The following is a list of courses available through the College in High School (CHS) program. The course outlines provide detailed breakdowns of the topics each class will cover and the texts and other materials students will need. High school counselors can share what courses are offered at each school.
Do you have a question about whether your credentials would qualify you to become approved in your subject? If the explanation on the Teacher Application Process document doesn’t answer your question, send an email to chspitt@pitt.edu.
Academic & Career Success
ARTSC 0111: Right Start to College 1
This one-credit course provides students the opportunity to learn and utilize academic success strategies necessary for college courses. Because of this interaction, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a college or AP course as a co-requisite to be taken simultaneously with Right Start. In the case where a student’s individual circumstances do not allow the student to enroll in a co-requisite, the student is expected to apply the learning from this course to another advanced level course on their schedule. This course can be taught in one semester. Like all CHS courses, Right Start to College 1 must also earn high school credit.
Number of Credits: 1
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Michele Lagnese
Course Outline »
ARTSC 0112: Right Start to College 2
This one-credit course is focused on major/career exploration and planning and related aspects of financial literacy. Topics covered include transferrable skills, career research, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and networking skills, aspects of personal finance and creating successful college applications. This course can be taught in one semester. Like all CHS courses, Right Start to College 2 must also earn high school credit.
Number of Credits: 1
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Michele Lagnese
Course Outline »
LDRSHP 1100: Theories of Leadership
This course is designed to acquaint students with multiple theories and practices associated with effective leadership. In answering the question, "What is leadership?" it examines such theories as situational, participative, transformational, and servant leadership. Consideration is given to issues of followership and the many roles we play in life. The class also addresses those leadership and administrative skills and practices usually associated with effective professional management.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: George Buck
Course Outline »
Classical & World Languages
CHIN 0001: First Year Chinese 1
This course aims at achieving both linguistic accuracy and discourse (conversational) competence in the Chinese language. Students will be trained in the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Chinese pronunciation and tones will be emphasized throughout the course. Students will also be introduced to elements of the Chinese culture as it pertains to the language that native speakers use in communicative settings
Number of Credits: 5
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: Three years of high school Chinese, and the high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaison: Wanching (Jocelyn) Hsieh
Course Outline »
FR 0103: Intermediate French 1
This course is an intermediate-level college French course designed to give students productive and interpretive proficiency in the language. Emphasis is on contextualized development of all four skills: speaking, writing, listening, and reading.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: The high school will determine who is eligible to take this advanced course. Language of instruction: French
Faculty Liaison: Brett Wells
Course Outline »
FR 0104: Intermediate French 2: French in a Global Context
This course is a continuation of Intermediate French 1 (FR 0103). Students continue to develop their integrated abilities in the language. Focus is on communicative competency.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: FR 0103, placement, or equivalent. Fulfills DSAS General Education Requirement in Global Issues. Language of instruction: French
Faculty Liaison: Brett Wells
Course Outline »
GER 0201: Intermediate German 1
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Jim Dutcher at 412-383-9027.
This is the first course in intermediate language training. The course is designed to continue to enhance students’ German language proficiency. It integrates all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and provides practice in these skills.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: Three years of high school German, and the high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaison: Viktoria Harms
Course Outline »
GER 0202: Intermediate German 2
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Jim Dutcher at 412-383-9027.
