Interdisciplinary Programs and Concentrations

Interdisciplinary courses are team-taught courses that vary from semester to semester. They may be used to fulfill appropriate General Education requirements as specified in the course schedule bulletin.

HUM 296 — Dante’s Inferno and the Florence of His Times— 3 credits

This course in English examines selections from Dante’s Inferno, elements of medieval thought and imagery and Dante’s representation of Florence and its politics. Includes visits to architectural and artistic sites significant to Dante’s life and work. Fulfills requirements in the Italian Studies concentration but not the Italian minor or major.

INTD 100 — Freshman Seminar — 1 credit

Freshman seminars are designed to foster students’ successful integration into academic and community life at The University of Scranton. Topics common to all freshman seminars include: the purpose of higher education; time management; the mission of a Jesuit university; academic-development strategies; the role of faculty; University resources; and personal values.

INTD 103 — (D) The Vietnam Experience — 3 credits

The historical origins of the Vietnam War, including the period of French colonialism and the American intervention; the politics, economics, and military strategy in Vietnam during the war years and today; present relations with China and the USSR. Why were we there and why did we fail?

INTD 104— (D, E) Men’s Health— 3 credits

The course will examine the historic, physiologic, social, cultural, emotional and economic issues affecting men’s health. The course explores strategies to assist students to gain information regarding men’s health issues, adopt healthier lifestyles, and use health care services appropriately. Health issues related to culture and diversity will also be addressed. Class members will be expected to actively participate in all discussions.

INTD 105 — Great Lives: Images on Stage — 3 credits

An examination of the often contrasting impressions of historical personalities, as they are portrayed in plays and films and as they appear to historians. Historical figures to be considered include Caesar, Richard III, Thomas More, Lincoln and Churchill.

INTD 108 — Health and Legal Implications of Chemical/Drug Abuse — 3 credits

A team-taught course that deals with the neurophysical, health, and legal implications of alcohol/ drug abuse, viz: its biochemical effects and aspects, its legal and social consequences, and its health and lifestyle implications.

INTD 109 — (CA, Q, D) Mathematics and the Visual Arts — 3 credits

A study of mathematical topics related to art, architecture, and design through the ages. Topics include: musical ratios, golden ratio, polygons, tilings, symmetry, circles, spirals, Platonic solids, perspective, and fractals. Visual artists include: Vitruvius, Palladio, Le Corbusier, Villard de Honnecourt, Leonardo, Dürer, Escher, and Greek, Islamic, and Indian designers.

INTD 117 — Writing, Research and Speaking — 3 credits

Students will make the transition from high-school to college-level writing, research & speaking through a series of workshops, conferences, writing assignments & oral presentations. This course satisfies both the Oral Communication & the Written Communication requirements in the University’s General Education curriculum.

INTD 209 — (D) The Holocaust — 3 credits

An exploration of the cataclysmic event in Jewish history known as the Holocaust. The course will examine the subject from the perspective of various academic disciplines – historical, sociological, philosophical, artistic, and literary, among others – and will include a field trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

INTD 210 — (P, E) Catholic Bioethics: Biotechnology and Human Dignity — 3 credits

The current scientific understanding of human fertilization and development, reproductive technologies, human cloning, stem cell research, gene and medically defined death will be reviewed. Pertinent ethical considerations will be discussed, presenting the Catholic perspective in dialogue with the major philosophical approaches.

INTD 211 — (D, E) HIV/AIDS: Biological, Social and Cultural Issues — 3 credits

(Prerequisite: C/IL 102 or equivalent) Study of the biology of HIV and AIDS, impact of the epidemic on various social groups and countries. The epidemiology of the disease and the response of health-care systems and governments. Opportunity for American Red Cross certification in basic HIV facts and eligibility for HIV Instructor certification will be included as part of the course. Open to all majors.

INTD 239 — (E) Physics of Theatre— 3 credits

An introduction to the physics of lighting, sound and special effects in the context of theatrical production. Readings will explore both underlying physics and theatrical aesthetics. Assignments include applications in color, reflection and refraction of light, acoustics and aesthetics in sound, and an exploration of special effects such as stage fog.

INTD 290 — Leadership and Civic Responsibility — 3 credits

This course, which follows the Presidential Colloquy and bridges students’ first and second years, nurtures their leadership skills and sense of civic responsibility. The course is designed to foster students’ sense of what they wish to accomplish during their undergraduate experience along with their understanding of the larger social implications of their studies, their community involvement and their lives. Students engage in interdisciplinary readings and discussions, real-time shared reflection on the meaning of their summer employment and civic engagement, and the mentoring of incoming freshmen.

INTD 333 — (CA,P,W) The Bible in Image and Text — 3 credits

This team-taught course is a study of the interpretation of major biblical stories and figures in the Christian theological tradition and in art history. The marriage of Christian text and image is a natural and long-lived one; it provides an exciting way to integrate knowledge of various major themes such as creation and last judgment, and of many great biblical figures, such as Moses and Christ.

NSCI 102 — Science and Society — 3 credits

This course attempts to show how the sciences, particularly the behavioral sciences, impact both positively and negatively on society. Issues dealt with include the nature of science, similarities and differences between the scientific disciplines, the impact of science on the concept of free will, and the philosophical and moral implications of psychological testing, socio-biology, and Skinnerian radical behaviorism.

NSCI 103 — (E,W) The Ascent of Man — 3 credits

Science and technology from the ancient Greeks to the present will be discussed from the personal viewpoint of the scientists and inventors. Lectures will be supplemented by films, demonstrations, and field trips. Three hours lecture.

NSCI 108 — (E) Science in Our Time — 3 credits

This course presents the latest developments in science and technology and explores the ideas and techniques underlying these developments. It investigates both the implication these developments have on society and public policy as well as the effect politics, social institutions and mores have on scientific and technological advancement.

NSCI 201 — (E) Science and the Human Environment — 3 credits

A brief study of the effects of technological, scientific and industrial progress on the air, land, and water resources of the human environment. Problems in each of the resource areas will be discussed in detail.