Early Childhood Education (Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 2)
The Early Childhood Education (PreK-Grade 2) major is designed for students who seek licensure in the Early Childhood licensure program (Pre-K-2nd grade). The major is intended to provide knowledge in various content disciplines as well as understanding of developmentally appropriate practices for teaching and learning in grades pre-kindergarten through 2. Students complete practicum experiences all four years in suburban and urban school settings through our partner school district sites. For more information please visit the Education Department home page.
The following goals and associated learning outcomes delineate what we strive for students to achieve when they complete a licensure program of study in Education:
Goal 1: Effective teaching
Upon completion of a licensure program of study in Education, students will be able to
- write an effective lesson plan
- deliver effective instruction
- develop a series (three or more) of connected lessons
Goal 2: Accommodating all learners
Upon completion of a licensure program of study in Education, students will be able to
- create learning environments to support learners’ diverse needs (e.g., hearing or vision needs, learning styles, multiple intelligences)
- demonstrate ability to understand persons from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- provide opportunities for all students to demonstrate academic ability
Goal 3: Critical reflection
Upon completion of a licensure program of study in Education, students will be able to
- use skills of critical reflection to evaluate and modify their own teaching
- critique the teaching of others, both peers and experienced teachers
- plan and implement their own professional development based on their critical reflections
Your program may lead to licensure which is valid in the state of Massachusetts. Licensure may be valid in other states but may require additional steps and cannot be guaranteed. To learn more about other state licensure reciprocity please visit https://www.nc-sara.org/professional-licensure-directory
Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Early Childhd Ed | ||
ED109 | Invitation to Teaching | 1 |
ED110 | Teaching & Learning in American Schools | 4 |
ED206 | Early Literacy Teaching & Learning | 4 |
ED208 | Elem Literacy Teaching & Learning | 4 |
ED219 | Supporting Learner Variability | 4 |
ED309 | Sheltered English Immersion | 3 |
ED327 | Literacy Assessment & Instruction | 4 |
ED335 | Teaching Mathematics: PK - 2 | 4 |
ED338 | Inclusive Education | 4 |
ED342 | Teaching Science Concepts: PK - 2 | 4 |
ED417 | Pre-Practicum: PK - Grade 2 | 3 |
ED420 | Integrated Instruction: PK - Grade 2 | 3 |
ED421 | Curriculum Integration | 3 |
ED494 | Professional Standards & Ethics | 3 |
ED496 | Practicum: Early Childhood | 9 |
ENG208 | The Structure of the English Language | 3 |
ENG209 | Intro to Literature & Literary Studies | 3 |
MATH107 | College Geometry | 3 |
MATH304 | Mathematics for Educators | 3 |
PSYC101 | Psychological Perspectives (KP) | 3 |
PSYC221 | Child Development | 3 |
SCI103 | Science for Educators I (KP) | 3 |
SCI104 | Science for Educators II (KP) | 3 |
Choose 1 from the following: | ||
ENG210 | Survey of American Literature (KP) | 3 |
ENG211 | Modern Drama | 3 |
ENG218 | British Literature (KP) | 3 |
ENG222 | Lyric Poetry | 3 |
ENG225 | The Short Story (KP) | 3 |
ENG340 | Classics of World Literature | 3 |
Choose 1 from the following: | ||
HIST123 | American Civilization I | 3 |
HIST124 | American Civilization II | 3 |
Education Elective in ECON or ENV or HIS or POLS: 3 credits
Major Requirements: 90 credits
A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation. This total includes the Core Curriculum Requirements as described elsewhere in this catalog. Some courses required for the major meet Core Curriculum requirements.
For a complete explanation of graduation requirements, see Graduation Requirements in the Undergraduate Academic Policies section of this catalog.
ED108X - Professional Writing for Educators
Students in this course will learn how to write professionally for the field of Education. Students will review the requirements of the MTEL communication and literacy tests, connect the requirements to the MA Curriculum Framework, and address writing expectations for the MA Professional Standards for Teachers. Additionally, students will develop writing practice in communicating with school leaders and families with a focus on professional writing styles that build on collaboration and cultural responsiveness to diverse students.
ED109 - Invitation to Teaching
This course explores careers in teaching beginning with the unifying question: Why should I become a teacher? Students examine their motivations to become teachers while they learn about college and state requirements and expectations.
ED110 - Teaching & Learning in American Schools
This course provides students pursuing or considering initial teacher licensure with an overview of the teaching profession. Students study and discuss history and philosophies of education systems, as well as current trends and issues. Massachusetts professional standards and requirements for licensure are explored. This course is a prerequisite for all other ED courses. Twenty-five hours of observation and tutoring in varied school settings are required. This is a presentation-intensive course.
ED206 - Early Literacy Teaching & Learning
This course explores literacy development in the preschool and early elementary years, including transitions to reading and writing, role of phonemic awareness and phonics in emergent and early literacy, varied informal assessments to measure developing literacy, instructional strategies and materials to support young learners. Minimum 25 pre-practicum hours in a placement assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. This is a writing intensive course. Co-requisite ED 206L
ED208 - Elem Literacy Teaching & Learning
This course explores literacy development in the elementary years (through grade 6), including reading in content areas, fluency, reading/writing connections, varied assessments to measure literacy development, and instructional strategies and materials to support elementary learners through grade 6. Minimum 25 pre-practicum hours; Prerequisite: ED110 Co-requisite ED208L.
ED210 - Reading & Writing Across the Curriculum
This course emphasizes the processes of reading and the critical nature of reading to learn in the content areas in grades 5-12th. Focus will be on literacy strategies to support teaching in content areas, the influences of diversity, the current methods of instruction, and assessments used to inform instruction. In addition, the current research on reading to learn will be read, discussed, and integrated in all course activities. Requires a pre-practicum of 25 hours minimum. Prerequisite: ED 219.
ED212X - Project Based-Learning for Teachers
This course will introduce you to the concept and practice of project-based learning. Students will brainstorm cross-disciplinary project ideas, driving questions, and culminating products. Using backwards design, you will design projects based on student interests and state curricular requirements. By the end of the course, you will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to plan and implement project-based learning in your classroom to inspire and engage elementary school-age students.
ED214 - Restorative Practices in Schools
This course defines and applies restorative justice and its place in a democratic society. This content explores the philosophy and goals of restorative justice, examines some of the many restorative justice school and community programs and best practices, provides a set of lenses for looking at behavior management, and begins to answer pressing societal questions regarding justice versus punishment. A focus on the intersection within school organization and resources, policing, parenting, classroom environment, community culture, and others. This values-based and discussion-based course will also include simulations and many other hands-on activities such as learning circles and story circles. Students from all majors are invited; students in education, psychology, and criminal justice will find this course closely connected to their majors.
ED219 - Supporting Learner Variability
This course introduces students to characteristics of learners with special needs in classroom and community settings. It focuses on principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in developing appropriate learning environments to meet the variability of all students in Pre-K through high school settings. A required minimum 25-hour pre-practicum provides opportunities to teach and observe in area classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 110
ED221 - Mindfulness & Growth Mindset
The integration of mindfulness and a growth mindset in the classroom environment can have a major impact on student social-emotional development and academic success. This course will provide students interested in education with the knowledge and tools to help cultivate students' growth and awareness of stress, emotional regulation and improved sustained attention. The course will include current research on mindfulness, growth mindset, and science behind its practice while also providing a method for implementing it in the classroom. Educators trained in mindfulness and growth mindset report higher levels of student focus, productivity, and engagement in the classroom.
