2019-2020 Catalog 
    
    Apr 19, 2024  
HELP
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

Description of courses offered by the various departments

The symbols FA (fall), IN (interim), SP (spring), and SU (summer) indicate when each course is offered. The credit (semester hours) for each course is indicated in parentheses after the course name. Interim course descriptions are made available during the fall semester and are published online.

 
 

Geography and Geology
  

  • GEO 120 - Earth Systems

    (4)
    FA, SP. This course includes an introductory study of physical systems and historical processes that shape the surface of Earth. Topics include: 1) The physical nature of Earth’s surface based on composition of Earth materials and the forces that create landforms, 2) weather and climatic systems and their effect on the global distribution of soils and ecological communities, and 3) the oceans. Understanding of Earth systems is applied to concepts of stewardship, resource use, and energy consumption. Not open to students who have completed GEO 112 , GEO 151 , or GEO 153 . Laboratory (lab fee: $25).
  

  • GEO 181 - First-Year Research in Earth Sciences: Dunes

    (5)
    FA. First-semester Calvin students are immersed in undergraduate research experiences focused on Lake Michigan coastal dunes. Classes cover topics ranging from the contemporary understanding of Great Lakes coastal dune forms and processes to human interactions with coastal dunes to the practices of science. In the first part of the course, students gain experience in the process of scientific enquiry and appropriate methods of field-data collection and data analysis during directed research experiences at dune sites. Then teams of students design and implement investigations of contemporary research questions about Lake Michigan coastal dunes. Student research activities are supported by upper-level student research mentors. Three 50-minute classes and one five-hour lab period weekly. Laboratory. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 251 - Oceanography

    (4)
    FA, alternate years. This survey course includes: the history of marine exploration, the nature of the ocean floor, including submarine volcanoes, oceanic crust, sea-floor spreading, and marine sediments, coastal geomorphic processes, the properties of seawater, the nature of tides and currents, ecological marine biogeography, including marine plankton, deep-water biota, coral reef communities, and estuarine and intertidal marine communities, and stewardship of marine resources. Laboratory, field trips. Prerequisites: high school chemistry and sophomore standing. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 252 - Geomorphology

    (4)
    FA. The investigation of landforms and the processes which cause them. This course studies the erosional and depositional features resulting from rivers, glaciers, and wind, as well as coastal, gravitational, and weathering processes. Landforms are described and classified from field observations, topographic maps, and aerial photographs. Explanations of the landforms are offered through quantitative modeling of the processes. Laboratory, field trips. Prerequisite: GEO 120 , GEO 151 ,or GEO 153 . Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 322 - Coastal Geomorphology

    (4)
    SP, alternate years. This course examines the nature and development of coastal landforms and the processes responsible for change in the coastal zone. Topics include waves, currents, tides, wind, changing sea levels, and the coastal environments of beaches, dunes, estuaries, and rocky coasts. Coastal land use and hazards, shoreline protection, and coastal stewardship will be discussed. Great Lakes coasts are emphasized. Laboratory and field trips. Prerequisite: GEO 252 . Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 390 - Independent Study

    (1-4)
    FA, IN, SP. Prerequisite: permission of the department.

Geology
  

  • GEO 112 - Earth Science for Educators

    (4)
    May interim, alternate years. An introductory study of physical systems and historical and contemporary processes that shape the surface of Earth. Topics include 1) the physical nature of Earth’s surface based on composition of earth materials and the forces that create landforms, 2) weather and climatic systems and their effect on the global distribution of soils and ecological communities, and 3) the Earth/sun/moon system. Understanding of Earth systems is applied to concepts of stewardship, resources use, and energy consumption. Not open to students who have completed GEO 151  or GEO 120 . This course is designed for students in the education program. Laboratory, multiple field trips.
  

  • GEO 151 - Introduction to Geology

    (4)
    FA, SP. This course is a study of the materials and processes of Earth leading to a responsible Christian appreciation for and stewardship of Earth. Topics include minerals and rocks, Earth’s interior and surface structure, surface processes producing landforms, geological time and principles for interpreting Earth history, mineral resources and fossil fuels, and geological hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, landslides, and groundwater pollution. Not open to students who have completed GEO 120 , GEO 112 , or GEO 153 . Laboratory. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 152 - Historical Geology

    (4)
    SP. The first portion of this course traces the development of the study of Earth through the past few centuries, as geology became a true scientific discipline and as its practitioners became convinced of Earth’s antiquity. Attention is given to relating views of Earth’s history to the Genesis record. During the remainder of the course, evidence for the particulars of Earth history, with emphasis on North America, is outlined. Topics include the origin of Earth and its moon, the origin of continents and ocean basins, rock deformation caused by plate motion and the creation of mountain ranges through history, and sedimentary deposits of intercontinental seas. The laboratory builds on rock classification and map techniques introduced in GEO 151 . Laboratory. Prerequisite: GEO 151  or equivalent. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 153 - Big Sky Geology: Montana Field Experience

    (4)
    (Field version of Geology 151; offered in May/June). This course in geology is based in southwest Montana. Southwest Montana offers superb field exposures and is within driving distance of outstanding geological localities including Yellowstone National Park and Craters of the Moon National Monument. This course fulfills the physical science core requirement, and emphasizes outdoor, field-based investigation and learning. Students will be introduced to the breadth of geological study leading to responsible Christian appreciation and stewardship of Earth, including rocks and minerals, landforms and surficial processes, geological hazards, and natural resources. Field activities are an important part of each day and the field experience will complement morning lecture and lab activities. As a graded course, exams will cover lecture and text, and students will be required to complete lab assignments, construct a written field log, and choose a special field project. Course includes four evening sessions in April. Not open to students who have completed GEO 120 , GEO 151  or GEO 112 .
  

