Courses of Study - William Jewell College

Courses of Study – General Education
256. The Science of Sight and Sound. 4 cr. hrs.
The nature of sound and light is addressed in the
context of our auditory and visual senses. Physics
of sound, anatomy and physiology of the ear and
the pathway to the cerebral cortex, and the psychology
of perception are drawn upon to understand
the functioning of musical instruments as
well as our perception of music. The richness of
color sensation in nature and art is addressed by
similarly drawing on the physics of light, as well as
the anatomy, physiology and psychology of vision.
Technological approaches to correcting ocular and
auditory defects are addressed as well as means of
enhancing or extending the senses of sight and
hearing. This course will meet teaching certification
requirement for a physical laboratory science.
(Lab science course)
257. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious
Diseases: Local and Global Issues 4 cr. hrs.
Infectious diseases are undergoing a global resurgence
due to factors such as human population demographics
and behavior, antibiotic resistance, environmental
degradation, political and economic decisions,
and public health policies. Diseases such as tuberculosis,
malaria, measles, and polio continue to be of
global concern, while other diseases such as Ebola,
“Mad Cow” disease, and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
make their appearance. This course will meet
teaching certification requirement for a biological laboratory
science. (Lab science course).
258. Astronomy and Cosmology:
Observations and Theories of the Universe
4 cr. hrs. An interdisciplinary examination of how
our conception of the universe has evolved from
that of selected early societies to the modern
worldview based on observations and the theories
which explain them. There will be one required
nighttime observing session or lab per week. This
course will meet teaching certification requirement
for a physical laboratory science. (Lab science)
Power and Justice in Society.
Interdisciplinary Courses
in the Social Sciences
275. Social Problems. 4 cr. hrs.
This course focuses on various expressions of
inequality from sociological, economic, historical
and psychological perspectives. Students will present
oral and written reports of analyses of various
social problems. There is a Service Learning component
in this course. (Interdisciplinary social science
course)
276. Human Development: Psychoanalysis and
Literature. 4 cr. hrs. This course looks at human
development using the disciplines of psychology
and literature. Through discussion and written
exercises, students will apply insights gained from
a careful examination of theories of psychosocial
development to literary texts. This process will
provide a means of examining issues of power and
justice in contemporary life, especially those relating
to gender, authority and cultural norms.
(Interdisciplinary social science course)
277. Deviance and Discipline: Crime and
Punishment in Historical Perspective. 4 cr. hrs.
This course asks students to study and apply the
content and methods of history, sociology, literature
and art history to the topic of criminal justice in
eighteenth and nineteenth century England. Through
their reading and written assignments students will
grapple with a variety of materials, including statistical
studies of crime, social theories of deviance, literature
such as the play The Beggar’s Opera and the fiction
of Charles Dickens, and the paintings of William
Hogarth. (Interdisciplinary social science course)
278. Worlds of Islam. 4 cr. hrs. A study of literary
and film texts from several Islamic cultures. The
texts are selected to provide students with general
knowledge on the beliefs and practices of Islam
and with specific contexts for exploring how different
cultures influence Islam’s relation to such
fundamental categories of power and justice as
gender, human rights and democracy. Class discussion
format. Students write regularly in response to
assigned readings and film viewings
(Interdisciplinary social science course)
279. Economic Development and Cultural
Change. 4 cr. hrs. The course introduces students
to the economic, social, political and institutional
mechanisms necessary to bring about rapid and
large-scale improvements in the standard of living
for the masses of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Utilizing a case-study method of investigation, students
will write in-class and out-of-class essays to
demonstrate their understanding of both the con-
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