Allegheny College: Catalogue

Interdisciplinary minors provide students with the opportunity to pursue an integrative approach to their education and to identify and prepare themselves effectively for career paths that lie beyond the boundaries of traditional majors and minors. The goal of the Interdisciplinary Programs is that the student not only be able to demonstrate a grounding in a particular discipline, but also to enter into larger conversations about the complex interactions among diverse fields of knowledge and expertise. Interdisciplinary approaches enable students to relate their more immediate academic concerns to a challenging multifaceted information society and therefore to address issues of citizenship and activism.

The Programs

In the best liberal arts tradition, interdisciplinary minors such as those listed below feature “synthesis” courses, generally taken during the junior year. These courses employ a wide range of theories and methods to connect disciplines as diverse as dance, art, literature, political science, and medicine. They encourage students to think more systematically and self-consciously about how to bring together different aspects of their overall course of study. Seminars like “Cultural Construction of Sexuality,” “The Ethics and Dynamics of Social Action,” and “Envisioning Environmental Futures” lead students to question underlying assumptions about the world while gaining perspective on the various modes of thought that constitute the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. By combining these programs with their major fields of study, students can prepare themselves for a broader future. A case in point is the Science, Health, and Society Program, which might lead to a career in medical ethics, health care law, or medical journalism.

Students may enlist interdisciplinary minors to complete the minor requirement for graduation as long as at least 12 credits of coursework used to complete the minor lie outside the division of their major and as long as no course is counted for both the major and the minor. All courses listed as INTDS are considered outside all three divisions and therefore cannot be used to fulfill the distribution requirement.

Two interdisciplinary programs not listed here are Dance Studies and Women's Studies which have their own sections in the catalogue.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Miller. An interdisciplinary analysis of American culture requiring courses in history, literature, and theory, as well as the synthesis course INTDS 552 “Wilderness and Mind: Culture and Society in the Hudson River Valley, 1790-1860” Additional courses for the minor may be taken from a variety of fields (including Art, Religion, Economics, and Political Science). Students without exception must declare this minor no later than the end of the first semester of their junior year. Because this minor offers a wide array of options and possibilities, students need to specify which courses they will take both before and after INTDS 552, in consultation with the coordinator of the minor, Professor Miller, and produce a statement describing their plan of study. The minor is administered by a committee whose membership also includes Professors Quinn and Slote. 24 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professors Geffen and Pallant. An interdisciplinary minor in which the student creatively confronts the global environmental crisis. Students combine knowledge obtained about the physical and social environment with experience acquired from immersion in various artistic and creative endeavors to imagine and construct possible solutions to contemporary environmental problems. Environmental Science 110 “Introduction to Environmental Science” and Art 156 “Introduction to Studio Art: Art and the Environment” must be taken at the outset. Additional courses are to be chosen from each of three categories, including Scientific Perspectives, Social Issues and Creative Arts. The synthesis course, INTDS 301 “Envisioning Environmental Futures,” must be taken as the culminating experience. 24 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Wesoky. An interdisciplinary minor introducing diverse perspectives regarding Asian society. The minor includes courses in artistic forms, historical contexts, economic structures, religious practices, and political systems. Through this minor, students will acquire knowledge about the differences and similarities among Asian cultures as well as between Asia and the “West.” Students must enroll in INTDS 220 “Asian Studies,” the topic of which will vary from year to year and could emphasize environmental, political, literary, or religious aspects. In addition, at least two courses must be taken in the Humanities Division and two from the Social Science Division from a prescribed list. Details should be worked out in consultation with the coordinator of the minor. 20 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Laura Quinn. An exploration of the American and/or global experience of black people and of race as an historical category and construct. Courses for the minor are to be chosen from a prescribed list, including courses in the departments of History, Music, Political Science, English, Economics, Modern Languages, and Philosophy and Religious Studies. At least three of the courses must come from two or more departments outside of the student's major field and at least two of the courses must be 300 level or higher. INTDS 210 “Introduction to Black Studies” is required for students enrolling as of Fall, 2005. Because course offerings will vary from year to year, students are required to submit a schedule/plan of study with one of the minor coordinators at the time of declaration. The minor is administered by a committee whose membership also includes Professors Ben Slote, Bill Bywater, and David Miller. 20 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Wang. An interdisciplinary minor examing the language, culture, politics, and history of China. Courses include Chinese language, Religious Studies, History, and Political Science. Through this minor, students will acquire an in-depth understanding of Chinese language as well as its historical, social, and political contexts. 20-24 credits required.