This course is intended to follow Intermediate German 1 (GER 0201) and is the final course in the second-year college language sequence. The course is designed to prepare students for more advanced courses at the university level where the focus will be on reading, writing, and speaking as well as business German and the interpretation of literary texts. This course integrates all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and provides practice in these skills.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: GER 0201
Faculty Liaison: Viktoria Harms
Course Outline »
ITAL 0103: Italian Language and Culture 3
This course is Italian Language and Culture 3, designed for high school students to take as their third/fourth-year Italian course. This course will guide students in the development of literacy skills in Italian through the communicative acts of reading, writing, and creating discourse around all types of texts.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: The high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaison: Lorraine Denman
Course Outline »
LATIN 0210: Latin: Intermediate Prose
GALLIA EST OMNIS DIVISA IN PARTES TRES… With these memorable words Gaius Julius Caesar begins his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, a dramatic, no-frills narrative of his military campaigns that resulted in the conquest of Gaul and its annexation as a province under the control of the Senate and People of Rome. Students will read selections from the Commentariias an introduction to continuous Latin prose and will pay close attention to the art of Caesar’s clear and deceptively simple style. They will also read an English translation of the whole work, The Gallic War, for in-class discussion.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Two years of high school Latin
Faculty Liaison: Ellen Lee
Course Outline »
LATIN 0220: Latin: Intermediate Verse
This course is an introduction to Latin poetry. Students will read selections from Books I, II, and IV of Virgil's epic, The Aeneid, a poem that tells the amazing story of a band of Trojan refugees and their leader, Aeneas, who are searching for a new homeland. In the readings, close attention is paid to diction, style, meter, narrative technique, and the conventions of the ancient epic. Students also will read the whole poem in English for in-class discussion.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Two years of high school Latin
Faculty Liaison: Ellen Lee
Course Outline »
SPAN 0103: Intermediate Spanish 3
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Jim Dutcher at 412-383-9027. Interested teachers should be aware that CHS schools are required to implement the textbook Enfoques and obtain access to its Supersite.
This course is Intermediate Spanish 3. High School students will take this course instead of their standard fourth-year Spanish course. This course builds on and expands the language skills acquired in the first two semesters of Spanish or Spanish 15. It is designed to develop communicative proficiency. It combines content-based language instruction with an interactive task-based approach and focuses on all relevant language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: The high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaisons: Mari Felix Cubas-Mora, Dolores Lima
Course Outline »
SPAN 0104: Intermediate Spanish 4
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Jim Dutcher at 412-383-9027. Interested teachers should be aware that CHS schools are required to implement the textbook Enfoques and obtain access to its Supersite.
This course is Intermediate Spanish 4. High School students will take this course instead of their standard fifth-year Spanish course. It is designed to develop communicative proficiency. This course builds and expands the language skills acquired in the first three semesters of Spanish. It combines content-based language instruction with an interactive task-based approach and focuses on all relevant language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Culture is integrated in all aspects of the program.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: SPAN 0103
Faculty Liaisons: Mari Felix Cubas-Mora, Dolores Lima
Course Outline »
Communication, Literature, & the Arts
COMMRC 0320: Mass Communication and Society
This course is an introduction to mass communication, exploring the cultural, technological, and economic history of the media from newspapers to the Internet, the changing relationships between media industries, audiences, and cultures, and the theoretical underpinnings of mass communication research. By combining histories of specific communication forms, and traditional and contemporary theories of communication, the course places contemporary perspectives and issues in conversation with the history of media development and use in order to help students become more critical consumers of the media they experience daily.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Brent Malin
Course Outline »
COMMRC 0500: Argument
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of research and argument construction. Defense of an argument is presented both verbally and in writing. Topics of this course include an introduction to argument, types of argument, constructing an argument, research methods and evidence, delivery of argument, delivery and refutation of arguments, cross-examination, and evaluation or criticism of arguments.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Jim Dutcher, Reed Van Schenck
Course Outline »
ENGFLM 0400: Introduction to Film
This course in visual arts offers students a broad introduction to the medium of film while inviting conversations about new media, television, and film’s connection to other arts, including photography, painting, theater, and web video.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaisons: Dana Och, Alison Patterson
Course Outline »
ENGLIT 0702: Introduction to Game Studies
This course offers an introduction to the critical study of games and gaming. From a theoretical overview of the roles that games play in our cultures and lives to in-depth examinations of specific games, this course seeks to investigate the uses and potentials of gaming as a cultural form that combines elements of literature, cinema, and computation. While the course focuses primarily on video games, it also examines other forms of games such as board games, role-playing games, and literary games.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Justin Bortnick
Course Outline »
ENGLIT 1230: 20th Century African American Literature
This is an advanced course focused on the topics, form, and function of African American Literature as they develop throughout the 20th century. The course is meant to provide students with both a broad framework to understand the modern history of this category of literature, and the opportunity to practice selective, in-depth analyses of formal, thematic, and argumentative movements within and between specific examples in the time period.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Geoffrey Glover
Course Outline »
FMST 1885: Broadcasting
This course introduces students to television production through academic and hands-on experience. Students will learn how to produce a live broadcast event for collegiate teams and a news broadcast, as well as how to format and make a show rundown, produce and direct live events and news broadcasts, and write television news copy. Students will also gain experience in front of the camera as news anchors, reporters, and on-air talent for live events.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: The high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaison: Kevin Smith
Course Outline »
HAA 0010: Introduction to World Art
This course introduces students to art from around the world. It examines particular paintings, sculptural works and architectural sites that are considered by many to be "masterpieces." Students will study ritual practices, performance, religious objects, cultural artifacts, sacred sites, memorials, and other diverse forms of creative expression. Students will also learn the cultural, political, and historical role that an art object played in its original context.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Gretchen Bender
Course Outline »
MUSIC 1444: Electronic Beat Making & Song Writing
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Jim Dutcher at 412-383-9027.
