UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Catalog description

Student-faculty collaboration on research projects of mutual interest. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. (Variable credit) PHYS 499 DIRECTED READING IN PHYSICS A guided survey of a specialized area of physics. Prerequisite: Contingent on subject matter, permission of the instructor. (1- 4 credits) Physics (B.A.) - Typical Plan Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 151 Calculus I 4 MATH 250 Calculus II 4 CHEM 125 General Chemistry I 4 PHYS 221 University Phys: Mechanics 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 102 Western Civilization II 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics II 4 Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits PHYS 222 University Physics: Materials 4 CSCI 151 Intro to Comp Programming 4 PHYS 223 University Physics: E and M 4 PHYS 321 Modern Physics 4 MATH 251 Vector Calculus 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 Elementary Language 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 252 Ordinary Different Equations 4 Physics Elective 4 Physics Elective 4 POLT 203 American Civilization 4 PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 ENGR 202 Mechatronics 4 Physics Elective 4 Physics Elective 4 General Elective 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 Physics Major or Computer Science major with a Minor in Engineering A Major in Physics with a Minor in engineering provides students with a practical application of physics as an engineer. Engineering is the scientific technical field which involves the design, build, testing, and practical application of Physics principles, for the purpose of solv ing societal problems in innovative ways. This minor is intended for students who have a keen interest in robotic and mechatronic systems. Students will learn about engineering modeling, analysis and design, CAD software, sensor and actuator dynamics, programming, and system control. These courses outline modern engineering methodologies, in practical, hands -on ways. Students with this minor will have a practical exposure to automation and engineering design principles. Students should follow the suggested plan outlined below to obtain a Physics major with a Minor in engineering. Physics Major with a Major in Math or Computer Science The students who opt for the Physics Major receive a deep and rich exposition of theoretical, experimental, and computational science. The Physics major aims to provide a rigorous and modern introduction to the physical and chemical sciences and mathematics in an environment that incorporates classroom teaching, class-associated laboratory experiences, an introduction to the scientific literature and an emphasis on independent research. The Mathematics Program develops a student’s understanding of the nature, power, scope, and beauty of mathematical thought within a Catholic liberal arts tradition. The mathematics curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in theoretical, practical, and computational aspects of the discipline. Combining the Physics Major with a Major or Minor in Mathematics provides opportunities to foster the development of independent thinking and complex problem -solving skills, along with the technical proficiency characteristic of the effective scientist in the physical sciences. The dual Major/Major, or Major/Minor Program will prepare a student for a wide spectrum of vocations. To achieve a Major in Physics with a Minor in Mathematics it is recommended to complete all the Required Courses plus the four Elective Courses for the Physics major and add on a minimum of two additional Mathematics courses. To achieve a Major in Physics with a Major in Mathematics it is recommended to complete all the Required Courses plus the four Elective Courses for the Physics major and add on all the Required Courses plus the four Elective Courses for the Mathematics major. See the Suggested Plan on the following pages. To achieve a dual major in Physics and Computer Science, a student must take the prerequisite courses in both majors as shown in the following suggested plan. Physics (B.A.) with Minor in Engineering - Typical Plan This plan is suitable for Physics majors planning to Minor in Engineering. Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 151 Calculus I 4 MATH 250 Calculus II 4 CHEM 125 General Chemistry I 4 PHYS 221 University Phys: Mechanics 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 102 Western Civilization II 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics II 4 Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits PHYS 222 University Physics: Materials 4 CSCI 151 Intro to Comp Programming 4 PHYS 223 University Physics: E and M 4 PHYS 321 Modern Physics 4 MATH 251 Vector Calculus 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 ENGR 101 Robotics 4 ENGR 202 Mechatronics 4 Total 16 Total 16 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 252 Ordinary Different Equations 4 Physics Elective 4 ENGR 303 Electronics 4 POLT 203 American Civilization 4 PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 ENGR 404 Automation and Controls 4 Total 16 Total 16 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 ENGR 202 Mechatronics 4 Physics Elective 4 Physics Elective 4 Foreign Language 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 Physics Elective 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 Computer Science (B.S.) with Engineering Minor - Typical Plan This plan is suitable for Computer Science majors planning to Minor in Engineering. Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 151 Intro to Comp Programming 4 CSCI 152 Discrete Structures and FP 4 MATH 151 Calculus I 4 General Elective 4 LATN 101 Elementary Latin 4 LATN 102 Intermediate Latin II 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics 4 Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 251 Algorithms and Programming 4 CSCI 252 Data Struct and Algorithms 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 ENGR 202 Mechatronics 4 ENGR 101 Robotics 4 PHYS 221 University Phys: Mechanics 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 102 Western Civilization II 4 Total 16 Total 16 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 350 Automata Theory 4 CSCI 370 Programming Languages 4 PHYS 222 University Phys: Materials 4 ENGR 404 Automation and Controls 4 ENGR 303 Electronics 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 Total 16 Total 16 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 390 Op Systems and Blockchains 4 CSCI 270 Web/Mobile App Dev 4 PHYS 321 Modern Physics 4 CSCI 470 Art Intell and Machine Learn 4 THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 CSCI 490 Comp Networks and Security 4 POLT 203 American Civilization 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 Total 16 Total 16 The following are dual major plans for Physics B.A. and Mathematics B.A. or Computer Science B.A. Physics (B.A.) with Mathematics (B.A.) Dual Major/Degree – Suggested Plan Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 151 Calculus I 4 MATH 250 Calculus II 4 CHEM 125 General Chemistry I 4 PHYS 221 University Phys: Mechanics 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 102 Western Civilization II 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics II 4 Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits PHYS 222 University Physics: Materials 4 Math Elective 4 PHYS 223 University Physics: E and M 4 CSCI 151 Introduction to Comp Prog 4 MATH 251 Vector Calculus 4 Physics Elective 4 LATN 101 Elementary Latin 4 LATN 102 Intermediate Latin 4 Total 16 Total 16 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 252 Ordinary Different Equations 4 Physics Elective 4 Physics Elective 4 MATH 330 Probability 4 MATH 310 or MATH 311 4 POLT 203 American Civilization 4 PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 Total 18 Total 18 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 490 Senior Seminar 4 ENGR 202 Mechatronics 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 Math Elective 4 Math Elective 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 Total 18 Total 18 Note: Taking more than 128 total credits (16 credits per semester) may affect scholarships. Check with Financial Aid to confirm eligibility. Physics (B.A.) with Computer Science (B.S.) Dual Major/Degree - Suggested Plan Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 151 Calculus I 4 MATH 250 Calculus II 4 CHEM 125 General Chemistry I 4 PHYS 221 University Phys: Mechanics 4 CSCI 151 Introduction Comp Prog 4 CSCI 152 Discrete Structures and FP 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics II 4 Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 250 Algorithms and Programming 4 CSCI 251 Data Struct and Algorithms 4 PHYS 223 University Physics: E and M 4 PHYS 222 University Physics: Materials 4 MATH 251 Vector Calculus 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 LATN 101 Elementary Latin 4 LATN 102 Intermediate Latin 4 PHYS 321 Modern Physics 4 Physics Elective 4 Total 20 Total 20 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization II 4 MATH 252 Ordinary Different Equations 4 CSCI 350 Automata Theory 4 CSCI 270 Web/Mobile App Dev 4 POLT 203 American Civilization 4 PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 Total 18 Total 18 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits CSCI 370 Programming Languages 4 PHYS 490 Advanced Laboratory 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 CSCI 470 Art Intell and Machine Learn 4 CSCI 390 Op Systems and Blockchains 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 CSCI 470 Comp Networks and Security 4 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 PHYS 497 Directed Research 2 Total 18 Total 18 Note: Taking more than 128 total credits (16 credits per semester) may affect scholarships. Check with Financial Aid to confirm eligibility. Political Economy & Government The Political Economy & Government Major is offered within the Department of Politics. Chair and Program Director: Dr. Lidiya Zubytska, Assistant Professor of Politics The Major in Political Economy & Government prepares students to understand and participate in public debates that affect our life as a nation. The economics courses prepare students to understand the costs and the benefits of market forces and of government action. The politics courses reveal the basic principles and the intricacies of po licymaking. Together, they prepare students to be informed, intelligent participants in our democracy. The Major in Political Economy & Government is designed for students who wish to understand the political principles and economic tools and conce pts involved in domestic policy making. They will apply advanced economic analysis to concrete policy proposals. They will understand the process of creating policies. Student Learning Goals and Outcomes for the B.A. in Political Economy & Government Goal 1: Students will possess knowledge of the normative principles and purposes of politics, as well as the framework of American government within which public policy is made; they will be capable of making sound, well-integrated, and well-informed arguments about the national economy, applying higher-order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) to problems affecting political economy and government. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of Political Thought, including Catholic thought. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of American Government, the United States Constitution, and the process by which public policy is made. Outcome 3: Students will be able to describe the history and institutions of the U.S. economy, as well as trends and indicator data for the economy. Outcome 4: Students will be able to identify, describe, and articulate standard economic terminology, concepts, models, and arguments, and apply economic tools. Outcome 5: Students will be able to write an argumentative essay, exhibiting competence in invention, organization, and style. Outcome 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to speak effectively in front of peers and make oral arguments. Outcome 7: Students will demonstrate the capacity to draw upon knowledge across disciplines in policy debates, especially knowledge of politics and economics. Required Courses for the Major ECON 201 Principles of Macroeconomics ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics POLT 301 American Government POLT 304 Constitutional Law POLT 305 Public Policy POLT 320 American Political Thought One Elective out of ECON 105 Foundations of A Just Society POLT 302 Catholic Political