Information, Innovation, or Technology — including issues related to media, privacy, access, transparency, intellectual property, ethics, economics, creativity, education, politics, etc.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Explain how complementary and competing perspectives contribute to the ongoing discussion about information, innovation, or technology.

2. Collaboration: Effectively work on a team.

3. Problem solving: Design and evaluate an approach to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.

4. Integration: Apply knowledge from experiences and multiple disciplines to new, complex situation. 

Courses

ART 335 — Digital Creativity
This course is a hands-on studio course that provides basic skills and an understanding of computer technology in the creative process. Emphasized exploration of digital media concepts and methods for supporting creativity through examination of the themes and issues in contemporary arts and culture. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

ART 373 — Design and Materiality: Objects and Sculpture
This primarily hands-on studio course emphasizes material knowledge in relation to functionality, form, and design fundamentals utilized in product development. Material explorations may include metalworking, woodworking, mold making, plastics, fibers, found objects and/or digital processes. Individual and collaborative projects will be informed by student research, experimentation, problem solving, and discussion. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

ART 392 — Curatorial Studio: Art, Exhibitions, Events
This course involves the creation of art exhibitions, events, and projects as a studio practice. It explores the presentational and critical aspects of curatorial work and the theoretical discourse specific to such practice within a studio context. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

ART 394 - Interactive Studio: Art Interface, Collaboration
Interactive Studio addresses the study and creation of art works in which the audience is involved in an interactive exchange. Media explored include interactive situations, community collaborations, social/political interactions, and current electronic interactive interfaces. (May be repeated once for credit.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

CIS 310 — Introduction to the Structure and Mechanics of Social Networking
A study of networks as implemented in typical online social network sites.  This course examines a) the basics of representing and analyzing networks, b) the tools for implementing and managing an online social network, and c) the techniques for discovering and exploiting valuable information
that resides in networks. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

CIS 320 — Visualization of Data and Information
An introduction into the broad field of visualization, and provides practical skills in developing engaging visuals (e.g., infographics, mapping, 3D objects, animations, trees, graphs, illustrations, and document spaces). Design and create visual representations of quantitative and qualitative
content using the breadth of visualization software that do not require technical backgrounds. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

CIS 331 — Data Analysis Tools and Techniques
This course will introduce the student to key technologies used for collecting, cleaning, manipulating, storing, analyzing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from large and diverse data sets. Upon completion of this course, students will be better prepared to assist organizations in facing the challenges of large scale data analytics. Prerequisites: STA 215 and junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

CIS 358 — Information Assurance
Introduction to security, privacy, and information assurance. Coverage will include not only security threats, attacks, and defenses, but also issues important to information assurance such as risk management, security planning, and ethical issues. Perspectives of computing professionals as well as computing users from other professions will be discussed. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

CMB 321 — Designing our Future: Babies, Food, Medicine, and Biotechnology
Issues course which introduces the concepts and theories of biotechnology, and includes an in-depth exploration of a biotechnology issue, such as designer babies, GMO food, and personalized medicine, within a group setting. Student groups will create a white paper and lead a discussion on the biotechnology issue of their choice. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

DS 350 — Social Media in Culture
An examination of social media’s role in shaping individuals and communities. Students evaluate how social media platforms express political, social, and cultural power. Students analyze how social media expands and limits conversations on issues concerning race, gender, sexuality, and diaspora. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

DS 360 — Ethics of Digital Cultures
This course will investigate the ethical concepts emerging alongside digital innovation. Students will explore topics such as (but not limited to) social media, issues of privacy and security, cyber warfare, virtual representation, and internet access, plagiarism, and sustainability. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

ECO 330 — Sports Economics*
Examination of economic issues pertaining to professional and collegiate sports, including analysis of industrial organization and antitrust issues, labor relations, discrimination, and the impact of franchises on local economies. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: Junior standing and completion of Foundations – Social and Behavioral Sciences. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

EDT 312 — Children and Technology
Focused on the impact technology in its many forms is having on children, ages 2-12, including preschool uses of technology, as well as incorporation of technology into instruction and assessment. Explores issues related to children’s participation in an increasingly digital society within the context of development, education, and society. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

EDT 476 — Teaching with Technology
Pre-K-6 classroom-based teaching and assessing with technology. Focused on integrating available technologies into assessment and instruction in support of student learning.  Students should be prepared to inventory available digital technologies for classroom use, support needs of all students and align instruction with relevant benchmarks and standards. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

EGR 302 — Engineering Decision-Making in Society
Engineering decisions affect almost everyone in the modern world.  This course studies the potential broad impacts of these decisions within social, economic, environmental, and global contexts. This course, through case-studies, places engineering in a wider context, emphasizing the application of ethical models to recognize professional responsibilities in engineering situations. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