Requirements: This minor may be counted toward either the Humanities or the Social Sciences divisional requirements.

I. At least 12 credits in the Humanities Division (listed below), including at least eight credits in Chinese language, either on campus or at an Allegheny-approved study abroad program.

III. At least 8 credits in the Social Sciences (listed below). If a student wants the minor to count toward Social Science divisional requirements, she/he must take 12 credits in the Social Sciences.

V. INTDS 220, if selected, can count as an elective course in the minor, but not toward divisional requirements.

Courses: For purposes of fulfilling requirements toward the minor, students may count only one of the courses listed below in italics.

Humanities:
Art 223 Far Eastern Art
Chinese 110 Beginning Chinese I
Chinese 120 Beginning Chinese II
Chinese 215 Intermediate Chinese
Chinese 225 Chinese Readings, Films, and Composition
Chinese 325 Chinese Culture
Chinese 590 Independent Study in Chinese
Religious Studies 160 Buddhism
Religious Studies 170 Religions of China

Social Science:
Economics 261 Comparative Economics Systems
Economics 256 Economic Development
EXL 594 Travel Seminar: Vanishing China, Emerging China
History 244 Modern China, 1800-2000
History 246 The History of Modern East Asia, 1800-Present
History 350 East Asia and Europe: Commercial, Cultural and Diplomatic Encounters, 1500-1900
Political Science 383 Politics and Culture in the Asia-Pacific
Political Science 385 Government and Politics of China

Minor Coordinator: Professor Herrman. The Classical Studies minor provides a broad-based introduction to ancient Greek and Roman civilization which includes components of Latin language study, history and cultural studies. Students gain familiarity with diverse aspects of the ancient world and learn how to formulate original arguments based on primary sources, material and literary. The minor requires 20 credits, and satisfies either a humanities or social sciences requirement depending upon the course selection. In order to meet a social science requirement, students must take three history courses and the minor will consist of 24 credits in total. Course requirements for the Classical Studies minor: Take at least two of the following Latin language courses: Latin 110: Beginning Latin I; Latin 120: Beginning Latin II; Latin 215: Intermediate Latin I; Latin 225: Intermediate Latin II; Latin 315: Roman Poetry. Take at least one of the following history survey courses: History 260: Greek History; History 262: Roman History. Take one of the following advanced History department courses: History 370: Race and Ethnicity in Classical Antiquity; History 374: Orality and Literacy in Ancient Greece; History 580: Culture and Politics in Classical Antiquity; History 581: Ancient and Modern Imperialisms; or another ancient history course above the 300-level. Take at least one of the following elective courses: Art 110: Survey of Art History I; Art 211: Art of the Ancient World Religious Studies 117: Religion in the Ancient Greco-Roman World; Religious Studies 240: History of Christianity I. Other appropriate courses may be included in the minor with the permission of the minor coordinator.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Dodge. A study of the political, social, intellectual, and artistic manifestations of French civilization and culture. Courses to be drawn from a list including the Art, Political Science and History departments. The minor is administered by the French section of the Department of Modern Languages. 20 credits required as well as proficiency in French at the 300-level.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Richter. A study of the political, social, intellectual, and artistic manifestations of German culture and civilization. Courses to be drawn from a list including the Art, Political Science and History departments. The minor is administered by the German section of the Department of Modern Languages. 20 credits required (including two courses in German).

Minor Coordinator: Professor Haywood. A study of Latin America and the Caribbean that combines courses in the humanities, social sciences, and languages with experience abroad. The minor requires 20 credits of coursework in at least two departments in order to provide students a comparative view of the region through discipline-specific lenses. In addition, students focus their study of the region through learning one of its languages. These studies must include a capstone academic experience in Latin America or the Caribbean, as determined by the student and minor coordinator. A committee that includes Professors Caballero, Goldstein, Haywood, Hernández, Herrera, Mattiace and Riess administers this minor. 20 credits required.

