| Competencies | Core Courses |
Basic Competencies
The purpose of the core curriculum is to establish a foundation for the undergraduate academic experience and to ensure that students develop fundamental skills and a lifelong commitment and ability to learn. All courses stress active learning. In addition, all courses are aimed at one or more of these basic competencies.
- Aesthetic Experience: This competency includes knowledge about different art forms and their history; an understanding of how creative processes compare among art forms; and the ability to describe and analyze artistic works.
- Critical Thinking: Critical thinking requires the ability to analyze data, synthesize information, make decisions, and systematically and imaginatively solve problems. All core courses stress critical thinking, providing practice in the techniques of inquiry, logical reasoning, and critical analysis.
- Ethical and Moral Consciousness: Competency in this area involves the ability to recognize ethical and moral issues that may arise from scientific and technological developments or that may be inferred from aesthetic and humanistic works.
- Historical Consciousness: Historical consciousness requires the knowledge of the main stages of human cultural development, along with the ability to relate one’s historical heritage to that of other cultures, past and present. This competency involves understanding historical events, whether social, economic, or political, and then examining the relationships among theater-in-the-round such as change, continuity, and causation.
- Information Technology: Competency requires using contemporary technologies to communicate effectively; to locate, manage and analyze information; to critically evaluate information obtained through these technologies; to comprehend basic information technology concepts in order to understand and quickly assimilate new technologies as they evolve; and to have an understanding of and respect for the ethical and legal aspects of the use of information technology.
- International Awareness: The international awareness competency involves the ability to examine one’s own culture, society, and nationality from perspectives acquired through understanding other cultures and nations, including their languages, literature, art, history, and geography.
- Mathematics: Competency in mathematics includes an understanding of the concepts, the methodology, and the application of probability and statistics; the ability to use and interpret functions and graphs to express relationships; an appreciation of the importance of numerical information; and a recognition of both the role and the limitations of mathematics in all areas.
- Philosophy and Methods of Science: Competency in the philosophy and methods of science involves understanding the strengths and limitations of science, including how scientists learn about the world through observation and experiment, through modeling and interpretation, and through the skeptical scrutiny of the work of other experts in the field. This competency includes the following: an awareness of relationships between science and society; the ability to use scientific reasoning to evaluate conflicting statements in order to arrive at informed opinions on contemporary issues; an appreciation of how experiencing the universe scientifically differs from experiencing it in other ways; and knowledge of the questions that science neither asks nor answers.
- Social and Cultural Awareness: Social and cultural awareness requires viewing human beings as organisms functioning within a set of global, interconnected systems, including nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, class, law, religion, and communication—that influence and are influenced by changing individuals. This competency includes knowledge about how persons develop and grow; awareness of how social and cultural systems influence values, thought, and behavior; and appreciation for the interactions, conflicts, and communication among systems.
- Verbal Literacy: Verbal literacy includes four skills: writing, reading, speaking, and listening and the ability to use language to learn and participate in the discourse and decision-making of academic, personal, professional, and public life. Competency in written literacy involves the ability to read and write clearly and thoughtfully; to understand different writing and reading processes; and to use these processes to advantage when writing and reading about experiences and ideas. Competency in oral literacy involves public speaking and interpersonal and small group communication. All core courses address this competency.
University Core Curriculum
A student seeking most baccalaureate degrees must complete a total of 44 hours in core courses. Listed below are the required categories, the number of hours required in each category, and the specific courses that will fulfill that requirement.
Students majoring in a program of study offered through the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, as well as select programs within the College of Science and Mathematics, follow a different core.
English /Communications (9 credit hours)
Written and Oral Literacy (All three of the following courses):
RHET 1311 Composition I
Practice in writing, with an emphasis on personal, expressive writing, as well as transactional writing. Focus on organizing and revising ideas and writing well organized, thoroughly developed papers that achieve the writer’s purpose, meet the readers’ needs, and develop the writer’s voice. Final course grades are A, B, C, or no credit. Students must complete this course with a grade of C or greater to take Composition II. Three credit hours.
RHET 1312 Composition II
Prerequisite: RHET 1311 with a C or greater or equivalent. Those students required by state law to enroll in READ 0310 must successfully complete that course before enrolling in Composition II. Practice in writing, with an emphasis on academic forms. Focus on analysis, argumentation, and research and documentation writing. Final course grades are A, B, C, or no credit. Three credit hours.
SPCH 1300 Speech Communication
Helps students effectively deliver an oral presentation to an adult audience; listen to and critique objectively the oral presentations of others; effectively participate in one-to-one communication experiences using techniques of active listening, conflict resolution, and information gathering; effectively organize, participate in, and lead small groups as they problem-solve; and recognize and use effective oral language as a tool of sound reasoning. Student performance is emphasized along with lecture, discussion, and self-instructional study center exercises. Students will learn through writing, reading, discussing, listening, and participating in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Three credit hours.
