Mar 28, 2024  
2011-2012 Academic Catalog 
    
2011-2012 Academic Catalog [Published Catalog]

The Core Curriculum


Click on any of the following links for information:

 
  1. Primary Level: 16-28 credit hours
  2. Secondary Level: 12 credit hours:
  3. Capstone Level: 6 credit hours


Goals and Objectives

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“A Liberal Arts education is a celebration of learning that encompasses pretty much everything: the arts and the humanities, the social sciences and the ‘hard’ sciences, business training and other professional studies. It grounds us in a sound understanding of our own culture and history, but also makes us aware and tolerant of the histories and cultures of others. Liberal learning seeks to emphasize the growth of intellectual self-reliance and independence while encouraging co-operative endeavor. It is the competence to think, analyze and understand independently.” - Former AUC President Thomas Bartlett

The primary aim of AUC’s Core Curriculum is to ensure that all students, regardless
of major, receive a strong grounding in the traditional liberal arts and sciences. The Core Curriculum is a body of courses designed to provide a broad liberal arts base for students. It aims to develop basic academic and intellectual traits while enhancing students’ writing skills, as well as their ability to reason and construct a logical argument. It strives to familiarize students with a diverse body of knowledge and intellectual tradition, and helps them understand themselves, in addition to their culture, society and place in the world. It encourages them to address the patterns of rational thought and argumentation that underpin the world’s great intellectual traditions, and introduces them to the ways in which science seeks to comprehend the natural world. In sum, the Core Curriculum lies at the heart of AUC’s commitment to the liberal arts. It is, first and foremost, an education in the fundamentals of learning itself.
 

General Description

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The Core Curriculum is a body of 10 to 15 courses (30 to 46 credit hours) that all students are required to complete, regardless of major. It is divided into three components.

The Primary Level consists of a set of English and Arabic language requirements
(3 to 15 credit hours) and four arts and science courses (13 credit hours). They are designed for AUC freshman and most will complete them during their first three semesters. The four courses include Scientific Thinking, Philosophical Thinking (all students must take both), a natural science course and a freshman requirement in the humanities or social sciences. All students majoring in the fields of science and engineering (except actuarial science) are exempted from the general science elective. In addition, students who demonstrate the appropriate competence may be exempted from up to six credit hours of Arabic language and up to six credit hours of English writing courses.

The Secondary Level consists of four requirements in the social sciences and humanities
(12 credit hours) including one course in the general humanities and social sciences; one that deals with world history, culture, society, politics and economics; and two that deal with the history culture, society, politics and economics of the Arab world. Most students will complete one of these four requirements in each semester of their junior and senior years.

The Capstone Level consists of two requirements that students are intended to meet in
their senior year or beyond. The goal is to ensure that students meeting the requirements in their senior or fifth year take courses that are designed for seniors, challenge them to the highest level of their ability and prepare them for life after graduation.
 

Restrictions


No course which a student employs to meet a requirement of the Core Curriculum may also be used to meet any of the requirements - including concentration requirements, specialization requirements, collateral requirements, major core requirements, concentration electives, and general electives - of that student’s major. Similarly, no course that a student employs to meet any of the requirements of a major may be used to meet any of the requirements of the Core Curriculum. In other words, courses may not be double-counted for both Core Curriculum and major credit. However, a student may employ a course that meets any of the requirements of the Core Curriculum to meet the requirements of a minor.


I. Primary Level: 16-28 credit hours

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Category 1: English Composition and Communication (3-9 credit hours)


Rhetoric and Composition

Students must fulfill this requirement in one of the following options:

A. RHET      101    Approaches to Critical Writing
    RHET      102    Effective Argument
    RHET      201    Research Writing

Or

B. RHET      102    Effective Argument
    RHET       201   Research Writing
    Any RHET 300 or 400 level course
    (310, 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 330, 332, 334, 340, 341, 342, 345, 380, 399, 400, 410, 450, 480, 490 )

Or

C. RHET       201    Research Writing
    Any RHET 300 or 400 level course
    (310, 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 330, 332, 334, 340, 341, 342, 345, 380, 399, 400, 410, 450, 480, 490 )


Or


D. Any RHET 300 or 400 level course
    (310, 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 330, 332, 334, 340, 341, 342, 345, 380, 399, 400, 410, 450, 480, 490)


*RHET courses taken as core curriculum electives at the secondary and capstone levels may NOT be double-counted for RHET requirements in the primary level.
 