ED222X - Behavior, Culture & Learning
This course is also designed to help students recognize socio-emotional learning (SEL) differences in teaching and learning and how they influence classroom management to meet the needs of all learners. It also addresses the difference between rules and procedures, the roles of both student and teacher in academic accountability, and getting the school year off to a positive start. Well-organized and managed classrooms set the stage for student learning and achievement. Students will explore a range of models and strategies that will serve as a foundation for developing a personal approach to classroom management.
ED224 - Individualized Teaching & Mentoring
This course develops instructional strategies that support mentoring and self-advocacy in Pre-K-16 students. The course offers intensive coaching on practical aspects of cultural responsive teaching, mentoring diverse students, evaluation of teaching practices in education. Students will work with faculty members in the education program to design their own project identifying timeliness, goals, and outcomes.
ED232 - Cultural Competence & Global Classroom
This fall semester course is paired with an international service-learning trip in the Caribbean island nation of Antigua & Barbuda during the winter break. The course provides an opportunity for students to explore the intersection of culture, disability, and teaching in international settings. The service-learning trip includes a school-based experience of 40 hours spent observing, supporting, and teaching students with and without disabilities in the public schools in Antigua & Barbuda. Course activities will focus on reflective intellectual work about intercultural competence in the classroom through written reflections, readings, class discussion, and curriculum development.
ED308 - Responsive Teaching in Secondary Schools
Students will develop strategies and tools necessary to be responsive secondary. Participants in this course will observe secondary teachers, develop lesson plans, reflect on their teaching philosophy, apply leadership theory to classroom practice, explore current trends and issues that impact secondary classrooms, increase their cultural competence, and expand their toolkit of strategies for differentiating instruction to address the variability of secondary students. A minimum of 25 hours of classroom observation, reflection and teaching is required. Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Pre-requisite: ED 219
ED309 - Sheltered English Immersion
This course provides a grounding in current theory and practice related to teaching English Language Learners in Sheltered and bilingual programs. In particular, students learn to effectively shelter their content instruction, so that ELL students can access curriculum, achieve academic success, and contribute their multilingual and multicultural resources as participants and future leaders in the 21st century global economy. This course meets Massachusetts DESE standards for the required SEI endorsement. Course includes a minimum 25-hour pre-practicum in license-appropriate classrooms.Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: ED110
ED327 - Literacy Assessment & Instruction
This course explores strategies for integrating the language arts and teaching literacy across the curriculum for learners through grade 6, including assessment for planning and evaluation, classroom organization, management, unit and lesson planning, and resources. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: ED 208; pass all required MTEL Communication and Literacy Test; Co-requisite 327L
ED330 - Pre-Internship Seminar
Usually taken in spring of the junior year, this seminar helps students identify objectives and research potential sites for the internship. Prerequisites: Junior standing and Education Program Director permission.
ED335 - Teaching Mathematics: PK - 2
This course covers the development of number sense, one to one correspondence, meaning of operations, estimation, graphing, and patterns. The use of developmentally appropriate materials, manipulatives, technology, and children’s literature for the teaching of math are addressed. The course explores a variety of math curricula, assessment techniques, and the use of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for designing instruction. Includes a 25-hour pre-practicum. Prerequisite: Pass all required MTEL.
ED337 - Teaching & Applying Mathematics: 1 - 6
Students use state and national curriculum standards, teaching strategies, and instructional resources for effective mathematics instruction. Through classroom activities and a 25-hour pre-practicum, students demonstrate their ability to solve problems, reason mathematically, and support young learners in their development of mathematics understanding. Prerequisites: MATH 104, 107; pass all required MTEL.
ED338 - Inclusive Education
In this course, students develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to create learning environments appropriate to the full variability of learners in pre-K through grade 6. Through in-class activities and a 25-hour pre-practicum, students expand their understanding and use of strategies and resources including Universal Design for Learning, appropriate instructional technology, and positive behavioral supports. Prerequisites: ED 219, Co-requisite ED 338L
ED340 - Topics in Education
This course explores current issues and policies in education, emphasizing their background, development, varied perspectives, and current relevance for educators. Topics vary each semester, but may include reading comprehension strategies, classroom uses of children’s literature, art and music as educational media in preschool settings, policies related to curriculum content and standards, and appropriate uses of assessments. Prerequisite: Junior standing or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics change.
ED342 - Teaching Science Concepts: PK - 2
This course engages students in integrating early childhood science content with state and national curriculum standards and resources, including instructional technology, to develop effective science lessons. The course includes practice in integrating science concepts with early childhood curriculum and requires a 25 hour pre-practicum in local classrooms. Prerequisite: pass all required MTEL. 4 credits
ED344 - Science Concepts & Curriculum: 1-6
This course engages students in integrating elementary science content with state and national curriculum standards and resources, including instructional technology, to develop effective science lessons. The course includes practice in integrating science concepts with elementary curriculum and requires a 25-hour pre-practicum in elementary classrooms. Prerequisite: pass all required MTEL.
ED413 - Prof, Respon, & Ethics in Curr Instr
This capstone course integrates classroom practice, course work, and current developments in curriculum and instruction. The course includes a weekly seminar addressing problem solving in the field placement as well as current professional, ethical, moral, and legal issues facing professionals in education-related fields. Prerequisite: Senior standing or department permission. Co-requisite: ED 427.
ED417 - Pre-Practicum: PK - Grade 2
In this course, students complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised field experience in classrooms appropriate for their concentration. Students observe, teach, and assist the cooperating teacher with classroom responsibilities. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of pre-practicum-related issues. Prerequisite: ED 330 and permission of the Education Program Director
ED418 - Integrated Instruction: Elementary: 1-6
In this course, students explore research on social studies education as well as the teaching methods and related teaching materials that encourage learning in this discipline among children in an elementary school setting. In addition, students examine a variety of ways to effectively integrate the arts into the elementary curriculum.
ED419 - Pre-Practicum: Elementary (1 - 6)
In this course, students complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised field experience in classrooms appropriate for their concentration. Students observe, teach, and assist their cooperating teacher with classroom responsibilities. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of pre-practicum related issues. Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: Pass of MTELS and permission of the Education Program Director.
ED420 - Integrated Instruction: PK - Grade 2
In this course, students explore research on social studies education as well as the teaching methods and related teaching materials that encourage learning in this discipline among children in the early childhood education setting. In addition, students examine a variety of ways to effectively integrate the arts into the early childhood curriculum.
