Honors Courses

A one semester general chemistry class that blends significant topics from CHEM 111 and 112 for very strong students interested in majoring in science or engineering. Approximately one-third of the course content is drawn from CHEM 111 with the balance coming from CHEM 112. Topics include atomic theory, stoichiometry, gas laws, phases of matter, atomic and molecular structure, bonding, kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and descriptive chemistry. Lecture plus four laboratory hours per week.

English 190 is a core course in literature and writing for specially qualified students who show greater aptitude and preparation than typical first-year students or those whose pre-matriculation credits cover some, but not all, of the content of ENGL 121. The learning goals are the same as those for ENGL 121; however, writing, critical thinking, and textual analysis are taught at a higher level and with increased complexity in this course.

This course offers a selective introduction to the artistic concepts and visual art of India, China, and Japan. The course will examine visual expression in Asia from the Neolithic period to the 20th century. The purpose of the course is to provide students with the basis for a life-long appreciation of the arts and cultures of South and East Asia through examinations of varying aesthetic viewpoints and critical and creative interpretations of artistic expression.

Using philosophical methodology, and with substantial attention to Catholic intellectual tradition, this course enquires into the foundations of ethics, including how our conception of the human person affects our understanding of the moral life. It considers also the question of the rationality of belief in God and the difference (if any) God makes to our understanding of the person and the good. In addressing these topics, the course develops and applies basic logic skills, introduced as an essential part of philosophical method and an indispensable tool of critical thinking.

The course introduces students to the discipline of accounting through an introduction to financial accounting. Financial accounting is an integral function of every business. Financial accounting data provide insights about the firm's financial condition, operating results, cash flows and capital structure to facilitate decision making. This course introduces the primary financial statements, fundamental financial accounting terminology and calculations, as well as the interpretation and analysis of financial statements. Ethical aspects of accounting are included.

This Honors section of Technology and Ethics is an application of concepts and principles in philosophical ethics to issues raised by modern technology. Technologies whose ethical use may be considered include: Information Technologies, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Genomics and Artificial Life, Reproductive Technologies, Biomedical and Therapeutic Technologies, Human Enhancement Technologies, Agricultural Technologies, and Environmental Technologies. Special attention will be paid to the application of moral concepts and principles from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives.