Skip top navigation Skip to main content

2019 - 2020 Academic Catalog

Core Curriculum Requirements

At Lasell University, students earn 42 credits for courses taken within the Core Curriculum.  The Core Curriculum guides learning across all majors within Lasell's unique connected learning environment. With its emphasis the overarching goal of Synthesis & Application, the Core provides students with intellectual experiences and skills necessary for success in the working world.  Designed around multidisciplinary thinking, active learning, and problem-solving, the Core prepares students for meeting challenges in not only their chosen fields but also in our wider world.   

CORE CURRICULUM REQUIRED COURSES   

Foundational Requirements: 

  •  FYS 103     First Year Seminar              (3)
  • ENG 101    Writing I                               (3)                                               
  • ENG 102    Writing II                             (3)                                              
  • MATH 106 Algebraic Operations            (3)                            


Knowledge Perspectives                                                                

  • Aesthetics & Creativity                            (3)                                             
  • Global & Historical                                   (3)                                                    
  • Individuals & Society                               (3)                                              
  • Scientific Reasoning & Problem-Solving (3)                  


Quantitative Reasoning Requirement   (3)                                 
Multidisciplinary Experience  (MDSC203)   (3)                     
Ethical Reasoning  (PHIL302)                            (3)                                              
Writing-Intensive courses                                    (6)                                                    
Speaking-Intensive course                                   (3)                                                 

Total minimum Core Curriculum Credits     (42)                      

The Core Curriculum is made up of inquiry-based courses and internship and capstone experiences, creating a common core learning experience for students each year. As the courses increase in depth and complexity, students develop knowledge, skills, and ownership of their education, and create the habits of lifelong intellectual exploration and social responsibility. 

The theme-based First Year Seminar emphasizes the core intellectual skills, while providing an introduction to the knowledge perspectives; connected learning projects and challenging class assignments incorporate synthesis and application.

In the first year, students also complete a self-paced, technology-enhanced mathematics course and take two courses focused on writing skills. Students build on the skills in writing and quantitative literacy established in these foundational courses in two writing-intensive courses within the major and an additional mathematics course, often also within the major. In addition, one speaking-intensive course within the major focuses on oral presentation and speaking skills.

Four courses taken during the first two years engage students in understanding and solving problems they will encounter in their professional and personal lives from four different Knowledge PerspectivesAesthetics and Creativity, Scientific Inquiry and Problem Solving, Global and Historical Perspectives, and Individuals and Society

Multidisciplinary Experience course, usually taken in the sophomore year, introduces a social or intellectual problem (such as sustainable cities) that cannot be addressed from a single knowledge perspective. Faculty guide students through a critical thinking process that crosses traditional disciplinary lines. 

The Ethical Reasoning course, usually taken in the junior year, challenges students to analyze and grapple with real, current moral dilemmas, and their complex ethical solutions, by connecting cultural and historical ways of understanding ethical thinking with professional standards.   In their last two years, students practice high-level Synthesis and Application by further integrating the skills, perspectives, and multidisciplinary approaches in many of their major-specific courses. In particular, the Internship and Capstone Experiences serve as the culmination of the Core Curriculum where students experience the highest level of connection between Core and Department outcomes, skills, and knowledge.  

Knowledge Perspectives Courses

ARTH107 - Special Topics in Art (KP)

This course introduces students to the study of art history by focusing on one theme, one artist, or one form of art. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and prints and drawings may be considered. Stylistic, cultural, and historic elements are components of the course.

ARTS106 - Museum Discovery (KP)

This course introduces students to the world of art museums, galleries, auction houses, and various other art institutions, through a series of site visits and some involvement in actual gallery work. By exploring venues and the communities they serve, students will address the question, "What is an art museum or gallery, and why is it a part of our society?"

ARTS126 - Fundamentals of Visual Art (KP)

This course is an introduction to the basic principles and strategies for visual art-making and art appreciation, with an emphasis on developing an awareness and sensitivity to art as an integral part of one's life and as a way to complement one's aesthetic needs. This is a lecture course with studio art-making modules designed to complement visual material, critical essays, museum/gallery trips and impart basic skills in visual communication.