ED421 - Curriculum Integration
In this capstone course, students integrate theory and previous field experiences with their 150-hour pre-practicum. Research and discussion topics include classroom management and organization, use of various curriculum materials and resources, and ethical issues in educational settings. Students design a classroom-based research project which will be completed during the practicum (ED 496 or 498). Prerequisites: Senior standing, pass all required MTEL, concurrent enrollment in ED433, 435 OR 437
ED426 - Advanced Teaching Seminar
This capstone seminar offers intensive coaching on practical aspects of course development and design, management of class discussion, and selection of class assignments in a college course setting. Students may collaborate with faculty members teaching existing courses, or may design and teach a one-credit seminar (ED 112). Course is offered as needed. Prerequisite: Permission of Department Chair.
ED427 - Curriculum & Instruction Internship
In this course, students complete a minimum of 150 hours in a supervised educational setting, arranged in ED 330 (Pre-internship seminar) related to their career interest. Prerequisites: Senior Standing, ED330 and permission of the Education Program Director.
ED429 - Adv Internship Curriculum & Instruction
This course is for students who have completed ED 427 (Internship) and desire additional experience to continue preparing for a career area. Student must follow department procedures for locating, designing, and obtaining approval for the internship. Requires 150 clock hours in a supervised setting and in-depth reflection component. Prerequisites: Education Program Director permission; ED 413 and ED 427.
ED433 - Pre-practicum: Secondary English
Through a minimum of 150 hours of observation and reflection in public schools, and regular meetings with school and Lasell faculty, students in this course become familiar with the curriculum and organization of middle and/or high schools and English classrooms in preparation for the practicum. Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: Senior standing; passing scores on all required MTEL; permission of Education Program Director. Co-requisite: ED421
ED435 - Pre-practicum: Secondary History
Through a minimum of 150 hours of observation and reflection in public schools, and regular meetings with school and Lasell faculty, students in this course become familiar with the curriculum and organization of middle and/or high schools and history classrooms in preparation for the practicum. Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: Senior standing; passing scores on all required MTEL; permission of Education Program Director. Co-requisite: ED421
ED437 - Pre-practicum: Secondary Math
Through a minimum of 150 hours of observation and reflection in public schools, and regular meetings with school and Lasell faculty, students in this course become familiar with the curriculum and organization of middle and/or high schools and mathematics classrooms in preparation for the practicum. Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: Senior standing; passing scores on all required MTELs; permission of Education Program Director. Co-requisite ED 421
ED482 - Practicum: Secondary English
In this course, students complete a minimum of 300 field hours observing and teaching in a secondary English classroom. Students will meet regularly with both Lasell and school supervisors and complete the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance requirement. Assignments incorporate all Massachusetts requirements for licensure and include topics such as the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working parents and community members. Permission of the Education Program Director is required.
ED484 - Practicum: Secondary History
In this course, students complete a minimum of 300 field hours observing and teaching in a secondary history classroom and meet regularly with both Lasell and school supervisors to complete the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance state requirement. Assignments incorporate all Massachusetts requirements for licensure and include topics such as the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working parents and community members. Permission of the Education Program Director. Prerequisite: ED 435; passing scores on all required sections of the MTELs
ED492 - Practicum: Secondary Math
In this course, students complete a minimum of 300 field hours observing and teaching in a secondary mathematics classroom and meet regularly with both Lasell and school supervisors to complete the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance state requirement. Assignments incorporate all Massachusetts requirements for licensure and include topics such as the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working parents and community members. Permission of the Education Program Director required. Prerequisite: ED 437; passing scores on all required sections of the MTEL.
ED494 - Professional Standards & Ethics
Taken concurrently with ED 496 or ED 498, this capstone seminar engages students in ethical questions such as student confidentiality, testing, and communicating with various constituencies as well as practical aspects of preparing for an initial teaching position. It includes conducting and reporting on the classroom-based research project that was designed in ED 421. Co-requisite: ED 496 or ED 498.
ED496 - Practicum: Early Childhood
This practicum provides experience in two early childhood education settings. One setting is in Preschool or Kindergarten and the other setting is in grade one or two. Students spend five days a week in the classroom, assuming increasing responsibility that culminates with “take over” weeks and completion of the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance State requirement. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of practicum-related issues. Topics of discussion include the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working with parents. Permission of the Education Program Director is required. Prerequisite: Passing scores on all required sections of the MTELs.
ED498 - Practicum: Elementary (1 -6)
In this course, students are placed in elementary schools for a five day a week placement. Students assume increasing responsibility and end with “take over” weeks in the classroom and completion of the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance State requirement. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of practicum related issues. Topics of discussion include the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working with parents. Permission of the Education Program Director required. Prerequisite: Passing scores on all required sections of the MTEL.
ENG201 - Eng Lit/Themes & Writers
This course offers a special thematic approach to the study of English literature. Various authors, such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Shaw, and Yeats, are studied within such contexts as convention and revolt, the hero and the heroine, or evil and decadence. Prerequisite: ENG 102.
ENG206X - Web Series Design Workshop
The web series is a new story-telling medium created for the internet. In this course, students develop the first season of a dramatic or comedic web series. Students pitch, outline, and write an eight-episode series; as a final project, they premiere its debut in rough draft.
ENG208 - The Structure of the English Language
This course focuses on essential elements of the structure of the English language: its phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), and syntax (sentence structure). Students draw on their own knowledge of language as they examine spoken English; they then study the relationship between spoken and written language. As students discuss issues pertinent to teachers and to writers, the relevance of linguistic analysis both to written language development and to writing practice is considered.
ENG209 - Intro to Literature & Literary Studies
This is a foundations course required for the major and the minor in English. The course provides an introduction to a variety of forms and styles in poetry, drama, short story, fiction, memoir, and essay; European, North American, and world literatures are considered. The focus is on interpreting texts; students are introduced to various schools of interpretation and to standards for supporting an interpretation. Students become familiar with the conventional elements of each genre and with the terminology of critical interpretation. The course introduces print and database tools for research on literature.
ENG210 - Survey of American Literature (KP)
This course surveys representative periods, authors, or genres in American literature from beginnings in Native American oral literatures through contemporary works. Individual sections organize study of classic and contemporary texts around particular themes, such as Queering American Literatures, American Migrations, Hemispheric American Literature, or Americans on the Edge: "Frontiers" in the American Imagination. Individual sections also trace twentieth- or twenty-first-century movements to their roots in or resistance to earlier movements or forms. This is a writing-intensive course.
ENG211 - Modern Drama
This survey course introduces students to great modern works of drama, considering the late nineteenth century through the present. Plays are considered in terms of performance as well as in literary terms, with a focus on the ways in which the philosophies and sensibilities of modernism and postmodernism are reflected both on the page and on the stage. Readings include modern classics by such writers as Ibsen, O'Neill, Brecht, and Beckett, as well as more recent works.
ENG212 - Literature for Young Adults
This course surveys current literature for adolescent and teen readers. It prepares students to evaluate young adult books in terms of literary quality, reader interest, and social and political perspectives. Strategies for use in the classroom are explored; various genres are examined. Prerequisite: ENG 102.
ENG214 - Special Topics in Literature
This course concentrates on an interdisciplinary approach to literature. The focus is on one theme, one author, one period, or one genre. Students are responsible for substantial written and oral work in analysis, criticism, and/or research.