Category 2: Arabic Language (0-6 credit hours)

 

All newly admitted students, except those who have passed the thanawiya amma exam or its equivalent, will take an Arabic placement exam. Based on the exam results, students may be required to take up to two modern standard Arabic courses.

(ALNG 101, 102, or 103; 201, 202 or 203).

Category 3: Information Literacy

LALT 101  

(non-credit)


Category 4: Fundamental Intellectual Skills Requirement (6 credit hours)

PHIL 220   Philosophic Thinking
SCI 120   Scientific Thinking


Category 5: Natural Sciences or Quantitative Thinking (3 credit hours plus 1 lab credit)

Restriction: Students majoring in any of the fields of the School of Sciences and Engineering are exempted from the natural science requirements. Actuarial science students should take a lab.
 

(Choose one course with lab)

BIOL 102 & SCI150                   Essentials of Environmental Biology

BIOL 103                                   Introductory Biology

BIOL 104                                   Unity of Life

BIOL 105                                   Diversity of Life

CHEM 103 & SCI 150 Lab        Chemistry and Society (for students with no chemistry background)

CHEM 104 & SCI 150 Lab        Man and Environment

CHEM 105 & SCI 150 Lab        General Chemistry I

PHYS 100 & SCI 150 Lab         Physics for Poets (for students with no physics background)

PHYS 199 & SCI 150 Lab         Future of Life on Earth and beyond

SCI 105 & SCI 150 Lab             Science and Technology of Ancient Egypt

SCI 109 & SCI 150 Lab             Exploration of the Universe

SCI 140 & SCI 150 Lab             Chemistry, Art and Archaeology

SCI 250 & SCI 251 Lab             Introductory Geology

MACT 112 & SCI 150 Lab         Statistical Reasoning
MACT 199 & SCI 150 Lab         Selected Topics in Quantitative Thinking


Category 6: Humanities or Social Sciences (3 credit hours)

(Choose one course from the two sub categories: humanities or social sciences)
 

 

Subcategory 1: Humanities Option

ARIC           100            Arabs and Muslims Encountering the Other
ARIC           101            Children’s Literature and Cultural Representations
ARIC           199            Selected Topics in the Humanities
ARTV          199            Selected Topics in the Humanities
CREL          135            Dimensions of the Sacred: Exploring Religious Experience
ECLT           123           Experiencing Creativity: Texts and Images
ECLT           199           Selected Topics in the Humanities
FILM            199           Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST            110            World Cultures
HIST            111            Big History
HIST            112            Truth or Fiction: History and Historical Fiction
HIST            114            A History of Modern Imperialism
HIST            122            Words that made History: Great Speeches of the Twentieth Century
HIST            123            Family in the Modern Middle East
HIST            124            Eve and the Serpent: Witches and Witchcraft in Modern History
HIST            199            Selected Topics in the Humanities
MUSC          199           Selected Topics in the Humanities
PHIL             100           Reading Philosophy
PHIL             199           Selected Topics in the Humanities
RHET           199           Selected Topics in the Humanities
SEMR           111           The Human Quest: Exploring the “Big Questions”
SEMR           112           Who Am I?: Explorations in Consciousness and Self Across the Disciplines
SEMR           123           Celebrating Ideas: A Voyage Through Books, Art, Film and Theatre
THTR            130           The World of the Theater
THTR            199           Selected Topics in the Humanities

Subcategory 2: Social Science Options

If students choose a course in the social sciences in the primary level, they must choose a humanities course in the secondary level and vice versa.

ANTH            199           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
ECON           199            Economics for Everyone
EGPT            199            Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
POLS            101            Introduction to Political Science
POLS            199           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
PSYC            199           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
SOC              199           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences

Most students will complete these requirements in their first three semesters.
 