  • GEO 212 - Tectonics

    (4)
    FA, alternate years. An analysis of common geological structures such as folds, faults, joints, and foliations, inquiry into the means by which these structures are formed from stresses within Earth, methods of constructing and interpreting geological maps and cross sections, and introduction to field-mapping techniques. Laboratory, field trip. Prerequisite: GEO 152 . Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 215 - Mineralogy

    (4)
    FA. A study of minerals and crystal structures with an emphasis on the silicates. The composition, crystal symmetry, and geologic occurrence of minerals are discussed along with mineral structures, chemistry, mineral associations, and mineral genesis. Crystal morphology and mineral identification are important topics, especially in lab. Laboratory. Prerequisites: GEO 151  or GEO 153  or GEO 120  and CHEM 103  or concurrently. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 304 - Geochemistry

    (3)
    FA, alternate years. This course studies Earth’s major geochemical systems with particular attention to water and rock systems. Topics include fresh and marine water, including groundwater, mineral crystallization and weathering, organic geochemistry, and the application of geochemistry to forensic pollution studies. Stable and radiogenic isotope systematics are reviewed and applied to geological problems and issues. Prerequisites: CHEM 104  or GEO 215  AND one from GEO 151 , GEO 153 , GEO 120 , or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GEO 312 - Special Topics in Environmental Geology

    (4)
    SP, alternate years. Use of geologic methods and interpretations in understanding and resolving geologic problems relating to the environment. Emphasis on energy systems and global impacts, including fossil fuels and renewable energy resources, mineral and water resources, and geologic hazards associated with landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic events. Pollution from hydrocarbons and mineral/chemical constituents and environmental cleanup issues are discussed. Laboratory. Prerequisite: GEO 252 .
  

  • GEO 313 - Paleontology

    (4)
    SP, alternate years. A study of the organisms that once lived on the Earth. Includes an examination of the processes of preservation and methods of discovering the structure, habitat, and relationship of those organisms, and a review of their distribution and life history. A broad spectrum of organisms is studied with emphasis on invertebrate animals. Also listed as BIOL 313 . Lectures, laboratory, field trip. Prerequisite: GEO 152  or BIOL 160  and BIOL 161 . Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 316 - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

    (4)
    SP, alternate years. This course addresses the origin, emplacement, occurrence, and tectonic context of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Mineral and rock compositions and chemistry, textures, classifications, and phase relationships are studied. The principles of Optical Mineralogy and use of the petrographic microscope is emphasized in lecture and lab. Lab work utilizes the petrographic microscope and hand samples for rock and mineral descriptions and genetic interpretations. Laboratory. Prerequisite: GEO 215 . Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 317 - Sedimentation and Stratigraphy

    (4)
    FA, alternate years. This includes the study of the classification and origins of sedimentary rocks with emphasis on the physical, chemical, and biological processes responsible for the origin, deposition, and diagenesis of sediments, with particular attention to modern depositional analogs, an investigation of the use of thin-section petrography in the interpretation of the genesis of sedimentary rocks, and graphical techniques for depicting the geometries of layered sedimentary rocks in outcrop and subsurface. Laboratory, field trips required. Prerequisite: GEO 215  or concurrently. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 325 - Hydrogeology

    (4)
    FA, alternate years. This is an upper-level, pre-professional course, providing preparation in fundamental principles and practical applications of groundwater occurrence, flow, quality, extraction, and remediation. The course will examine significant water resource and pollution issues in urban and developing areas, and will address needs for clean and adequate water supplies in poor and remote areas of the world. Laboratory and field trips. Prerequisites: CHEM 103  plus GEO 252  or ENGR 306  or ENGR 320 . MATH 132  or MATH 171  strongly recommended. Lab fee: $25.
  

  • GEO 341 - Geology Field Methods

    (3)
    SP, alternate years. Geology Field Methods teaches basic field observation, identification, and mapping skills for advanced students in Geology programs. Several on-campus preparatory sessions in April precede the 2-week May field portion in SW Montana. We visit superb exposures of many varieties of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, as well as outstanding examples of normal and thrust faulting. We examine a variety of active and inactive mines including copper, gold, silver, and talc deposits, and study the environmental impacts of mining. After a study of the regional stratigraphy, a mapping project focuses on complex structure and rock deformation and teaches field mapping techniques. Most of the class will be in the field with daily trips. Longer excursions will visit volcanic exposures in Idaho and Wyoming, including Craters of the Moon National Monument and Yellowstone National Park. NOTE: The field portion of this course is two weeks immediately following spring commencement. A fee applies.
  

  • GEO 386 - Seminar in Geology

    (2)
    A survey of the historical development of geology as a science and an examination of the principles and practice of geology from a Reformed perspective. Prerequisite: senior status in the major concentration in geology or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GEO 387 - Geology as Vocation

    (1)
    FA, alternate years. This course examines the job market in the Geosciences and considers job and graduate school options for students after graduation. Topics include seeking to discover God’s call, career options and necessary qualifications, and career issues geologists encounter. Students make personal evaluations, complete a resume and set career goals. Outside professionals are interviewed. Course is graded pass/fail. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GEO 396 - Research in Geology

    (2-4)
    FA, IN, SP. Field and/or laboratory research on an approved geological problem and presentation of the results of the research in seminar. Open to qualified students by permission of the geology faculty.