ENG216 - The Mystery Novel
This course examines the history of one type of genre fiction, the mystery, beginning with texts from the late nineteenth century and ending with contemporary novels. Emphasis is on the development of the form, the social context of the texts including historical background, changes in popular taste, and analysis of the popularity of the genre.
ENG217 - Contemporary Global Literature (KP)
In this course, we consider contemporary literature in its global context. Viewing literature as the expression of individual national/cultural traditions and as a rendering of the universally human condition, we examine both national literatures and texts written for a global readership. Topics such as global citizenship, diaspora, postcolonial aesthetics, modernism, postmodernism, and cultural/literary redefinition may be addressed.
ENG218 - British Literature (KP)
This course surveys British writing in poetry, fiction, and drama, with a focus on key periods in the development of British literature. Emphasis is on representative writers in each period. Periods and movements surveyed include Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and the Eighteenth Century, Romanticism, Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary or Postmodern. This is a writing-intensive course.
ENG219 - Creative Writing
In this course, students explore various types of creative writing including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Students do a wide range of in-class and out-of-class writing assignments, and they have the opportunity to select one form for a major project.
ENG222 - Lyric Poetry
This course considers the lyric poem in global contexts, with attention to poetic voice, composition, sense, and sound. Form and content are examined in medieval to modern meditative and lyric poems.
ENG223 - Ethics & Morality in Literature
This course focuses on the role that ethics and morality play in a variety of literary texts. Emphasis is on analysis of characters' decisions and choices that relate to ethical issues as well as to the formation of their ethical codes. Characters' positions relating to ethical systems and the prevailing morality of their society are considered. Literature is selected from diverse genres and traditions. The focus of the course changes each semester. Possible topics include Literature of Human Rights, Prison Writing, Literature and the Environment, and Literature of War.
ENG224 - Film & Literature
In this course, the nature of narrative in literature and film is explored; focus is on analysis of literature that has been made into movies. Students consider the types of changes involved in the transformation from one form to another, as well as the complex reasons for variations. Prerequisite: ENG102.
ENG225 - The Short Story (KP)
In this course, students study the development of the short story as a twentieth-century form; critical and creative approaches are offered. Selections are taken from such authors as Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Doris Lessing, and Alice Walker.
ENG235 - From Sounds to Sentences
This course considers the acquisition of human language as a biologically based and species-specific communication system. The interaction, from infancy through early and later childhood, between biological preparedness and environmental influence is studied, as is the development of phonology (sound system), lexicon (vocabulary), syntax (sentence structure), and pragmatics (language use). The developmental phases through which a young learner passes as the language systems develop are also studied in this course. Bilingualism, dialect, language disorder, and early written language development are considered.
ENG237X - Becoming Ourselves in Society
How are we influenced by our group and our society? What attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs do we develop in our social contexts? These questions have been addressed through the lens of social psychology; in addition, creative writers have been moved to explore them. In this course, we consider the individual’s interface with social groups from psychological and literary perspectives. This is a four-credit interdisciplinary course. Prerequisites: ENG102, PSYC101 or SOC101.
ENG303X - Special Topics in Literature
Special Topics in Literature
ENG304 - Stories of Origin
This course considers both written and oral traditional texts. Texts originating in expressions of faith, devotion, cultural origin or expression, and ethnic identity are examined, with attention to narration, characterization, sacred mystery, moral /ethical content, and interpretation. Readings include selections from ancient Greek and Roman literature, the Bible and/or the Qur’an, and world myths and folktales.
ENG307 - Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop
In this course, students study the literary genre of creative nonfiction by exploring a variety of personal essays and memoirs and by engaging in writing practice. Work by class members is read and discussed, as are textbook readings that illuminate the use of craft tools such as description, imagery, diction, syntax, text structure, and metaphor in the development of personal essays and memoirs. Reading assignments involve the close examination of essays and memoirs; written assignments involve in-class work, reflections on craft essays, annotations on creative reading, and one 10-page text of original creative nonfiction.
ENG308 - Fiction Writing Workshop
Do you have an idea for a novel, play, or screenplay? Would you benefit from a focused and committed group of peers to inspire and challenge you? If so, then this course is for you. Join us as we participate in the NaNoWriMo Challenge to write a novel (or fiction manuscript of your choice) during National Novel Writing Month. Utilizing tools from the NaNoWriMo online community, we will plan and plot our stories in the beginning of the semester and draft them during the latter portion. You do not need to finish the manuscript to do well in the course. The main objective is to inspire good, daily writing habits.
ENG310 - Poetry Writing Workshop
In this course, we consider English verse by exploring lyric poetry and engaging in its practice. Work by class members is read and discussed, as are other example poems whose study illuminates the use of tools such as imagery, diction, sound device, structure, lineation, and figurative language in the construction of poetic meaning. Reading assignments involve the close examination of poems; written assignments include short poetry annotations/exercises and the creation of a portfolio of original poetry.
ENG312 - Literature of Postcolonial World
In this course, students consider issues, movements, or traditions in literatures that respond to a history of colonization and/or imperialism. Latin American, African, and Asian cultures or traditions are emphasized in English or in English translations; issues addressed might include matters of publication and criticism, myths about the "third world," nationalism, fundamentalism, human rights, technology, and cultural resistance. Example topics include The Novel in India, Caribbean Dub Poetry, Prison Writing, Major South African Writers, Magic Realism. This is a presentation-intensive course.
ENG313 - American Multiethnic Literature
This course focuses on the history, variety, and aesthetic conventions of one or more racial-ethnic traditions in American writing. Individual courses might focus on key forms or authors; distinct traditions such as African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American literature; or a survey across several traditions. Examples include Barack Obama and the African-American Tradition, Contemporary Latino Literatures, or Haiti and the US in Haitian-American Writing. This is a presentation-intensive course.
ENG340 - Classics of World Literature
This course explores representative fiction, poetry, or drama by major figures in world literature, centering on topics such as love, tragedy, comedy, immortality, madness, wasteland, quest for knowledge, voyages, or exploration. Prerequisite: Any 200-level English course.
ENG402 - Advanced Writing Workshop
This is the capstone course for creative writing majors and minors. Working with a faculty mentor, each student develops and completes a major writing project that focuses on the student’s writing interests. Review, critique, and drafting are crucial course components. The course includes reading assignments that relate to the writing projects. This one-semester course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ENG307, ENG308, or ENG310.
HIST103 - World Civilization I
Beginning with prehistory, this course explores early civilizations and then follows developments in a global context, showing interconnections between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Emphasis is placed on cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments.
HIST104 - World Civ II:
This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101 with a C or better
HIST105 - History of Human Rights
This course surveys the complicated history of human rights from its origins to the modern era. Emphasis is on the historical forces, movements, and events, especially in the last three centuries, that have moved this concept from the realm of intellectual theory and conjecture to practical implementation and application. This course may also touch on some of the major philosophical, ethical, and moral questions intertwined with human rights.
HIST123 - American Civilization I
This course examines the chief political, social, and cultural features of American society as they have developed through the period of Reconstruction. Emphasis is on Colonial America, the War of Independence, the Constitution, and the emergence of the Republic through the Civil War.
HIST124 - American Civilization II
This course is a continuation of HIST 123 from the period of Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is on reconstruction, industrialization, immigration, constitutional issues, and the emergence of American foreign policy. There is some examination of American political life in the nuclear age.
