Elective Courses

(Also SOC 251)  Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Skills Globalization may be conceptualized as the constellation of transformations and c rises with local and global consequences. Global crises are social, economic and political. Driven by networks of power, capital and technology, global processes are changing the structure and meaning of the nation-state, institutions, communities, family, culture and the self worldwide.

An in-depth study of the elements of the various styles of American music that were to become hip-hop. Includes examination of how to formulate hip-hop lyrics and beats. Hands-on experience with sequencing software, computers and samplers and opportunities to rhyme and free-style to beats made by class members will also be provided.

This course examines selected aspects of the history of the United States and its people as reflected in the experience of New Jersey and New Jerseyans. Topics include immigration and ethnicity, cultural expression, political change, religion, urbanization, business and technology, architecture, and landscape transformation.. Prerequisite: WRT 106 with a final grade of C- or better.

Please contact your instructor for specific topic.

A study of the entire genre of fiction, including some novels. Emphasis will be placed on fiction of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Selected plays representing the major periods of the drama from the Greeks to the present, with attention to the religious, social, and theatrical forces that shaped these works. Lecture and discussion.

Game design is an interdisciplinary process of rapid prototyping and interactive design, and develop a practice for conductive playtests, critiquing design, and presenting work to others.

A study of the genre of poetry with emphasis on formal innovations and evolution of the art form. Focus will vary according to instructor’s discretion.

This course will focus on the social, political, and economic changes that took place between Reconstruction and the present,thus propelling the United States into a position of global dominance. This course is the third and final course in the United States History sequence. Corequisite: WRT 106.

(Also CAT 256) Writing in 21st century workplaces does not only involve typing emails and documents. In this class you will learn to compose in a variety of digital platforms by drawing upon both technical and rhetorical skills that you will develop over the course of the semester. You will deploy design processes with purpose, audience input, and revision in mind, building on your previous writing courses while composing for real audiences.

(Also WRT 256) Writing in 21st century workplaces does not only involve typing emails and documents. In this class you will learn to compose in a variety of digital platforms by drawing upon both technical and rhetorical skills that you will develop over the course of the semester. You will deploy design processes with purpose, audience input, and revision in mind, building on your previous writing courses while composing for real audiences.

This course explores the ways in which tradition, myth, social stereotypes and social forces shape American women’s lives. We will study the influence of gender from several disciplinary perspectives to help illuminate large subject areas, such as work, love, creativity, pornography, the family, communication, personal identity and selfworth. Any study of women recognizes that gender roles affect both women and men; thus, discussion includes issues related to male and female social development. Readings balance women’s common realities, such as biological functions and sex role training, with individual realities influenced by class, race, age and sexual orientation. Central to this course are choices and constraints contemporary women and men face as we make our way into the twenty-first century.

An introduction to video as a creative visual, auditory, and spatial medium. Students learn the fundamentals of video production with the goal of making original work in a the genres of single-channel, performance, and installation. Works by filmmakers and video artists are viewed and discussed. It is highly recommended that students take CAT 126 Digital Photography prior to enrolling in this class.

Through the study and practice of reading and writing fiction, students will analyze the work of published authors and apply established narrative techniques to their own writings. In instructor-led workshops, students will give as well as take constructive criticism, in order to generate a revised portfolio of their own works of fiction.

(Also WMS 258) There is more to Gothic literature than ghosts and spooky houses. This course examines how the genre dramatizes and explores the dark impulses that arise in the human psyche; it also studies how gender and sexuality shape the writing of this literature and the attitudes that it expresses. The course may focus on American Gothic literature or British Gothic literature, and may be repeated for credit when that focus changes.

Students expand their video production skills while increasing their knowledge of the history and theory of video. The course focuses on advanced camera techniques, video installation and alternative video practices. The grammar and aesthetics of editing in the visual storytelling process will also be emphasized.

(Also ENG 258) Spooky crumbling castles and things that go bump in the night are not all there is to gothic literature. This course examines the ways in which this literary genre delves into the human psyche to explore all the dark impulses that arise from the human soul. The course also looks at ways in which gender and sexuality figure into both the writing of this literature and the attitudes that it expresses. Students learn to examine fiction through a literary critical lens.

This course examines the evolution of mechanically reproduced media and its inevitable application by the aesthetic community, beginning with the invention of the film camera (1800s) to digital technology (1940s), through to contemporary field of interactivity, sound and image. This course discusses the convergence of the scientific, military, and political environments that spawned the employment of technology

(Also AFS/PHL 259) Contemporary African-American Thought explores the intellectual contributions of prominent African-American writers and philosophers from the late twentieth century to the present. Through literary analysis, discussion, and participation in a class conference, students investigate the cultural, political, aesthetic, and philosophic dilemmas of the African Americans in the contemporary age.

(Also ENG/PHL 259) Contemporary African-American Thought explores the intellectual contributions of prominent African-American writers and philosophers from the late twentieth century to the present. Through literary analysis, discussion, and participation in a class conference, students investigate the cultural, political, aesthetic, and philosophic dilemmas of the African Americans in the contemporary age.

(Also AFS/ENG 259) Contemporary African-American Thought explores the intellectual contributions of prominent African-American writers and philosophers from the late twentieth century to the present. Through literary analysis, discussion, and participation in a class conference, students investigate the cultual, political, aesthetic, and philosophic dilemmas of the African Americans in the cotemporary age.

The division between the physical and the digital is becoming increasingly blurred. This course will investigate the concept and design of interactive objects. Using an open-source platform such as Arduino, a series of hand-on exercises will expose the students to various techniques and encourage them for further inquiry. The basics of electricity and electronics, hardware hacking and prototyping will be explored.

The foundation course for the study of graphic design. Students conceptualize visual solutions to communications problems by conducting research and creating preliminary sketches. Students participate in peer/instructor project review sessions.

The course explores the world of fantasy created by writers of the most imaginative form of fiction. We will explore contemporary and classic novels and short works and our focus will be to differentiate this genre from others. Students will try out story-telling techniques and analyze underlying meanings of works..

Students will use the latest version of Adobe PhotoShop, an essential tool for any visual artist working with computers-animators, graphic designers, web makers, special effects artists, multimedia and design professionals. This course teaches the advance principles of digital imaging and manipulation, including digitizing, editing, color correction, special effects and transformation techniques used by PhotoShop Pros. It will emphasize the methods used to scan and collage images from photographs, to retouch and alter these images and to create complex design solutions and illustrations.

(Also LAC 264) Study of Caribbean literature with emphasis upon the oral and literary traditions of the English-speaking Caribbean. Consideration is also given to creole Caribbean languages and the ways in which they have shaped the development of Caribbean literature and cultures.