German
  

  • GERM 121 - Introductory German

    (4)
    FA, SP. An introductory course in the German language and cultures that includes an investigation of German-speaking countries and training in intercultural skills. The course serves as both a fast-paced introduction to German for students with no prior knowledge of the language, and as a systematic review and continued learning for students who have taken high school German but who, on the basis of a placement test, are not prepared for GERM 201 . Students taking German 121 may continue with GERM 150  during interim or GERM 201  in the fall and then complete the foreign language core requirement with GERM 202  in the spring.
  

  • GERM 150 - Intermediate German I Intensive

    (3)
    IN. This course focuses on further development of skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing German. This includes investigation of cultural topics, German history, and a study of a variety of texts. Prerequisite: GERM 121 .
  

  • GERM 201 - Intermediate German I

    (4)
    FA. Further development of skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing German. This course includes systematic grammar review, cultural topics, and study of a variety of short texts. Prerequisite: GERM 121  or placement test.
  

  • GERM 202 - Intermediate German II

    (4)
    SP. Continuation of GERM 150  or GERM 201 . Completion of GERM 202 fulfills the core foreign language requirement. This course offers an overview of German- speaking Europe and its cultural history. Prerequisite: GERM 150  or GERM 201 .
  

  • GERM 301 - Advanced German Language and Culture

    (3)
    FA. This course is designed to develop advanced speaking and comprehension skills and to prepare students for living short- or long- term in a German-speaking culture. Course materials engage important themes in recent German history and contemporary Europe. Prerequisite: GERM 202 .
  

  • GERM 302 - German Cultures and Intercultural Studies

    (3)
    SP some semesters. This course focuses on cultural learning, intercultural skill building, and cultural intelligence. Through exploration of German cultures, cultural comparisons and reflections on cultural identities, students build their capacity for engaging well across cultural lines. Key themes include factors of identity and an introduction to cultural studies. Course texts range from Jugendliteratur to newspaper articles, film, and poetry. Texts on cultures and cultural learning in English may also be assigned. Students are expected to progress in all German language skills, as well as their abilities to interact effectively and sensitively across cultural boundaries. Prerequisite: GERM 202 .
  

  • GERM 303 - Introduction to German Literature

    (3)
    SP. The course offers an introduction to reading more substantial works of literature than those encountered in core-level courses. Works are drawn from various periods and genres. Attention is also directed at the processes of reading and interpretation, and at what it means to mature as a Christian reader of literature. This course fulfills the core literature requirement. Prerequisite: GERM 202 .
  

  • GERM 361 - Advanced Writing in Cultural Context

    (3)
    FA, even years. Further development of advanced language skills through intensive work with written, aural, and visual media dealing with contemporary issues in the German-speaking world. The course includes a review of grammar topics and writing genres. Prerequisite: GERM 301 , GERM 303 , or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GERM 362 - Culture and Language through Performed Texts

    (3)
    FA, odd years. An introduction to different eras and cultural themes of German-speaking Europe through the reading, interpretation, and presentation of a variety of texts. Works studied represent different performance genres, such as medieval mystery plays, sermons, epic poetry, traditional theater, music, radio plays, speeches, modern theater, and poetry slams. Students learn to interpret these texts as cultural products with implicit goals, assumptions about audience and the role of performance texts, and worldviews. Connections to specific historical events, the visual arts, and literary trends are explored as they relate to historical and contemporary performances of the various German texts. Students are expected to progress in their German language skills, including grammar, reading, speaking, and listening comprehension. This course fulfills the core rhetoric in culture requirement. Prerequisite: GERM 301 , GERM 303 , or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GERM 371 - German Visual Culture and Literature

    (3)
    SP, odd years. An exploration of the culture of German-speaking Europe through its rich and intricately linked traditions of visual and literary culture. Students examine the interplay of texts and a broad variety of visual media including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, theatrical and operatic production, film, and television. Students will analyze materials for their rhetorical strategies and how they seek to move their audience with appeals to culturally and historically charged themes. While becoming familiar with salient ideas in German cultural history and the insights offered by an analysis and appreciation of particular works of literature and the arts, students will gain valuable experience interpreting German cultural artifacts for their implicit worldviews, assumptions, and goals. This course fulfills the core Arts requirement. Prerequisite: GERM 301 , GERM 303 , or permission of the instructor.
  

  • GERM 372 - Outside Voices: German Culture from the Margins

    (3)
    SP. This course looks at German cultural history through the eyes of the outsider. Defining “outsider” as anyone marginalized because of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or native language, course materials focus on the nature of exclusion, resistance, and the way German cultural history and national identity have been shaped by voices traditionally outside of the normative or mainstream culture. Perspectives addressed will include the experiences of women, Jews, Turks, Afro-Germans, Muslims, and other minority groups. Prerequisite: GERM 301 , GERM 302 , or GERM 303 .
  

  • GERM 381 - Special Topics

    (3)
    SP some semesters, IN. This course offers the opportunity for focused study of a specific work, topic, or authors in a seminar setting. It includes intensive discussion in German of both primary and secondary texts. This course may be repeated with a different topic focus. A variable-credit (2-3) version of this course, “Topic: Practicum in Teaching German,” is also available during the interim. Prerequisite: GERM 301 , GERM 303 , or permission of the instructor.

Greek
  

  • GREE 101 - Elementary Greek I

    (4)
    FA. A beginning study of classical Greek with emphasis on the essentials of grammar and basic vocabulary.
  

  • GREE 102 - Elementary Greek II

    (4)
    SP. A continuation of GREE 101 with the reading of selected prose passages. Completion of this course allows the student to read works like the New Testament or Attic Greek prose with the help of a grammar and lexicon.
  

  • GREE 201 - Intermediate Greek

    (3)
    FA. A thorough review of the essentials of grammar will accompany the reading of selected Greek prose and/or poetry Prerequisite: two years of high school Greek or two courses of college Greek.
  