This course provides an introduction to creating original music on the student’s own laptop through a series of creative projects focusing on different technical topics, beat oriented musical styles, and introductory music theory concepts. Technical topics include audio sequencing, MIDI sequencing, effects, automation, live performance, sampling, and synthesis. This creative work will be complimented by regular listening discussions of a variety of musical styles such as Hip Hop, House, Techno, Dub Reggae, Heavy Metal, Dubstep, Singer-Songwriter, and more. Students will also be asked to write a series of reflection essays on topics such as the creative process, cultural appropriation, and the development of their own artistic voice.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Aaron Myers-Brooks
Course Outline »
Computer Science & Information Science
CS 0007: Introduction to Computer Programming (Java)
This is a first course in computer programming. It is recommended for students intending to major in computer science who do not have the required background for Computer Science 0401. It also may be of interest to students majoring in one of the social sciences or humanities. The focus of the course is on program analysis and the development of algorithms and computer programs in a modern high-level language.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites. Some familiarity with computers in general is assumed
Faculty Liaison: Tan Kosiyatrakul
Course Outline »
CS 0012: Introduction to Computing for the Humanities (Python)
CS 0012 introduces students to the concepts of computing and computer programming. Students in this course learn how a computer works and how to write programs to use the computer as a problem-solving tool. A major focus of the class is developing problem-solving skills. This course is offered for students who wish to utilize computing to study phenomena within the humanities and allied social sciences but have as of yet no background in computer programming.
Number of Credits: 4
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None. Students with no prior programming experience are encouraged to enroll
Faculty Liaison: Nicholas Farnan
Course Outline »
CS 0134: Web Site Design and Development
The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the methods and techniques of developing a simple to moderately complex Web site using the standard Web page language XHTML, Dreamweaver or comparable, and JavaScript. Students also will learn Web site design and layout techniques as well as basic search engine analysis.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Don Bonidie
Course Outline »
CS 0334: Intermediate Web Site Design and Development
The objective of this course is to introduce students to more advanced implementations of both markup as well as scripting languages. In addition, students will be introduced to a graphical interface application that will allow them to explore concepts of server side web development. A reflective programming language and database application will be used to introduce the server side web development concepts.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: CS 0007 or CS 0134 or CMPINF 0401
Faculty Liaison: Don Bonidie
Course Outline »
CMPINF 0401: Intermediate Programming (Java)
The purpose of this course is to introduce the fundamental topics in computer science and improve programming skills with in introduction to programming in Java. This would be a first course for students intending to major in computer science in college.