HIST203 - The History of Women in U.S.
This course explores the social history of women in the United States, beginning in the colonial period and ending with an examination of twentieth-century issues. Emphasis is on the image of women held during these periods, in contrast to actual conditions. Contributions of women to social change and the growth of women’s movements are also analyzed. This is a presentation-intensive course.
HIST204 - Recent American History
This course focuses on the presidencies from the Kennedy era to the present. Work is divided roughly into three areas: foreign affairs; domestic politics; and economic, social, and cultural needs. Topics range from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the weakening of Congress and the expansion of the presidency, the women's movement, changes in popular culture, and domestic economic developments.
HIST207 - African American History
This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; it examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course.
HIST208 - Sub-Saharan Africa after 1800
This survey of sub-Saharan African history explores the ongoing story of African political, social, and economic developments from the post-transatlantic slave trade period to the present. The course considers the impact of European merchants, missionaries, and adventurers on Africa from the time immediately preceding imperialism and colonialism up through the emergence of nationalism and the decolonization and liberation movements. The new nation-states, their postcolonial economies, and their developing systems of justice, education, and rule are investigated. Finally, topics such as soil erosion, disease, conservation, famine, and Africa’s relationships with the wider world are discussed.
HIST209 - China from 1600 to Present
This course is a survey of modern Chinese history from the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the seventeenth century to Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the 1990s. Special attention will be paid to modernization, Western and Japanese imperialism in China, and the rise of Communism under Mao Zedong. In addition to learning about important milestones in Chinese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese art, culture, and women's issues through primary sources translated into English. This is a writing-intensive course.
HIST210 - Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present
This survey looks at Latin American history from pre-Colombian to contemporary times. Emphasis is on native cultures, the “discovery” of the New World, European presence, colonialism, imperialism, the creation of the peasantry, wars of independence, the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, slavery and racism, development and underdevelopment, the Catholic Church, liberation theology, poverty, and revolution. Major emphasis in South America is on Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and the Portuguese-speaking nation of Brazil. The course also examines foreign intervention and inner instability in Mexico, including struggles for democracy, economic rights, and social justice. In the Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, especially with regard to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, land and labor systems, gender relations, race and ethnicity, and varied forms of rule are discussed. This is a writing-intensive course.
HIST211 - Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800
This course looks at the Middle East and its relations with the wider world, from the appearance of Napoleon to the present. Topics include attempts at reform and modernization in the Ottoman Empire; the impact of Western imperialism on the region as a whole; and twentieth-century developments in the area, including nationalism, pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism, the cult of the personality, coup, revolution, Zionism, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The economic and social impact of oil, the influence of fundamentalism, and the Great Power rivalry down through the position of the United States toward the area are investigated. The efforts of Iran to gain acceptance in/by the contemporary world are examined, as is the shifting attitude of Egypt toward modernity. Finally, connections between the region and the rest of the Islamic world are explored. This is a writing-intensive course.
HIST212 - Mod Japan: Culture & History
This course is a survey of Japan's modernization from the fall of the warring states period to the economic bubble of the 1980s. Special attention will be paid to the contributions of the early modern Tokugawa Shogunate, the Meiji period of cultural borrowing from the West, and the cultural nationalism of the Japanese empire until 1945. In addition to learning about important milestones in Japanese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Japanese art and culture through a variety of primary and secondary sources and film clips. This is a writing-intensive course.
HIST218 - Global History of Childhood
This course introduces students to the ways in which cultural ideas about childhood and childrearing have changed over time. Using Western history as a departure point, the course will compare and contrast key topics of childhood, such as child labor and child rights, in various cultures. This is primarily a discussion seminar, in which students present and discuss a variety of academic readings. There is also a service-learning component. This is a presentation-intensive course.
HIST223 - Special Topics in Global History
In this seminar, students will explore and discuss topics in modern global history focused on a subject of interest to both faculty and studies. Topical areas will vary, and students may take this class twice with a different topical emphasis.
HIST231 - Revolutions & Revolutionary Thought
This course provides an analysis of many types, facets, and styles of revolution, including political, cultural, and scientific meanings of the concept. The readings are taken from literature as well as from history and the social sciences.
HIST260X - Seminar
Seminar
HIST323 - Special Topics in Global History
In this seminar, students will explore and discuss topics of their choice in modern global history, building on themes they previously encountered in the Global & Historical KP course, HIST 104.
HIST325 - The Intellectual Origins of Western Civ
This seminar traces the roots of modern Western thought from ancient Greece through the Enlightenment by discussing and analyzing selections from the writings of major European thinkers. The seminar focuses on dominant figures representative of an historical epoch and examines their ideas in light of existing and future political, social, economic, and intellectual developments. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course or permission of instructor.
HIST327X - Intelluctual Origins of Eastern Civ
This seminar explores Eastern philosophy from ancient India, Classical China, and Medieval and Early Modern Japan by discussing and analyzing selections from Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian classics. The seminar examines these ideas in their historical context and explores their continued influence on art, society, and politics in India, China, and Japan. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course or permission of instructor.
HIST352 - Nature & Meaning of History
The first half of this course examines selective theories of history from Herodotus through Braudel. The second part investigates the historiography of a single topic according to student interest. Readings are selected to introduce the student to interpretive issues surrounding the selected topic. The perspectives of several practicing historians are considered. Students write a research paper. This course is intended for history majors and as a capstone course for history minors; it is open to others who have successfully completed at least three history courses and have the permission of the instructor. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course and permission of instructor.
HIST400 - Individual Seminar in Reading & Research
This course will serve as the first semester of a two-semester individualized history capstone sequence. Students will work closely on an individual basis with a full-time faculty member, meeting weekly to define a topic for in-depth examination through reading, research, and writing. Reading and research will begin during HIST 400 and will continue during the following semester in HIST 401. Students must complete HIST 400 before enrolling in HIST 401. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and HIST 352 (can be taken concurrently).
HIST401 - Tutorial in History
This capstone course focuses on research methodology and practice in history. The student must gain the written agreement of the faculty member who oversees the project. Each student defines a topic by the end of the first week of the semester. Subsequent weekly meetings address progress and problems encountered in research of the topic. The finished product is a substantial paper (ca. 30 pages) with full scholarly apparatus. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing, HIST 352, and HIST 400.
MATH106 - Mathematical Reasoning
This course is the foundational course for mathematical and quantitative reasoning at Lasell College. Mathematical reasoning is the critical skill that enables a student to solve real-world problems involving quantitative analysis by making use of particular mathematical skills. Through the development of their mathematical reasoning skills, students will recognize the power of mathematics in its own right as well as its relevance in the real world. Students will develop and enhance their mathematical reasoning skills through a project/application-based curriculum supported by readily available current technological tools and topics that will include, but not be limited to, the following: solving systems of equations, linear programming, statistical, and graphical data analysis.
MATH107 - College Geometry
This course is an introduction to the essentials of Euclidean geometry. Topics covered include: reasoning in mathematics, the relationship between algebra and geometry, analytic geometry, proofs and constructive triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, polygons, surfaces and solids and historical notes about famous geometricians. Prerequisite: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing.