Thought Two Electives out of ECON 210 Western Economic History ECON 316 Markets, States, and Institutions POLT 311 Entrepreneurship and Civil Society One additional elective in Economics Other courses in the same areas of politics and economics may be substituted with the approval of the program director. Course Descriptions Course descriptions can be found under their major. Political Economy & Government (B.A.) - Typical Plan Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits MATH 110, 150, or 151 4 POLT 203 American Civ 4 RETP 101 Rhetoric and Poetics I 4 RETP 102 Rhetoric and Poetics II 4 HIST 101 Western Civilization I 4 HIST 102 Western Civilization II 4 Elementary Foreign Language 4 Intermediate Foreign Language 4 or Science II with Lab Total 16 Total 16 Sophomore Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits PHIL 205 Nature and Person 4 PHIL 206 Ethics 4 POLT 305 Public Policy 4 ECON 210/ECON 316/POLT 311* 4 THEO 105 Sacred Scripture 4 THEO 205 Sacred Doctrine 4 ECON 201 Principles of Macroecon 4 ECON 202 Principles of Microecon 4 Total 16 Total 16 Junior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits POLT 301 American Government 4 ECON 210/ECON 316/POLT 311* 4 POLT 304 Constitutional Law 4 ECON 105 or POLT 302 4 Science I with Lab 4 General Elective 4 POLT 320 Am Pol Thought 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 Senior Year Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits THEO 400 Living in Christ 4 Economics Elective 4 PHIL 300 Metaphysics 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4 Total 16 Total 16 *Students must take two of three of ECON 210, ECON 316, or POLT 311. Politics Chair: Dr. Lidiya Zubytska, Assistant Professor of Politics Politics is the study of man in communities and deliberation about how best to order man’s social existence. The main objective of Ave Maria University’s Politics Major is to advance students’ critical understanding of the nature and purpose o f political life. Students are presented with differing theoretical perspectives from which to understand and assess certain perennial political problems. Through careful analysis of how statesmen and scholars from antiquity to the present have answered the great political questions, students expand their intellectual horizons and cultivate sharp analytical and critical skills. The program is guided by the four subfields of the study of politics: political philosophy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. These four fields complement each other. Political philosophy promotes inquiry into the nature of justice, authority, forms of social order, law, political regimes, and international relations. American government promotes the study of constitutional law, the history of American politics, public and foreign policy, and comparative politi cs. Courses in the field of American government serve to test the theoretical underpinnings of political philosophy; courses in political philosophy offer normative perspectives from which to evaluate issues and events in American government. Courses in international relations and comparative politics are moved by considerations of justice and the attempt to evaluate regimes normatively. The four fields provide broad and principled yet exact knowledge of political life. The curriculum is designed t o provide a solid fo undation for specialized graduate work, entry into law school, careers in the public or private sector, and life-long learning. Ave Maria University cultivates in its students a sense of public responsibility and a respect for the common good. Therefore, emphasis is placed upon normative principles and purposes of government, as well as the factual operations and history of the United States system of government. Student Learning Goals and Outcomes for the B.A. in Politics Goal 1: Upon graduation, students will possess knowledge of the normative principles and purposes of politics, as well as of the operations of systems of governance, including the American system. Outcome 1: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of Political Thought, including Catholic Political Thought. Outcome 2: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of International Relations, including the following: major theoretical perspectives in the discipline, terminology, and topics such as just war theory and globalization. Outcome 3: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of American Government, including the United States Constitution, processes of government, influential actors in American politics, and the like. Outcome 4: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of Comparative Politics, including terminology in the subfield, differences among democracies, as well as various types of government in theory and in practice. Outcome 5: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to write a paper with a clear thesis statement, defended with facts and arguments that is well organized, and free of major grammatical errors. Outcome 6: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to speak effectively in front of peers and make oral arguments. Required Courses for the Major POLT 201 Introduction to Political Thought POLT 202 Comparative Politics POLT 203 American Civilization POLT 205 Introduction to International Relations POLT 301 American Government POLT 302 Catholic Political Thought POLT 304 Constitutional Law POLT 490 Senior Seminar Elective Major Courses (two required) POLT 305 Public Policy POLT 310 Media and Politics POLT 311 Entrepreneurship and Civil Society POLT 314 U.S. Foreign Policy POLT 320 American Political Thought POLT 402 Modernity and Post-Modernity POLT 403 Tyranny and Totalitarianism POLT 404 Technology, Science, and Politics POLT 415 Special Topics in Politics POLT 495 Internship in Politics Minor in Politics A Minor in Politics is available. The minor requires POLT 201, POLT 203, and POLT 302. In addition, the student must complete three additional politics courses. Course Descriptions POLT 201 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT A survey of classic works of political thought that have shaped our common political language. Students hone their critical and analytical writing skills as they acquire a deeper understanding of some of the most important concepts, problems and debates that shape our public and private lives.