I. 20 credits from at least two of the following departments:
Political Science 261, 361, 584
History 250, 251, 252, 254, 256, 324, 360, 366, 569
Spanish 225, 335, 345, 365, 375, 385, 425, 480, 485
Courses from other departments (EXL or ES School for Field Studies) with approval of the minor committee.

II. Demonstrated Proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese.
Students will place above or successfully complete SPAN 305 or 315 or the equivalent level in Portuguese at another institution.

III. Academic Residence Abroad
Service programs such as Borderlinks, ACCEL Trips, or Study Abroad in Latin America will fulfill this requirement. Please consult with the minor coordinator.

Minor Coordinators: Professors Hellwarth and LaPointe. An interdisciplinary minor combining two core courses focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, INTDS 207 “Human Sexual Identity,” and INTDS 306 “Cultural Constructions of Sexuality,” with courses that connect these issues to other cultural themes. Courses for the minor are to be chosen from a prescribed list, including courses in the departments of Communication Arts, English, History, Psychology and Women's Studies. The minor is coordinated by a committee that also includes Professors Bywater, Dickey, Rose, Sinha Roy, and Wurst. 20 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Holland. An examination of the history, religion, art, and literature of the medieval and Renaissance periods, intended to foster a sympathetic understanding of an age very different from our own, as well as a better sense of the roots of the modern era. Courses to be chosen from a list including the English, History, Religious Studies, Philosophy and Art departments. The minor is administered by a committee whose membership also includes Professors Carr and E. Palmer. 20 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Pinnow. A multi-disciplinary examination of this changing region and the dynamics affecting it. Issues of ethnicity/nationalism, religion/culture, and the interrelation of politics and economics receive emphasis. Particular attention is given to the rise and decline of Communist regimes and the struggle to create stable, democratic, free-market systems in their aftermath. 20 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professors Kleinschmidt and Pinnow. A minor investigating the interdisciplinary nature of health and health care. Students choose from one of two options, depending upon the division of their major. All students are required to take the capstone course, INTDS 550 “Science, Health, and Society” and complete 84 hours of a combination of shadowing and service related to health. 23 to 24 credits required.

Minor Coordinator: Professor Schindler. An interdisciplinary program that draws on courses across the curriculum, especially in the social sciences and humanities, to offer sudents an intellectual framework for understanding social action and its ethics as well as the societal problems that typically inspire such action. The objectives of the program are: (1) to support the development of thoughtful civic engagement; (2) to embed students' experiences of engagement in a broader social context; (3) to equip students for complex thinking about social issues by providing them with theoretical and empirical tools for understanding communities and the dynamics of change within them; (4) to encourage students to examine and perhaps revise their beliefs about community life and its needs and assets, as well as responsibilities to one's community.

Students must also hold a service leadership position for at least one semester, providing them the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they acquire in the classroom while meeting real community needs. 24 credits required. No courses for the minor may be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, except with the permisson of the VESA Coordinator. VESA courses are interdisciplinary, non-divisional courses, and the VESA minor may be combined with a major from any of the three divisions: humanities, natural sciences or social sciences.

I. INTDS 160: Introduction to Values, Ethics & Social Action (interdisciplinary foundation course; preferably taken in the first or second year)

II. Core Course Requirement: Take one ethics course from the two options below and at least one from the four social science options.
Phil 140: Ethics and Community OR Relst 200: Christian Ethics
Econ 110: Wealth, Poverty and Power in America OR PolSci 348 & 349: Community Activism I & II OR Psych 162: Human Social Behavior OR Psych 174: Motivation and Emotion.

III. Methods Course Requirement: Take one of the following:
Eng 208: Technical and Professional Writing
INTDS 201 & 202: Service-Learning: Theory & Practice I & II
Psych 300: Qualitative Research

IV. One elective approved by the VESA Steering Committee; for a current list, contact the Coordinator of the VESA Program.

