2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Performance Theory, History, Literature |
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THR 221 - Jewish Drama Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirements HU and DE.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction
In Europe, until the middle of the nineteenth century, Jewish characters (with a few minor exceptions) only appeared in stage productions created by non-Jews. In general, these performances of “Jewishness” perpetuated extremely negative stereotypes that were a major factor in the development of the virulent anti-Semitic attitudes that led to mass migration and the almost complete destruction of the vibrant European Jewish community by the middle of the twentieth century. In spite of this dark history, a profound change occurred with the coming of the enlightenment at the end of the eighteenth century and the integration of many newly emancipated Jews into western intellectual and artistic life during the late nineteenth century. Through a tiny minority in most western nations, including the United States, Jews, often barred from participation and employment in many areas of the economy, became major players in the development of the modern art theatre and the growing urban entertainment industry. Jews were welcomed in the relatively liberal “show business.” By exploring the Jewish drama and examining a range of Jewish plays, films, and broadcasts, students in the course will, hopefully, gain significant insights into important issues of ethnic identification and assimilation, political repression, Jewish self-hatred, gender construction, and the influence that popular performance culture, both lowbrow and highbrow, has had on Jewish history, western social history, and our own performance of self.
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THR 225 - Race & Performance Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement HU and DE.
This course will consider multiple forms of contemporary performance (including theatre, performance art, visual art, and pop culture) by artists of color, alongside writings on performance and race, to think about belonging and alternative forms of world-making. This course will ask: what difference might it make to think of race as performative? How might the analytic of performance equip us to identify and enact anti-racist and anti-xenophobic strategies for everyday practice? This course will engage foundational texts to performance studies and offer an interdisciplinary approach to scholarship in critical ethnic studies and race theory, gender and sexuality studies, and performance studies.
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THR 301, 302 - Feminist Theories of the Theatre Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement W when offered as 302.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
This course introduces students to the intellectual viewpoints, critiques, and new questions (and the new objects of study to match the new questions) that have arisen in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries’ feminist theories of the theatre. In order to move through the theoretical models employed by feminist critics in the theatre, we will begin with those key essays in film theory, semiotics, and materialist analysis that contributed to the current body of theoretical feminist material. By reading theories of reception and representation, of race and whiteness, and of unmaking mimesis, students will become familiar with analyses articulated by contemporary scholars. As objects of study upon which to practice these theoretical approaches, the class will read contemporary plays of feminist writers.
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THR 323 - History of Western Costume & Fashion Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or THR 105 Performance & Society
A survey of clothing from early Western civilization to the contemporary period. Special emphasis will be given to the placement of fashion in artistic, cultural, and historical contexts, and the application of historical costume research to performance design.
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THR 325 - Memory Matters Course unit(s): 1
This course will consider multiple ways in which visual and performance art, photography and literature, as well as different sites of memory throughout the Americas, have transformed aesthetics as a form of critical engagement, offering reflections about the politics of memory. Our course will be guided by the following questions: What can a body do to affect other bodies’ understanding of their past, present, and future contexts, and how does this relationship question notions of spectatorship and perception in aesthetic critique? How do the design, distribution, and location of memory sites, art installations, and conceptual art projects follow or counteract political interests?
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THR 327 - Cartographies of Performance & Politics Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirements HU, DE, and W.
This course critically analyzes the connections among diverse theories, artistic proposals, plays, performances, and activist projects throughout the Americas. From Bertolt Brecht to Augusto Boal, and from theatre groups’ engagement with social struggles to current tactical activism and street protests, embodied theatricality can be conceived as a tool for individual creativity and collective projects to struggle for social justice. How are artists from the Americas reconfiguring Western-based understandings of arts and politics, and to what extent transnational mobility generates a new map of the Americas?
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THR 336 - The History of Queer Performance Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement HU and W.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
This course charts the significant but often obscured influence of queerness on Western performance culture - and therefore, on Western culture as a whole - since the late nineteenth century. We will explore historical records of the personal and professional lives of playwrights, actors, directors, producers, designers, and critics, as well as consider the impact of major historical and performance events, both mainstream and queer, within the past 150 years. With a foundation in the history of sexual identity in the modern public sphere, we wrestle with the problems of investigating and analyzing queer performance practices (both on and off stage). Focused primarily on the United States and Britain, the course investigates how economic, social, and political anxieties have fueled apprehension about non-mainstream sex/gender identity, as well as art. Of particular interest is how these combined anxieties have thwarted, and can continue to hinder, the work of the queer theatre historian.
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THR 337 - History of the American Musical Theatre Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement HU.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction .
Students will study the history and development of American musical theatre from the era of early minstrel shows of the 1840s to the present day. As a crucial element of American culture, the study of musical theatre can lead to a deeper understanding of how issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and national identity impacted popular stage entertainment as the nation moved through the industrial revolution, civil and world wars, periods of massive immigration, depression, and increasingly complex technological change.
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THR 339, 340 - Post-Independence African Theatre Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement HU and DE (and W when offered as 340).
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
This course examines theatre in Africa beginning from the anticolonial independence movements of the 1950s and continuing to the present. It does not purport to offer a comprehensive view of Africa’s diverse theatrical traditions but examines several regions, heritages, and time periods, attentive to both commonalities and differences. Particular attention will be given to theatre’s function as an agent of social and political change. Theoretical concerns are likely to include theatre and nationalism, negritude and its critics, the relationship between theatre and ritual, the role of women, and the interaction of indigenous African performance practices with western theatre.
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Theatre Studio Performance: Acting |
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THR 150 - Introduction to the Art of Acting Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
A survey of acting theories and practice culminating in the rehearsal and performance of scenework. The course is designed for non-majors and those who plan to major in theatre but have limited previous acting training. The first part of the semester will examine a variety of approaches to the art of acting, including those of Stanislavski, Artaud, Brecht, the Elizabethans, and one or more non-European traditions. Students will be asked to consider the basic assumptions about the nature and function of theatre implied by each approach. The balance of the work will consist of exercises to explore the intentional and communicative nature of concentration, introductory Meisner technique, improvisation, and the acquisition of a basic acting vocabulary. To gain a practical understanding of the preparatory work, each student, with one or more partners, will rehearse and perform a scene from the modern American theatre. Meets four hours per week.