MATH108X - Mathematics of Design
This course explores elements of mathematics within the design field from the incorporation of algebra to concepts of geometry. Students will have the opportunity to integrate numerical fluency, proportional reasoning, data interpretation, algebraic reasoning and communicating quantitative information through group problem solving and class discussions. Topics include pattern drafting, layouts cutting, revenue, cost, and profit modeling, measurement systems, Euclidean geometry, and spatial reasoning.
MATH110X - Introduction to Logic
An introduction to symbolic logic, including sentential and predicate logic. Its purpose is to familiarize you with certain formal methods for representing and evaluating arguments and reasoning. These methods can be used for any subject matter. The focus is on translating English statements into symbolic notation, and evaluating arguments for validity using formal proof techniques.This course is recommended for data science students, math majors, students who are contemplating graduate school admissions tests, and for general knowledge and application (so, for instance, all computer programming is based on fundamental logic rules and applications). s
MATH116 - Merchandising and Financial Mathematics
This course focuses on retail mathematics. Topics include simple and compound interest, the time-value of capital, annuities, amortization, sinking funds, bond and investment, business problem-solving and decision making. Other topics include profit, loss, and break-even analysis, pricing, inventory, and merchandise planning. The course introduces basic theories of statistics. Prerequisite: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or through placement testing.
MATH202 - Applied Mathematics for Business
This course will be a “Choose Option across Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Event Management, Hospitality Management, Accounting and Resort and Casino Management Majors. This course will introduce a variety of mathematical principles and techniques that emphasize applications in business and economics. Topics covered include: systems of linear equations, exponential and logarithmic functions, linear programming, as well as the development and applications of rates of change. Prerequisite: MATH106
MATH203 - Precalculus
This course prepares students for the study of calculus, physics and other courses requiring precalculus skills. Included is solving systems of equations, the analysis and graphing of linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, rational functions, the unit circle, and triangle (right and non-right) trigonometry. Prerequisite: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing. Restrictions: not open to students who have completed 205, 206, or any 300 level mathematics course successfully.
MATH205 - Calculus I
This course is an introduction to limits, continuity, and methods of differentiation. Application to problems in business management and physical science is emphasized. Prerequisite: MATH 203 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing. Restrictions: not open to students who have completed MATH 206, or any 300 level mathematics courses.
MATH206 - Calculus II
This is a continuation of Calculus I. Includes graphical and analytic integration, partial differentiation, and solving differential equations. Applications include business, biological sciences, and physical sciences. Prerequisite: MATH 205 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing. Restrictions: not open to students who have completed MATH 320, MATH 328, or MATH 330.
MATH207 - Applied Trigonometry
This course is an in-depth study of trigonometry with attention to theory, proofs, modeling, and history. Trigonometric and related functions are used to model, analyze, and solve real-life problems. Applications are chosen from disciplines such as agriculture, architecture, astronomy, biology, business, chemistry, earth science, engineering, medicine, meteorology, and physics. Topics covered include a review of trigonometric functions, right triangle trigonometry, analytic trigonometry, vectors and dot products, complex number theory, trigonometric forms of complex numbers, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric models, Gaussian and logistic growth models, conic sections, and polar equations of conics. Prerequisite: MATH 205 with a grade of C or better.
MATH208 - Statistics
This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, probability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression analysis. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102.
MATH209 - Business Statistics
This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics focused on applications in business. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, time-series analysis, trend and seasonality analysis, simple and multiple correlation and regression analysis, sales and cost forecasting, probability, expected monetary value, and the Normal distribution. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102. With permission of the instructor only.
MATH212 - Finite Mathematics
The focus of this course is to develop mathematical models and to demonstrate the utility of various mathematical techniques that are most applicable to the creation of computer algorithms. Topics include functions and models, linear regression, solving systems of linear equations using matrices, matrix algebra and Leontief Input-Output models, linear programming (graphical and simplex methods), principle of duality, estimated and theoretical probability and Markov Chains. Prerequisite: MATH205 with a grade of C or better.
MATH215 - Discrete Math
Topics will include elementary logic and set theory, equivalence relations, functions, counting arguments, inductively defined sets, recursion, graphs and trees, Boolean algebra and combinatorial circuits, and countability arguments. Prerequisite: MATH203 with a C or better.
MATH303X - Problem Solving
This course will be an exploration into the mathematics exemplified in high quality high school and undergraduate mathematics competitions and mathematical research. The emphasis will be placed on building a repertoire of mathematical strategies and tactics, then applying these methods in unfamiliar situations. Topics will include: Combinatorics, Binomial Theorem, Conditional Probability, Roots of Unity, Symmetric Polynomials, Polynomial Interpolation, and topics in Euclidean and non-Euclidean Geometry. Students will hone their ability to solve mathematical problems through hands-on practice and obtain an understanding of the strategies, tactics, and tools of the problem solver as illustrated by the textbook and the instructor. Strategies and tools for solving problems include, but are not limited to: •Draw a Diagram•Systematic Lists•Eliminate Possibilities•Matrix Logic•Look for a Pattern•Guess and Check•Sub Problems•Unit Analysis•Solve An Easier Related Problem•Physical Representations•Work Backwards•Venn Diagrams•Finite Differences
MATH304 - Mathematics for Educators
This course engages students in mathematical concepts through examples, investigations, and active problem-solving explorations. Content is drawn from subject matter knowledge required for elementary and early childhood licensure, with emphasis on number theory and operations. This course is for students seeking elementary or early childhood licensure.
MATH305 - Advanced Statistics
Quantitative statistical tools for modern data analysis are used across a range of disciplines and industries to guide organizational, societal and scientific advances. Using data sets from across a variety of fields, the focus will be on applications and analysis. Topics include two sample confidence intervals, Chi Square tests, multiple regression analysis, ANOVA, non- parametric tests, sampling, and simulation. Prerequisite: Math 208 or Math 209
MATH306X - Mathematical Content Knowledge for Ed
This course engages students in hands-on, in-depth, practical applications of the mathematical reasoning and computational techniques taught in MATH 304. This course is for students seeking elementary or early childhood licensure. Prerequisite: Permission of Education Program Director
MATH307 - Calculus III
This course is an introduction to sequences and series, parametric and polar curves, vector functions, advanced techniques of differentiation and integration. Prerequisite: MATH 206 with a grade of C or better.
MATH320 - Differential Equations
This is an introduction to the many ways of solving various types of differential equations with emphasis on theory, methods of solution and applications. Topics include solutions of first, second and simple higher order differential equations, homogeneous and non-homogeneous equations. Prerequisite: MATH 206 with a grade of B- or better.
MATH322X - Special Topics in Mathematics
Special Topics in Mathematics
MATH325 - Linear Algebra
This is an introductory course in linear algebra blending the requirements of theory, problem solving, analytical thinking, computational techniques, and applications. Topics include in-depth treatment of matrix algebra, linear systems, vector spaces, linear transformations, determinants. Applications and modeling of real phenomena in transportation systems, economics, connectivity of networks, and graph theory. Prerequisite: MATH 206 with a grade of C or better.
