General Education Course Descriptions

(2008/10 Catalog)

ENG100 Composition and Critical Thinking (3 credits) (2,3)
This course develops written communication and critical thinking skills. It explores techniques and practices of expository and argumentative writing. Students learn to generate ideas for writing based on readings, learn to organize and support their ideas, and learn to apply techniques of revision to produce polished, professional work. Content, format and correct grammatical structures are emphasized.

Prerequisites: ENG050 or an appropriate score on the English placement test

ENG210 Cultural Diversity in Literature (3 credits) (3,0)
Develops analytical and critical thinking skills through literature, which deals directly with issues of multiculturalism. Students apply the concepts learned in ENG100. Must be taken at Cogswell College.

Prerequisites: ENG100 and HUM120, HUM130, HUM122 or HUM125

ENG227 Scriptwriting (3 credits) (3,0)
An introduction to the techniques used by screenwriters in film, animation, and video game development. Students will learn the basics of how a writer formulates and executes a story concept. Emphasis will also be placed on the writer’s role on a production team.

Prerequisites: ENG100

ENG228 Creative Writing (3 credits) (3,0)
An introduction to techniques for brainstorming and developing story with an emphasis on how these tools are relevant to visual media. Creative writing is used to teach professional methods for developing effective characters, story concepts, plots, and dialogue.

Prerequisites: ENG100

ENG300 Essentials of Written Communication (3 credits) (3,0)
Intermediate course in expository writing available to students who have completed their lower division writing requirements. Students enrolled in English 300 should have developed sufficient writing and research skills to meet the demands of college level writing. This course provides the additional opportunity for students to review, reassess, and further develop their writing skills. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees.

Prerequisite: ENG100.

ENG310 Classics of Western Drama (3 credits) (3,0)
Man has always looked to theatre as a form of entertainment. Drama has also been used to address religious, political, social and cultural issues and to shape people’s thoughts. Through reading plays, attending lectures, participating in class discussions, writing papers and watching performances, this course will examine the evolution of the dramatic art. It will also focus attention on the foundations of modern animation and scriptwriting as they were established centuries ago by great dramatists and playwrights who saw universal themes in the lives of people around them. Must be taken at Cogswell College.

Prerequisites: ENG210 and HUM227 or HUM230

ENG320 Classics of World Drama (3 credits) (3,0)
This course will study significant dramas from around the world, helping to put into a global perspective the evolution of this form of art and entertainment. The focus will be on analyzing the work of dramatists and playwrights who saw universal themes in the lives of people around them. In addition to reading, discussing, and writing about six plays, students will also examine their structure as performance, including the differing interpretations of each play. Must be taken at Cogswell. College.

Prerequisites: ENG210 and HUM227 or HUM230

ENG498 Special Project (1-3 credits)
Individual or group investigation, research, and study of pre-selected topics.

Prerequisites: ENG210, permission of Director of General Education

ENG499 Special Topic (1-3 credits)
Group study of topic selected by instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: ENG210, permission of Director of General Education

HUM120 The Nature and History of Western Art 3(3,0)
This course provides a broad introduction to the nature, vocabulary, media, and historical development of the visual arts. Major categories are architecture, sculpture, painting, and printmaking. Exposure to major art works in Western tradition from Paleolithic times to present. Students develop criteria for answering the question “what is art?”

Prerequisites: None

HUM122 World Music (3 credits) (3,0)
Study of representative music and instruments from world cultures including Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific, Indian, African, Latin American, North American and Western. Emphasis is on world music’s impact and influence on contemporary American musical styles and performance.

Prerequisites: None

HUM125 Music in Western Culture (3 credits) (3,0)
Study of musical examples and compositional techniques evolving from the Medieval period to the present. Characteristic forms and styles, analysis and listening examples of each era, and leading composers are explored. Students examine the significance of music for people and social bases for the development of music.

Prerequisites: None

HUM130 Modern Art History (3 credits) (3,0)
This course examines the history of Western art from the advent of the avant-garde to post-modernism. Emphasis is given to the social/political and theoretical developments coinciding with the changes in culture.