ARTS205 - Art for Educators (KP)

The arts process allows students to call on many talents simultaneously, including perceiving, responding, understanding, creating, self-evaluation, and development of related skills. This course exposes education students to new ideas and art forms, and ideas, tools, and processes from arts disciplines. Students work with a variety of art forms including drawing, painting & 3D.

ENG210 - Survey of American Literature (KP)

This course surveys representative periods, authors, or genres in American literature from beginnings in Native American oral literatures through contemporary works. Individual sections organize study of classic and contemporary texts around particular themes, such as Queering American Literatures, American Migrations, Hemispheric American Literature, or Americans on the Edge: "Frontiers" in the American Imagination. Individual sections also trace twentieth- or twenty-first-century movements to their roots in or resistance to earlier movements or forms. This is a writing-intensive course.

ENG217 - Contemporary Global Literature (KP)

In this course, we consider contemporary literature in its global context. Viewing literature as the expression of individual national/cultural traditions and as a rendering of the universally human condition, we examine both national literatures and texts written for a global readership. Topics such as global citizenship, diaspora, postcolonial aesthetics, modernism, postmodernism, and cultural/literary redefinition may be addressed; sample texts include Tagore's King of the Dark Chamber, Kincaid's Among Flowers, Aidoo's No Sweetness Here, Kafka's The Metamorphosis, and Heaney's The Spirit Level.

ENG218 - British Literature (KP)

This course surveys British writing in poetry, fiction, and drama, with a focus on key periods in the development of British literature. Emphasis is on representative writers in each period. Periods and movements surveyed include Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and the Eighteenth Century, Romanticism, Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary or Postmodern. This is a writing-intensive course.

ENG225 - The Short Story (KP)

In this course, students study the development of the short story as a twentieth-century form; critical and creative approaches are offered. Selections are taken from such authors as Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Doris Lessing, and Alice Walker.

MUS101 - Music Appreciation I (KP)

This is a survey course in which students acquire listening skills and learn how to talk about music. The Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods of European music (1450-1800) are covered, with an emphasis on the history and development of music in its social and historical context. Students will learn to identify music from these three periods and will gain a more general understanding of music that can be applied to all eras and styles. Composers include Ockeghem, Palestrina, Byrd, Gabrieli, Purcell, Telemann, Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart.

MUS102 - Music Appreciation II (KP)

In this course, students will explore the role of music in various contexts, in order to better understand its role in culture and in society. The hands-on curriculum calls for lots of listening and active participation; students will develop their listening skills, their awareness of the elements of music, and their understanding of the musical experience.

MUS109 - American Folk Music (KP)

Integrating folklore, American history, and songwriting, this course examines American culture through the lens of American folk songs-songs written by others and songs we will write ourselves. Readings, recordings, and class discussion illustrate the importance of love songs, protest songs, work songs, and ballads as resources for understanding and expressing American life.

MUS203 - Popular Music (KP)

The years after World War II found American society and culture evolving in ways that both led to and mirrored the birth of rhythm 'n' blues, rock 'n' roll, and soul music, creating a new popular music that has indeed taken over the world. Yet it is impossible to understand fully modern popular music without exploring its roots in blues, jazz, hillbilly, ragtime, Afro-Caribbean, and other styles. In this course, we survey the history of American pop from its birth in the early nineteenth century up to 1970; by this crucial year, most of the styles reflected in today's music had been established. We pay special attention to the ways in which American music synthesizes African and European elements in a myriad of new forms.

PERF107 - Introduction to Theater Arts (KP)

This is an introduction to the principles and practice of the related arts that are involved in the production of a play in the theatre. Study includes analysis of the dramatic script in terms of the actor; the director; the scenic, costume, and lighting designers; and the technicians. Lab theatre productions integrate the content of the course.