V. One service leadership position (such as Bonner, Student Service Leader, Service-Learning Challenge) for at least one semester.

This section contains the descriptions of those courses housed in Interdisciplinary Programs. Such courses are identiﬁed by an INTDS- acronym. These are non-departmental, non-divisional courses.

A component of the SFS Costa Rica Semester Field Studies program with two distinct but integrated modules. The Spanish language module offers listening, oral and written practice of the Spanish language at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of proficiency. Students engage grammar and vocabulary exercises, tools required for their research projects. The socio-culture module helps students develop a more refined understanding of Costa Rican culture and the various communities with which they work. Students participate in lectures, field exercises, and other activities including a homestay. Credits: Two semester hours.

An introduction to the theories and ethics of social action, with a focus on community service. Theories of social dynamics and ethical systems are explored as a way to understand how social action can be useful to a community as well as the problems that can arise in implementing social action plans. Students participate in a service-learning component, which they reflect upon in writing and discussion, so as to better understand how the theories apply and where they may fall short. Attention is also paid to the ways in which class, race and gender shape the processes and outcomes of social action. Prerequisites: first-year, sophomore or junior standing.

An introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Studies that focuses on a particular year of historical significance. Students study a closely-defined period in the past by examining texts and artwork in their historical, religious, and social context. This team-taught course adopts varied approaches to the study of the past based in the disciplines of Art, English, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Possible focus years include 1381, 1492, and 1600. May be repeated for credit.

A seminar focusing on the use of service and community engagement as a pedagogy for higher education. Students study the definitions, theories, and assessments of community-based service-learning as “text.” The role of reflection in fostering student learning is explored in depth. This is the first of a two-part sequence on service-learning theory and practice and culminates in the design of a service-learning component for an existing course. Credit: Two semester hours. Prerequisite: One service-learning course.

A seminar and practicum focusing on the use of service and community engagement as a pedagogy for higher education. Students carry out the service-learning plan designed in the preceding course and serve as peer mentors for students in INTDS 201. This is the second of a two-part sequence on service-learning theory and practice and culminates in a formal presentation on the service-learning project undertaken. Credit: Two semester hours. Prerequisite: INTDS 201.

An examination of the psychological and biological factors that influence human sexual development and identity. Concepts and expressions of human sexuality are considered from psychological and anthropological perspectives. The biological (e.g. evolutionary, physiological, neurobiological, and genetic) influences on human sexual development and function will also be addressed.

An overview of some of the issues pertinent to encounters between Asia and the “West.” In particular, the course examines the history and development of such encounters, from colonialistic notions of “Orientalism” to postcolonial critiques to contemporary visions of Asian-Americans. To this end, varying ideas of Asia as the “Other” are contrasted with ideas that Asia has had important influences on the “West.” Specific topics vary from year to year, and could emphasize environmental, political, literary or religious aspects. Course materials might include classic texts, scholarly works, memoirs, fiction and films.

A team-taught interdisciplinary exploration of solutions to contemporary environmental problems. Drawing from the literature on a specific environmental problem, students working in teams will analyze the problem from various vantage points, such as the artistic or literary, ethical, political and economic, scientific or spiritual and will evaluate the social and individual actions prescribed by one or more of their vantage points. Students will create a project—artistic or scientific—that demonstrates their command of course material and provokes discussion of and reflection about possible environmental solutions. Instructors and topics will vary. Prerequisite: Completion of the other course work for the “Art and the Environment” minor or permission of the instructor.

An introduction to the cultural construction of sexuality. Assuming that culture is one of the lenses through which we view the world, this class provides a basic understanding of interdisciplinary cultural theories that focus on how sexuality, gender and identity are constructed in scientific texts, the media, and other social texts. We will pay particular attention to the construction of a variety of sexual identities: heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer. Prerequisite: LS 206 or permission of the instructor.