Prerequisites: None

HUM200 History of the Modern World (3 credits) (3,0)
This course explores outstanding political, intellectual, philosophical, military, social and economic trends, movements, and events from the Enlightenment to the present. Major focus is on analysis of the larger forces that have shaped the contemporary world, while the course also examines the role of influential individuals from Anthony (Susan B.) to Zola (Emile).

Prerequisite: ENG100

HUM227 Film History (3 credits) (3,0)
Surveys the history of film from the end of the 19th century up to the present. Students learn about the evolution of film technology as well as the social and cultural relevance of the various periods.

Prerequisite: EN100

HUM230 History of Animation (3 credits) (3,0)
Exposes students to the historical development of animation as an art form and the techniques, technologies, and personalities responsible for the creation of animated forms and characters. Includes the social and economic content behind the development and popularity of characters and approaches.

Prerequisite: EN100

HUM235 History of Sound Work (3 credits) (3,0)
Theories and practices of Sound Work from ancient times to present. Western and non-Western perspectives. Perspectives across history and from around the world on body/mind states and how they are affected by sound and music. Descriptions of cultural and social conditions in which Sound Work practices existed. Relationship of Sound Work practices to music for entertainment practices. Representative examples of Sound Work and biographical information on composers and musicians who practiced it.

Prerequisite: HUM122

HUM240 Space, Time, Mind (3 credits) (2,3)
Conceptual and experiential investigation of the basic framework of existence and knowledge. Conventional notions of space and time vs. expanded views which consider vast and infinitesimal scales. Absolute vs. relative. How mind creates and operates within a temporal/spatial framework. Exercises and experiments to accompany reading and discussion.

Prerequisite: ENG210

HUM360 Ethics & the Fire Service (3 credits) (3,0)
Helps students develop a critical, analytic, and constructive perspective regarding the ethical issues, which arise in contemporary world and in the fire and emergency services. For this purpose, the course draws on philosophical, psychological, and religious resources and insights as important conceptual tools. Major competing contemporary approaches to ethical theory including psychological perspective on moral development are discussed. The course covers ethical theories such as Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics and problems such as relativism. In addition to these, several issues related to ethics in our modern world will be examined. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees.

Prerequisite: SSC320.

HUM361 Contemporary Ethical Issues (3 credits) (3,0)
Examines philosophical foundations of ethical theory and applied ethics. Students discuss historical approaches and contemporary case studies in relation to ethical theory and personal values.

Prerequisites: HUM200 and SSC200 and ENG210)

HUM400 General Education Capstone Research Project (3 credits) (3,0)
Students develop an in-depth knowledge in a particular topic. They apply their skills of topic development, critical reading, research techniques, use of sources in arguments, and advanced composition to write a comprehensive research paper and make an oral presentation. Must be taken at Cogswell

Prerequisites: ENG310 or ENG320 and SSC332 and HUM361 and senior status

HUM498 Special Projects (1-3 credits)
Individual or group investigation, research, and study of pre-selected problems.

Prerequisites: ENG210, Permission of Director of General Education

HUM499 Special Topics (1-3 credits)
Group study of topic selected by instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: ENG210, Permission of Director of General Education

MATH112 College Algebra (3 credits) (3,0)
Covers the real and complex numbering systems, equations, inequalities, function theory, polynomial functions, exponential and logarithmic functions.

Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra or appropriate score on placement test. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees. Placement exam.

MATH115 Basic Topics in Mathematics (3 credits) (3,0)
Principles and applications of inequalities, functions and graphs, polynomials and rational functions, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and determinants. Analytic geometry including conic sections. Trigonometric functions, identities, equations, inverse functions, trigonometric applications including vector definition, operations, and dot product. Students are introduced to the basic concepts for computer graphics.

Prerequisite: MATH003 or an appropriate score on the math placement test

MATH120 Math for DSP (4 credits) (3,3)
This course offers a non-calculus approach understanding the fundamental concepts of Digital Signal Processing. Topics include: Using trigonometric functions to represent musical sounds; Sampling and quantization; Digital signals; Spectra; The discrete Fourier transform; Convolution; Z-transform; Digital filtering.

Prerequisite: MATH115

MATH123 Patterns, Symmetry, Proportion (3 credits) (2,3)
Exploration of mathematical structure of natural phenomena. Mandelbrot and Julia sets. Hausdorff dimension. Patterns and tilings. Symmetry. Phi (Golden Section). Fibonacci numbers. L-systems. Investigation of mathematical basis for “sacred” geometries.

