Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Professional Studies Online

Practice in developing and improving writing for professionals. This course emphasizes workplace and technical communication and editing appropriate to diverse professions. Students investigate and practice selected types of discourse employed in professional writing situations, and are prepared for different systems of writing that are relied on during the professional careers of business manager. Students examine and analyze examples from the writing of workplace professionals and use them as models to demonstrate the transition from casual to professional writing. This course also includes strategies and techniques for effective presentations in the business and managerial professions. An emphasis is placed on oral and visual techniques for formal and informal situations including leadership, conflict resolution, interviewing, negotiation, and group communication.

Self-understanding and the quest for personal and professional realization are mediated by a host of social and institutional forms, including the family, social class, the economy, schools and modern governmental and corporate structures. This course will select and organize readings and other relevant materials in sociology, political science and economics to enable students to analyze some contemporary institutional forms and to appreciate the dynamic interaction between such forms and the individual’s personal experiences and areas of study.

This course provides students with a fundamental grasp of the research, principles, and theories of psychology. Students will acquire a better understanding of their behavior through such topics as development, learning, memory, personality, social behavior, abnormal behavior and therapy.

This course is an introduction to statistical techniques commonly used in the analysis of data from many sources. Emphasis is placed on the assumptions, restrictions, and uses of various methods of analyzing data rather than on the mathematical derivation of formulae. The basic objectives of the course include: overcoming some of the myths and fears associated with statistical analysis; learning to think “statistically” and to share the vocabulary of data analysts; providing a basic working knowledge of fundamental statistical analyses; introducing you to various software programs and the Internet; preparing students to become critical consumers of information; and stimulating an intellectual curiosity about the use of statistics in our professional and personal lives.

This course investigates the impact of information and information systems, technology, practices, and artifacts on how people organize their work, interact, and understand experience. Social issues in information systems design and management: assessing user needs, involving users in system design, and understanding human-computer interaction and computer-mediated work and communication are explored. Students will also discuss the use of law and other social policies to mediate the tension between free flow and constriction of information. The underlying philosophy behind this course is the belief that designing and managing effective information systems requires an understanding of the circumstances of their use: real people use them for specific purposes under specific circumstances. Information systems both shape and are shaped by their users and their context. Therefore, the course considers the social nature of information and information systems, and their design and use as part of how people make sense out of their worlds, interact with one another, and coordinate action across time and space. The course also considers such issues as the social construction of information; knowledge communities (including organizations) and the collaborative nature of knowledge; the self and community in an electronic world; assessing user needs; involving users in system design; and issues in human-computer interaction, and computer-supported cooperative work

This course includes a review of major philosophical concepts that have shaped government in the United States and an analysis of contemporary political institutions and behavior, focusing on the American governmental system. An introduction to political power and how the domestic policy process works; how to evaluate American domestic policy; and the content of several major domestic policies such as energy, environment, health, education, welfare, economic stability, labor, and justice and social order.

This course begins with an introduction to basic principles of interaction between two people. Emphasis is on enhancement of skills in a variety of interpersonal contexts. Theory and research on the development, maintenance, and termination of interpersonal relationships will be covered. The course will also examine the multiplicity of cultures and subcultures within the contemporary United States and will explore personal awareness and appreciation of multiculturalism. Skill development will include activities for experiencing diverse cultural perspectives. Skills for recognizing, analyzing, and mediating cultural and psychological factors impacting conflict and accord between diverse cultures will also be considered.

The concept of “Globalization” will be explored through contemporary readings. Recognizing the reality that increasingly we live in a world that is economically, politically, and environmentally connected, this course seeks to challenge students to think beyond their immediate surroundings and view themselves as part of a larger global community. The course focuses on the complex set of global, intercultural, political, and economic issues that we face as citizens in this global community.

Readings on leadership will be examined with particular attention to issues which resonate with the modern-day business world and the leadership it demands. Weekly readings will require reaction papers and the submission of questions for class discussion. A final comprehensive paper will be required.

In this course, the student is challenged to formulate a philosophy of life, providing the base for such concerns as ethics in business, accountability in government, respect for human rights, and responsible lifestyle in our contemporary world. Ethical theories and personal values are examined through readings, analysis of the workplace, and classroom discussions. The concept of the “common good” is also explored, providing an undercurrent, or theme, for classroom discussions. What exactly is “the common good”, and why do many ethicists advocate that it should occupy a critical central place in current discussions of problems in our society? As Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson recently wrote: “We face a choice between a society where people accept modest sacrifices for a common good or a more contentious society where group selfishly protect their own benefits.”

This is a course in transactional writing to help students develop practical writing skills while analyzing discourses and documents from a variety of disciplines. Forms include analyses, reports, proposals, case studies, business letters and memos, resumes and letters of application.

This course is designed to introduce students to principles of public relations and the field. Students will learn about the development and maintenance of relationships between a variety of different kinds of organizations/clients and their publics. Class assignments are structured to encourage students to become better writers, speakers, designers, and strategic thinkers.

This course studies the processes by which the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of the individual are influenced by his/her social environment. Topics include: social perception and attribution, attitude development and change, interpersonal attraction and interpersonal relations, such as friendship, aggression, and prosocial behavior.

This course is a theoretical exploration of communication processes in a variety of organizational contexts. The course explores how communication affects working relationships.

This course covers legal issues and topics in media law including First Amendment, defamation, privacy, intellectual property, censorship, commercial speech, obscenity, broadcast and cable regulation, media ownership and evolving internet regulation.

This course is designed to introduce students to the history of advertising in the U.S. and the development of brands. Students will learn fundamental strategies that advertisers use to capture consumer attention, create sales pitches, compete in the marketplace and adapt to the introduction of new technologies. Additional emphasis is given to ethical considerations as they relate to advertising and promotions.

This course is designed to develop effective and responsible public speaking skills. The course will focus on researching, organizing, writing, and presenting various types of speeches including informational and persuasive.

This course is a study of the basic procedures and techniques of print news reporting, writing and editing as well as writing for the electronic news media, online sources, public relations, and advertising.

An examination of shifts implicit in the inception and expansion of digital and electronic art since the 1960s, including dynamic data and visualization, interactivity, architectures of time, generative and evolutionary algorithms, digital video art, sound art and immersive virtual reality (VR).

This is an analysis of human behavior in organizations. Topics include: organizational structures and dynamics, motivation and job satisfaction, management styles, and problems in human relations.

This course examines the nature of political power and the dynamics of change in the United States and around the world. It will examine theories of distribution of political power, devices used by different groups to influence social change, and alternative modes for the distribution of political power. Special emphasis will be given to the role of social movements in political and social structures

Many spheres of human activity are dominated by organizational life. This course surveys complex organizations. Among the topics discussed are: organizational structure and types of organizations; organizations and technological change; organizational culture; informal processes within organizations; and how organizations interact with their environment.

This course is an introduction to small group processes, including theory, research and application. Topics include leadership, power, decision-making, and conflict.

Emphasis is on the dynamics and interaction of communication processes in small groups. Group development, problem solving, participant roles, and decision making are included.