet the needs of Statistics and Data Science students. Topics will cover functions, limits, derivatives and applications. Basic concept of integration is also included.

MATH 100: Introduction to Probability

2023-11-29T18:46:38+0630

This is an introduction to probability for statistics and data science students. There is no prerequisite for this course. In addition to major students, this course is relevant and useful for non-major students.

Prerequisites: None

INST 101: Energy for Sustainable Development

2023-11-29T18:41:28+0630

Quality of life depends on energy and it is at the heart of sustainable development goals. This course provides fundamental science to understand the natural and human influences on climate and atmospheric composition. Topics will cover concepts of energy, atmospheric radiation, fossil fuels, greenhouse gases and climate change.

MATH 210: Linear Algebra

2023-06-26T23:39:28+0630

This course is an introduction to the techniques of linear algebra. Topics covered include, systems of linear equations, Gaussian elimination, vectors in Rⁿ, matrices, inverses, determinants, eigenvalues and vector geometry.

Prerequisites: MATH 110: Calculus I, MATH 111: Calculus II

SEM 201: Second Year Seminar II

2023-11-30T00:14:20+0630

The four-sequenced seminar courses are part of a one mega-course (16 credits), that share the same objectives and learning outcomes.

SEM 101: First year Seminar II

2023-11-30T00:06:14+0630

The four-sequenced seminar courses are part of a one mega-course (16 credits), that share the same objectives and learning outcomes. In Freshman Seminar II, students will explore questions about human knowledge and understanding. This seminar course will build on Freshman Seminar I, to ask challenging questions about our knowledge of ourselves, each other and the world we inhabit. It will equip students to engage more deeply with questions of knowledge, its uses and its misuses. And it will develop student’s critical awareness of different ways of approaching the question of what it means to know. The seminar will begin by looking at what knowledge is. It will draw on theories of knowledge from global philosophical traditions, from the theories of knowledge explored in Plato’s Theaetetus to the skillknowledge of Zhuangzi. Students will build on this to look at the practice of science, and its cultural role as a privileged form of knowledge. Students will study texts that not only ask about how science works, but how we imagine and reimagine the practice of science. Finally, students will ask the question "who gets to know?". They will explore challenging ideas about the relationship between power and knowledge, in relation to the gendered and colonial/postcolonial contexts of human ways of knowing.

ENCP 101: English Composition II

2023-11-29T18:34:30+0630

English Composition II focuses on the process of argumentative writing, from initial development through drafting and revising to the final product. This course focuses on students' ability to use sources to form strong arguments in academic writing. In this course, students will design their own arguments using sources to write and present their ideas effectively.

ARTS 220: Writing Self and World: Exploring Creative Nonfiction

2023-11-29T18:07:59+0630

In this course, students will explore the challenges of writing creative nonfiction in forms that go beyond the academic essay. In particular, they will explore the following:
1. The craft of memoir and the transformative power of personal storytelling
2. The art of literary reportage
3. The literary essay — bridging the personal and the political.
What is creative nonfiction? The writer Lee Gutkind calls it the art of “true stories, well-told.” This course aims to take students from first steps in writing creative nonfiction to engaging with the global marketplace for creative nonfiction writing.
Students will also read widely both in creative nonfiction, and in theoretical approaches to understanding nonfiction writing. The readings are diverse, and take a global view on nonfiction writing, while placing contemporary creative nonfiction in its historical contexts. As well as focusing on the craft of writing, students will explore questions of ethics, truth and responsibility in nonfiction.
This is a creative writing course. Students will be expected to engage in all individual and collective writing tasks, and will come to understand the possibilities and the challenges of creative nonfiction by writing creative works of their own.
By the end of the course, students will have built up a substantial portfolio of their own work: two assignments, six-micro assignments, and a large.