Prerequisite: MATH115

MATH143 Calculus I (4 credits) (4,0)
Functions. Limits. Derivatives. Curve sketching. Mean Value Theorem. Trigonometric functions. Related rates. Maximum-minimum problems. Inverse functions. Definite and indefinite integrals. Logarithmic, exponential, and hyperbolic functions. Applications of integration. Simple differential equations. Students are introduced to calculus concepts for science and engineering and to MATLAB software to learn calculus.

Prerequisite: MATH116 or an appropriate score on the math placement test.

MATH144 Calculus II (3 credits) (3,0)
Integration by trigonometric substitution, by parts, and by partial fractions. Arc length. Indeterminate forms. Improper integrals. Taylor’s Theorem including a discussion of the remainder. Sequences. Series. Power series. Separable differential equations. First order linear differential equations. Homogeneous second order linear differential equations with constant coefficients. Students are introduced to calculus concepts for science and engineering and to MATLAB software to learn calculus.

Prerequisite: MATH143

MATH245 Calculus III (3 credits) (3,0)
Vectors. Lines. Planes. Quadratic surfaces. Polar. cylindrical and spherical coordinates. Partial derivatives. Directional derivatives. Gradient. Divergence. Curl. Chain rule. Maximum-minimum problems. Multiple integrals. Parametric surfaces and curves. Students are introduced to calculus concepts for science and engineering and to MATLAB software to learn calculus.

Prerequisite: MATH144

MATH377 Software Engineering Mathematics (3 credits) (3,0)
Topics in mathematics necessary for software engineering applications. Introduction to set theory, functions and relations; introduction to logic; matrices and systems of equations; elementary combinatorics, probability and statistics; methods of proof; finite sums and products; complex numbers; recurrence relations. Introduction to Analysis of Algorithms. Students are introduced to the discrete mathematical concepts for software engineering.

Prerequisite: MATH133

MATH478 Advanced Software Engineering Mathematics (3 credits) (3,0)
Linear Programming: Simplex algorithm. Mathematical theory of duality in linear programming. Game theory: Zero-sum games. Prisoner’s dilemma. Evolutionarily stable strategy. Normal-form representation of games. Nash equilibrium. Mixed strategy equilibrium. Bayesian Nash equilibrium. Stackelberg Model. Two-Person bargaining problems and the Nash bargaining solution. Coalitions in cooperative games. Students apply discrete mathematical concepts to game theory.

Prerequisites: MATH235, MATH377

MATH498 Special Project (1-3 credits)
Individual or group investigation, research, or study of preselected problems.

Prerequisite: Permission of Director of General Education

MATH499 Special Topic (1-5 credits)
Group study of a preselected topic as specified by the instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite: Permission of Director of General Education

MATH355 Statistics (3 credits) (3,0)
Covers topics in descriptive and inferential statistics, including data collection, condensations, permutations, combinations and probability theory, binomial and normal distributions, confidence limits, hypothesis testing; level of significance, errors, distribution tests, regression and correlation. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees.

Prerequisite: MATH112.

SCI100 Basic Concepts of Physics (3 credits) (2,2)
Basic principles: motion, gravitation, electricity and magnetism, light, relativity and atomic physics. Students are exposed to the fundamentals of physics.

Prerequisite: MATH 115 or higher

SCI130 Basic Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology (3 credits )(2,2)
This course presents a systematic approach to the study of the human body beginning with an introduction to anatomical terminology. Topics covered include the gross and microscopic anatomy of the following systems: skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive. Laboratory work will parallel and reinforce concepts introduced in the lectures, using practical models and other visual aids.

Prerequisite: MATH 115 or higher

SCI145 College Physics I (4 credits) (3,2)
Fundamentals of mechanics, fluids, and heat, including vectors, translation and equilibrium, acceleration, projectile motion, Newton’s Laws, work, energy, power, impulse, momentum, uniform circular notion, rotation of rigid bodies, simple changes, elasticity, simple harmonic motion, fluid statics and dynamics, temperature, thermal expansion, heat units, heat transfer, thermal properties of matter, the thermodynamics and wave motion. Illustrative laboratory work to complement theory. Students are introduced to physics concepts for science and engineering.