MATH338 - Mathematical Statistics
In this introduction to statistical theory, the roles probability and statistics play in business analysis and decision making are investigated. Topics include probability distributions, statistical inference, sampling distribution theory, and applications. Prerequisite: Math 206 with a grade of C or better.
MATH399 - Capstone Seminar
In this capstone course, Students investigate mathematics from a variety of fields and choose a topic for a mathematics project in their Field of Application. Mathematical methods for analysis, modeling, prediction, and/or problem solving are discussed. Students demonstrate knowledge of a substantial area of mathematics and present their work at a department seminar or the Connected Learning Symposium.
MATH499 - Internship
The internship seminar is a work or research experience where students combine theory and practice.
MATH706X - Mathematical Content Knowledge for Ed
This course engages students in hands-on, in-depth, practical applications of the mathematical reasoning and computational techniques for teachers. This course is for students seeking elementary or moderate disabilities licensure.
PSYC101 - Psychological Perspectives (KP)
In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.
PSYC104 - Positive Psychology
Historically, much of Psychology has focused on decreasing maladaptive emotions and behaviors (neurosis, disorders, stress, aggression, etc.). This focus has largely ignored more optimal functioning like happiness, optimism, and life satisfaction. In recent decades more scientific research has aimed at promoting and sustaining psychological health. The emerging field of Positive Psychology is the study of how human beings prosper and overcome adversity. Its goal is to identify and enhance human strengths and virtues and allow individuals and communities to thrive. This introductory-level course will detail the history of this emerging field and focus on current research in social and positive psychology on happiness, virtue, and personal development. The course will explore research that has helped highlight factors that promote and sustain psychological health. Additionally, we will look at tools and techniques that have been shown to help cultivate thoughts and behaviors that effectively contribute to well-being. This course would substitute for PSYC101 (Psychological Perspectives) whenever that class is needed as a pre-requisite for an upper-level class but can be taken in addition to PSYC101.
PSYC111 - Generations in America
This course offers a social-developmental, multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the expanding age population in the United States. Students examine aging stereotypes, characteristics of aging populations, and the impact of age-related forces on individuals in American society. The course is geared toward students in a variety of disciplines and provides a knowledge base that can be applied to other areas of study.
PSYC201 - Psychology of Drugs & Behavior
The course examines the relationship between drugs and behavior, including evidence about the effects of drugs on the brain. Several classes of drugs, including chemically or psychologically addictive substances, psychoactive and therapeutic agents, as well as recreational drugs, are examined. Drug use is related to psychological variables such as personality structure and interpersonal relationships, and theories of addictive processes and factors influencing drug use are examined, as are treatment strategies. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC202 - Psychology of Personality
This course introduces students to a variety of the most important theories of personality: i.e., Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers, and others. Case studies are examined with the intent of making theories more practical and useful. Prerequisite: Any 200 level psychology course.
PSYC205 - Human Sexuality
This course is designed to introduce factual information about gender identity and gender role theories, sexual preference and sexual orientation, and psychosexual development. The course examines issues related to research on human sexuality and behavior, as well as sexual education, sexual disorders, and societal impacts on sexuality. Students are challenged to think critically about many issues surrounding human sexuality and all of its manifestations. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC209X - Psyc of the Black American Experience
This course is an introduction to the psychological experience of Blacks in the United States, including the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural influences that shape personality and mental health in community, family, and individual contexts. Connections between Africa, the Caribbean, and Black America will be examined with respect to culture, belief systems, and values. At the same time, we will also explore the many differences in history, culture, and experience within numerous groups and individuals of African-descent in the U. S. Prerequisite: PSYC101
PSYC218 - Dynamics of Small Groups
This class examines the basic theory and application necessary to understand and facilitate small groups. Topics may include group types, formation, roles and stages; group process; cultural awareness; group interventions and ethics within the field of psychology and human service; therapeutic value of groups; and the family, classroom, and peers as small groups. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOC 101.
PSYC220 - Social Psychology
This is an introduction to the study of social interactions from a psychological perspective. Research reviewed focuses on topics such as: social perception, group interaction, attitude formation, attitudinal change, aggression, conflict, and pro-social behavior. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC221 - Child Development
This course examines the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the child from birth to adolescence. The contributions of social and cultural experiences as well as the role of biological factors in development are examined as are major theories of development. Students are introduced to the research approaches used to study human development and may be required to carry out observations in various settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology
This course will provide you with an introduction to central concepts/issues related to the developmental phase of adolescence from historical, psychological, social, and cultural perspectives. The course will also focus on major problems and challenges facing adolescents in modern society. Prerequisite PSYC101
PSYC226 - Living & Learning with Dementia
Careers in aging are one of the fastest growing fields for students with a background in psychology, human services, and related areas. . Do you want to explore working with older adults? Do you have family members or friends who has experienced memory loss as they have aged and you want to learn why and how to help them? People in our society have the opportunity to live very long lives; however, with age comes the possibility that some individuals will experience cognitive changes like those associated with dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease). In this course, students will learn about the bio-behavioral determinants of these changes along with their social and personal implications. Drawing on a dementia-friendly framework, students will also learn to design and lead interactive activities with older adults living at Lasell Village who have experienced cognitive change, offering everyone an opportunity to learn from each other in a collaborative pre-professional class setting.
PSYC229X - Addictions
Addictions
PSYC231 - Stress and Trauma
This course provides an overview of stress and trauma including physical, psychological and sociocultural implications. Emphasis is made on the stress-trauma response including the neurobiology of information and memory processing and attachment theory. Evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies are explored in consideration of mind-body research on stress and stress related disorders.
PSYC232X - Death & Dying
Death & Dying
PSYC240 - Sport Psychology
This course examines settings such as school, recreational, and professional where sport activities occur. It covers topics such as motivation, anxiety, competition, cooperation, gender issues, and age and developmental level in relation to sport activities. Behavioral problems such as substance abuse and eating disorders, along with psychological factors in prevention and treatment of injuries are included. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC241 - The Psychological Life of Girls & Women
This course utilizes intrapersonal, psychosocial, and sociocultural perspectives to explore the psychological strengths and problems experienced by girls and women. Topics may include the mental health system, eating disorders, depression, women in families, violence against women, friendship, identity and diversity, immigrant experiences, biological influences, sexuality, issues at school and in the workplace, leadership, and research bias. Literature is examined critically for gender, racial, ethnic, and sexual preference biases, power dynamics, and limitations imposed on both females and males by gender imperatives. Prerequisite: PSYC 221 or PSYC 223, or permission of the instructor.
PSYC302 - Biological Basis of Behavior
This course examines current research in the fields of biology, neuroscience, and psychology that explain the role of neural mechanisms in evoking and controlling human behavior. Topics include: thirst and hunger, sleep and arousal, sexual behavior, emotion, aggression, learning, memory, and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.