PERF111 - Performing Arts Practices (KP)

This course focuses on theory and practice in staged performances. Readings include critical studies of performance and performances, creative texts, and subjective accounts of the performance experience. The following questions are considered: What are the expectations of performance? How is a performance framed and organized? What are the sequences and contexts of performance? How is a performance evaluated by the audience and by the performers themselves? How does the performer understand and experience his or her role and personal status, on- and offstage? How does the audience imagine the offstage performer? Writing assignments will be based on both creative works and theoretical studies and will involve critical reflection, exegesis, and analysis; students will also complete a course project in which findings from multiple sources are synthesized and presented in oral and/or written form. Course goals include the deepening of student appreciation of each performance art form through connections across forms, as well as a capacity to contextualize studied forms to artistic and performance traditions. This course is a required course in the Performing Arts minor.

PERF202 - World Percussion:Theory & Practice (KP)

This multicultural survey course will focus on the theory and practice in the use of percussion as ritual, communication, and recreation around the world. Students will learn through lecture and critical readings of descriptive accounts of the uses of percussion, as well as through the subjective experience of learning percussive rhythms using a variety of musical instruments: congas, djembes, atumpani, berimbau, shakere, clavier, ago-go bells, and – of course – cowbells. This course fulfills the Area of Inquiry – Aesthetic [AI(A)] and the Area of Inquiry – Multicultural [AI(MC)].

PERF203 - Dance Explorations (KP)

This course is designed for the undergraduate students of Lasell College, in partnership with the Boston Ballet School. Through lectures, readings, and practical applications, students will explore history and theory, gaining knowledge and understanding of the importance of the development of technique in relation to the artistry of ballet and modern dance. Students will also participate weekly in a ballet/modern technique class focusing on ballet technique, with an emphasis on contemporary movement. The dance portion of the class will be held at the Boston Ballet School Newton Studio and will be taught by a faculty member at the Boston Ballet School. Course is usually held at the Boston Ballet School

HIST104 - World Civilization II (KP)

This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101 with a C or better

ANTH101 - Principles of Anthropology (KP)

Anthropology offers the student a cross-cultural, comparative perspective on the human condition. In this course, students explore the varieties of ways in which human societies are organized. The five sub-disciplines of anthropology are introduced: cultural, biological or physical, archaeological, linguistic, and applied. Students gain an appreciation for the unique perspective of anthropology, including how anthropologists conduct fieldwork and contributions anthropology can make to effect social change. The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the field of anthropology, and to teach the student how to think systematically about how social groups work and how to understand human behavior in its cultural context.

CJ101 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (KP)

This course is an overview of the history, philosophy, ethics, and legal issues related to the criminal justice system. The course provides an overview of the criminal justice system, focusing on critical decisions with an emphasis on contemporary issues, controversies, and trends.

COM103 - Human Communication (KP)

This course is a basic survey of human communication, especially interpersonal and group. Attention is given to perception, language and meaning, listening, theories of persuasion, verbal and nonverbal communication, small group discussion, interpersonal conflict, and interviewing. The course focuses on understanding how human communication is fundamentally related to issues of interpersonal relationships; the history of human communication and language development; perception and intrapersonal communication; leadership; group/team work; multicultural diversity in organizations; decision-making; power; public speaking; and ethical challenges. This course helps students to develop and practice skills that will guide effective action in their professional careers and interpersonal relationships. This course includes a Service Learning component.

ENV101 - Intro to Environmental Studies (KP)

This course uses case studies to explore global environmental challenges and engages students in considering sustainable solutions. Solutions that promote a healthy environment, social equality, and economic viability are discussed. Students explore steps individuals, organizations, and communities can take to reduce their ecological footprint and to slow global warming. Leaders from community organizations and local government agencies are invited to discuss issues with students.

LS101 - Foundations of American Legal System(KP)

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the law. Students are introduced to the basics of the legal system in the United States including its organization and operation. The course covers major areas of legal practice and the legal principles that apply. Legal concepts are explained and legal terminology defined.

PSYC101 - Psychological Perspectives (KP)

In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.

