Core Curriculum Requirements
The Core Foundation/Proficiency attribute search terms are:
Civic Engagement, Diversity, Ethics, Fine Arts, Natural Science, Oral Communication, Philosophy, Physics-Based Natural Science, Quantitative Reasoning, Social Science, Theology, Writing I, Writing II
To search in the Catalog for courses that meet specific Core Foundation/Proficiency attributes, there are three options:
Use the Course Filter on the Course Descriptions page. Enter your desired search term in the “Keyword or Phrase” box and check the box beneath for “Find whole word or phrase only.”
Enter the desired search term, in quotes, in the Publication Search box.
Use the Advanced Search feature of the Publication Search. Click on the Advanced Search button and type in the desired search term in the “Enter a keyword or phrase” field, check the box beneath for “Find whole word or phrase only.”, and leave only the Courses checkbox checked. This will ensure that only courses containing the desired search term show.
In addition, users may visit the Core Curriculum site for a listing of courses that have been approved for specific Core Curriculum requirements and/or search the Semester Course Offerings in CyberFriar.
Need assistance? Please contact the Office of the Registrar at 401.865.1033.
Music
MSC 360 - Oboe III
1 semester, 1 1/2 credits-
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons. Students must register in the music department. Prerequisites: Applied Music II and permission of department.
For junior/senior music majors. A music major is expected to advance to this level of private instruction as a junior and senior. This upper-division applied study will assist in the preparation for the senior recital/project. There is an additional fee for these lessons.
Groups of three to eight players; can include string quartet, woodwind quintet, brass quintet, flute quartet, piano and other trios, or any combination of players. Audition and permission of appropriate instructor required.
Small group jazz for rhythm section and winds. Groups may cover music of any jazz style period: New Orleans, swing, bebop, cool school, hard bop, modal, fusion, or modern. Audition and permission of instructor required.
In this ensemble, vocal and instrumental students will have the opportunity to explore and perform a wide variety of repertoire from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Compositions will be chosen based on the instruments and voices of the students who register for the ensemble. Audition or permission of the instructor required.
1 semester, 1/2 credit- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Fine Arts
This small, auditioned, mixed chorus is Providence College’s premiere choral ensemble, used both on and off campus when ambassadors of choral music are needed. This group performs a wide assortment of sacred and secular literature appropriate for the chamber ensemble.
Concentrates on a specific topic, announced in advance, and offers an intensive study of some major composers or important historical development in music. Research techniques are also emphasized. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
Each music major is expected to complete either a senior recital or senior project during the senior year. This requirement is overseen by the department chairperson and a particular faculty advisor, and must be successfully completed for graduation as a music major.
MSC 499 - Student Teaching in Elementary and Secondary Schools
1 semester, 12 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Oral Communication
Involves a semester of teaching music in elementary and secondary schools under the joint supervision of cooperating teachers and a College supervisor. Seminar meetings will be held weekly.
Covers major aspects of physics by the use of ten of the most important experiments that have been performed from antiquity through the twentieth century. The subjects covered are astronomy and cosmology, mechanics and dynamics, electromagnetism and light, structure of matter and quantum mechanics. Other subjects such as relativity theory, nuclear fission and fusion will be discussed as time permits.
Deals with principles of cell biology, genetics, and evolution at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Wherever possible, the emphasis will be placed on human biology, and current developments in these areas will be examined. The emphasis on evolution as the unifying principle in all the biological sciences will be stressed throughout the course.
Deals with questions of consciousness and how the mind interacts with the body and the outside world. Questions investigated include: What is human consciousness? Is our consciousness material in nature? Can consciousness be reproduced? Do other minds exist? Can we make free choices? Same as PHL 352.Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
An introduction to identifying, analyzing, and evaluating arguments. Topics may include: paraphrasing arguments, informal fallacies, and Aristotelian categoricallogic. Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
An introduction to the principal questions of philosophy. Topics may include: What is the nature of reality? What can we know? How ought we to live? What is the best political state? Do we have an immortal soul? Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
An examination, through primary texts, of the relationship between philosophy and literature. Topics may include: the nature of literature, philosophical approaches to fiction, literary criticisms of philosophy, and the necessity of literature in a philosophical life or of philosophy in a literary life. Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
A study of happiness and of the means used by men and women to attain it. Law, morality, and virtue are studied as contributing to the growth of each person to one’s full intellectual, moral, and spiritual stature.