ENG/DS 314 — Digital Literacies
Increasingly, literary production and consumption are occurring in digital spaces using digital tools. This course will foster students' abilities to critically interpret literary texts using digital tools. Students will study literary authorship, readership, and analysis from the inception of the printing press to the present. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

ENG 331 - Comics and Graphic Novels in Contemporary Culture
This course examines the comics medium and its role in popular culture and academic studies. Students read and analyze historical and contemporary comics from varying genres, learn the formal elements of comics, consider the possibilities and limitations of the medium, and critique representations of race, class, and gender within comics. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

GPY/MKT 365 — GIS for Economic and Business Decision Making*
Explores the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology in economic and business decision making, including market area analysis, geodemographic segmentation, site selection, routing, customer profiling, sales territory management, and location strategies. Emphasis on hands-on
activities. Problem-based learning approach. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

GPY/ECO 385 — GIS in Urban and Regional Analysis
Focus on applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques in urban and regional analysis. Using a hands-on approach, students will explore how to use GIS techniques and large data sets to analyze economic, demographic, and social change in the knowledge-based economy. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, and problem solving. 

INT 310 — Creativity and Innovative Problem-Solving
An interdisciplinary study of those ideas that stimulate the creative processes and innovation in information and technology in a diversity of human practices, including, but not limited to, artistic, philosophical, scientific, and entrepreneurial endeavors, with a focus on practicing innovativeness and creativity in a variety of areas. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

INT 323 — Design Thinking to Meet Real-world Needs
Design Thinking is an iterative, project-based, problem-solving process valued in organizations both locally and internationally. As interdisciplinary teams, students in this course will use the Design Thinking process to better facilitate the chaos of innovation by collaborating with stakeholders to meet real-world needs. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

INT 341 — Leadership for Social Change
An examination of the theory and practice of leadership in social change movements, focused on developing personal and organizational capacities for leadership in a liberal education context. Students identify a contemporary social issue and create an action plan for resolution, addressing that issue with at least one action step. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

MTH 312 — Cryptography and Privacy
An introduction to cryptography and information security with a focus on applications and issues from diverse areas. Topics will include a study of cryptographic primitives, historical cipher systems, symmetric and public-key cryptography, hash functions, digital signatures, electronic voting, and contemporary issues in privacy and security. Prerequisites: Junior standing and successful completion of any Mathematical Sciences Foundations course. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

REL 340 — Religion and Popular Culture in the United States
An interdisciplinary study of religion and popular culture in the United States. Students will employ religious studies approaches to critically examine cultural forms such as music, art, cinema, social media, sports, and virtual reality in order to analyze the diversity of U.S. popular culture. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Fulfills Cultures – U.S. Diversity. Skills: collaboration, ethical reasoning, information literacy, integration, problem solving 

SOC/INT 366 — American Society and Media 
Interdisciplinary approach to the ways in which mediated mass culture produces meaning in contemporary American society as examined through a variety of critical lenses such as political economy and sociocultural analyses of the organization of the mass media, media content, and audience reception studies of film, television, and/or music cultures. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

SST 311 — Data Literacy for Social Studies
Students will investigate K-12 students' understanding of data and data visualizations such as maps, graphs, and timelines; learn methods for analyzing, interpreting, and using data visualizations in social studies; and explore tools for creating data visualizations. Students will also develop project-based lessons aimed at building data literacy in social studies. Prerequisites: MTH 110 or equivalent and Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

STA 340 — Statistics in the Media
An examination of statistics reported in the media. Students will read news stories and published research to critically evaluate the conclusions made, recognizing when assertions are and are not supported by evidence. Common fallacies and misconceptions will be covered. Prerequisites: Junior standing and STA 215. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving 

STA 345 — Statistics in Sports
An application-oriented overview of the statistical methodology that can be utilized to describe and evaluate the performance of individuals or teams participating in sports. Emphasis will be on data collection, descriptive statistics, and statistical inference and modeling utilized in sports. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

THE 325 — Theatre for Social Change
Examines performance theory, theatre practice and educational drama methods used to investigate systems of power, notions of community, identity and political action. Students will learn about theatrical productions, artistic processes and technology based communication techniques that help actor-activists initiate social change. Students will create group performances for a chosen community. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Skills: collaboration, integration, problem solving

 

*You must have completed 55 credits to enroll in 300- to 400-level Seidman College of Business courses. If you are a nonbusiness major with a 2.5 overall GPA, please email your name, G-number, course, and semester to [email protected] to request a permit to register. Secondary admissions criteria applies for business majors.