Topics and Issues courses enable the curriculum to encompass emerging issues in a timely manner, to take advantage of expertise from visiting scholars and performers, to answer contemporary needs from students and the community, and to transition coursework while new programs or courses are developed.
Topics courses are available at five levels for every discipline (alpha) in the College curriculum.
- ALPHA 90v Specialized Topic
- ALPHA 190v Topic
- ALPHA 290v Advanced Topic
- ALPHA 390v Contemporary Issues
- ALPHA 490v Advanced Contemporary Issues
Programs, including Liberal Arts, may limit the number of courses or credits that a student may apply toward a certificate or degree. The department in which the faculty member is housed must approve the proposed topics course. With multiple faculty members involved, then the department in which the lead faculty member is housed must approve the topics course.
A particular topic may be taught over a period of two years and then subsequently proposed as a permanent addition to the curriculum through the regular curriculum process.
Credits may vary from 1-6, with contact hours determined by the number of credits. Prerequisites and corequisites are determined by the topic. Topics courses may be repeated without limit for credit.