Seeks to achieve an understanding of the personality, spirit, and thought of the man who gave Western philosophy its distinctive character. An examination of how Socrates, by force of personality and argumentation, stirred and, in some cases, transformed the religious and political perceptions of his contemporaries. Examines the present contemporary relevance of the criticisms of Socrates. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
An introduction to philosophical anthropology. Topics may include: the nature of persons, freedom and responsibility, immortality, and the relation of mind and body.Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Philosophy; Writing I
A study of Greek philosophy, from its beginnings through late forms that survived into the Christian era. Emphasis is placed on analysis and critical understanding of key philosophical problems which developed within Greek culture, and which are of permanent relevance. The foremost of these problems, and the focal motif of the course, is the question of what constitutes a genuinely good life for a human being. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
A study of the philosophical foundations for an ethics of public service. The course will include the study of ethical principles as a foundation for moral life and moral decision-making; a study of moral leadership as a means for transforming society; and a reflection on the common good and the call to service. Course may include a practical experiential component. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
The application of ethical principles to the areas of social work, business, law, medicine, and other fields of endeavor. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Ethics; Oral Communication
A study of the ethics and politics of living in communities - local, global, and ecological. Explores the relationship between communities and human flourishing, the role of social institutions, and the common good. Topics discussed may include authoritarianism, diversity, and resistance. Pedagogy involves democratic activities, such as building micro-communities in class and team-based learning. Same as PSP 305.
The focus is threefold: First, introduce students to the principles that are relevant for resolving moral problems and assist them in developing the reasoning and analytical skills needed to apply those principles. Second, expose students to the important moral issues that arise in various business contexts. Third, provide students with firsthand experience of morality in business situations through case studies and/or seminars with business leaders. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
An analysis of the ethical issues related to contemporary biomedical advances and health care delivery. Among the topics considered are: abortion, euthanasia, health care rationing, patients’ rights, and dilemmas of health care professionals. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
An examination of perennial philosophical issues, such as the existence of God, the process of human knowledge, the relation of intellect to the will, the source of values and meaning in creation, the problem of universals, etc., by drawing from philosophers of the medieval period. Sources include Augustine, Maimonides, Anselm, Averroes, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Ockham. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
An exploration of the philosophical elements of St. Thomas Aquinas’s ethics through an extensive reading of his treatises on moral life and action. The course will also examine the enduring influence of the Thomistic ethics. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
An historical and critical examination of the core institutions of our society - those within which all of us, including people in business and the professions, will act - and of the ideas that have shaped and continue to inform them. Examine such ideologies as liberalism, conservatism, communitarianism, feminism, and multiculturalism. Includes consideration both of the classics of Catholic political thought and of contemporary teachings by the pope and the Catholic bishops. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
An analysis of the world religions and a metaphysical, psychological, and epistemological study of the religious phenomena. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
A study of classical and modern theories concerning the nature, origin, and validity of human knowledge. Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.
Analyzes and critiques the philosophy behind Catholicism’s best kept secret: natural law theory, Thomistic-Aristotelian political theory, modern theories of capitalism and socialism, phenomenology, personalism, and liberation philosophy. Covers the philosophical influences that expand beyond doctrine to Catholic social thought that engages social, economic, and political issues from the tradition of Catholic philosophy.
A critical study and analysis of the writings of outstanding American philosophers. Same as AMS 331.Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
An in-depth investigation of selected women philosophers and their contributions to contemporary thought. The course may include the study of philosophers such as Elizabeth Anscombe, Simone de Beauvoir, Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Edith Stein. Same as WGS 326.Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
Provides opportunities to explain, analyze, and evaluate philosophical-political questions through speculative fiction (science-fiction, fantasy, and horror), and allows students to demonstrate how philosophical concepts help illuminate contemporary issues, such as questions of diversity, technology, and nature/environment. Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Ethics; Writting II
An exploration of feminist ethics, which might include its history and relation to other moral theories, intersectionality, and its application to concrete issues. As with all Ethics courses, the Aristotelian/Thomistic tradition will be considered. Same as WGS 336.Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
Students will study the phenomenon entitled ‘globalization’ through readings and assignments that focus on its epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical import and challenges. Emphasizes the multiple ways of addressing globalization-i.e., it places students in dialogue with scholars from both the developed and developing worlds and with key texts in both the history of philosophy and contemporary Continental and Catholic thought. Same as GST 337.Prerequisite: Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
A critical study of the major philosophical issues involved in history and historiography. Ideas to be elucidated and analyzed typically include teleology, explanation, objectivity, description, causation, and agency. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
Deals with questions of consciousness and how the mind interacts with the body and the outside world. Questions investigated include: What is human consciousness? Is our consciousness material in nature? Can consciousness be reproduced? Do other minds exist? Can we make free choices? Same as NEU 352.Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
A survey of major philosophical themes of the 17th and 18th centuries, through an investigation of the works of British empiricists, continental rationalists, and German idealists. Emphasizes the philosophical implications of the Scientific Revolution. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
A critical study through primary sources of the major philosophical themes from the 19th Century through the early 20th Century, which may include works from movements like Romanticism, Idealism, Materialism, Neo-Kantianism, and by authors like Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Darwin, Comte, Mill, Stirner, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Windleband, Mach, and Dilthey. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
A survey of the principal schools of 20th- and 21st-century philosophy from both the analytic and continental traditions. Central issues may include the nature and future of philosophical inquiry and the question of communication among rival intellectual and cultural traditions. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Students will encounter both the descriptive method and the Continental European philosophical tradition that bear the name “phenomenology.” Begins with the foundation of phenomenology in the early 20th-century works of Edmund Husserl, then moves either chronologically or thematically from Husserl’s works through other key texts in the tradition, highlighting those of Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Open primarily, but not exclusively, to senior Philosophy majors. The student is provided the opportunity to explore advanced topics in philosophy outside of the regular departmental offerings. The number of credits is determined by consultation with the faculty member responsible for the project and the chairperson. Prerequisite: Permission of the department chairperson.