II. Secondary Level: 12 credit hours

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Category 1: Humanities and Social Sciences (3 credit hours)


Sub-Category 1: Humanities Options

Every student must choose and complete one course from the following sub-category lists. The requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester. If students choose to meet the primary level Humanities/Social Science requirement by taking a Humanities course, they must choose from the list of Social Science options below to meet this requirement. If students choose to meet the Primary level Humanities/Social Science requirement by taking a Social Science course, they must choose a course from the Humanities options below to meet this requirement.
 

ARIC             206           Art and Architecture of the City of Cairo
ARIC             270           Introduction of Islamic Art and Architecture I
ARIC             271           Introduction of Islamic Art and Architecture II
ARIC             305           Arabic Literature and Gender
ARIC             306           Arabic Literature and Film
ARIC             307           The Writer and the State
ARIC             320           Introduction to Sufism
ARIC             335           Introduction to Islam
ARIC             336           Studies in Ibn Khaldun
ARIC             337           Shi’i Muslims in History
ARTV            200           Foundations of Design and Color
ARTV            211           World Art History Survey I
ARTV            212           World Art History Survey II
ARTV /CENG 222         Architecture: Art of Engineering
ARTV            299          Special Topics in the Humanities
ARTV            310          Modern and Contemporary Art
ARTV            314          Modern and Contemporary Architecture
ARTV            370          Personal and Political Contemporary Art and Video Art Theory
ARTV            370          The Body as Concept, Material and Representation
ARTV            370          Photography: History and Critique
ARTV            370          Art as Critical Practice
CREL            299          Special Topics in the Humanities
ECLT            200           Introduction to Literature
ECLT            201           Survey of British Literature
ECLT            202           Global Literature in English
ECLT            299           Special Topics in the Humanities
FILM             220           Introduction to Film
FILM             299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST             200           Introduction to History Theory and Methodology
HIST             203           Western Civilization from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
HIST             204           Early Modern Europe
HIST             205           Europe in the Age of Revolution and Reform (1789-1914)
HIST             211           History in the Making
HIST/CREL  212           The Quest for the Historical Jesus
HIST             299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
HIST             307           The Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation
HIST             308            Europe in the Age of Reason
MUSC           220           Introduction to Music
MUSC           240           Western Music Theory 1: Music Theory in the Western Tradition
MUSC           299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
PHIL              221           Informal Logic
PHIL              224           Self and Society
PHIL              226           Philosophy and Religion
PHIL              230           Introduction to Ethics
PHIL              299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
PHIL              344           Literature and Philosophy
RHET            225           Public Speaking
RHET            299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
RHET            323           Writing in the Humanities
RHET            325           The Rhetoric of Argument in the Humanities and Social Sciences
RHET            340           Life Narratives: Reading as Writers
RHET            345           The Writer’s Workshop
RHET            380           Poetry Writing
RHET            399          Selected Topics: Advanced Style
THTR            203          The Art of the Theatre
THTR            230           Play Analysis
THTR            299           Selected Topics in the Humanities
THTR            350           Survey of Dramatic Literature
THTR            351           History of Theatre
THTR            360           Play Writing I
THTR            361           Play Writing II
SEMR           200           Core Seminar
SEMR           299           Selected Topics for the Humanities
SEMR           300           Core Honors Seminar
SEMR           310           Cross-Cultural Perceptions and Representations
 

Sub-Category 2: Social Sciences Options

ANTH            202           Cultural Anthropology
ANTH            299           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
ARIC             323           Marriage and the Family in the Medieval and Early Modern Middle East
ARIC             324           Non-Muslim Communities in the Muslim World
ARIC             325           On the Fringes of Society: Marginals in History
ECON           201           Introduction of Macro Economics
ECON           202           Introduction of Micro Economics
EGPT            202           Ancient Egypt
EGPT            299           Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
LING             252            Introduction to Linguistics
LING             268            Principles of Practice of teaching English
PADM           299            Selected Topics in the Core Curriculum
PADM           308            Management of Government
PHIL             242            Philosophical Anthropology
PHIL             234            Philosophy of the Social Sciences
PSYC           201            Introduction to Psychology
PSYC           299            Selected Topics in the Social Sciences
RHET           320            Business Communication
RHET           321            Technical Communication
RHET           322            Writing in the Social Sciences
RHET           330            Writing and cognition
RHET           332            Presentation and Persuasion in Business
RHET           334            Digital Rhetoric
SOC             201            Introduction to Sociology
SOC/PSYC/ANTH 240  Introduction to Community Organization and Development
SOC             299            Selected Topics in the Social Sciences


Category 2: Arab World Studies (6 credit hours)

Every student must choose and complete two courses from the following list. This requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester.