PSYC304 - Sensation & Perception
It is estimated that our five senses take in 11,000,000 bits of information per second, yet we weed out much of this information. Our unique ability to sense but selectively perceive allows us to survive and live our life without being bombarded by information. In this class, students will experience and examine how humans sense and perceive the world. Topics covered will include the sensory pathways, perceptual processing, and how we create meaning from our senses. We will discuss the orienting senses, skin senses (such as touch and pain), chemical senses (such as smell), hearing, vision, and the perception of time. Perceptual processes will include physiological, psychophysical, ecological, motivational, and computational. Pre-requisite: PSYC101
PSYC307 - Forensic Psychology
This course deals with the application of psychological knowledge to the judicial process and the criminal justice system. Topics covered include effects of defendant, juror and case characteristics on verdicts, variables affecting eyewitness accuracy, identification and testimony, and the role of forensic psychologists in competency and criminal responsibility assessments as well as criminal profiling. Prerequisite: CJ 201 or PSYC 101.
PSYC308 - Black Psychology
This course is designed to introduce the varied psychological experiences of Black individuals, including the cultural, sociohistorical, and political influences that shape personality and mental health in community, family, and individual contexts. The course will examine the experiences of Black individuals living in the United States, but will also draw strong connections to the experiences of Black individuals throughout the African Diaspora including Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and Western Europe. Several topics will be explored within the Black psychology paradigm including racial identity, racism and discrimination, kinship and family, religion and spirituality, and achievement and schooling. Throughout the course, a central objective will be to consider how knowledge of such topics can be used to promote mental health and wellness among these populations. Students will be strongly encouraged to discuss current topics and controversies as they relate to the Black psychology paradigm, and to use course material to design a service learning project for the neighboring community. PSYC308X substitutes for PSYC316/SOC301 for Psychology, Sociology, and Human Services majors. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOC 101 or permission of instructor
PSYC316 - Psychology of Diversity
This course explores diversity and its relation to identity, relationship, and power. Areas of diversity that may be a focus of the course include race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, disabilities, aging and/or health status. Students study diversity on micro, meso and macro levels including perspectives on individual and group identity, prejudice and discrimination, and psychological well-being. Students are challenged to explore their own identities and the assumptions they make about various forms of diversity. Prerequisites: Any 200 level Social Science course.
PSYC318 - Abnormal Psychology
This course examines the wide range of personality and behavioral disorders. Both traditional and contemporary theories of psychopathology are reviewed. Emphasis is also placed on the tools, techniques, and process of both the diagnosis and the treatment of various disorders. Prerequisite: PSYC 202 or PSYC 220.
PSYC322 - Abnormal Child Development
This course examines common psychological disorders that affect children and adolescents. Students review factors that contribute to emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social problems in children and adolescents, as well as specific diagnostic criteria of psychological disorders. In addition, treatment of childhood disorders is discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC 221.
PSYC323 - Brain Function & Dysfunction
This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101
PSYC328 - Cognitive Processes
This course studies the ways that humans learn, remember, communicate, think, and reason. Emphasis is on the role of experimental data in development and evaluation of cognitive theories. Prerequisite: PSYC 101 & MATH 208
PSYC331 - Experimental Design in Psychology
PSYC331?–?Experimental Design in Psychology?This laboratory course covers concepts of the scientific method in psychology including the logic of experimental and correlational designs, issues of control, sampling, measurement of variables, ethical issues in research, use of online professional search procedures, and writing in APA style. As part of the lab,?students learn to use statistical software to create a database and perform statistical analyses. Prerequisites: MATH208 and either PSYC101 or SOC101 or approval of Program Chair.
PSYC333 - Research Assistantship
This course is designed to enable 1-3 students to assist a faculty member who is engaged in research. The faculty member mentors the student(s) through the research process. The process may involve some or all of the following components: Literature review of previous research on the topic, development of the research proposal and project design, development of any materials needed for the research, completion of IRB application, follow-through with the IRB recommendations and approval process, implementation of the research, analysis of the data, and presentation of the work through writing, conference presentation, or Lasell presentation. Prerequisites: SOC 331 or PSYC 331 and Permission of Department Chair. Students may enroll in the course for up to two semesters.
PSYC345 - Assessment of Individual Differences
This course studies a wide variety of tests and measurements used to assess intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and personality in clinical and counseling psychology, in education, and in business. Consideration of the history and theory of these tests is complemented by discussion of practical concerns related to their selection, their administration, and their interpretation in specific settings. Prerequisites: MATH 208 and PSYC 101.
PSYC714 - Psyc of Sport, Injury & Rehabilitation
This course is designed to provide an understanding of the theory and application of psychology of sport, injury, and rehabilitation. Topics covered include cognitive appraisal, emotional response, behavioral response, motivation, mental skills training and use, psychological antecedents of injury, adherence to rehabilitation/exercise, sociocultural factors and psychology of injury, and research methods related to the psychology of sport, injury, and rehabilitation.
SCI103 - Science for Educators I (KP)
This course provides education students with an introduction to the scientific principles governing the contemporary technological world. Topics include scientific methodologies, gravity, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and introductory chemistry. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lecture. Prerequisite: ED Majors only
SCI104 - Science for Educators II (KP)
This course provides education students with an introduction to earth science, astronomy, and environmental science. Topics include the weather, solar system, stars, the universe, and global pollution. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lectures. Prerequisite: ED Majors only
SCI107 - Topics in Science (KP)
Topics vary from semester to semester.
SCI303 - The Primates
This is an introductory course to the various theoretical approaches to understanding the evolutionary ecology and behavioral biology of primates. Topics include functional anatomy, social behavior, grouping and activity patterns, reproduction, behavioral ecology, locomotion, life history, geographic distribution, evolution and conservation issues. This course fulfills the Area of Inquiry-Scientific [AI (S)].
Claudia Rinaldi
The Joan Weiler Arnow ’49 Professor/Professor of Education, Chair of Education
Office: Brennan Library
Email: CRinaldi@lasell.edu
- Core Student Learning Outcomes
- Core Curriculum Requirements
- Course Descriptions
- Academic Information
- Academic Policies
-
Programs of Study
- Accounting 21-22
- Applied Mathematics 21-22
- Athletic Training 21-22
- Biochemistry 21-22
- Biology 21-22
- Business Management 21-22
- Communication -21-22
- Criminal Justice 21-22
- Cybersecurity 21-22
- Data Analytics 21-22
- Education21-22
- English 21-22
- Entertainment Media 21-22
- Entrepreneurship 21-22
- Esports and Gaming Management 21-22
- Event Management21-22
- Exercise Science 21-22
- Fashion 21-22
- Finance 21-22
- Fitness Management 21-22
- Forensic Science 21-22
- Global Studies 21-22
- Graphic Design 21-22
- Health Science 21-22
- History 21-22
- Hospitality Management 21-22
- Human Resource Management 21-22
- Individualized Major 21-22
- Journalism 21-22
- Law and Public Affairs 21-22
- Legal Studies 21-22
- Marketing 21-22
- Pre-Law 21-22
- Professional Sales 21-22
- Psychology 21-22
- Public Relations 21-22
- Public and Community Health 21-22
- Radio and Video Production 21-22
- Resort and Casino Management 21-22
- Sociology 21-22
- Sport Communication 21-22
- Sport Management 21-22
- Supply Chain Management 21-22
- Undeclared Option 21-22
- Undergraduate Minors 21-22
- Undergraduate Admission