  • GREE 203 - Biblical Greek

    (3)
    SP, every third year. Readings in the New Testament, with special emphasis on gaining reading proficiency in koine Greek. Completion of this course fulfills the core requirement in foreign language. Prerequisite: GREE 201. May be repeated for credit, depending on course content and permission of the instructor. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • GREE 205 - Greek Prose

    (3)
    SP, every third year. Readings in a selected Greek prose author, with special emphasis on gaining reading proficiency in Greek prose. Completion of this course fulfills the core requirement in foreign language. Prerequisite: GREE 201 or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit, depending on course content and permission of the instructor.
  

  • GREE 206 - Greek Poetry

    (3)
    SP, every third year. Readings in a selected Greek poet, with special emphasis on gaining reading proficiency in Greek poetry. Completion of this course fulfills the core requirement in foreign language. Prerequisite: GREE 201 or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit, depending on course content and permission of the instructor. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • GREE 300 - Readings in Greek Literature

    (3)
    SP. Readings from a Greek prose author and/or poet, with special emphasis on literary qualities, as illumined by critical scholarship. Completion of this course fulfills the core requirement in foreign language. May be repeated for credit, depending on course content and permission of the instructor. Not offered 2019-2020.

Health Education
  

  • HE 115 - Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology

    (4)
    FA, SP. This is a study of the major theories of biology as applied to humans. The student is introduced to the concepts of cells, genetics, ecology, and evolution through the study of anatomy, physiology, and development of the human body and health. Students apply these concepts to contemporary issues in human biology, society, and the environment. The laboratory utilizes methods of biological investigation, with an emphasis on human anatomy and physiology. Laboratory. Cross-listed BIOL 115.
  

  • HE 202 - Foundations of Health Education

    This course will provide students with an introduction to basic issues in the development of health education. In addition to the history and philosophy of health education, topics will include the following: Health promotion, professional competencies, ethics, faith perspectives, and professional organizations.
  

  • HE 203 - First Aid and Emergency Care

    (2)
    SP, alternate years. This course will enable the student to acquire increased accident and safety awareness, as well as understand the liability aspects of administering first aid. The course will cover the cognitive and practical skills of standard first aid, artificial respiration, and CPR. Opportunity for American Red Cross Certification in adult, child, and infant CPR and first aid will be offered as part of the course.
  

  • HE 254 - Nutrition

    (3)
    FA, SP. This course will provide the student with a basic understanding of human nutrition. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of food and nutrients in sustaining optimal health. Specific topics of study will include nutrition as it relates to athletic performance, the onset of diseases, and obesity. Prerequisite: BIOL 115, BIOL 206, or equivalent. This course is limited to students with kinesiology majors, nursing majors and students in the pre-professional programs for veterinary, physician assistant.
  

  • HE 265 - Basic Health Concepts: Mental Health, Fitness, Sexuality, Aging, Addictive Behaviors, and Death

    (3)
    FA, alternate years. This course is designed to provide students with basic health content. Topics to be discussed include a Christian perspective on health and wellness, mental health and stress, physical fitness, sexuality and reproduction, addictive behaviors, and aging and death. Prerequisite: BIOL 115 or equivalent.
  

  • HE 266 - Basic Health Concepts: Diseases, Substance Abuse, Community, and Environment

    (3)
    SP, alternate years. This course is designed to prepare health education minors with a wide variety of health education content include the following: A reformed perspective on health, risk factors for lifestyle diseases, consumer health, environmental health, lifestyle and communicable diseases, substance abuse, and cancer. Prerequisite: BIOL 115 or permission of the instructor. This course may be taken before HE 265. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HE 307 - Community Health

    (3)
    This course focuses on the health needs of individuals in a variety of community settings. Students will learn about current health and non-health conditions affecting U.S. communities. Open to all juniors and seniors interested in health-related professions. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HE 308 - Administration and Methods

    (2)
    SP, alternate years. This course is designed to provide experiences that will enable the student to develop methodology, management, administrative, and instructional skills required to plan and implement a contemporary health education program in school settings.

History: Introductory Courses
  

  • HIST 151 - History of the West and the World I

    (3)
    FA, SP, SU. A survey of world history from the late Paleolithic to the beginnings of European overseas expansion (c. 1500 CE), highlighting the development of agrarian societies, the evolution of the world’s major religious and cultural traditions, human migration and intercultural encounters, and impulses from these as seen in gender and class relations, technological exchange, and political and economic interchange and conflict.
  

  • HIST 152 - History of the West and the World II

    (3)
    FA, SP, SU. A survey of world history from the onset of European overseas expansion (c. 1500 CE) to the present, highlighting developments and problems in social, political and cultural history that have continuing relevance in today’s world, such as cultural change and exchange, imperialism and colonization, industrialization, political reform and revolution, the interplay between religion and society, class and gender relations, and the causes and forms of human conflict. Attention will be paid to both “western” and “non-western” cultures and to the dynamic and often violent relations between cultures.
  

  • HIST 153 - Explorations in World History

    (3)
    FA, SP, SU. This course introduces students to world history through focused study of a particular topic or theme, chosen by the instructor of each section. Among possible topics for the course include: Slavery in World History, the History of Food, Health & Medicine in History, Science & Technology in History, and Empires Ancient & Modern. The theme of each section will span different world regions and time periods. Students will view the topic in specific cultural, political, and social contexts, in both Western and non-Western world regions. Students will also examine development of the topic over centuries, allowing them to understand the historical processes of change and continuity.