Math (3 credit hours)
Math and Statistics (One of the following courses-3 credit hours):
MATH 1302 College Algebra
Prerequisite: A grade of C or greater in Math 030I – Intermediate Algebra, an equivalent transfer course or a suitable score on a mathematics placement test (See “Mathematics Placement Tests” on page 177). Study of functions, including but not limited to, absolute value, quadratic, polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and exponential; systems of equations; and matrices. Three hours lecture. Three credit hours.
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Note: FALL 2012 is the last semester MATH 1315 College Mathematics will be offered. Beginning SPRING 2013, all non-STEM majors will have the option to take MATH 1321 Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning, instead of MATH 1315.
MATH 1315 College Mathematics
Prerequisite: a grade of C or greater in MATH 0301, the equivalent, or a suitable score on a mathematics placement test (See “Mathematics Placement Tests” on page 177). Functions, analytic geometry, formulas and variation; set theory; logic; probability and statistics, combinatorics, populations, samples, normal distribution, mean, variance, and standard deviation. This course is as sophisticated as College Algebra and satisfies the state mandated requirement for the baccalaureate degree. Three credit hours.
MATH 1321 Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning
Prerequisite: A grade of C or greater in Intermediate Algebra or an equivalent transfer course, or a grade of AQ, BQ, CQ, in any of UALR’s Pre-Core Mathematics courses (MATH 0321, MATH 0322, MATH 0323, MATH 0324), or a MATH ACT score of 21 or greater, or an ACT Elementary Algebra score of 11, or an SAT Mathematics score of 500 or greater. (See the Mathematics Placement Tests section in the catalog.) The overarching goal of Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning is to provide students with mathematical understandings and skills to be productive workers, discerning consumers, and informed citizens. Students will solve problems using mathematical reasoning involving logic, proportions, algebra, and relations. In keeping with the tenets of student performance in a general education course, this course is designed to deliver instruction that focuses on process, conceptual understanding, communication and problem solving found in the following strands: (a) Personal, state and national finance (b) Statistics and probability (c) Mathematical modeling (d) Quantities and measurement. Students seeking a degree in a Non-STEM major are advised to take this course. Note: This course satisfies the state mandated requirement for the baccalaureate degree. Three hours lecture. Three credit hours.
Fine Arts/Humanities (9 credit hours)
Fine Arts (Two of the following courses-6 credit hours):
ARHA 2305 Introduction to Visual Art
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. Introduction to the creative process and history of art, vocabulary and descriptive terms used in the visual arts, and how to write about them. Attendance at arts events is required. Students will learn through writing, reading, discussing, listening, and participating in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Fulfills core requirement in aesthetics along with student’s choice of either MUHL 2305 or THEA 2305. Three credit hours.
MUHL 2305 Introduction to Music
Introduction to the creative process and history of music, vocabulary and descriptive terms used in the musical arts, and how to write about them. Attendance at concerts and or recitals is required. Students will learn through writing, reading, discussing, listening, and participating in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Fulfills core requirement in aesthetics along with student’s choice of either ARHS 2305 or THEA 2305. Three credit hours.
THEA 2305 Introduction to Theatre and Dance
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. Introduction to the creative process and history of theatre and dance, vocabulary and descriptive terms used in these disciplines, and how to write about them. Attendance at arts events is required. Students will learn through writing, reading, discussing, listening, and participating in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Fulfills core requirement in aesthetics along with student’s choice of either ARHA 2305 or MUHL 2305. Three credit hours.
World Humanities (One of the following courses-3 credit hours):
ENGL 2337 World Literature
Prerequisite: completion of the first year writing requirement. Study of selected texts reflecting various Western and non-Western literary heritages and traditions. Assigned works represent several national literatures, with at least one major text from each of four periods (antiquity, medieval, early modern, and the modern period) and from a minimum of three literary genres. Three credit hours.
ENGL 2338 World Literature Themes
Prerequisite: completion of the first year writing requirement. This class addresses the same competencies as ENGL 2337, but through exploration of a specific topic. Either 2337 or 2338 satisfies the core requirement, but they are distinctive courses and both may be taken for credit. Three credit hours.
PHIL 2320 Ethics and Society
Prerequisite: RHET 1311 recommended. Study of selected texts reflecting a variety of ethical systems from Western and non-Western literary heritages and ethical traditions. Assigned works represent several national ethical literatures, with at least one major ethical text from each of four periods (antiquity, medieval, early modern, and the modern period). Three credit hours.