Number of Credits: 4
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Previous programming experience including basic data types, control constructs, functions, and arrays
Faculty Liaison: John Ramirez
Course Outline »
INFSCI 0010: Introduction to Information, Systems, and Society
This course will introduce both information theory and the design and structure of information systems. You will learn how computers and networks work at a fundamental level. You will explore how social networks, collection of information (databases), and programming languages work. The course will spend particular attention on security and privacy issues. The course will provide you with basic skills such as building web page, programming using simple JavaScript on web pages, design and use of simple databases, and manipulation of digital media. The course meets the quantitative requirement for the College of Arts & Sciences, is designed for students with minimal prior technical coursework, and does not require previous programming experience.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Balaji Palanisamy
Course Outline »
INFSCI 0530: Decision-Making in Sports
This course will introduce data science concepts for sports analytics. Students will be introduced to concepts related to data collection, data quality, data analysis and modeling, and data visualization, as well as gain an understand how to interpret and use probabilities both in the field of sports decision making and in general.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: STAT 0200, STAT 1100, CS 0012 or equivalents are recommended
Faculty Liaison: Konstantinos Pelechrinis
Course Outline »
INFSCI 1049: Introduction to Information Security
The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of information security ranging from threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks to protection, detection, and response and a develop the ability to converse with the terminology used in information security. The course will cover the architecture and generalized protocol/operational aspects of information networks to motivate how security attacks are possible.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: None. However, the following concepts will be required to understand some lectures in the course: Algebra, Binary Arithmetic, Combinatorial Math
Faculty Liaison: Balaji Palanisamy
Course Outline »
Mathematics & Statistics
Please note: All prospective students in entry-level Pitt calculus courses, whether through CHS or on-campus, must attain a required minimum score in the math assessment before enrolling. Learn more about placement testing.
MATH 0120: Business Calculus
This course provides an introduction to calculus for students interested in managerial or social science. Topics include functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, applications of differentiation, integration, exponential and logarithmic functions, and an introduction to multivariable calculus. Many College in High School instructors also include the calculus of trigonometric functions.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: High school algebra and current facility with algebraic manipulations are essential. A score of 61 or higher on the ALEKS placement examination
Faculty Liaison: Jeremiah Morgan
Course Outline »
MATH 0220: Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1
This course is the standard first course in a basic calculus sequence required for all mathematics, science, engineering, and statistics students. Topics covered in this course include functions and graphs, limits, derivatives, trigonometric functions, application of the derivative, integral, applications of the integral, and exponential and logarithmic functions. As time allows, the College in High School course may include in its syllabus the differentiation of the logarithmic and exponential functions, which is the first topic in Calculus II at Pitt.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: Skill in algebraic manipulation is essential. Trigonometry and two years of high school algebra or precalculus are required. A score of 76 or higher on the ALEKS placement examination
Faculty Liaison: Roxana Popescu
Course Outline »
MATH 0230: Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2
This course is the standard second course in a basic calculus sequence required for all mathematics, science, engineering, and statistics students.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: Successful completion (a grade of C or higher) of MATH 0220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, or an AP Calculus AB score of 4 or 5
Faculty Liaison: Evgeni Trofimov
Course Outline »
MATH 0280: Intro. to Matrices & Linear Algebra
The principal topics of the course include vectors, matrices, determinants, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and selected applications.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: Successful completion (a grade of C or higher) of MATH 0220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, or an AP Calculus AB score of 4 or 5
Faculty Liaison: Thomas Everest
Course Outline »
STAT 0200: Basic Applied Statistics
This course teaches methods and terminologies of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students who complete this course will be able to conduct their own analyses of standard one-sample or two-sample data sets, follow statistical reasoning, and read statistical reports with understanding. Introductory topics in linear regression, analysis of variance, and contingency table analysis also will be covered.
Number of Credits: 4
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Two years of high school algebra are recommended
Faculty Liaisons: Bryan Nelson & Ruth Mihalyi
Course Outline »
STAT 1000: Applied Statistical Methods
This course teaches methods of descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include data collection and description, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, the analysis of variance, chi-square tests. Students will learn how to use the statistical computer package Minitab.
Number of Credits: 4
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Two years of high school algebra are recommended
Faculty Liaisons: Bryan Nelson & Ruth Mihalyi
Course Outline »
Natural Sciences
BIOSC 0100: Preparation for Biology
This course focuses on a subset of major topics covered in the University of Pittsburgh courses Foundations of Biology I and II (BIOSC 0150, 0160), including a review of chemistry as it applies to biology, the structure and function of macromolecules, the basic structure of cells, energy and cellular respiration, introduction to genetics and molecular biology, and development. While these topics are covered in high school Biology courses, Preparation for Biology delves deeper and applies chemistry concepts to achieve a more complete understanding of Biology.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: High school biology
Faculty Liaison: Becky Gonda
Course Outline »
CHEM 0110: General Chemistry 1
**CHS Chemistry laboratories are currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Linda Yurasits at 412-624-5524.