History: Intermediate Courses - World Regions
  

  • HIST 233 - Modern Middle East

    (3)
    FA or SP. The subject matter of this course is the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the Arab countries including Egypt, as well as Turkey, Iran, and Israel in the 20th century. Themes include colonialism and nationalism, secularism and religion, and literature and pop culture. Through this survey of Middle Eastern history the course aims to open up the American mental and emotional atlas and uncover the many meanings of the course title. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 235 - India and Its World

    (3)
    FA or SP. A cultural history of South Asia from the earliest times to the twentieth century. Primary emphasis will be placed on the civilization of Hindustan and the interplay of Hindu and Islamic religious and cultural forces there. Themes include the rise of the major Indian religions, the cultural synthesis of the Mughal Empire, the impact of British rule, and the rise of the modern nations of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Economic, social, political, religious, and intellectual themes receive consideration. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 238 - Latin American History

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of continuity and change in Latin America from pre-Columbian times to the present. Topics covered include the blending of peoples and cultures in the conquest era, the long-term influence of colonial institutions, the paradox of economic development and continued poverty, the Cold War struggle between Left and Right, and the growth of Protestantism in a traditional Catholic society. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 242 - Africa and the World

    (3)
    FA or SP. This course covers specific themes in African history from ancient civilization to the contemporary period. Special attention will be given to Africa’s relation to the Mediterranean world, Africa’s contribution to the development of the Christian church, Islam in Africa, slavery and slave trades, the African diaspora, imperialism, colonialism, and the age of independence. This course seeks to place Africa within a number of global contexts asserting that far from being the “Dark Continent,” Africa was a major crossroads of civilizations throughout history.
  

  • HIST 245 - East Asia to 1800

    (3)
    FA or SP. The history of East Asian civilizations from early times until the early modern period. Emphasis is on China and Japan, but Korea is also included. Primary objectives are for students to grasp the essential patterns of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean social structures, political systems, cultural values, and religious and ethical norms as they developed from the late traditional period through to 1800, and also to appreciate the similarities and differences among these civilizations.

History: Intermediate Courses - North America
  

  • HIST 229 - Seminar in United States History

    (4)
    FA. This seminar takes a broad, student-centered learning approach in order to survey the history of the United States as it evolved from its Native American roots and first African and European populations into an independent political unit with an industrial economy and an urban society that ultimately emerged as a global power in the mid-twentieth century. The course will emphasize several interlocking themes: colonial roots and cultural and political divergence; family history and national history; the costs and benefits of expansion; industrialization and immigration; American leadership in the twentieth century; and the challenges of the twenty-first century. Emphasis will be given to teaching these topics at the elementary and secondary-school level.
  

  • HIST 251 - Early America

    (3)
    FA or SP. Study the region that became the United States in a trans-Atlantic context, from the first European settlements through the Napoleonic wars. We will treat colonial America as a cluster of distinct socio-cultural regions: plantation Virginia, Caribbean Carolina, Puritan New England, commercial mid-Atlantic, and the Scots-Irish backcountry. These regions converged to sustain a successful war against the British, but almost fell apart again during the first decades of independence. We will pay special attention to the unexpected dynamics of the Revolutionary War and to the Constitution as establishing an arena of combat rather than a set of settled answers.
  

  • HIST 252 - America from Republic to Empire

    (3)
    FA or SP. An examination of United States history after independence as the nation expanded, industrialized, and came to dominate the Western hemisphere. Special attention is given to the nation’s foundations, western expansion, and slavery; the Civil War and Reconstruction; the Progressive response to industrialization; and the United States’ overseas expansion and participation in World War I. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 253 - Recent America

    (3)
    FA or SP. An examination of United States history from the 1920s to the present, focusing on the ways in which recent history shapes contemporary American culture, politics, economics, and religion. Topics include the “Roaring Twenties” and the Great Depression, WWII, Cold War America and Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement and the Rights Revolution, conservative politics and religion, a post-industrial economy, and the role of the state at home and abroad. Special attention is given to changing configurations of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender in American social relations, and to the intersections of cultural history with political and economic history. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 255 - African-American History

    (3)
    SP. A survey of African-American history from West African societies to contemporary times. Highlights include the creation of a slave society in British North America, African-American intellectual traditions, the African-American church, and social and political movements for freedom.
  

  • HIST 256 - Women and Gender in US History

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of the history of women and gender in American history in global context. The course examines the social construction of femininity and masculinity; intersections of race, class and gender; changing understandings of sexuality; the history of feminism; and the relationship between Christianity and feminism. The course provides an introduction to significant questions and methodologies in women’s history and gender studies and equips students to approach contemporary issues related to women and gender from a historical perspective.
  

  • HIST 258 - U.S. Military History

    (3)
    FA or SP. This course studies the military as an American institution from the colonial period through the “War on Terror.” Though primary focus will be on the major wars fought by the United States, the course will also examine the various social, economic, and political factors influencing the development of the American military.
  

  • HIST 259 - American Economic & Business History

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of American economic history from colonial times to the present, emphasizing the foundations of the American economy, the dynamics behind American economic expansion, the history of American business, the social costs and benefits of industrialization and modernization, the impact of various economic policies, and the nature of the economic changes of the 21st century.

History: Intermediate Courses - Europe
  

  • HIST 225 - England

    (3)
    FA. A survey of English history including the Anglo-Saxon background; the medieval intellectual, religious, and constitutional developments; the Tudor and Stuart religious and political revolutions; the emergence of Great Britain as a world power; and the growth of social, economic, and political institutions in the modern period.
  

  • HIST 261 - Ancient Mediterranean

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of the political, social, cultural, and economic developments of the ancient Mediterranean world, chronologically from the late Bronze Age to the beginning of Late Antiquity. Special attention is given to the formation of the Greek polis, radical democracy in Athens, the effects of Alexander’s conquests, the Roman Republic, the transition to the Roman empire, and the rise and spread of Christianity, in the comparative context of concurrent developments in North Africa and the Near and Middle East.
  

