Graduate & Continuing Studies Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook 2011-2012

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Liberal Arts Program

The Liberal Arts curriculum grounds all the College's degree programs, striking an appropriate balance between preparing students for the careers they hope to pursue and educating them for the lives they will lead in the 21st century. The College provides for all students, regardless of their majors, a women-centered, globally-oriented, ten-course, thirty-semester hour Liberal Arts Program.  All students take required Liberal Arts Program (LBA) courses unless they bring to the College advance placement, international baccalaureate or transfer credit that matches these requirements. All Liberal Arts courses, regardless of the topics they cover, provide opportunities for students to sharpen their critical thinking and communication skills.

Students are required to complete coursework in:

Communications - Composition I, Composition and Research II– 6 credit hours (LBA 107 and LBA 108)
Cultural Studies (Arts, Humanities & Religion) – 3 credit hours
Historical Studies – 3 credit hours
Literary Studies– 3 credit hours
Quantitative Literacy (Mathematics) – 3 credit hours
Natural Science – 3 credit hours
Social Science – 6 credit hours
Moral/Ethical Issues –LBA 350 Global Ethics (3-6* credit hours)

In addition to the LBA courses that fulfill LBA program requirements, students may take other LBA courses for elective credit.
Course Descriptions

LBA 108:  Composition & Research II 
(previously COM 108) 
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: LBA 107 with a C- or better
Students continue to sharpen their skills in critical reading, writing, research and reasoning with an additional focus on learning to make good use of their speaking voices. Composition and Research II links closely with the other Liberal Arts course offered in the student’s Learning Community, supporting and enriching the reading, research, and writing required in the linked course.

Cultural Studies
LBA 152: Cultural Studies: Women's Folklife, Women's Culture
3 hrs.
Examples of folklife, such as verbal folklore, material culture, folk beliefs, customs, rituals and performances, are analyzed in terms of how they mediate women’s relationships in cultural contexts.

LBA 153: Cultural Studies: Women in Music
3 hrs.
This course takes an historical, international perspective on the study of women's contributions to classical and popular music as composers and performers.

LBA 154: Cultural Studies: World Music
3 hrs.
World Music is an interdisciplinary Liberal Arts course that unites the study of world cultures and music. This course involves the examination of music drawn from myriad cultural traditions, with particular focus given to how music reflects the culture that brings it to life.

LBA 156: Cultural Studies: Rock & Roll Music
3 hrs.
This course offers students an introductory survey of the history of Rock & Roll music, from its initial Golden Age of the 1950s to the digital revolution of the late 1990s. Through lecture, discussion, listening, writing and individual presentations, students will explore a wide range of Rock & Roll styles, musicians, works, and ideas, always with an eye to how this music reflects the cultural context of its time.

LBA 157: Cultural Studies: The Culture of Colour
3 hrs.
This course uses color as its investigative medium. Beginning with basic color theory and terminology students consider the scientific, psychological and symbolic aspects of color. Focusing on rites of passage, major religions, spirituality and celebrations, students investigate color and its meanings in various cultures.

LBA 159: Cultural Studies: The World of Theatre
3 hrs.
Through the study of theatre past and present, reading of plays, and attending on campus performances, students will develop an appreciation and understanding of how live performance happens throughout the world.

Historical Studies
HIS 172: Historical Studies: Unruly Women
3 credit hours
Students in this course study the history of women in the United States through the perspectives of women that challenged the norms of society through their actions, lifestyles, race, and gender, focusing in part on women in Missouri's history.

LBA 173: Historical Studies: America 1960-1990: Domestic and Global Perspectives
3 hrs.
Students in this course study America's involvement in the world through the lenses of human rights, race, roles of women and gender, poverty, the environment, and globalization.

LBA 174: Historical Studies: Major Issues in Recent History: a Global Perspective
3 hrs.
Students will discuss readings covering the historical period from the end of the Cold War to the present.   Approaches include historiography, mapping global aspects of events and reframing them in terms of gender and culture.