Prerequisite: MATH143

SCI200 General Science: Principles and Trends (3 credits) (2,3)
This course introduces the fundamentals of classical and modern physics. Topics include basic principles of mechanics, fluids and thermodynamics, wave motion, sound, light, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics, including special theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Must be taken at Cogswell College.

Prerequisites: SCI100 or SCI130

SCI245 College Physics II (4 credits) (3,2)
Fundamentals of sound, light electricity and magnetism, and modern physics, including illumination, reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction, polarization, DC and AC circuits, magnetism, electrochemistry and electronics. Illustrative work to complement theory. Students are introduced to physics concepts for science and engineering.

Prerequisite: SCI145

SCI345 Principles and Trends of Modern Physics (4 credits) (3,2)
This course introduces the fundamentals of classical and modern physics. Topics include principles of Newtonian mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics, including special theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, and subatomic particle physics.

Prerequisite: SCI245

SCI361 Semiconductor Physics (3 credits) (3,0)
Atomic structure and Quantum Physics, the Bohr atom, the Shrödingerequation, physical meaning of the state function, atoms in crystals, energy bands semiconductors, intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, Fermi-Dirac statistics, Fermi levels, N-type and P-type semiconductors, carrier concentration and mobility, drift and diffusion, generation and recombination, PN junction, quantitative analysis atequilibrium, reverse bias and forward bias, dynamic hetero junctions, metasemiconductor junction, ohmic contact, Schottky diode, MOSFET structure, band diagrams, minority carrier concentrations, current components, Ebers-Moll model, high injection effects, hetero junction BJT.

Prerequisites: MATH134, SCI155

SCI498 Special Project (1-3 credits)
Individual or group investigation, research, study, or surveys of preselected problems.

Prerequisite: Permission of Director of General Education

SCI499 Special Topic (1-5 credits)
Group study of pre-selected topic, the title to be specified by the instructor. May be
repeated for credit.

Prerequisite: Permission of Director of General Education

SSC200 U. S. Government (3 credits) (3,0)
Social, political, and intellectual history from the Age of Exploration to the present. Students focus on major trends and developments. Includes California history.

Prerequisite: ENG100

SSC320 Organizational Leadership (3 credits) (3,0)
Is an upper division foundational course in research methods in the field of Social Sciences. The course (a) emphasizes qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches; (b) introduces descriptive and inferential statistics; (c) enables students to become more effective consumers of research; (d) prepares students for subsequent and related courses; and (e) provides a foundation for students to be able to conduct original research that may lead to term papers, senior project, and other products. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees.

Prerequisite: ENG300

SSC332 Global Political Economics (3 credits) (3,0)
Based on political, economic, and geopolitical study of contemporary processes of globalization. Comparative analysis of various economic and political systems. New realities of the transitional economic systems. Current economic and social development of West Europe, Russia and Eurasia, China, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa in context of global economic, cultural, military, and political relations with the United States.

Prerequisites: HUM200 and SSC200

SSC370 Introduction to Consciousness (3 credits) (2,3)
Conceptual and experiential investigation of theories of consciousness. Consideration of theories drawn from psychology, neuroscience and philosophical traditions. Topics include defining “consciousness”, theories of the self, the evolution of consciousness, the neural correlates of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, paranormal experiences and consciousness contemplating itself. Exercises and experiments to accompany reading and discussion.

Prerequisite: HUM240

SSC400 Topics in International Studies: GPE (3 credits) (3,0)
Provides students with an introduction to the issues, history, perspectives, and analytical methods in the field of Global Political Economy (GPE). The course tries to create a conceptual landscape of the global political economy, to grasp some big trends and processes and movements related to it. This is a “big picture” course that serves as an introduction to the fields of International Economics and Political Science. This course does not fulfill the General Education requirements for either Engineering or Digital Arts degrees.

Prerequisite: SSC320.

SSC498 Special Project (1-3 credits)
Individual or group investigation, research, and study of pre-selected problems.

Prerequisites: ENG100, Permission of Department Chair

SSC499 Special Topic (1-3 credits)
Group study of topic selected by instructor. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: ENG100, Permission of Director of General Education