This is the first half of a two-term introduction to general chemistry. Topics include atomic theory, molarity, gases and kinetic theory, thermochemistry, electronic structure and the periodic table, relationships between phases, ionic solutions and acid/base theories, redox reactions, carbon chemistry, rates of reactions, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics. This course requires laboratory sessions and exams on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: High school chemistry
Faculty Liaison: Susan Maleckar
Course Outline »
GEOL 1330: Sustainability Flash Lab
This course provides a starting point for understanding sustainability by measuring our individual and collective impact through “home labs” designed to target specific areas of consumption. By examining energy and resource use in our own lives and homes (including electricity, water and sewage, garbage and recycling, energy use, food, consumerism, and transportation), we begin to understand the complex web of production, distribution, delivery, and consequences of human society today. We also ask broader questions: How do we measure production and consumption? How do geographical and socio-economic environments affect these things? How do we go beyond traditional measurements to quantify more comprehensive impacts and life-cycles? Discussion will be aided by texts, essays, and reflection on the personal experience of working toward sustainable life changes.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Ward Allebach
Course Outline »
NUTR 1006: Intro. to Human Nutrition
This course will cover an overview of the scientific principles of nutrition and their applications to humans throughout the lifecycle. Topics include classification and function of the six major nutrients, review of current nutrition standards, safety of the food supply, and nutrition misinformation.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Trisha Cousins
Course Outline »
PHYS 0174: Basic Physics for Science and Engineering 1
This is the first term of a two-term introductory lecture-demonstration sequence in physics for science and engineering students. Calculus is used as needed and should be taken at least concurrently. Subjects covered include kinematics, Newton's laws of motion, energy, momentum, rotational motion, angular momentum, gravitation, oscillations, mechanical waves, and kinetic theory.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: MATH 0220 either before or concurrently with PHYS 0174
Faculty Liaison: Melanie Good
Course Outline »
PSY 0010: Introduction to Psychology
The objective of this course is to provide students with an overview of the diverse field of psychology, and an appreciation of the way that behavior and mental processes can be studied scientifically. Due to the time commitment needed to prepare for the AP exam, CHS prefers that schools do not offer AP and CHS credit in the same classroom for this course.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course (Exceptions May Be Considered)
Prerequisites: The high school will determine who is eligible to take this course
Faculty Liaison: Jennifer Cousins
Course Outline »
School of Education
HHD 1002: Development: Conception Through Early Childhood
**This course is currently closed to new applicants. For more information, please contact Lesa Skukan at 412-624-7428.
This course covers key aspects of the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of children, from conception through elementary school age. Attention is also given to the importance of contexts that shape development, including factors related to families, socioeconomic status, and child care/school settings. The course has three primary aims: 1) Introduce major themes of child development; 2) Support understanding of effective parenting and instructional practices that enhance children’s well-being; and 3) Foster the mindset of “caretaking” and advocacy for all children, especially the most vulnerable.
Number of Credits: 3
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaisons: Esohe Osai, Heather Bachman
Course Outline »
School of Social Work
SOCWRK 1000: Introduction to Social Work
This course provides an overview of professional social work. It examines the historical development of the profession of social work; introduces the profession’s values, ethics, and practice principles; examines the major interventive methods of social work practice; identifies the generalist base of social work practice; and explores the social service delivery networks which comprise the social welfare system in urban environments. Social work’s historic commitment to social justice and to the elimination of poverty is integrated throughout the course. Ecological social systems framework is also introduced and integrated as diversity and global impacts are introduced. The course format includes lecture presentations, discussion, guest presentations, reading assignments, examinations, student volunteer service, and visits to social agencies.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Toya Jones
Course Outline »
Social Sciences
HIST 0101: Western Civilization 2
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Lesa Skukan at 412-624-7428.
