These courses will introduce students to the modes of inquiry used in the study of social institutions and human behavior. Students enrolled in these courses will seek to investigate the relationship between the individual and society and the varieties of human psychology and development.

Courses in this area encourage students to:

• Examine modes of inquiry used in the study of social institutions, patterns of culture, historical narratives, and human behavior
• Understand and evaluate patterns and processes affecting social organization and distributions of power and resources
• Investigate the relationship between the individual and society through a diverse range of voices
• Explore varieties of human psychology or development
• Compare theories about human society, culture, history, and behavior
• Examine patterns of inclusion and exclusion, and other forms of social grouping
• Consider the civic and ethical implications inherent in the study of the human experience

Courses in this area encourage students to examine the circumstances that produce creative work; investigate the criteria used to judge creative work; and consider the role of imagination in expressing the human condition.

Courses in this area encourage students to:

• Examine the circumstances and choices that influence the production of creative work
• Investigate, establish, and/or apply criteria used to evaluate creative work
• Attend and/or participate in creative activities and explore their relevance
• Analyze how creative work reflects, responds to, and shapes various contemporary and historical contexts
• Consider the role of imagination in confronting and expressing the human condition
• Encounter ambiguity and diverse interpretations as aspects of aesthetic inquiry
• Consider the civic and ethical implications in production, consumption, and access to creative works

Through these courses students will encounter and comprehend cultures and contexts outside the U.S.; develop an understanding of how the world is interconnected; and consider alternative viewpoints among disciplines, histories, and cultures.

Courses in this area encourage students to:

• Encounter, comprehend, and appreciate cultures and contexts outside the U.S.
• Develop an understanding of how the world is organized and interconnected
• Interpret regionally specific social, political, historical, and/or economic issues within the larger global context
• Recognize how knowledge is constructed differently in various communities
• Consider alternate viewpoints among disciplines, histories, cultures and groups
• Explore the complexities of cross-cultural communication and problem-solving
• Consider their civic and ethical responsibilities as local and global actors

These courses examine how logical and empirical methods can be used to form and revise beliefs; use scientific concepts to describe the world and formulate questions; and model phenomena through the use of mathematics, computer programs, and physical representations.

Courses in this area encourage students to:

• Explore how logical and empirical methods can be used to form and revise beliefs
• Apply methods of logical and empirical reasoning to their own beliefs
• See relations between ideas, both contemporaneous and historical
• Use and connect scientific concepts to describe the world, formulate questions, and solve problems
• Consider and compare different applications of evidence-based reasoning
• Model phenomena in a variety of ways such as through mathematics or the use of computer programs or physical representations
• Consider the civic and ethical implications of scientific inquiry