  • HIST 262 - Early Medieval Worlds, 300-1000

    (3)
    FA or SP. In the wake of the Roman Empire, three distinct political cultures emerged from the disintegration of the Roman Empire: the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic commonwealth, and Christian Western Europe. This course will study the emergence of these areas, their interactions, and how they incorporated their Hellenistic legacy. Special attention is given to rise of Islam, the Christianization of Western Europe, the role of monasticism in East and West, and the way each civilization integrated its Roman-Hellenistic heritage into its institutions and culture.
  

  • HIST 263 - Medieval and Renaissance Europe, 1000-1500

    (3)
    FA or SP. A treatment of one of the most formative periods in the development of European culture and institutions, when strong monarchies emerged out of feudalism and a new religious vitality transformed Christian spirituality. These impulses are traced through the rise of schools and universities, the Crusades, and the role of the papacy as a unifying political force in Western Christendom, concluding with the late-medieval economic and demographic crisis and the break-up of the medieval worldview in Renaissance Italy. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 264 - Reformation and Revolution: Europe 1500-1800

    (3)
    FA or SP. A survey of early modern European political and social history with particular emphasis on the Protestant Reformation, its social and intellectual origins, and its political and social contexts and consequences, and on selected “revolutionary” political and intellectual movements, such as the Thirty Years’ War, the English Revolution, the emergence of modern science, the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution.
  

  • HIST 267 - Modern Europe

    (3)
    FA or SP. A survey of Europe from the Congress of Vienna (1815) to the present. Using 1945 as a pivotal year, the course examines the major social, economic, cultural, and political trends that dominated the continent and inspired the two world wars: nationalism, industrialization, militarization, secularization, protest movements, and imperialism. The balance of the course examines the changes and continuities that have characterized the post-war period: economic integration, the Cold War and its aftermath, immigration, decolonization, the tension between European unity and national identities, as well as the burden of Europe’s past. Not offered 2019-2020.

History: Intermediate Courses - Global Histories
  

  • HIST 271 - War and Society

    (3)
    FA or SP. This is not a military history course. Instead, the course addresses the social and cultural contexts of warfare. Case studies are drawn from different conflicts during the 20th century in different world regions, such as Austria-Hungarian World War I, Japan after World War II, post-colonial West Africa, and the recent wars of the United States. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 274 - Environmental History

    (3)
    FA or SP. An introduction to environmental history, the course gives particular attention to North America and in each unit makes global comparisons or examines transnational trends. Key topics include the methods of environmental history, pre-human natural history, the relationship between hunter-gathers and the environment, the development of agriculture, the impact of European colonization globally, the consequences of the industrial revolution and urbanization, the emergence of environmental movements, changing cultural patterns in conceptualizing nature and humanity’s place in it, and the relationship between religious traditions, particularly Christianity, and environmental issues.

History: Intermediate Courses - Theory and Practice of History
  

  • HIST 293 - Public History

    (3)
    IN, alternate years. Public history refers to historical work done outside of schools, colleges, and universities, especially work in institutions such as museums, archives, preservation offices, and cultural resource agencies. It also includes historians who do historical work in business, consulting, and the legal profession. This course surveys the major topics and helps students develop skills used in public history through readings, discussion, guest presentations, and projects. For example, students will learn about the history of public history, employment opportunities for public historians, and public historical issues, and they will reflect on their own career possibilities in this field.
  

  • HIST 294 - Research Methods of History

    (3)
    SP. An introduction to historical sources, bibliography, and research techniques, giving particular attention to the different genres of history writing, critical historical thinking and the role of perspective and worldview, the mechanics of professional notation, critical use of print and electronic research data bases, organizing and writing research essays, and the vocation of the historian. Intended as preparation for 300-level courses.

History: Advanced Courses - World Regions

Enrollment in all 300-level courses presupposes two courses in history or permission of the instructor.
  

  • HIST 331 - Studies in Middle Eastern History

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of U.S.-Middle East relations since about 1900. Under the conceptual framework of culture and imperialism, the topic is not limited to just foreign policy but the full range of economic, social, and cultural exchanges between Americans and Middle Easterners, including military alliances, commercial ties, media coverage, Christian Zionism, immigration, scholarship, and the like.
  

  • HIST 338 - Mexico and the Americas

    (3)
    FA or SP. Mexico has two roots-Hispanic-Catholic and Amerindian. It is poised between modernity and tradition which continues to influence thought and behavior at all levels of society. Mexicans are torn between a fierce loyalty to their country and a profound cynicism about its institutions and leaders. Finally, Mexicans simultaneously admire and resent their neighbor to the north. This course examines Mexico from its pre-Columbian and Iberian origins through its recent embrace of neoliberal economics and democratic politics. It concludes with the experience of Mexican-Americans in the U.S. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 346 - Modern China

    (3)
    FA or SP. An in depth, comprehensive treatment of Chinese history from the Qing Dynasty, about 1650, to the present. In addition to the basics of political, social, and economic history, the course will stress intellectual and religious currents, including the role of Christianity. Not offered 2019-2020.