ANTH//SOC  210           Arab Society
ANTH            312           Peoples and Cultures in the Middle East and North Africa
ANTH            390           Selected People and Culture Areas (when appropriate)
ARIC             201           Introduction to Classical Arabic Literature
ARIC             202           Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature
ARIC             203           Classical Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC             204           Modern Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC             205           Islamic Architecture from the Beginnings to the Present Day
ARIC/HIST    246           Survey of Arab History
ARIC             299           Special Topics in Arabic Literature
ARIC             299           Special Topics in Arab History
ARIC             305           Arabic Literature and Gender
ARIC             306           Arabic Literature and Film
ARIC             307           The Writer and the State
ARIC             308           Colloquial and Folk Literature
ARIC             309           Selected Themes and Topics in Arabic Literature
ARIC             310           Selected Themes and Topics in Arabic Literature in Translation
ARIC             314           The Arabic Novel
ARIC             315           Arabic Drama
ARIC             316          The Arabic Short Story
ARIC             321          Social Cultural History of the Middle East, A.D. 600-1800
ARIC             322          Land, Trade and Power: A History of Economic Relations in the Middle East, A.D. 600-1800
ARIC             343          Birth of Muslim Community and Rise of the Arab Caliphates
ARIC/HIST    344          Caliphs and Sultans in the Age of Crusades and Mongols
ARIC/HIST    345          Gunpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids and Mugho
ARIC/HIST    355          State and Society in the Middle East, 1699 - 1914
ARIC/HIST    357          Selected Topics in Middle East History
CREL            299          Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
ECON           215          Economic History of the Modern Middle East
HIST             247          Making of the Modern Arab World
HIST             299          Selected Topics in Arab History
HIST             330          Urban Landscapes in the Modern Middle East / North Africa
HIST             331          History of Palestine/Israel
HIST/CREL  333           Zionism and Modern Judaism
MUSC          342           Understanding Arab Music
SOC             203           Social Problems of the Middle East
SOC             206           Arab Family Structure and Dynamics
SOC/PSYC/ANTH 240 Introduction to Community Organization and Development


Category 3: International/World Studies (3 credit hours)

Every student must choose and complete one course from the following list. The requirement should be completed by the end of the student’s sixth semester.

AMST           299           Selected Topics in the Core Curriculum
ANTH           302           Kin and Family in the Global World
ANTH           320           States, Capital and Rural Lives
ANTH/LING 352            Language in Culture
ANTH           360           Gender, Society and Social Change
ANTH           372           Applied Anthropology
ANTH           382           Peoples and Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa
ANTH           384           Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
ANTH           386           Peoples and Cultures of Asia
ANTH           390           Selected People and Cultures Areas
ARIC            299           Special Topics for the Core Curriculum
ARIC            345           Gundpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids and Mughols
CREL/HIST  210           Religions of the World
CREL           220           Hinduism and Buddhism in India
CREL           230           Pilgrimage Traditions in the World’s Religions
CREL           299           Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
CREL           320           Masters, Saints & Saviors: Sacred Biography in the World’s Religions
ECLT/HIST  209           Introduction to American Studies
ECLT           299           Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
ECLT           301           Medieval Literature
ECLT           302           Literature of the Renaissance
ECLT           332           World Literature
ECLT           333           African Literature
ECLT           346           Third World Literature
ECLT           347           The Orient in Western Imagination
ECLT           353           Modern Drama, Illusionary Worlds, False Identities
ECON         224           Economic History
HIST           201           History of American Civilization to the Nineteenth Century
HIST           202           History of Modern American Civilization
HIST/POLS 206          Global Politics in the 20th Century
HIST           207           World History
HIST           225           East Asian History
HIST           299           Selected Topics for the Core Curriculum
HIST           309           History of American Political Thought
HIST           320           Big History
LING           200           Languages of the World
MUSC         225           World Music
MUSC         240           Western Music Theory 1: Music Theory in the Western Tradition
MUSC         255           The Songs of America
MUSC         360           Music in the Western Tradition
PHIL            238           World Philosophy
PHIL            319           Development and Responsibility
PHIL            356           American Philosophy
POLS          299           Our Political World
RHET          341           Travel Writing
SEMR         310           Cross-Cultural Perceptions and Representations
SOC/ANTH 303           Social Movements
SOC/POLS 304           Development Agencies
SOC            306           Sociology of Literature
SOC            307           Social Class and Inequality
SOC/ANTH 321           Urban Society in Transition
SOC            322           Rural Sociology
SOC            323           Fundamentals of Population Studies
SOC/ANTH 332           Social Constructions of Difference: Race, Ethnic and Class
SOC/ANTH 370           Environmental Issues in Development