LBA 175: Historical Studies: 20thCentury  U.S. – a Global Perspective
3 hrs.
Students in this course will study America’s growth from the turn of the century through the 1980s. Particular focus will be given to immigration, the roles of women, human rights, the Cold War and America’s place in the world, acknowledging the influences of radicalism, conformity, liberalism, and conservatism. The importance of gender, race, and religion are investigated as broad topics that shaped America during the 20th century.

LBA 176: Historical Studies: 20th-Century Europe
3 hrs.
This course will study Europe’s involvement in the world through the lenses of human rights, race, roles of women and gender, poverty, the environment and globalization. Ranging from European colonialism to Soviet communism, this course will focus on the impact of the states and citizens of Europe upon the world.

LBA 177: Historical Studies: Perspectives in History
3 hrs.
This course will introduce students to aspects of American History through a specific perspective, such as Colonial America or Religion in America. The significance of race, class, gender, and religion will be examined in relation to world views of the given time period.

Literary Studies
LBA 224: Literary Studies: Contemporary Literature
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: LBA 108
This course offers an introduction to contemporary literature centered on a theme. While special attention is given to work written in the past decade, selections will include influential and pioneering work from the middle of the 20th century. A portion of the selected works will be by international and women writers. Course topics will vary. Recent topics include: Baseball in Literature and Women’s Detective Fiction.

LBA 225: Literary Studies: Short Stories from Around the World
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: LBA 108
This course is designed to offer an introduction to the contemporary short story and its various modes. While special attention is given to work written in the past decade, selections will include influential and pioneering work from the middle of the 20th century. A portion of the selected works will be by international and women writers.

LBA 238: Literary Studies: Coming-of-Age Literature
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: LBA 108
This course focuses on coming-of-age narratives, a genre of literature representing the transition between childhood and adulthood, an intense and memorable time filled with conflict: first love, lost love, rebellion against authority.

LBA 248: Literary Studies: Educating Rita: Students and Teachers
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: LBA 108
A study of literature exploring student-teacher and mentoring relationships both inside and outside the classroom, this course searches for characteristic elements of such literature, for issues particular to education (in the original context of the literary piece and in our own time), and for definitions of “student” and “teacher”.

Quantitative Literacy (Mathematics)
BUS 205: Personal  & Family Finance
3 credit hours
Examination and application of basic economics and finance principles as they relate to the individual. Topics include: budgets, banking, housing, taxes, insurance and investments.

MAT 111: College Algebra
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: two years of high school algebra
Study of functions, equations and graphs with emphasis on linear, quadratic and exponential functions.

MAT 207: Introduction to Statistics
3 hrs.
Prerequisite: Elementary Algebra or one year of high school algebra and good arithmetic skill
A study of elementary statistics as used in psychology, business or information management.  Topics include organization of data, measures of central tendency and variability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, estimation, statistical inference, correlation, and chi-square tests. 

Natural Science
BIO 111: Biological Concepts (with lab)
3 hrs.
(Open to all students, Liberal Arts approved Natural Science; lab fee charged)
An introduction to the science of biology. The following biological topics may be addressed: biology as a science, the scientific method, basic biochemistry, organ systems, ecology and human biology. Laboratory exercises are designed to illustrate and clarify concepts presented in lecture. Includes scholarship by and about women and ethnic minorities. Does not count in the major.

BIO 115: Everyday Microbes
3 hrs.
(Open to all students, Liberal Arts approved Natural Science; lab fee charged)
This is a non-biology course designed to give students an overview of important topics in microbiology through understanding basic scientific principles. Common microbes, our relationship to them and our treatment of them will be covered.

BIO 200: Intro to Crime Scene Analysis
3 credit hours
The course will introduce a number of specialized fields in forensic science.  Through the analysis of hair, fluid samples, DNA evidence, drugs and alcohol, we will learn basic principles of biology and chemistry and how they can be applied to solve crimes.

