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Master of Liberal Studies

Master of Liberal Studies > Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions


MLS SEMINARS FOR SPRING 2010

 19478            LBST D501: Vietnam in Culture & History       Salas                           3 cr.hr.

6:00-7:15pm  MW     KV235C

 The military conflict in Vietnam has become a touchstone in US history, despite the fact that the "meaning" of that conflict is still evolving, being negotiated, and being claimed by various interested parties. This seminar will engage students with historical texts, literary texts, cultural artifacts, and scholarly discussion about the conflict, its causes, conduct, and consequences, and the various sorts of people (including veterans of both genders, Vietnamese citizens, those who did not serve, and those born after the last US service people left Saigon) affected by it. Students will undertake original research on such questions as the semantic and actual difference between "war" and "conflict", Komunyakaa's and O'Brien's work as trauma narrative, and the ways understandings of the conflict in Vietnam have shaped discourse about the wars in Iraq.


MLS Courses

 19010            LBST D502: Science of Science Fiction Hollenbeck              4 cr.hr.

6:00-9:15pm T          LF255

 What can properly be called "science fiction" (as opposed to fantasy) has existed since the beginning of the Age of Science. Scientists have used fiction to explain and explore their science, and professional writers have used science to extend the limits of fiction. However, like fraternal twins, science and science fiction often reflect each other imperfectly. This course will examine the sometimes-uneasy relationship between the two. It will investigate several perennial questions about the genre. The course will span the age of Science, from the 19th century to the present, including work by, Bradbury, Crichton, Shelly, Wells, and current writer, T.K. Kenyon. Students will study the history of science by learning what the authors could have known and will explore the nature of narrative and the similarities and differences between scientific and fictive discourse. The themes of the writers will be compared to the socio-political conditions of the writer's time and their vision of the future where appropriated.

 

27803 LBST D503: Food and Society                            Sloss                           3 cr.hr.

6:00-8:30pm R          CV103

 This course introduces students to recent literature, thoughts, and research on the role of food in human societies. We use historical and critical analyses to examine selected issues about food and society. We will read three books and several short articles. Additionally, students will examine their food related behaviors from the perspective of our readings. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: describe how species and their foods co-evolve, recognize historical changes in patterns of food production, preparation, and consumption, appreciate cultural and class differences in food consumption patterns, understand the political and economic forces that shape our food system, and better manage your personal food habits and behavior.

 

9479 LBST D510: Intro to Grad Liberal Studies     Finkel                         4 cr.hr.

4:15-5:50pm TR        LB230

 The course provides a comprehensive introduction to graduate liberal studies, as well as preparing students to participate successfully in all facets of the MLS program. The course will examine principles of intellectual inquiry in the three fields represented in the MLS program: Arts & Letters, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. These methods will be applied to the Common Experience topic for the year: Health and Humanity in the New Millennium: Where Do We Go From Here?


LBST D601

D601: Graduate Thesis Proposal Seminar (3 credit hours)

  • START: area of interest or vague research idea
  • END: well-defined and researched thesis proposal
    • two chapters of thesis:
      • (1) literature review (2) method
    • knowledge of relevant research ethics
    • thesis committee members identified
    • signed thesis proposal form submitted to director
  • REQUIRED:  One meeting of the entire thesis committee with the student to discuss the thesis proposal.
  • FORMAT:
    1. taken as a course with other students taught by the MLS Director
    2. taken as independent study with a member of the thesis committee
  • RECOMMENDED TEXT:
    • Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2003). The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Recommended electives

HON-H306: Multidisciplinary Seminar in the Humanities and Social Sciences (3-6 cr.):
Topic varies with the instructor and semester. Possible topics include Art as Literature; Death and Dying; Utopias through History.

HON-H307: Multidisciplinary Seminar (3-6 cr.):
Topic varies with the instructor and semester. Topics will include those outside the humanities and social sciences.


Graduate courses offered in the Arts and Sciences schools:

BIOL-L579: Community Ecology

ENG L649: British Literature since 1900
ENG L650: Stds in American Literature to 1900
ENG L639: English Fiction to 1800
ENG L653: American Literature 1800-1900
ENG L681: Genre Studies
ENG W553: Theory & Practice of Exposition

FINA S561: Graduate Ceramics

MUS E545: Guided Professional Experiences
MUS K710: Composition Graduate Elective
MUS M566: Ethnic Music Survey
MUS P700: Piano Graduate Elective
MUS V700: Voice Graduate Elective

PSY P502: Developmental Psychology

SOC S620: Deviance & Social Control

WOST W695: Grad Readings/Research-Women’s Studies