This is an introductory-level course in Western European History that handles topics from the Scientific Revolution to the Cold War. It provides a framework for those who will continue in the study of History, and it provides an overview for those seeking to fulfill “General Education” requirements. There are no prerequisites. This course will introduce major questions of historical process and it will emphasize chronological, comparative, and contextual reasoning and the construction of original arguments grounded in historical evidence.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Leslie Hammond
Course Outline »
HIST 0301: Russia to 1917
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Lesa Skukan at 412-624-7428.
The overall goal of this course is to give students a broad overview, and deep understanding, of the Russian Empire at the peak of its power in the 19th century and its collapse in the world-shaking Russian Revolution of 1917. The course is designed around broad historical questions that will encourage students to develop their own questions and ideas. To understand both the rise and fall of the Imperial Russia, we will explore the social, political, religious, and ideological building blocks of Russian society and why they could not weather the storm of modernity. Student will learn how to work with both primary and secondary sources to develop their own ideas about how this period in Russian history unfolded the way that it did. Given that the 19th century was a golden age of Russian literature, students will also be required to analyze Russian fiction as a lens into Russian society.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Leslie Hammond
Course Outline »
HIST 0600: United States to 1877
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Lesa Skukan at 412-624-7428.
This covers U.S. History from the explorations of the 15th Century through the Civil War. It will provide an overview for those seeking to fulfill “General Education” requirements. Students will cover topics such as settlement, the process of colonization, the development, entrenchment, and experience of slavery, the road to revolution, the birth of a new nation, the role of government, expansion, political and economic change, the growth of institutions, reform movements, the rise of sectional conflict, and war. Students will interpret primary and secondary sources, learn to read and construct historiographical arguments, and hone analytical and evidenced based writing skills.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Liann Tsoukas
Course Outline »
HIST 0601: United States 1865 - Present
**This course is currently full, and interested teachers are being added to a waiting list. If you are interested in joining the waiting list, please contact Lesa Skukan at 412-624-7428.
This introductory level course covers central developments in U.S. History from Reconstruction to the present. It will provide an overview for those seeking to fulfill “General Education” requirements. This period in U.S. History is characterized by dramatic and sweeping political, economic, social, and cultural change, as well as expanding global engagement. Students will interpret primary and secondary sources, learn to read and construct historiographical arguments, and hone analytical and evidenced based writing skills.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Liann Tsoukas
Course Outline »
HIST 0671: African American History Since 1865
This course provides an introductory survey of the major political, economic, and cultural events and developments in African American history from Reconstruction to the present. Students will consider the variety of reactions, interpretations, and solutions to the oppression that shapes Black experiences. Students will also consider the broad range of experiences that are tied to work, family, culture, and faith, along with the various forms of resistance and accommodation that were attempted in the pursuit of political identity and the quest to build strong communities.
Number of Credits: 4
Taught as a Full-Year Course
Prerequisites: None
Faculty Liaison: Liann Tsoukas
Course Outline »
PS 0200: American Politics
This course is, quite generally, designed to provide students with a basic working knowledge of the basic goals of the Constitutional Framers, giving students an understanding of the purposes of the American political system, the essential structures (or institutions) within the American political system, the behavior (broadly defined) of the actors within the American political system, the purpose and performance of the linkage institutions in the United States (possibly including political parties, elections, and interest groups), and the types of policies that are often produced by a system with the characteristics of those found in the United States.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year or Semester Course
Prerequisites: Basic algebra is a suggested prerequisite for the course
Faculty Liaison: Kristin Kanthak
Course Outline »
PS 0500: International Relations
International Relations is the study of how states interact with each other. This course builds a working knowledge of our field, introducing the background, theoretical, and empirical tools necessary to understand international relations today. Students will learn about important findings in a variety of subfields, including war, international political economy, institutions, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism. Students will also solve problem sets and work with common international relations datasets to obtain a working understanding of the discipline's methodological foundations.
Number of Credits: 3
Option of Full-Year of Semester Course
Prerequisites: Basic algebra is a suggested prerequisite for the course
Faculty Liaison: William Spaniel
Course Outline »