History: Advanced Courses - North America
  

  • HIST 353 - Studies in U.S. Religious and Intellectual History

    (3)
    FA or SP. This course examines the role of ideas, beliefs, and values in U.S. history, focusing topically on dominant and dissenting systems of thought and conviction that have been particularly important in U.S. history. The course will analyze both elite and popular materials from across the full range of public expression-from state papers to protest publications, the arts, journalism, religion, literature, and the academy-to understand how these have both shaped and responded to the key historical forces of their times. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 356 - American Social and Cultural History

    (3)
    FA or SP. A study of the development of American society from colonial times to the present organized around the themes of power, consumption, material culture, and the social construction of space. Attention will be given to the ways in which new sources, methods, and theoretical frameworks open up new topics and questions in American history, including the changing meaning of the American landscape, the development of suburbia, the rise of consumerism and the mass media, popular religion and the creation of sacred space, and the hidden ways in which power is exercised. Class, gender, and race will be categories of inquiry and analysis. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 358 - Native American History

    (3)
    FA or SP. (Studies in the North American West) The course is national in scope, but focuses especially on the American West, with comparisons to indigenous peoples in Mexico and Canada. Specifically, it looks at regional Native American chiefdoms and states in the centuries before European contact; the impact of horses on the Plains; trade with Europeans and Americans; Christian missions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the “Indian Wars” in the American West, 1840s-1890s; efforts to assimilate Native Americans in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; and campaigns by Native Americans to promote their civil rights and tribal sovereignty in the twentieth century. Not offered 2019-2020.

History: Advanced Courses - Europe
  

  • HIST 362 - Studies in Ancient and Medieval Europe

    (3)
    FA or SP. Offers an in-depth analysis of a particular topic or period within ancient and/or medieval Europe. Calling upon the rich variety of sources in ancient and/or medieval European culture and society, it practices historical analysis on interdisciplinary materials. Possible topics include the Greek polis, the Roman Empire of Augustus, Late Antiquity, Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages, Sex and Society in the Middle Ages, the Bible in the Middle Ages, and the Crusades. Topics for the coming year are advertised by the History Department. Not offered 2019-2020.
  

  • HIST 364 - Studies in Early Modern and Modern Europe

    (3)
    FA or SP. This course focuses on a particular period or movement in European history within either the early modern period (c. 1500-1789) or the modern period (since 1789). The specific content will vary from year to year. Past topics have included the Italian Renaissance, international Calvinism, imperial Spain, nationalism and communism in Eastern Europe, and the history of Christianity in 20th-century Europe. Not offered 2019-2020.

History: Advanced Courses - Global Histories
  

  • HIST 372 - Studies of Modern Empires

    (3)
    FA or SP. The course examines the changing nature of empires and imperialism between the 15th and 20th centuries. It considers the influence of factors such as environment, religion, demography, race, technology, economic institutions, politics, and war on the creation of empires, the conduct of those who led them and were affected by them, and on their ultimate demise. While the particular empires examined will vary from one semester to the next, the broad underlying theme will be the evolution of empires and imperialism, from the land-based and overseas “gunpowder” empires of the early modern era to the “high imperialism” of the 19th century to the Cold War and globalization in the 20th century.
  

  • HIST 376 - Studies in the History of Women and Gender

    (3)
    FA or SP. An introduction to topics in the history of women and to the use of gender as a category of historical analysis. This course examines experiences unique to women, as well as the social history of male-female interactions (in such institutions as the family, the church, and the political sphere) and the changing perceptions of masculinity and femininity in various historical contexts. This course serves as an elective in both History and Gender Studies.

History: Advanced Courses - Theory and Practice of History
  

  • HIST 359 - Seminar in Secondary Social Studies Pedagogy

    (3)
    SP. This seminar employs an active, student-centered learning approach in order to assist student teachers in developing appropriate goals and applying effective methods and practices of teaching history and social studies at the middle and high school level. The seminar also provides a forum to discuss the various challenges that arise during student teaching. Prerequisites: IDIS 375 , concurrent enrollment in EDUC 346 , and an approved history or social studies major.
  

  • HIST 390 - Independent Study

    (1-4)
    FA, IN, SP.
  

  • HIST 390H - Honors Tutorial in History

    (3)
    FA, SP. The first course in a two-semester independent-study sequence designed to lead students in writing a substantial research-based seminar paper. Students spend the fall term conducting a thorough investigation of the secondary literature on and around a topic that they choose in close consultation with their advisor. They proceed in spring term to write a senior thesis upon that topic. Required for students in the department’s honors track and highly recommended for those planning to pursue graduate studies in history. Enrollment in HIST 390H-391H is contingent on instructor approval; before enrolling in HIST 390H, students must secure the agreement of a faculty advisor willing to mentor the two-semester Honors thesis. Students may enroll in 391H only after successful completion of HIST 390H.
  

  • HIST 391H - Honors Senior Thesis

    (3)
    FA, SP. The second course in a two-semester independent-study sequence designed to lead students in writing a substantial research-based seminar paper. Students spend the fall term in HIST 390H conducting a thorough investigation of the secondary literature on and around a topic that they choose in close consultation with their advisor. They proceed in spring term to write a senior thesis upon that topic. Required for students in the department’s honors track and highly recommended for those planning to pursue graduate studies in history. Enrollment in HIST 390H-391H is contingent on instructor approval; before enrolling in HIST 390H, students must secure the agreement of a faculty advisor willing to mentor the two-semester Honors thesis. Students may enroll in 391H only after successful completion of HIST 390H.
  

  • HIST 393 - History Internship

    (3)
    SP. A specialized class in which students enrich their historical education through experiential learning at a historical institution or sites in other appropriate fields of work, as approved by the History Department. Beyond the work of the internship itself, the course includes reading and written work and class meetings. Prior to beginning the internship, students must secure a semester-long internship, and submit a detailed description of their planned activities and educational objectives for the internship. The internship should involve at least 10 hours of work weekly for the duration of the 14-week semester. Those doing internships in a museum or archive normally will have completed HIST 293. In order to pass the internship, students must fulfill their original educational objectives, receive a favorable review from their internship site supervisor, attend the internship seminar faithfully, and submit all required assignments.
  

