Dual Enrollment Core Course Descriptions
ART 2343 Art Appreciation (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
This course provides a comparative analysis of various modes of expression in all of the visual arts through description and evaluation. Emphasis is made upon historical movements, language, media, and stylistic identity. The survey is designed to prompt the student to see art as a personal experience and to respond more sensitively to the visual arts in a cultural context.
CHRI 1301 Introduction to the Bible (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
The course gives a survey of the Bible designed to introduce the student to the Old and New Testaments, their main themes, and backgrounds.
CHRI 2373 Christian Theology and Tradition (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
This course is designed to introduce the student to Christian beliefs on the Old Testament and the New Testament. Beliefs of scholars who have had a significant impact on Christian thought will also be considered. This course is required in the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum.
COMM 1323 Rhetoric and Public Speaking (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
This course improves communication skills in a variety of contexts and develops an understanding and appreciation of the importance of public rhetoric in a democratic society. Since ancient Greek and Roman times, rhetoric has been taught both as the foundation of a liberal arts education and as an essential skill of democratic citizenship.
ENGL 1313 Composition and Literature I (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): SAT Essay Subscore 08 or SAT Writing 500 or ACT English 22 or ENGL 1303 with a minimum grade of C
This course teaches the fundamentals of college reading, thinking and writing from a classical, Christian perspective. Writing for Wisdom grounds students in a deep understanding of, and appreciation for, proper standards of written English including mechanical skills and forms, while using writing as a vehicle for intellectual, emotional, ethical and spiritual wrestling. It moves past the kinds of fashionable, current-event topics normally assigned in freshmen composition classes. Rather, students engage in wider issues and questions like: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I know I am of value? Finally, through a close study of a series of classical works from our Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage, students will explore their status as citizens of a deliberative democracy and seek to define, and manifest in their lives, the nature of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.
ENGL 1323 Composition and Literature II (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1313
This course continues the study of composition and rhetoric introduced in English 1320: Writing for Wisdom I. Students will gain an understanding of why reading literature is deeply important for Christians, learn the conventions of such literary genres as poems, stories, novels, and plays, study methods of literary analysis, and interpret literature from a biblical perspective. They will walk through the exploration of biblical archetypes, typology, language constructions, and metaphors in classic works of English literature, and learn to write well-constructed and well-written arguments about literature and life in standard English, including the use of research in MLA format and the writing of a fully developed research paper.
ENGL 2315 Great Works of Literature I (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1313 and ENGL 1323
ENGL 2315 is reading course in the literary heritage of western civilization. This course includes readings from the Greeks, the Romans, and the Middle Ages.
ENGL 2325 Great Works of Literature II (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1313 and ENGL 1323
This reading course covers the literary heritage of Western civilization. This course includes readings from the 18th century to the present.
GOVT 2313 American and Texas Government (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
The course offers a survey of the structure and operation of the national and Texas governments. This course is required for certification to teach in the public schools of Texas.
HIST 2311 Western Civilization I (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
This class gives a survey of Western civilization from the ancient world to the end of the Middle Ages in Europe.
HIST 2312 Western Civilization II (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
HIST 2312 provides a survey of Western Civilization from the Renaissance and Reformation to the present.
HIST 2313 U.S. History to 1877 (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
The class gives a survey of American history from its origins to the close of Reconstruction.
HIST 2323 U.S. History from 1877 (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
This course provides a survey of American history from the close of Reconstruction to the present.
MATH 1305 Math for Critical Thinking (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): MATH 1301 or MATH 1302 or a MATH SAT/ACT score of at least 450/20 or a satisfactory score on a HCU required math placement exam
The class covers mathematical topics needed for the critical evaluation of quantitative information and arguments, including set theory, counting, logic, and the critical appraisal of graphs and tables, including the use of some simple mathematical models, and an introduction to probability and statistics. Additional topics may be selected from finance, graph theory, number theory, geometry and matrix theory. This course may not be counted as part of a mathematics major or a mathematical studies major.
MUSI 1331 Music Appreciation (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
An entry-level music course for all non-music majors, this course surveys a variety of musical styles. No music reading skills are required.
PHIL 1313 Introduction to Philosophy (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
Designed to familiarize the student with the meaning and relevance of philosophy through a study of its main problems and the principal theories that have been proposed as solutions to them, this course is foundational.
PSYC 1313 General Psychology (3 credits)
Prerequisite(s): None
PSYC 1313 is an introductory course dealing with the major content areas in psychology. Topics may include heredity and environment, emotions and motivation, perception, learning, personality and intelligence. This course may be taken to meet Smith College requirements and as an elective by non-psychology majors. It is required for psychology majors.