Multidisciplinary Studies (BA) Curriculum

This course explores the challenges of building and maintaining relationships through verbal and nonverbal language; conflict management; perception; and listening skills. Ideas are applied to everyday aspects of interaction in both personal and professional relationships. The course also provides an in-depth perspective on communication and the role is play in everyday challenges. Students will record themselves delivering speeches, thus they will need to know how to use a webcam and how to upload video files from their devices into the assignment dropbox in the Learning Management System.

The course introduces the concepts and theories related to conflict communication, conflict styles and conflict resolution techniques. Students will develop and apply skills needed to resolve conflict in various personal and professional arenas. Students will record themselves delivering speeches, thus they will need to know how to use a webcam and how to upload video files from their devices into the assignment dropbox in the Learning Management System.

This course is an overview of social science research methodology focusing on creating research designs, developing appropriate measures, creating testable hypotheses and developing research skills.

Through this course, students will develop professional communication skills needed in the fast-moving professional environment. With a focus on oral and written communication for business, students discover how to design and deliver messages in both formal and informal venues. Students will record themselves delivering speeches, thus they will need to know how to use a webcam and how to upload video files from their devices into the assignment dropbox in the Learning Management System.

This course explores applications within the Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on the tools needed in a business context. While covering Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, focus is placed on the use of Excel for analyzing and presenting data. Techniques for the creation of professional documents are addressed.

Students are introduced to basic computer concepts as well as techniques and tools for folder and file navigation and manipulation. Students explore the fundamentals of an office productivity suite, developing skills in word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications.

This course covers the principles of managing information systems in the context of an enterprise. Topics include coverage of information technology in management, information systems in decision-making, planning of information systems, systems development, controls and security measures, and electronic commerce.

Students in this course will read a variety of judicial decisions on current issues, such as freedom of speech, and complete several assignments focusing on legal reasoning and argument. Students will also learn how to find information on legal decisions and issues.

Students will examine a variety of sources of law, explore relevant legal principles, and build their legal vocabulary. This course addresses the long standing legal principles that created the foundation of the American legal system. Through a detailed course of study, students review the structure and systems composing the judicial branch of the U.S. system of government.

This course presents methods in making analytical decisions using statistics. The course focuses on the characteristics of numerical and categorical data, methods of presentation, and descriptive statistics. The course also introduces students to basic methods of sampling and of making inferences using one or two independent samples. NOTE: Credit may not be awarded for both MA215 and MA230.

This course studies the history of war crimes and associated phenomenon, such as genocide, through the study of several cases from the early-modern and modern historical eras. Factors such as racism, available resources, break-downs in command and control, and other causes will be examined in each case study in order to develop the several causes for wartime atrocity. Students will study each event in depth as well as develop their own topic for further research beginning in the first week and culminating in a final research paper.

This course is broad-ranging and provides a combination of theory and practice. The course purpose is to promote a superior understanding of government and its relationship with the society it governs, as well as to encourage public policies that are more responsive to social needs. Additional topic include managerial practices attuned to effectiveness, efficiency and human requirements of the citizenry.

Psychology and the law will provide a broad overview of the interplay between behavioral science and the legal system. In appearance, the two disciplines are vastly different; however, the legal system has an immense influence on our everyday psychology. The purpose of this course is to examine the legal system through the use of psychological concepts, methods, and research results.

This course draws from theories in the fields of communication, sociology, and philosophy in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the concept of civility. The theories provide a lens through which communication in the digital age, and its impact on individuals and communities, will be examined. Practical tools and techniques offer an opportunity for the application of effective and appropriate civil communication in various social contexts.

This course introduces students to the University of Arkansas Grantham policies and staff, provides information about higher education funding resources, discusses important skills for success in the online learning environment, and provides information about University of Arkansas Grantham student support services. Students practice submitting assignments and navigating the Learning Management System (Blackboard). Students will be required to demonstrate fundamental skills necessary for success in the online learning environment at the University of Arkansas Grantham.

This course covers the process and method of science applied to understanding biological concepts at the molecular, cellular, organismal and community levels. The emphasis of this course is on biological diversity in major groups of living organisms and ecology. This course includes a lab.

This course stresses human systems, with applications to contemporary issues in human health and the environment. The scientific method and social applications of scientific information related to human issues are emphasized. This course includes a lab.

This introductory course provides an overview of current and traditional concerns and methods of macroeconomics. Topics that are covered include: economic growth, unemployment inflation, government deficits, monetary policy, investment and capital, the role and methods of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian and monetarist theories and comparative advantage.

This course emphasizes the writing process. Students will apply principles of good writing practice through various genre (narrative, persuasive, expository writings). Additionally, students will analyze reading material as part of the critical and creative thinking processes associated with written communication.

This course introduces students to terms, concepts, and documents related to Technical Writing (writing in the work environment). The concepts and skills presented in the course are intended to be a foundation for effective writing that combines content and format with knowledge of the target audience. Technical writing covers many document types; the course will provide an overview of documents used in the work place such as visual elements, instructions, reports, and presentations. Students will create a portfolio of technical writing documents including: a proposal, progress reports, feasibility and recommendation reports, visual elements, and descriptions of a mechanism and a process.

This course provides the fundamentals of data aptitude. Through this exploration of quantitative reasoning, emphasis will be placed on how to interpret graphs, charts, and pictorial representations of data, along with an understanding of the principles underlying statistics and financial information.

This course examines critical thinking and the analysis of arguments in terms of premises, reasons, and conclusions. Course topics include obstacles to critical thinking, diagramming arguments, belief and doubt, logical fallacies, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, inferences, and judging scientific theories.

This course is a survey of ethical systems with an examination of how such systems can be applied to business, medical, legal, environmental, and personal issues.

This course provides an introduction to American government and politics. Topics include the concept of a constitutional democracy, federalism, amendment rights and equal rights under the law. Also covered are political culture, political ideology, interest groups, lobbying, and political campaigns and elections.

This course presents an introductory overview of psychology. The course includes topics such as the history of psychology, nature vs. nurture, biological psychology, sensation, perceptions, developmental theories, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, memory, cognition, personality, health, and social psychology.

This course offers a global perspective to help students understand their own lives as well as presenting the most current research in the field of sociology. Students will explore social diversity while critically examining the issues and challenges facing society. Topics covered include the theoretical and empirical foundations of sociology, the major themes of sociological research, and the techniques employed.