  • HIST 395 - Historiographical Perspectives

    (3)
    FA. The capstone in the history major, this course examines the history of historical writing and the historian’s vocation, primarily in the Western tradition. Emphasis is on reading and discussion of significant texts and issues in Western historical writing in past and present times. We will consider such questions as: What is history? How should it be studied, taught, and written? What purposes does it serve? Students will evaluate a variety of Christian and non-Christian perspectives on these questions and be challenged to articulate their own answers.

Human Resources
  

  • HRM 301 - Human Resource Management

    (3)
    SP. An introduction to human resource functions along with principles and issues involved in managing an organization’s human capital. Emphasis is placed on the modern day importance of human resource management and focuses on the formulation and implementation of strategies that help companies achieve a sustained competitive advantage. Emphasis is also placed on respect, integrity and the inherit dignity of human beings and how business can create opportunities for individuals to express their vocation in the performance of God-glorifying work. The course will introduce a framework for integrated talent management and will include the study of talent acquisition, compensation and rewards management, organized labor, career succession, performance management, learning management and leadership development, employee engagement and retention, and redeployment. Prerequisite: BUS 201 .
  

  • HRM 305 - The Psychology of Work

    (3)
    FA. A consideration of psychological concepts and research related to human action in work situations, particularly in organizations. The principles of industrial and organizational psychology and human resource management are applied to current topics including organizational identity, psychometrics for screening and selection, employee socialization, performance measurement and management, and employee attitudes and behaviors. The relationship of psychological theory and practice are analyzed through case studies of organizational experiences. Also listed as PSYC 305 . Prerequisites: BUS 201  or PSYC 151 , and STAT 143  or PSYC 255 .
  

  • HRM 310 - Special Topics in Human Resource Management

    (3)
    Human Resource Management is an expanding and ever-changing area of study. We will offer a series of courses on a rotating basis that will allow students more advanced study in the specific areas of interest. Anticipated special-topics courses are likely to include Compensation and Reward Systems, Negotiation and Labor Relations, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, Talent Acquisition and Measurement, Talent Development and Management, and Organizational Development and Change. Prerequisite: HRM 301 . Not offered 2019-2020.

International Development Studies

For non-IDS courses, please refer to course descriptions in their respective departments.
  

  • IDS 201 - Introduction to International Development

    (3)
    FA, SP. An introduction to the history of international development, to the realities of contemporary life in the world’s low income countries, and to competing theoretical perspectives on development and change. The course addresses cultural, social, political, religious, economic, and environmental elements of people’s lives in the developing world. It also surveys and critiques such dominant perspectives on development as modernization, dependency, globalization, and sustainable development.
  

  • IDS 351 - National and Regional Development

    (3)
    FA. An in-depth study of the major contemporary explanations for low levels of development and corresponding recommendations for promoting development at national and regional levels. These explanations focus variously on economic institutions and policies; political institutions and governance; cultural and religious orientations; human rights; geography and the natural environment; technology; social capital and civil society; and globalization/imperialism. Prerequisite: IDS 201, SPHO 205 , or permission of instructor.
  

  • IDS 355 - Community Development

    (3)
    SP. A study of the theories, problems and methods associated with international development work at the community level. Topics include participatory methods, community mapping, survey and assessment methods, project planning and evaluation, asset based community development, appreciative inquiry, donor-client relationships, organizational partnerships, gender mainstreaming, and adult education methods. Special attention is given to the way Christian development organizations carry out these methods. Most of the course is directed toward international community development experiences, but some case studies and illustrations are also taken from a North American context. Prerequisites: IDS 201, SPHO 205 , or ENTR 201 ; or permission of instructor.
  

  • IDS 359 - Internship in Development

    (12)
    SP. Internships will typically take place in collaboration with the World Renew, and will generally involve World Renew’s placement of the student with one of its partner organizations, either in a developing nation or in North America. Students will work for four to five months with this partner in areas of development work including community development, micro-enterprise and business development, literacy and adult education, organizational capacity building, data gathering, basic health, disaster preparedness and response, refugee assistance and resettlement, local church-based development, and peace and reconciliation work. Placement will occur through an application and interview process. See one of the IDS advisors for more information. Prerequisites: IDS 201 or SPHO 205, IDS 355 or STHO 212 , SOC 231 , a semester educational experience in a developing nation or its equivalent, appropriate language capabilities, and junior/senior status.
  

  • IDS 395 - Senior Seminar in International Development Studies

    (3)
    SP. A study of the worldview foundations of contemporary development theories, with special attention to Christian perspectives on development and development work. Topics include modernization, dependency, post-development, feminist and capabilities approach perspectives on development, as well as Christian perspectives on development arising from the Roman Catholic, Mennonite, and Reformed traditions. Prerequisites: senior status and two IDS courses.

Interdisciplinary

This section includes not only courses that are interdisciplinary (IDIS), but others also that do not fit logically into any single department or which are in disciplines not otherwise offered at Calvin.
  

  • HNRS 101 - Community, Citizenship, and Identity

    (5)
    FA. A seminar exploring changing ideas about identity, citizenship, and community, using both historical and literary texts. Students will examine these texts in order to explore how individuals and communities have negotiated the question of how to live as citizens in and of this world. The courses may focus on a specific historical era or examine how a particular question or set of questions has been addressed across different historical and cultural contexts.
 

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 -> 13
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Mission of the University
  Admission
  Academic Policies and Standards
  Core Curriculum
  Academic Programs
  Academic Departments and Degrees
  Courses
  Financial Information
  Directory
  My Portfolio