SOC101 - Sociological Imagination (KP)

In this course we explore the connection between our personal troubles and public issues. How are our lives shaped by our social positions in society – our social class, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and more? How do the members of different groups view each other and interact with each other? Why do inequalities exist and how do these affect us? How does culture shape our behavior, and why do religions, schools, families, and other institutions remain stable but also change over time?

SOC102 - Women and Gender in Social Context(KP)

his course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for examining feminist thought and gender-related social processes. Through the lens of the Sociological Imagination the course examines the ways in which sex and gender are socially constructed, how that shapes group and individual behavior and the ways in which power manifests in inequality and exploitation, as well as the agency of individuals and groups to bring about change.

BIO101 - Principles of Biology I (KP)

This is an introductory lecture and laboratory course in biology to develop an appreciation for the patterns and functions that characterize living organisms. Emphasis is placed on cellular biology. Topics include: the chemistry of life, cell structure, and cell metabolism (respiration, photosynthesis, protein synthesis.) Corequisite: BIO 101L.

BIO102 - Principles of Biology II (KP)

This course emphasizes the evolutionary history of life on earth. Topics include: Darwinian evolution, genetics, a survey of the five kingdoms of life, principles of ecology, and human ecology. The laboratory introduces the student to the diversity of living organisms. Corequisite: BIO 102L.

BIO107 - Topics In Biology (KP)

Preliminaries of the molecules of life and cell structures are investigated in this course. Topics from cell biology, nutrition, energy production, respiratory and circulatory systems, genetics, reproduction, evolutionary thought, and ecosystems are also explored.

BIO113X - The Dinosaurs (KP)

This is an introductory course to the various theoretical approaches to understanding the evolutionary ecology and behavioral biology of dinosaurs. Topics include functional anatomy, social behavior, grouping and activity patterns, reproduction, behavioral ecology, locomotion, life history, geographic distribution, evolution and conservation issues. Two field trips required.

CHEM105 - Chemistry of Fashion (KP)

This course examines the connections between chemistry and fashion. This course is a lab centered course where students will explore topics such as light and its’ properties; the nature of color; effects of environmental factors such as acids and bases, and oxidation on dyes; synthesis and use of dyes, paints, and pigments. The laboratory procedures apply chemical theory and techniques to learn the chemistry behind materials used in fashion. Students will use spectroscopy and other methods of chemical investigation to examine materials used in art and fashion. Students will conduct inquiry-based projects focusing on areas of interest.

CHEM203 - General Chemistry I (KP)

The course begins with a study of measurement and matter. An introduction to atomic theory follows. Mass relationships in chemical reactions are introduced, followed by the study of chemical reactions in aqueous solutions. The gas laws are then covered, followed by an introduction to thermodynamics. Concepts of chemical bonding are studied along with periodic relationships among the elements. Quantum theory is used to explain the electronic structure of atoms. Laboratory experiments complement the material covered in lecture. The laboratory experiments are designed to introduce methods, materials, and equipment of chemistry as well as to illustrate important chemical principles. Prerequisite: MATH106 or higher. Corequisite: CHEM203L and CHEM203R.

ENV206 - Special Topics in Env Studies (KP)

This course examines a particular area of environmental studies with the goal of allowing faculty and students to explore issues that meet special interests.

ENV211 - Environmental Science (KP)

During this course, students are introduced to the concept of environmental sustainability. Issues such as climate change, biodiversity, food and agriculture, water resources, and energy are explored. Students are challenged to consider the impact of Lasell College on the environment and will complete a greenhouse gas inventory. Students also examine the role of science and technology in the pursuit of environmental sustainability.

ENV220 - World Geography (KP)

This course surveys the earth's social, cultural and economic patterns and their relationship to the physical geography of the earth. A regional approach is taken to provide a foundation for more intensive systematic studies of important environmental/political issues.

MATH109 - Modern Mathematics (KP)

This course is an introduction to mathematics developed in the last 100 years. The course connects recently-discovered mathematics with current, real-world problems. Aesthetic elements of mathematics are emphasized. Topics may include the mathematics of voting, sharing, touring, games, networks, scheduling, money, symmetry, fractal shapes, descriptive statistics and probability. The course is appropriate for students majoring in Communication, Criminal Justice, English/History/Humanities-with Secondary Ed, English, Environmental Studies, Fashion Design, History, Hospitality and Event Management, Humanities, Human Services, Law and Public Affairs, Legal Studies, Psychology, Sociology, or Sport Management. Prerequisite: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or through placement testing.

PHYS111 - General Physics I (KP)

This is the first semester of a one-year course that surveys the field of physics at a non-calcu­lus level. Topics include motion in one and two dimensions, force, uniform circular motion, work and energy, and statics of rigid bodies. The laws of thermodynamics are introduced. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lecture. Prerequisite: MATH 203 or equivalent with a grade of C or better. Corequisite: PHYS111L, PHYS111R.

PHYS112 - General Physics II (KP)

This is a continuation of PHYS111. Topics include waves motion, electric potential, electric current, resistance, capacitance, and magnetism. Geometrical and wave optics are introduced. Atomic and quantum theory are also included. Laboratory experiments are conducted to com­plement the material covered in lecture. Prerequisite: PHYS 111. Corequisite: PHYS112L, PHYS112R.

SCI103 - Science for Educators I (KP)

This course provides education students with an introduction to the scientific principles governing the contemporary technological world. Topics include scientific methodologies, gravity, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and introductory chemistry. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lecture.

SCI104 - Science for Educators II (KP)

This course provides education students with an introduction to earth science, astronomy, and environmental science. Topics include the weather, solar system, stars, the universe, and global pollution. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lectures. Prerequisite: ED Majors only

SCI105 - Introduction to Astronomy (KP)

Introduction to astronomy for the non-science major with a focus on our place within the universe. Topics include the formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems, our Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the large scale structure of the universe

SCI106 - How Things Work (KP)

This course explores how things from our everyday lives work according to the rules of nature. The principles that influence how objects fall, cars move, scales weigh, planes fly, stoves heat, copiers copy give insight into the workings of the universe. Connections between our immediate surroundings and the universe at large are illustrated.

SCI107 - Topics in Science (KP)

Topics vary from semester to semester.

SCI114 - Modern Science & Technology (KP)

This course introduces the history of Science from antiquity to the present and demonstrates how the various areas of science work together to develop the technology and the materials we are familiar with in our daily lives.  Topics include role of measurement and experiments and revolutions of modern science (advances in chemistry, biology, astronomy and technology).Students will conduct inquiry-based projects focusing on areas of interest. The goal of this course is to help students develop the practices of science such as asking researchable questions, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing data and other related skills that will enhance their quality of life and professional success.

SCI115 - Science of Sport (KP)

This course will look at how certain basic principles of science govern the major operations of many different sports. Students will conduct inquiry-based projects focusing on areas of interest. The goal of this course is to help students develop the practices of science such as asking researchable questions, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing data and other related skills that will enhance their quality of life and professional success.

SCI117X - The Primates (KP)

This is an introductory course to the various theoretical approaches to understanding the evolutionary ecology and behavioral biology of primates. Topics include functional anatomy, social behavior, grouping and activity patterns, reproduction, behavioral ecology, locomotion, life history, geographic distribution, evolution and conservation issues. This course fulfills the Area of Inquiry-Scientific [AI (S)].

SCI118 - Crime Lab Science (KP)

This is a hands on survey course that will familiarize students with the principles governing the application of science to solve crimes. This course will involve the analysis of actual criminal cases. The students will be introduced to forensic and chemical concepts including gunpowder analysis (Kennedy assassination), trace evidence analysis, fiber analysis (Wayne Williams), drug analysis (Anna Nicole Smith), blood analysis (Jeffrey MacDonald), and DNA profiling (OJ Simpson).

SCI119 - Physical Geology (KP)

This course focuses on teaching the principles of geology and earth history, leading to a fundamental understanding of earth systems and processes. Students will also engage in a semester-long scientific writing project focusing on a National Park of choice that inspires them.