Science (8 credit hours)
Lab Science (Eight hours from the following courses):
ANTH 1415 Physical Anthropology
A hands-on examination of the study of past and present human and nonhuman primates as biological organisms. Topics include human genetics, variation and osteology, nonhuman primate taxonomy and behavior, forensic anthropology and the human fossil record. Four credit hours.
ASTR 1101 Introduction to Astronomy Laboratory
Prerequisite or corequisite: ASTR 1301 or 1311. A laboratory course designed to accompany ASTR 1301. Projects involve a variety of activities in data acquisition and analysis which tie concepts discussed in the classroom to real-world experiences. Students do these projects in the open laboratory, the planetarium, and the observatory. One credit hour.
ASTR 1301 Introduction to Astronomy
An introductory astronomy course in which students learn about the process of science by studying the various methods by which we have learned our place in the cosmos. Students will study specific examples of the kinds of observations which can be made and the inferences drawn from them. Examples will emphasize how we have obtained our knowledge of the universe and the certainty of various parts of that knowledge. This course, together with the associated lab, ASTR 1101, will satisfy four hours of the science core curriculum requirement. Three credit hours.
BIOL 1400 Evolutionary and Environmental Biology
Evolutionary, ecological, and environmental interrelationships among organisms. Basic biological principles and modern technology form the basis for inquiry and debate. The impact of society upon global biodiversity is examined from competing viewpoints. The role of science in shaping society and the influence of society upon science are evaluated. Students learn through reading, writing, computer simulations, videos, field exercises, and through participation in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Three hours lecture, two hours laboratory. Four credit hours.
BIOL 1401 Science of Biology
The process of science, including observation, evaluation, and predictions, will be applied to the understanding of biological principles. The methods of science will be illustrated in the study of major biological concepts including the cell theory, energy transformation, inheritance, and the theory of evolution. Selected biological systems will be surveyed to compare life forms to examine current human related issues. Three hours lecture, two hours laboratory. Four credit hours.
CHEM 1409 Chemistry and Society
A general education course for non-science majors which satisfies four hours of the lab science requirement in the University core curriculum. This course examines the impact of chemistry on today’s world. Ideas about the atom, the nature of radioactive elements, chemical bonding, plastics, pollution, drugs, and pesticides are sample topics which will be covered from both a scientific and historical perspective. Satisfies four hours of the lab science requirements in the University core curriculum. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory per week. Four credit hours.
ERSC 1102 Physical Geology Laboratory
Prerequisite or corequisite: ERSC 1302. A laboratory course designed to accompany ERSC 1302. Students observe, gather and manipulate data, interpret data, and make field measurements using minerals, rocks, graphs, and maps. The laboratory meets for two hours per week. One credit hour.
ERSC 1103 Historical Geology Laboratory
Prerequisite or corequisite: ERSC 1303. A laboratory course designed to accompany ERSC 1303. Students are involved in geologic data gathering, manipulation, and interpretation along with field measurements and problem solving. Two hours laboratory. One credit hour.
ERSC 1302 Physical Geology
Introduction to the science of geology, the geological view of the human environment, how geologists learn about Planet Earth, and how society and geology interact. Active learning applied to natural processes shaping the earth’s surface, producing the solid and fluid earth, and historical development of geological paradigms. Three hours lecture. Three credit hours.
ERSC 1303 Historical Geology
Introduction to the science of geology, how geologists have learned about the Earth using geologic time as a theme. Active learning applied to various measurements of time, the documentation of evolutionary changes presented by the geologic record, and the development of geologic paradigms used in interpreting this record. Three hours lecture. Three credit hours.
Social Sciences (15 credit hours)
World History (Both of the following courses-6 credit hours):
HIST 1311 History of Civilization I
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. The history of the world’s significant civilizations from their beginnings to approximately A.D. 1600: the development of integrated political, social, economic, religious, intellectual, and artistic traditions and institutions within each of those cultures; significant intercultural exchanges. Three credit hours.
HIST 1312 History of Civilization II
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. The history of the world’s significant civilizations since approximately A.D. 1600: examination of the persistence of traditional civilizations and the changes in the world order due to the development of modern industrial society, modern science, and the nation state. Three credit hours.
US Traditions (One of the following courses-3 credit hours):
POLS 1310 American National Government
An introduction to the political institutions, processes, and patterns of the national government of the United States, focusing on the Congress, presidency, and courts, and on their interrelationships. Attention is given to suffrage and elections, political parties, interest groups, and public opinion. Significant issues and problems of national policy such as civil rights and civil liberties are considered. Three credit hours.
HIST 2311 US History to 1877
Description, analysis, and explanation of the major political, social, economic and diplomatic events through “Reconstruction.” Special attention is devoted to the cross-cultural development of three civilizations, Native American, European, and African, within the geographical context of the North American continent. Major topics for study include European colonial empires; the American Revolution; the Constitution of 1787; evolution of a national government, federal in system and republican in form; social and economic theories and practices; relationship with foreign governments; and the American Civil War. Three credit hours.