Designed for seniors wishing to undertake a significant independent research project in philosophy. Students will work with a faculty advisor who will guide them from the planning stages to completion. The thesis topic must be approved by the faculty advisor before registering. Open to senior philosophy majors or to other seniors with permission of the department chairperson.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Civic Engagement; Social Science
An introduction to the study of politics and the discipline of political science. Examines the fundamental normative ideas and debates about politics; basic principles behind political ideologies; the logic of the scientific method used in empirical political science; and, a review of the four political science subfields. Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Social Science
An analysis of American political institutions, politics, and political behavior. The interrelated nature of public opinion, pressure groups, political parties, the decision-making structures, and public policy are surveyed. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.
An introduction to several techniques and approaches used in cross-national comparative analysis. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement.
A study of the basic factors in international relations of the Western and non-Western state systems, the distribution of power, the balance of power, of nationalism, and the adjustment of inter-state conflict through law, diplomacy, and war. Fulfills the International Relations requirement.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Oral Communication
An introduction to the structure, operation, and politics of American public administration. Focuses on the federal bureaucracy with comparisons to state and local administration, where appropriate. Special attention is given to administrative theories, problems in intergovernmental relations, organizational reform, and the budgetary process. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.
1 semester, 3 credits- Core Foundation/Proficiency: Oral Communication
Human rights are a universally recognized aspiration at the center of a global political struggle. Human Rights are also the subject matter of a growing academic discipline. Introduces the legal, political, moral and historical foundations, theoretical underpinnings, and key debates in the field, and familiarizes students with the skills necessary to become effective human rights advocates.
Advanced survey of contemporary political ecology. Subjects include ecological crises and global political responses; the history of the environmental movement; the dynamics of public and private interest in environmental policy-making; the emergence of Green parties in Europe, the United States, Oceania, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and the diversity of underlying philosophies that guide environmental politics.
Deals with the American legal system from a behavioral perspective. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the behavior of the major actors in the legal system: attorneys, judges, police, and press. Some attention will be given to schools of jurisprudence and criminal justice policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.
An in-depth survey of the logic and use of quantitative and qualitative methods in empirical political inquiry and analysis. Covers philosophical foundations, conceptual approaches, and practical techniques for analyzing a wide variety of political phenomena. Prepares students to undertake substantial independent research on a topic of their choice. Open to Political Science majors, generally in their third year.Prerequisite: PSC 101.
A survey of city politics in the United States from a variety of theoretical perspectives, using analytical concepts such as social class, pluralism, political economy, and urban regimes. Includes urban elections and party machines, metropolitan development and suburbanization, and racial and ethnic political mobilization. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.Same as BLS 303.
An analysis of the dynamics of the United States Congress. Included will be a consideration of the constituency relationship, internal procedures, and the congressional role in the policy process. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.Same as AMS 303.
An analysis of the contemporary presidency and its relationship to the American political system. Presidential power and roles are examined in terms of constitutional, institutional, personal, and contextual factors. Attention is given to evaluations and interpretations of the office, to presidential elections, and to the nature of presidential activity in domestic and foreign policy making. Same as AMS 306.Fulfills the American Politics requirement.
An examination of the history of the American Supreme Court, the judicial decision-making process, and theories of constitutional interpretation, with an emphasis on the current docket. Follows events as they unfold before the Court, including nominations and confirmation hearings. Reviews prior jurisprudence and historical context, while considering all sides of the legal and political issues, for each case covered. Same as AMS 307.
The larger foreign policy problems confronting the United States today, considered in the light of American values, historic patterns, and the current world situation. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.Same as AMS 310.
An introduction to the American legal system and the development and evolution of the United States Constitution through judicial interpretation. Emphasis will be placed on courts as political institutions directly involved in the development of public policy. Areas covered include judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, and economic policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement.Same as HIS 311.