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THR 151 - Voice & Speech for the Actor Course unit(s): 0.5
Employing approaches devised by voice and speech trainers such as Kristin Linklater, Cicely Berry, Arthur Lessac and Patsy Rodenburg, this course aims to help actors (1) release and refine natural, connected, supported vocal sound, (2) establish clear, articulate speech, and (3) connect breath to thought to action. Students will explore their voices as individual instruments of expression, aiming not to “perfect” their sound but rather to identify vocal habits and tendencies. Along the way, students will learn about physiology, vocal health and hygiene, and supported vocal production, in order to lay the foundation for an enduring high-quality vocal technique to serve them throughout their lives as actors.
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THR 155 - Movement for the Actor Course unit(s): .5
This course is designed for actors of all levels and is intended to help actors build a tension-free, resilient, expressive, present physical instrument. Presence, space, play, shape, energy, relationship, strength, release, breath - these are all essential elements of the actor’s process that reside in and radiate from the body. We will explore these elements as an ensemble and create both ensemble and individual pieces that utilize these elements as tools of storytelling. Along the way, we will build awareness of individual actor tensions and habits and explore ways to balance and organize the body. Exercises will be drawn from Frantic Assembly, Ruth Zaporah, Viola Spolin, Annie Loui, Viewpoints, yoga, contact improv, Rudolf Laban, and more. No prior movement or dance experience is required. This course is open all bodies of all abilities.
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THR 157 - Stage Combat Course unit(s): .5
This course is a hands-on comprehensive introduction to sword fighting for theatrical presentation. Students will be trained in the safe use and execution of the rapier and dagger techniques. They will be taught basic footwork, parries, offensive and defensive moves and choreography and then apply techniques to scene work. Attention will be given to the rehearsing of given fight choreography as it applies to the stage. Class will culminate in a skills proficiency fight test to be adjudicated by a qualified Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD).
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THR 158 - Fundamentals of Musical Theatre Performance Course unit(s): 0.5
In this introductory process-based course for first-year students, a range of foundational tools will be developed for discussing, preparing and performing musical theatre material. Through physical work, as well as beginning work on character development and script/score analysis, students will craft a common language and elementary approach for further study of musical theatre repertoire. As they explore ensemble exercises as well as solo work, students will consider how to begin creating impactful, personalized performances, while investigating who they could be as musical theatre artists. Core to the course is a focus on the synthesis of emotional and physical life as the essential foundation for singular, meaningful, authentic performance.
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THR 159 - The Actor’s Instrument Course unit(s): 0.5
An intensive class of training the actor’s voice and body. A kinesthetic approach to help the actors become more expressive, physically, vocally and emotionally. This particular kind of training is that which the actor can never get enough of, especially in the early part of their training.
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THR 250 - Acting Process Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction
The beginning class in the acting sequence, this class lays the foundations for the ultimate goal of the acting program: to create actors who know how to work on a role within the context of the play and who have flexibility in their craft. The focus will be on acting process, including relaxation work; how to critique; commitment to language, sound, emotional connection, and movement; the active choice; and actor’s text analysis. Actors will be judged on their individual growth and also on their ability to work as an ensemble member within the class. This course is the building block leading into scene work and a requirement of the class will be a fully staged scene. Possible readings from Stanislavsky, Peter Brook, Chekhov, Williams, Shephard, and other writers. Films may be shown as an example of craft. Class meets for six hours a week.
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THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 - Acting Process .
Building on the foundations taught in Acting I, this class moves the student actor into scene work. Primary focus in the class is on American realistic text with the possibility of moving into increasingly difficult texts from the modern canon. Class will explore the tools of the actor, including text analysis, critique, commitment to action, linking choices to the larger structure of the play, theatricality, language, impulse work, and style. Actors will be judged on their individual growth and also on their ability to work as an ensemble member within the class. Playwrights may include Hellman, Kushner, O’Neill, Churchill, Fornes, among other writers. Films may be shown as an example of technique. Will meet for four hours per week.
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THR 341 - Intermediate Acting: Shakespeare & His Contemporaries Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
This course affords the intermediate acting student an opportunity to explore methods for rehearsing and performing pre-modern texts by William Shakespeare and other English Renaissance playwrights such as Ben Jonson, Cristopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton and John Webster. With a focus on the practical demands of heightened language beginning with classical prose and moving into verse, the course addresses technical, stylistic, historical, and interpretive considerations as they relate to the feat of performance. Special attention is paid to (1) linguistic energy, (2) the synchrony of thought, action and speech, and (3) the relationship between the vocal life of the actor and the experience the character. An emphasis on voice/speech development supplements study by providing insight to enhance the student’s execution of language. The course is designed to build upon a foundational understanding of acting with the assumption that, despite formal differences inherent in the material, classical characters can be understood as operating within the same recognizable psychological parameters as contemporary characters. Performing classical texts is also acknowledged as requiring a shift in acting-style, and as such, is capable of providing actors with tools applicable to a variety of period and/or genre work.
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THR 350 - Acting Classical Verse Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
This advanced acting class investigates methods for approaching, rehearsing, and performing pre-modern lyric texts, such as those by William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. With a focus on the practical demands of heightened language, the course addresses technical, stylistic, historical, and interpretive considerations as they relate to the feat of performance. Special attention is paid to linguistic structure as well as to its relationship to the individual experience of the actor/character. A directed emphasis on voice and speech development complements study by providing physical conditioning aimed at enhancing the student’s production of poetic language. Topics of study also include verse structure, metrical variation, rhythm, language-as-action, forward movement, prose, phonetic word fabric, and imagery. The course acknowledges the modern actor’s psychological approach to text (regardless of period) while at the same time recognizing that classical plays require actors to make distinct shifts in both acting-style and psychology. Graded performance projects involve advanced scene work from Shakespeare’s oeuvre. Class will meet for four hours per week.
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THR 351 - Commedia dell’Arte Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
This is an advanced acting class that explores comic performance from the classical French, Italian, and Spanish traditions. Scenes from the plays of Goldoni, Gozzi, Moliere, Marivaux, Beaumarchais, and Cervantes will be analyzed and performed. In addition, the study of the stock Commedia dell’Arte characters (Arlecchino, Pantalone, Brighella, Dottore, Capitano, etc.) will allow the actor to improvise with masks in order to expand vocal and physical abilities. Students in the class are required to write and perform contemporary scenes in the style of the Commedia, and elements of comedy will be researched through the viewing of current films and plays in order to trace the influence of this tradition on contemporary practice. A final performance will take place in a community venue.
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THR 352 - Experiments in Acting Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 251 - Acting II: Scene Study .
This course is designed to explore the extremes of tragedy and comedy, and to combine them in the specific style of Samuel Beckett, as “tragi-comic.” With readings from Sophocles, Friederich Nietzche, Antonin Artaud, Joseph Chaikin, and Peter Hall, the class discovers the dynamics of Greek chorus, the presence of the neutral mask and the building of a clowning act. Texts from Electra and Waiting for Godot are studied in depth and serve as inspiration for writing a scene in a tragi-comic style. Films are assigned every week.
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THR 357 - Intermediate Acting: Acting Political - Bringing Feminist Texts to Life Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement DE.
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
Performing scripts with feminist intentions requires actors to master several performance methodologies while also calling upon those actors to work through theorectical lenses such as intersectional analyses, disabilities studies, and, of course, theories of comedy. Students will read texts which invite feminist questions and rely upon specifically “resistant” acting styles used by marginalized theatre-makers. These styles of performance include, for instance, the tragical-farcical (“high-low”) acting as called for by the great American writer, Suzan-Lori Parks, with her politically charged scripts as well as an anti-realistic “downtown Lesbian camp” style to bring performance texts generated by “The 5 Lesbian Brothers” or the Native American group, “Spiderwoman”, to humorous life onstage.
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THR 359 - Intermediate Acting: The Actor, the Writer Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
Description
The class is part of the Larry Singer Studios Summer Conservatory. The first half of the session instructs the actor a series of exercises in which they write monologues for themselves monologues for their ancestors. Personal stories are developed and told. Brief dialogs are created through guided improvisation. The students meet with playwrights and memoirists who perform and discuss their work.
The second half of the class is scene study (previously published) with the goal to integrate the new-found insights. Feedback is given, scenes repeated. Followed by another round of scenes.
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THR 363 - Intermediate Acting: Contemporary Scene Study Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
Acting is revealing; revealing the part of you that marries you to the heart of the play. The new course is designed to provide further exploration of, and build upon, previously established understandings of the complexity of the art and techniques of Acting. Student/actors will be taught how to apply different methods (Stanislavski, Hagan, Adler, and others) based on the genre and essence of the play. The actors will be assigned scenes that will ask for them to analyze the text with an eye out for wht approaches would serve each particular playwright. In-depth research of the playwright will be required; presentations on the playwright given. The “critical thinking” student will develop a comprehension of the different rehearsal techniques that serve different situations.
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THR 365 - Intermediate Acting: Meisner Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
“Every Little Moment Has A Meaning All Its Own” - This course seeks to assist actors in finding and releasing truth within every moment of their work. Students will be introduced to the teaching principles of Sanford Meisner and his influence on and method of training for the actor. The class content will focus on the reality of doing by incorporating the exercises of repetitions, point of view, independent activities, emotional preparation, and scene study. Designed as an opportunity to experience more fully and deeply the act of listening and responding spontaneously to everything that is actually happening as it is happening, the work looks to embrace the concept that acting is living truthfully under the given/imaginary circumstances.
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THR 367 - Intermediate Acting: Stanislavski’s Psycho-Physical Technique Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite or corequisite: THR 250 Acting Process
This intermediate course is intended for those actors who are interested in going deeper in realist scene study. Our focus will be on the psycho-physical technique of Stanislavski, with its emphasis on exploring the behavior of a character. Students will be given intentionally challenging scenes from realist playwrights such as Chekhov, Ibsen, and Kushner as an arena in which to practice Stanislavski’s techniques for creating rich, three dimensional characters through a deep investment in the moment to moment doing on stage. Students will work primarily on two-person scenes, but some attention will also be given to ensemble scenes and creating a sense of community on stage.
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THR 403 - Advanced Acting: Audition Workshop Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite or corequisite: Any 300 level acting course.
This course is designed to give the students as much audition experience as possible in a variety of audition structures. Our focus will be on the general audition, the audition with prepared sides, the cold-read, and the callback. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in more genre-specific auditions, including musical theatre, classical verse/Shakespeare, on-camera and more. We hope to bring in at least one agent and one casting director from New York to hold mock auditions and to share their expertise with us. We will examine audition preparation and etiquette, including questions about headshots and resumes. Please note: There will be minimal written work in this course, but students should plan to spend two to three hours per week researching and preparing their audition material.
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THR 405 - Advanced Acting: Integrating Methods Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course.
Upper class women/men discover how to combine and choose what kind of techniques they have already learned bring to life multi-layered texts. Classical monologues and post classical scenes are used as the vehicles for the above learning. Exercises are taught to encourage recognition and the following of impulses/instinct. In-depth analysis of the student’s work and approaches are given.
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THR 407 - Advanced Acting: Advanced Shakespeare Workshop Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course.
Building upon techniques introduced in THR 350 , this course affords the upper-level acting student opportunities to do advanced performance training with classical verse. Focusing primarily on Shakespeare’s histories and tragedies, as well as on verse texts by other English Renaissance playwrights, the course aims to deepen the student’s psychophysical fluency with performing poetically intricate material. As with THR 350 , the course is organized around addressing increasingly complex demands of heightened language, beginning with approaches to speeches and soliloquies, and continuing into work on advanced metrical variation, artifice, linguistic patterns/patterns of thought and action, and heightened musicality. The course also considers feats of editing and adapting classical verse material for performance, as well as artistic and political interpretive considerations related to the contemporary reclamation and re-staging of classical European texts.
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THR 409 - Advanced Acting: Solo Performance Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course or THR 251 Acting II: Scene Study
Students will explore the world of solo performance and create their own performance pieces through creating, developing, and rehearsing within a focused process of personal discovery. Elements of movement, voice and monologue work, and ensemble activities will be incorporated to assist students in shaping their artistic voices and releasing their personal visions as writers, performers, and theatre-makers. The course will also examine forms of solo work, solo plays, and solo artists. All will be incorporated as actors seek out the stories waiting to be told within themselves and, in turn, explore the relationship, partnership, and possibilities that exist between story-teller and spectators within the theatrical space. The class will culminate with a public performance.
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THR 411 - Methods of Performance in Healthcare Simulations Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement IL.
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
This course introduces students to the world of standardized patient work within the healthcare system. By incorporating some of the techniques within Meisner training and Patsy Rodenburg’s 2nd Circle approach, actors will engage with healthcare students as performers in standardized, real-life healthcare simulations (acting as patients, clients, and/or family members). Such work seeks to develop a partnership between healthcare providers and patients by building skills of communication, connection, and empathy. Actors will learn to be introspective and imaginative by developing patient character traits and behaviors for healthcare-related case studies. They will utilize their skills within simulated experiences and learn to be reflective observers of human behavior while also providing constructive feedback on communication and professional role behaviors of future healthcare professionals.
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THR 421 - Advanced Acting: Postrealism Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course or THR 251 Acting II: Scene Study
This course affords the advanced acting student an opportunity to explore methods for rehearsing and performing 20th and 21st Century postrealist drama. Three major interrelated stylistic veins will be considered: 1. The Absurd, as exemplified by the work of Samuel Beckett; 2. Theatre of Cruelty/Theatre of Physical Metaphor, as constituted by the foundational work of Antonin Artaud and Jerzy Grotowski, and exemplified by others; and 3. Postmodern Interrogations of Meaning in Performance, as exemplified by the work of artists like Charles Mee and Goat Island. With a focus on the historical, philosophical, and aesthetic underpinnings of these avant garde styles, the course addresses the practical demands of performance as they relate both to the interpretation of material and to physical and vocal embodiment.
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THR 423 - Advanced Acting: On-Camera Acting Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course.
This upper level course is designed to introduce students to the skills required to work effectively on camera. Using material drawn from the professional world, students will work in a variety of on-camera genres that may include commercials, daytime, primetime (sitcom and drama), and film. Class time will be divided equally between shooting and viewing, and students are expected to engage critically with both their own work and their classmates. Analytical viewing assignments from each of the genres will be required.
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THR 425 - Advanced Acting: Acting the Song Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course.
In this course, students will develop a common language and approach to the study and practice of song interpretation and musical theatre performance through mind, body, and emotion. Through the use of a variety of techniques and exercises beginning with personalization and sense imagery as tools for song interpretation along with fundamentals of acting learned through Acting I and II the actor will develop the skills necessary to tell the story, illuminate the lyric and capture the attention and imagination of an audience. Acting the Song is combined with specific attention and detail with the technical elements in the music and how it functions in order to enhance the lyric, create the mood, and heighten the emotional content. This class focuses on the preparation of the singer-actor as the interpreter of song using a variety of popular American and Musical Theatre vocal styles. Students develop a flexible, expressive vocal instrument with a personalized approach – music, lyric, and interpreter as one.
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THR 427 - Advanced Acting: Acting for Film & Television Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): Any 300 level acting course.
Actors will learn acting skills and techniques that are especially needed for acting with the camera, and advance their skills in acting in general. Working on-camera auditioning, close ups and full scenes will be done. Cameras will be used in nearly every class. Audition labs, mock casting sessions, studio sessions, and location sessions will be essential parts of the class. The culminating classes will involve dialogue location shooting.
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THR 431 - Langauge, Character & Action Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process
Exercises in creating character through observation, mimicry and physical work are taught, providing techniques to create characters of different physicality temperament, status and age. Then a study of a sample of British playwrights that tend to rely on the strong vocabulary of their characters with sophisticated or complex points of view; the text is crucial to the action. Scenes are done to put all the lessons together. Playwrights Shaw, Wilde, Coward and others are used. A co-teacher is brought in to help with voice and speech.
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THR 450 - Advanced Topics in Acting Course unit(s): 1 or 0.5
Prerequisite(s): For one unit version, THR 251 Acting II: Scene Study ; for 0.5 unit version, THR 250 Acting Process
This intensive laboratory course explores the ideas and techniques of one or more advanced approaches to performance. In some iterations this studio class will concentrate on topics such as Advanced Problems in Acting/Emotional Techniques, will meet for 4 hours per week, and students will receive one unit. Additional topics may include Stage Combat, which will meet for 3.5 hours per week and students will receive 0.5 units, (students should start with the “Unarmed” version).
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THR 451 - Performing Magic Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 150 - Introduction to the Art of Acting or THR 250 - Acting Process or permission of the instructor.
This course is a studio introduction to the performance art of magic. While we read important works in the theory or philosophy of magic (by Eugene Burger, Juan Tamariz, Dai Vernon, Jeff McBride, and others), the primary focus is to train students in the effective performance of magic. Some main areas of training will be sleight of hand, directing attention, the psychology of deception, scriptwriting, persona, audience interaction, and repertoire selection. The course is being taught as an introduction, so no previous experience with magic is required. What is required is a strong desire to perform magic for other people and a commitment to focused, disciplined, and creative work. By the end of the semester everyone will have one or two quality performance pieces: that is, the beginning of a repertoire and knowledge of how to build upon it. As a culminating experience, students will perform their pieces for and be evaluated by a jury of professional magicians.
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Theatre Studio Performance: Directing |
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THR 370 - Directing: Directorial Collaboration Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process or permission of the instructor.
This class introduces the art form of theatre directing. Students learn key directorial concepts, focusing especially on issues of plot, character, space, and sound. A series of compact, supervised projects give students the opportunity to develop their abilities with these and other tools. In addition to teaching the basics of craft, the course presumes that directing is an expressive art form. Subsidiary concerns of the class will include models of rehearsal, directorial text analysis, and contemporary directing theory. Meets four hours per week.
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THR 371 - Directing: Process in Production Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process , THR 219 Creativity & Collaboration , THR 220 Stage Management I ,or ENG 207 Introduction to Playwriting ; or permisison of the instructor
This is an experiential course that explores the process of bringing the play text to the stage. Working as an ensemble of actors and directors, the class will confront the challenges of production conceptualization, text analysis, problems in physical staging, and collaborative process. Each student will participate as a director and actor in the mounting of several one-act plays in the course of the semester. Members of the class will also produce two production prompt books based on their work as directors. Meets four hours per week.
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THR 372 - Directing: Brecht & Company Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process , THR 219 Creativity & Collaboration , THR 220 Stage Management I , or ENG 207 Introduction to Playwriting ;or permission of the instructor.
This course explores the ideas and techniques of one or more major theatre directors. The class will touch upon the historical development of each artist, concentrating on the conceptual and practical bases of their work. Students will read and write about these signal figures and create many new theatrical projects inspired by them. Extensive collaboration will be expected. The directors studied will change from semester to semester but might include Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Joan Littlewood, Tadevsz Kantor, or Arianne Mnouchkine. Meets four hours per week.
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THR 373 - Directing: Composing Performance Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 250 Acting Process , THR 219 Creativity & Collaboration , THR 220 Stage Management I ,or ENG 207 Introduction to Playwriting ; or permission of the instructor
Concepts of Directing is an introduction to collective performance making with an emphasis on the role of the director. In a laboratory setting, we explore key concepts, including eventhood, media and techniques of composition, and collaborative process. Students will also read theories and philosophy of directing and practice critical skills through a variety of writing practices and group discussion of performance pieces.
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Design and Technical Theatre |
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THR 162 - Stage Make-up Course unit(s): 0.5
This course is an introduction to the basics of stage make-up; study includes historical and contemporary techniques in make-up and hair design and execution. Students will analyze the face and explore ways to manipulate and exaggerate the features with make-up and three-dimensional mediums. Projects include work with analyzing plays and characters to then create conceptual make-up charts that lead to realized designs. Study includes human physiognomy, theatrical make-up styles, and rendering techniques.
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THR 165 - Stagecraft: Aesthetics & Lighting Course unit(s): 0.5
Introduction to a theatre designer’s aesthetic choices, including overview of stage design styles and design process as applied to stage design. The course will cover techniques, tools, and materials of stage lighting, including the hang and focus of lighting design. Crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lecture.
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THR 166 - Stagecraft: Scenic Techniques Course unit(s): 0.5
This course will cover techniques, tools, and materials used in the construction and painting of scenery. Other technical studies will include safety, stage rigging and knots, properties, and production organization. A crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lectures.
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THR 167 - Stagecraft: Costume Techniques Course unit(s): 0.5
This course will cover techniques, tools, and materials used in the construction of costumes. Topics will include properties of different fabrics, sewing, cutting and draping, dying, and costume maintenance. A crew/laboratory requirement will complement class lectures.
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THR 168 - Stagecraft: Properties Course unit(s): 0.5
From script to stage, the journey behind stage props and how they get there. Learn how the process works, from reading a script for props to figuring out how to get them onstage.
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THR 219 - Creativity & Collaboration Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Prerequisite(s): THR 105 Performance & Society
Prerequisite or corequisite: THR 107 Dramatic Text in Action
An introduction to the artistic process of creating a comprehensive design for live performance. Students will explore and apply the various means that designers, directors, and choreographers use to communicate the visual and aural world of the performance throughout the design process, and develop their looking and seeing skills. Over the course of the semester students will design the world of a production (scenic design), the characters that inhabit that world (costume design), how we visually perceive the world (lighting design), and how we hear it (sound design), all based in a unified directorial concept.
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THR 220 - Stage Management I Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 105 Performance & Society , may be concurrently enrolled.
Introduction to the craft and art of the theatre stage manager and the professional stage management process. The course will cover the theory and historical development of contemporary practice. Studies will require the acquisition of specific skills and knowledge, including a vocabulary of theatre terminology, blocking notation, production book, and scheduling techniques. Students will learn how technical and design elements are coordinated, how to effectively work with directors, and to call and maintain shows. This course is designed to integrate theories and concepts with skills and techniques in order to meet the problem-solving and organizational challenges commonly encountered by stage managers in the creation of a show.
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THR 265 - Sound Design I Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Covers basic design theory and history, engineering, and technology for theatrical sound scoring and sound reinforcement. Classes include both lecture and hands-on labs in weekly three-hour sessions. Students write short plays that require sound designs, fabricate conceptual designs for short works, create a complete sound plot, engineer a series of audio projects, and work on lab projects and exercises. Students will be able to conceptualize, discuss, and research projects; record and create basic cues; and understand and operate simple sound systems.
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THR 315 - Scene Design I Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Prerequisite(s): THR 219 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
An exploration of the relationship between the play and its physical setting. Students will explore how the cultural/literary context of specific theatrical works can be expressed through the designer’s process. A major focus will be on production conceptualization and the aesthetics of the theatre. Class members will be introduced to the basics of model building, color rendering practice, and the various media available to the modern designer. Crew work will be required.
Offered in alternate years.
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THR 317 - Lighting Design I Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Prerequisite(s): THR 219 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
An exploration of the properties of light and their relation to the stage play in production. Areas to be covered include electrical theory, color theory, stage lighting design theory, and control systems. Students will develop an understanding of the potentials of the lighting instruments available to the designer and the uses of computer memory control. Crew work will be required.
Offered in alternate years.
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THR 319 - Costume Design I Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
Prerequisite(s): THR 219 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
An exploration of the process of costume design for performance. Students will implement the costume designer’s process to analyze performance texts, conduct research, create a visual concept, and visually express their designs. Class members will be introduced to the basics of figure drawing, color rendering practice, and the various media available to the working designer. Students will view live and filmed performance and analyze the contribution of the costumes’ design to the piece through written and verbal responses.
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THR 321 - Stage Management II Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 220 Stage Management I
Advanced study of stage management topics, including the integration of leadership and management theory and practice. Focus on leadership training: setting the tone, driving the process, and delivering results. Gain an understanding of current trends in workplace culture, team dynamics, and human-resource management will be actively analyzed and discussed across all professional settings. Develop a philosophy of stage management that stresses rigorous planning, adaptability to changing circumstances, and effective leadership. Develop the ability to create a safe and secure place where actors can work, to manage complicated schedules, to develop clear communication skills - both written and verbal, and the ability to organize space, people, materials and the time needed to realize a production.
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THR 415 - Scene Design II Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 315 - Scene Design I .
Advanced work in production conceptualization and a discussion of the design process in relation to the demands of period drama. Students will study the historical development of architecture and period décor and will work to hone drafting and rendering skills.
Offered in alternate years.
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THR 417 - Lighting Design II Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 317 - Lighting Design I .
Continuing study in the practice of lighting design for the stage with principal emphasis on aesthetics and interpretation, discussion of lighting as an art form, and its effect upon other aspects of theatre. Drafting as it relates to the completion of lighting plots and the associated paperwork will be taught. Class projects as well as concentrated involvement in actual productions will be required.
Offered in alternate years.
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THR 419 - Costume Design II Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 319 Costume Design I
Advanced work in costume design for performance. Using the costume designer’s process of text analysis, research, concept creation, and visual presentation, students will explore design for both contemporary and period theatrical works, as well as design for dance. Students will also work to hone rendering and visual presentation skills. Students will view live and filmed performance and critique the contribution of the costumes’ design to the piece through written and verbal responses.
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THR 460 - Advanced Topics in Design Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): THR 219 - Creativity & Collaboration or permission of the instructor.
This studio course explores specialized ideas or techniques in theatre design. Possible topics might include scene painting; moving lights technology.
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CUE, Ensembles, and Internships |
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THR 490 - CUE: Theatre Course unit(s): 0
The Theatre CUE project essay is an opportunity for students to reflect on their journeys within the department and their development as artists and thinkers over the past four years. It is their chance to demonstrate mastery within their concentration(s) and also an invitation to look forward, beyond the walls of Muhlenberg College to begin to envision how their training here will carry them to life beyond college.
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THR 900-959 - Community Performance Ensemble Course unit(s): 0.5
Members of the Community Performance Ensembles in theatre and dance develop, rehearse, and tour programs (plays, dance performances, interactive dramatic pieces) for presentation at schools, community centers, and senior citizen residences. In addition to participation in the touring ensemble, students will be expected to submit a journal about their experience in mounting the production and touring to diverse audiences. May be repeated.
Audition required for participation.
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THR 960 - Theatre Internship Course unit(s): 1
An opportunity for students to serve internships with professional theatre companies. These internships will usually be in such areas as stage management, technical theatre areas, and theatre administration.
Acting internships are usually not available. Internships are available both in Allentown and at theatres outside the Lehigh Valley. Pass/fail only.
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THR 970 - Theatre Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Women’s and Gender Studies |
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WST 202 - Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement W.
Prerequisite(s): One course included in the WST list of classes or permission of the instructor.
Engages the foundational and vigorously debated ideas within women’s studies, gender studies, and feminist thought. The scope of the class encompasses women’s studies, feminisms, sexuality studies, masculinity studies, and lesbian and queer studies within their historical contexts. The course explores what is at stake in the constructions of femaleness and maleness. The readings are interdisciplinary and cover gender and women’s studies theories from the nineteenth century to the present. Special attention will be given to the connections among gender, race (including Black Feminism and whiteness), ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. We explore how gender functions as an organizing system of power, privilege, and oppression and intersects with other identity markers. Our readings will be grounded in objects of inquiry such as bodies, modes of artistic representation, the state, and health and science. Professors from such diverse disciplines as Africana Studies, Art, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Theatre teach the class. Students considering the WST Minor should take soon after taking a first Women’s and Gender Studies course.
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WST 960 - Women’s and Gender Studies Internship Course unit(s): 1
Supervised work and/or community service, arranged in consultation with the Director of Women’s and Gender Studies.
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WST 970 - Women’s and Gender Studies Independent Study/Research
Each independent study/research course is to be designed in consultation with a faculty sponsor.
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Continuing Studies Accelerated |
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WBA 201 - Leadership and Team Development Course unit(s): 1
Offers an introduction to, and an overview of, the concepts of Leadership and Team Development. This module will provide a framework and rationale for the team/cohort learning model in an organizational context. Emphasis is placed on the application of concepts to real managerial problems and issues. This module will use a combination of conceptual and practical approaches, lectures, discussions, case studies, and group exercises.
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WBA 202 - The Business Firm Course unit(s): 1
The objective of this module is to provide an overview of today’s business environment. The overview should help construct a foundation that can be built upon in future modules and the work environment. Topical coverage will be broad, and include Organization of a Business, Business Environment, Management, Managing Employees, Marketing, and Financial Management. The application of this module to current events and the work environment is a desired outcome. Since the world of business is in a constant state of change, this module will rely on the student’s ability to think conceptually and offer insights regarding future business opportunities.
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WBA 203 - Communication Course unit(s): 1
This module blends research, theory and practice in the art of effective team communication, presentation and facilitation skills, team dynamics, and written skills to create a dynamic contribution to the overall effectiveness of any organization. Each student comes to this course with expertise and experience; this module will reinforce individual strengths, identify areas of growth and set goals for development in the cohort as well as the workplace.
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WBA 204 - Marketing Management Course unit(s): 1
This module will provide students with a solid foundation of marketing principles. Real world examples will abound, and students will be required to draw from their own experiences to further develop effective and efficient methods for improved marketing opportunities. The core essentials of product, place, promotion, and price will reach higher levels when theory and experience is combined to produce new and innovative methods and procedures. Creativity and logic will be demonstrated as a winning combination to achieve profitability and knowledge attainment.
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WBA 205 - Accounting for Managers Course unit(s): 1
This module is designed to help students use accounting information in the workplace. The course will not focus on rules of debits and credits nor the official preparation of accounting records like journals and ledgers; instead it will focus on understanding and use of financial information for planning business strategy. Decision making, evaluation of process improvements and performance, interpretation of corporate and annual reports, and recognition of internal control systems will be the materials presented in this module.
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WBA 206 - Statistical Decision Making Course unit(s): 1
The basic understanding of statistics and its application to business situations will be the objective of this module. Topics such as descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis will be explored in depth in order to provide a useful understanding of how these topics affect today’s business environment and decision making. Microsoft Excel will be used throughout the course.
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WBA 207 - Managing Organizations Course unit(s): 1
This module is designed to expand on the concepts presented and to understand why management is vital to the success of the organization. Students will better understand the functions and systems associated with sound management. Effectiveness and efficiency will be stressed, providing the venue for improving decision making skills and critical analysis. Students in this module will be required to choose an organization and, along with this organization, plan, organize, lead, and control a project that produces “real” results. This course will force students to have a complete understanding of managerial theory and apply this material in a practical and effective method.
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WBA 208 - Managerial Economics Course unit(s): 1
Basic principles of economics at both the macro and micro levels will be explored. Topics of supply and demand, national income accounting, monetary and fiscal policies, business cycles, money and banking, interest rate determination, market structure, elasticity, international trade policy, and budget deficit are among the long list of topics discussed in this module. A high level of student interaction will be expected. The course is taught using practical materials that provide a better understanding and use of secondary data to make interpretations regarding future business environmental forecasts.
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WBA 209 - Professional Business Writing Course unit(s): 1
This course focuses on effective writing techniques for professionals. Assignments include a business proposal, an employment letter, a memo, a performance evaluation, and interoffice correspondence. Since writing is a cumulative skill, an emphasis is placed on the revision process through online postings and in class peer feedback. Students learn to communicate professionally and succinctly using a variety of business formats.
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WBA 309 - Human Behavior & Organization Course unit(s): 1
This is an introductory course on human behavior in the organizational setting. The focus of this module will encompass three levels of organizational behavior analysis: the individual, the group, and various modern organizational systems. There are two major goals: to provide students with a basic grounding in the most important principles in managing the human asset in organizations and to work to develop job relevant knowledge skills. The material covered will be applicable to a wide range of organizations and students should also find topic areas relevant to daily life.
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WBA 310 - Information Systems Course unit(s): 1
Understanding information systems is central to managing in an information age. Approaches to studying information systems can be technical and managerial; we will cover technical aspects of information systems, and we will use a managerial frame of reference. This module will focus on how information systems are changing the way we work and the way business functions. Key issues that will be covered in this module include: strategic use of information, ethical issues related to information systems and information technology, technical issues relating to computers, software, databases, and networks, electronic commerce and information security.
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WBA 311 - Operations & Quality Course unit(s): 1
In this module, students will focus on managing operations and quality, the problems operations managers face, and the approaches that operations managers use. Firms are realizing the tactical and strategic benefits that accrue by paying more attention to operations and quality. Students will become better acquainted with the operations function and the key issues that it faces. Discussions will include development of a better understanding of how quality issues relate to the process of producing goods and delivering services, and an understanding of some of the analytical methods and organizational processes firms use to manage operations and quality.
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WBA 312 - Financial Analysis & Risk Management Course unit(s): 1
An introduction to basic financial concepts: valuation techniques, the relationship between risk and return, and the workings of U.S. capital markets. This module will enable students to broaden their financial knowledge by blending the concepts and applications to better understand the risks involved in the venture. Also, projects dealing with capital budgeting, financial statements and portfolio management will be presented. The understanding of materials covered in this module is an essential part of the business concentration and will aid in the completion of the capstone project.
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WBA 313 - The Global Economy Course unit(s): 1
This module is about theory of international trade, balance of payment, global business, foreign exchange markets, regional economic integration, and markets. Students will have the opportunity to discuss several cases to understand the complexity of today’s global economy. While the marketplace is growing and global competition is the norm, this module provides the opportunity for students to evaluate current situations and, with the inclusion of a global competitive presence, make sound financial investments for the future. This module requires that students observe the world around them and explain how local decisions affect the world.
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WBA 315 - Social Responsibility Course unit(s): 1
This module will help students determine the right and wrong ways to behave towards others, the proper and improper actions to take regarding others and how to analyze and make fair or unfair decisions. Organizations, as social institutions, face complex ethical problems due to rapid economic changes and global competition. Students will explore best practices to handle situations where ethics might come under question.
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WBA 416 - Corporate Strategy Course unit(s): 1
Because of day-to-day crises and pressures, organizations often struggle to set aside time to create a common future and plan to attain it. This module provides an overview of the strategic visioning process as it applies to organizations. Included in this module will be working definitions of mission, vision, core values, philosophy, objectives and strategic plans. There will be discussion of the integration of planning and implementation so that the student will walk away with critical thinking and planning skills.
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WBA 417 - Multidisciplinary Project (Capstone) Course unit(s): 1
Utilizing their knowledge from the previous modules, students will create a case study from a selected organization. This case must uncover one main problem for the organization and provide viable and supported solutions to help create a better situation for the organization. The main part of this capstone is that each team presents a rich enough case that the reader will, with a fair amount of certainty, be provided with enough information to allow them the opportunity to solve the case using methods and techniques gained from business knowledge and experience.
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WHC 213 - Marketing for Healthcare Course unit(s): 1
This course will consist of an in-depth study of the essential concepts of marketing and their application to health care organizations. Students will gain a working knowledge of aspects of healthcare marketing such as pricing, promotion, consumer behavior, brand equity, and segmentation and will learn applied skills by analyzing marketing problems and developing strategies for addressing those challenges. Differences and similarities between marketing for the for-profit and non-profit sectors will be addressed. Students will learn the particulars of developing a comprehensive marketing plan.
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WHC 301 - The Healthcare Delivery System Course unit(s): 1
This course provides an overview of the healthcare delivery system in the U.S., specifically the interwoven relationships between providers (physicians, hospital systems, ancillary service providers, pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies), payers/funding sources (traditional insurance companies, HMOs/PPOs, government payers) and regulatory agencies (e.g. CMS-the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and State Departments of Health). Students will be provided with an historical perspective of the healthcare system and an understanding of some of the current environmental forces impacting managerial decision-making in healthcare organizations. These include changes in public policy and reimbursement models and the creation of large hospital-based networks that encompass multiple levels of care, from acute care to transitional care to outpatient and home-based services.
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WHC 302 - Healthcare Human Resources & Policies Course unit(s): 1
Students will become familiar with all major areas of responsibility for Healthcare H.R. managers, such as management/ labor relations, collective bargaining, administration of a comprehensive employee compensation and benefits program, EOE compliance, Workmen’s Compensation issues, creation of job descriptions and an effective employee performance appraisal system, and staff training/ development. Due to its paramount importance in today’s healthcare industry, considerable attention will be given to the development of an effective recruitment/ retention program. Students will be exposed to some of the creative approaches being implemented by healthcare organizations to address shortages of nursing and other specialized care staff.
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WHC 303 - Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation Course unit(s): 1
Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States. This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of quality management in health care and its application in today’s competitive healthcare market. The role of federal and state governments in hospital oversight, policy, and protection of the health of citizens will be explored. Healthcare accreditation principles and their impact on operations will be examined, along with the organization and program infrastructure necessary for continuous regulatory and accreditation compliance. Additionally, students will be introduced to the operational role of managers/administrators in designing, implementing and overseeing systems to ensure compliance with state and federal laws, regulations and accreditation standards.
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WHC 327 - Healthcare Finance Course unit(s): 1
This course focuses on the financial relationship between providers and various payer sources and examines factors influencing payment/reimbursement levels, such as patient acuity/case mix. Discussion will explore how services are coordinated to achieve positive patient outcomes while simultaneously ensuring an organization’s financial health. Financial management of institutional resources will also be covered, including preparation/analysis of financial reports, capital budgeting and project analysis, forecasting, inventory control and management and depreciation of equipment and other resources.
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WHC 328 - Healthcare Law & Ethics Course unit(s): 1
Various legal and ethical issues related to managing a healthcare enterprise will be examined, including development and administration of organizational policy on Advance Directives, patient confidentiality (in compliance with HIPAA standards), and withholding of treatment. The wide realm of bioethical issues under debate by healthcare professionals and policy-makers will also be considered, such as physician-assisted suicide and palliative care versus life-sustaining treatment. The role of Ethics Committees in healthcare facilities will be discussed, as will the role of patient advocates/Ombudsmen and the establishment of institutional guidelines for resolution of patient grievances. The development of protocols for decisionmaking in regard to legal/ethical conflicts will also be covered. A case-study approach will be emphasized to help students fully understand the gravity of legal/ethical decision-making by healthcare management teams.
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WHR 221 - HR Functional Survey Course unit(s): 1
A broad examination of the functions normally found in the HR organization: Compensation & Benefits, Employment Policies & Practices, EAP & Workplace Safety, Labor Relations, Training & Development, and Organizational Development. This course provides the student with a solid understanding of the traditional roles that the HR function traditionally performed and the trade-offs involved in balancing personnel costs between pay and benefits.
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WHR 222 - Strategic Planning & Tactical Execution Course unit(s): 1
This course explores the importance of linking the planning for HR with the strategic plan and direction of the overall organization. Because this linkage often proves elusive in practice, the course will help the student understand the importance of tactical execution and the tools available to leaders and managers that make the linkage possible. The course begins with an examination of the overall planning and visioning process in organizations and explores areas where the overall plan and the HR plan diverge.
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WHR 308 - HR Global Issues Course unit(s): 1
This module provides the foundation for understanding the diversity and global human resource practices in businesses and organizations today. It presents factors to consider with both a changing workforce and management of domestic and foreign enterprises. Students will develop their understanding of key issues in recruitment, selection, retention, training, safety, and labor and employee relations.
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WHR 314 - Knowledge Management Course unit(s): 1
This module examines the critical role that knowledge plays in the modern enterprise and why productivity of the knowledge worker is so important. Factors for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge will be examined including the transfer of tacit knowledge. The module explores the many factors that contribute to the success of the creation, sharing, and value added from ideas generated by knowledgeable individuals.
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WHR 320 - Organizational Analysis Course unit(s): 1
Explores the pivotal role that HR can play in ensuring that the skills and abilities required to support the strategic thrust of the organization are in place as well as identifying where there are weaknesses that need to be addressed. The importance of culture, structure, and leadership are examined.
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WHR 321 - Organizations & Employees in Transition Course unit(s): 1
This module examines the issue of change in organizations and how HR can influence the culture and structure of the organization so that the experience is positive and contributes to growth and bottom-line results. Drivers of change are explored such as mergers and acquisitions, technology, relocations, and globalization to name but a few.
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WIS 201 - Foundations of Information Systems Course unit(s): 1
This module is designed to introduce students to contemporary information systems and demonstrate how these systems are used throughout global organizations. The focus of this module will be on the key components of information systems: people, processes and technologies, and how these components can be integrated and managed to create competitive advantage. This module also provides an introduction to systems and development concepts, technologies and their acquisition, and various types of application software and architectures currently in use. In addition, the ethical and social implications of these components will be considered.
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WIS 206 - Information Systems Analysis & Design Course unit(s): 1
This module is an applied study of information systems analysis. The course covers a systematic methodology for analyzing a business problem or opportunity, determining what role, if any, computer-based technologies can play in addressing the business need, articulating business requirements for the technology solution, specifying alternative approaches to acquiring the technology capabilities needed to address the business requirements, and specifying the requirements for the information systems solution. Topics covered will include traditional and contemporary systems development lifecycles, including waterfall, object-oriented, and rapid methodologies. The role of the business analyst in scope definition, requirements analysis, and functional requirements documentation creation will be discussed. Students will learn about completing a system design using CASE tools.
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WIS 208 - Fundamentals of Programming I Course unit(s): 1
This is an introductory course on program design and programming: variables, data types, program structure, conditional logic, iteration, and event-driven programming. Modular program design including introduction to procedures, functions, and modular development will be covered, as well as the project environment, compilation process, and debugging techniques. Students will learn the basic concepts of program design, programming, problem solving, and programming logic. Program development will incorporate various stages of the program development life cycle: designing a solution, implementing a solution in a programming language, and testing the completed application. Students will utilize UML structures to aid in program design and will develop several small programming projects using a modern programming language.
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WIS 210 - Leadership and Team Development Course unit(s): 1
This module offers an introduction to, and an overview of, the concepts of leadership and team development. This module will provide a framework and rationale for the team/cohort learning model in an organizational context. Emphasis is placed on the application of concepts to real managerial problems and issues. This module will use a combination of conceptual and practical approaches, lectures, discussions, case studies and group exercises. The differences between leadership and management will be explained.
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WIS 212 - Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Course unit(s): 1
Building on the transactional database understanding, the course provides an introduction to data and information management technologies that provide decision support capabilities under the broad business intelligence umbrella. Students will study how data drives business and strategic planning.
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WIS 214 - IT Infrastructure Course unit(s): 1
This module provides an introduction to IT infrastructure. It covers topics related to both computer and systems architecture and communication networks, with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that IT infrastructure solutions enable in an organizational context. It gives students the knowledge and skills that they need for communicating effectively with professionals whose special focus is on hardware and systems software technology and for designing organizational processes and software solutions that require in-depth understanding of the IT infrastructure capabilities and limitations. It also prepares students for organizational roles that require interaction with external vendors of IT infrastructure components and solutions. The course focuses strongly on Internet-based solutions, computer and network security, business continuity, and the role of infrastructure in regulatory compliance.
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