An exploration of various processes employed in the comprehension and appreciation of music from an interdisciplinary perspective using various methods. Theoretical perspectives to be examined include a traditional music appreciation perspective, a psychological/perceptual perspective, and a neuropsychological perspective. The music appreciation perspective will emphasize the identification/recognition of various aspects of music such as rhythm, harmony, and theme in music composition, performance and listening. The perceptual aspects of music comprehension will be explored with classroom and laboratory demonstrations. Neural processing theories will be explored and demonstrated in the Music Department’s new Niche Lab and through the use of electroencephalographic recordings from the brains of students as they listen to specific pieces of music presented in four different formats. The periodic sampling of brain activity during the presentation of specific musical pieces will be used to introduce neuropsychological concepts and theories about the importance of attention, hemispheric specialization and lateralization in music processing and memory in music comprehension.

An interdisciplinary course that explores relationships between the visual arts and the nervous system. Contemporary neurological theories of visual perception that address phenomena such as color, depth, size, and movement are compared to elements used by visual artists (line, shape, color, space, perspective, motion, etc.). Experiments measure neurological activity stimulated by selected elements of visual form (line, shape, color). Other laboratory exercises measure viewers’ brain activity to compare similarities and differences between artists and non-artists in the perception and creation of works of visual art. Information from these experiments may then be used in the creation of original works of visual art. Prerequisites: Neuroscience 200, FSNeuro 201, Art 285, or Communication Arts 290.

An interdisciplinary exploration of the various processes engaged during the experience and appreciation of dance practice and performance. This investigation focuses on neural processes underlying the psychosocial, kinesthetic, and expressive dimensions of dance. Neural processing theories are explored in both neuroscience laboratories and dance studios using electrophysiological and digital imagery analysis. Dances are experienced and created with neural processing theories in mind. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

A historical examination of the major advances made in understanding the brain and nervous system. The impact of important technical and theoretical breakthroughs in neuroscience research is explored from a cultural, historical, ethical, and health-related perspective. These factors are also examined in relation to current and future directions in neuroscience research, such as brain imaging techniques and research investigating the mechanisms and treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases. Prerequisites: Neuroscience 200, FS Neu 201, or History 380.

An introduction to general health education. Designed for students interested in obtaining facts and concepts of health pertinent to personal and social well-being. The course will provide an understanding of the responsibility for individual health choices. Topics will include wellness behavior, alcohol And drug use, disease, human reproduction, growth and development, nutrition, and issues in community health.

Selected topics related to the understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of Health Care. This course serves as a capstone to the Science, Health and Society minor and consists of analysis and discussion of literature addressing issues of Health Care. Students are required to write research papers that cause them to reflect upon the service/shadowing and course work completed to fulfill the minor. Prerequisites: Completion of the majority of the other coursework and 60 hours of service/shadowing, or permission of the instructor. Note: this course is taught in the Fall semester in an every other year basis. Planned years: Fall 2007, Fall 2009.

INTDS 552 Wilderness and Mind: Culture and Society in the Hudson River Valley, 1790-1860.

An examination of the origins of environmental and preservationist thinking in American culture concentrating on key figures from the Hudson River Valley region. The approach is interdisciplinary or “American Studies” and draws upon historical studies of economic development, religious revivalism, child rearing practices, and the emergence of middle class identity. Works studied are by artists of the Hudson River School and writers, such as James Fenimore Cooper, his father William and daughter Susan, Washington Irving, and William Cullen Bryant. (May be counted as the Junior Seminar in English.)

Selected topics relating to the study and application of social action and ethics from multi-disciplinary perspectives. The class is discussion-oriented with emphasis on primary sources. Students complete and present a broadly integrative community-based research and activism project. Prerequisites: Completion of INTDS 160 with a grade of C or better, two courses from the Core Course Requirement, a course from the Methods Course Requirement, and at least one term of a service leadership position.

A field experience in education during which students work with teachers and students in local elementary or secondary schools. Relevant readings on child development, educational theories, and general and content-specific pedagogies, as well as discussions with the instructor and the supervising teacher, provide the background and context for the fieldwork. Students are required to keep a reflective journal and to complete a culminating project based on their experiences in the classroom. Credit: Two to four semester hours. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.