III. Capstone Level: (6 credit hours)

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The requirements may be met by selecting two courses from a variety of options, including Senior Project or Thesis, Senior Seminar, Senior Inr\ternship, Study Abroad, Community Engagement, Honors Seminar, Interdisciplinary Senior Seminar or a 400 level course counting toward a double major. All pre-requisites apply.*

* ACCT        403           Contemporary issues in Accounting
* AENG 490/491           Senior Project I/II
* ANTH/PSYC/SOC 440/441 Practicum in Community and Social Development
* ANTH/SOC 422-01     Religion in a Global World
* ANTH/SOC 460          Development Studies Seminar
* ANTH/SOC 495-01     Senior Seminar
ARTV           317            Teaching Kids Art
*ARTV          470            Advanced Seminar
*BIOL           495/496     Senior Research Thesis
*CENG        490/491      Senior Project I/II
*CHEM        495             Senior Thesis and Seminar
*CSCE        491/492       Senior Project I/II
*CSCI         491/492       Senior Project I/II
ECLT          409              Greek Classics in Translation
ECLT          410              Classics of the Ancient World
ECLT          411               History of Literary Criticism
ECLT          412               Modern Literary Criticism
ECLT          447               The Politics of Writing in Middle East
ECLT          447               Literature and Human Rights
*ECON       308               Labor Economics
* ECON      411               Seminar: Special Topics in Economics
*ECON       415               Seminar on Economic Development on the Middle East
*EENG       490/491        Senior Project I/II
**EGPT      440               Ancient Egyptian Religion and Ethics
**EGPT      499               Selected topics
ENGR        494               Entrepreneurial Development and Innovation
HIST          401               Selected topics in World History of the United States
HIST          412               Selected topics in Modern Egyptian History
HIST          415               The Marriage Crisis and the Middle East
**HIST       425               Food in World History
HIST          454               Modern Movements in Islam
*JRMC       425               Integrated Marketing Communication Campaigns Capstone
*JRMC       480               Multimedia Reporting Capstone
*JRMC       482               Media Convergence Capstone
* MACT      495               Senior Thesis
* MACT      497               Practical Internship
* MENG     490/491        Senior Project I/II
* MGMT     413               Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
* MGMT     480               Business Planning and Strategy
* MKTG      480               Marketing Strategy
MKTG        492               Capstone Final Recital
* PENG      490/491        Senior Project I/II
** PHIL       410               Advanced Seminar in Aesthetics
* PHIL        418               Philosophical Masterpieces
* PHIL        420               Philosophical Figures
* PHYS      401               Senior Thesis and Seminar
* POLS      430               Seminar: Special Topics in Political Science
* PPAD      490               Practicum
* PSYC      302               Personal Growth and Adjustment
* PSYC      430               Advanced Community Psychology: Applied and Service
* PSYC      442               Clinical Psychology
* RHET      342               Writing Children’s Literature
* RHET      400               Writing and Editing for Publication
* RHET      410               Grant Writing for Community Building
* RHET      450               Imaging the Book
* RHET      480               Research and Writing Internships
* RHET      490               Advanced Scientific and Technical Communication
SEMR        300               Core Honors Seminar: Values, Activism and the New Egypt
SEMR310/POLS 430     Cross-Cultural Perceptions and Representations
* THTR       490              Senior Thesis
**THTR       495             Senior Honors Project

* All prerequisites apply
** by instructors permission
 

 

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