BIO 247: Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I
3 credit hours
This course introduces the structure and function of the human body to those students pursuing careers in the allied health field. The emphasis is on the way in which normal body systems are maintained and how deviations result in illness and disease. The course progresses from a general organization of the human body and of cells, to that of tissues and organs, and then to organ systems. For each system, basic anatomical structures are identified and the fundamental ways in which these structures carry out the activities of that system are investigated. The organ systems explored include (1) skin and body membranes, (2) skeletal and muscular systems, (3) nervous system and special senses, and (4) endocrine, blood, and cardiovascular systems. Underlying the study of these systems, the course will show the student connections between body systems, providing you with an understanding of the interactions of these systems in maintaining homeostasis.

NSC 125:  Science of Beauty
3 hrs.
(Open to all students; Liberal Arts approved Natural Science; lab fee charged)
Liberal arts class for non-science majors.  An introduction to the human body from the cell to whole organ systems. The course emphasizes the use of the scientific method, examines the perception of beauty and questions whether there is a scientific basis for beauty. The biological and chemical basis behind cosmetics and cosmetic surgical procedures are explored. Does not count in the major.

Social Science
LBA 142: Social Science: Peacemaking in the Modern World
3 hrs.
Using the resources of philosophical and religious ethics, students in this course examine theories of war, terrorism, justice, and peace, as well as principles of nonviolence and alternative methods of conflict resolution.

LBA 185: Social Sciences: Modern Slavery Around the World: Of Human Bondage
3 hrs.
This course will examine forms of modern slavery, including forced labor (as a consequence of human trafficking), sex slavery, and debt bondage.

LBA 240: Understanding Terrorism: Perspectives on Acts of Violence
3 hrs.
Prerequisite:  LBA 108
This course examines different types and characteristics of terrorism. Because of the negative, and often polarizing, connotation of the word, the course will begin by defining terrorism in a way that removes moral judgments attached to this unusual human behavior. Next, the course will examine political terrorism, religious terrorism, and terrorism with other motives. The course will seek to answer whether social or physical environments attract certain people to join violent terrorist organizations. Additionally, the course is designed to dispel commonly held beliefs about who becomes a terrorist and how organizations that use terrorism find willing participants. Are there commonalities among people who commit terrorist acts? What role has the U.S. played in preventing terrorism?

PSY 111:  Introduction to Psychology
3 hrs.
An introduction to the major sub-fields of contemporary psychology.  Emphases on the diversity of psychology as a discipline and how psychological principles pertain to everyday life.

PSY 211:  Educational Psychology
3 hrs.
This course surveys the nature and conditions of human learning.  We examine methods of assessing intellectual and personality characteristics as well as social dynamics as pupils enter into the learning process. 

PSY 310:  Developmental Psychology
3 hrs.
Prerequisite:  PSY 111
This course uses major psychological theories to explore the normal stages of development from birth until death.  Selected controversial issues and case studies relating to development will also be discussed.

PSY 315:  Social Psychology
3 hrs.
A survey of major topics in social psychology including social perception, social interaction and social influence will form the core of this course with attention to stereotypes, aggression, conformity and persuasion.

PSY 320:  Abnormal Psychology
3 hrs.
Prerequisite:  PSY 111
Survey of basic areas of abnormal psychology, history of mental disorders, survey of extent and severity of problems today.  Emphases in biological, psychological and social approaches to explaining mental disorders.

PSY 331:  Learning Cognition
3 hrs.
Prerequisite:  PSY 111
Provides an introduction to the study of learning and cognition through an examination of the basic learning paradigms of classical and instrumental conditioning and issues fundamental to the structure and function of cognitive theory.  Emphases on applied and theoretical findings.

Moral and Ethical Issues
LBA/PHL 350: Global Ethics
3-6* hours
Prerequisite:  LBA 108
This course looks at a broad spectrum of international issues – from global climate change and sustainability, human rights to gender discrimination – in a context that considers both sides of the dilemma and seeks for an ethical way forward.  The class uses concepts in economics, philosophy, political science, history, sociology and anthropology in its attempt to analyze global problems and decide how best to address the various ethical issues.
(A student is required to enroll in the six credit hour course in order to meet Stephens College’s residency requirements.)