HIST 2312 US History since 1877
Description, analysis, and explanation of the political, social, economic and diplomatic events to the present time. Special attention is devoted to the forces of modernity and the impact of cultural pluralism on traditional institutions. Major topics for study include industrialization; agrarianism; labor; immigration; reform movements; total and limited war; economic theory and practice; and the US’s role in world affairs. Three credit hours.
Individuals, Cultures, and Society (Two of the following courses-6 credit hours):
ANTH 2316 Cultural Anthropology
Prerequisite: RHET 1311 recommended. Examines the concept of culture, cultural processes, and anthropological theories. Topics include subsistence strategies, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity, economics, marriage, stratification, and socialization. Case studies from both small-scale and large-scale societies. Three credit hours.
CRJU 2300 Introduction to Criminal JusticeAn exploration of the historical development, current operation, and future trends of criminal justice. Emphasis on contemporary problems in the definition of law, the enforcement of law, strategies of policing, judicial systems, sentencing strategies, and correctional practices. Content includes not only practices in the United States, but also other cultures and their systems of justice. Three credit hours.
ECON 2301 Survey of Economics
The wants of individuals and societies are unlimited, while the resources for satisfying these wants are limited. Consequently, choices have to be made. Economics is the science of choice. Survey of Economics introduces students to the ability to use theories or models to make sense out of the real world and devise policy solutions to economic problems. Both individual and firm choices (microeconomics) and society choices (macroeconomics) are examined. The role of markets in summarizing choices and allocating resources is introduced. ECON 2301 will not satisfy the University Core Curriculum requirements if ECON 2322 and ECON 2323 are taken for graduation credit. Three credit hours.
ERSC 2300 Science and Technology in Society
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. Introduction to how society is impacted by and responds to science-driven decision-making. Examines how society embraces and applies (including governmental institutions) scientific principles and technological advances to solving global societal problems such as sustainability of natural resources, development of new energy resources due to population and economic growth, changes in climate and weather, pollution, and human health issues. Case studies will examine societal response (particularly governmental) to both past and current global scientific and technological issues.
GNST 2300 Introduction to Gender Studies
Recommended: RHET 1311. A cross-cultural, interdisciplinary analysis of gender. Includes examination of gender identity, social roles, and cultural symbolism in politics, economics, family, health, socialization, religion, and language. Three credit hours.
GEOG 2312 Cultural Geography
Recommended: RHET 1311. The nature, distribution, and development of various cultural systems as they interact with each other and with their environment. A study is made of spatial patterns in the elements of culture, including population, religion, language, political ideology, economic activities, and settlement. Examination of the processes that have changed the natural landscape to a cultural landscape. Three credit hours.
MCOM 2330 Mass Media and Society
Survey of relationships involving mass media, culture, and various other interconnected systems, both nationally and globally. Includes discussion of functions, freedoms, and responsibilities of mass media, and effects on individuals and social groups. Topics will include newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and other media. Three credit hours.
POLS 2301 Introduction to Political Science
Introduction to social science concepts as applied to political analysis. Analysis of individuals, groups, and society, particularly the study of social, economic, and political structures and behavior. Introduction to the discipline of political science as a social science, including enduring questions about politics, nature of political analysis, major theoretical and empirical approaches, and critiques of the discipline. Three credit hours.
PSYC 2300 Psychology and the Human Experience
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. This course focuses on the development of the individual in the context of physical and social environments. Topics include the scientific method as it applies to studying the individual, the relationship between brain and behavior, social and personality development, theories of motivation, maladaptive behavior, social cognition and interaction, and the effects of membership in different groups on the development of the individual. Students will learn through writing, reading, discussing, listening, and participating in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. Three credit hours.
RELS 2305 Religious World Views
Prerequisite: RHET 1311 recommended. Examines the global patterns of contemporary world religions as symbol systems and expressions of discrete, coherent world views. Three credit hours.
SOCI 2300 Introduction to Sociology
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. Introduction to sociological concepts. Analysis of society, particularly the study of human organization. An overview of the theories and methods utilized in the discipline is provided and will be used as a framework for critical analysis. Students will learn to investigate group and societal connections in major social institutions-religion, family, politics, economics, education. Three credit hours.
Core Requirements for Double Majors in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
Either core is acceptable for a student pursuing a double major with one major in DCEIT and the other in a different college. However, should the student not complete the double major prior to a baccalaureate degree being awarded, the core required for the degree awarded must be completed. In all instances program requirements normally satisfied by a core course must be completed whether or not that course satisfies a core requirement for the student.(Approved by Undergraduate Council 10/13/99- DCEIT is referred to as CISSE in the original policy.)