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General Education Core Course
Course Descriptions

Core courses (or general education courses) are classes from several different subject areas required of all students in BS, BA, and AS degree programs, and are in addition to the course work required in the major.  Certain majors require specific courses from the core.  Check with your academic advisor when selecting courses to meet the general education core.

Summary of General Education Core Requirements

ENGL 1010                                                        3 hours
ENGL 1020                                                        3 hours
COMM 1010                                                     3 hours
ENGL 2030                                                        3 hours
Humanities/Fine Arts Electives                        6 hours
Social/Behavioral Science Electives                6 hours
History                                                               6 hours
Natural Sciences                                               8 hours
Mathematics                                                     3 hours
Total General Education Core                       41 hours
 

APSU 1000 [1 hr]:  An interdisciplinary course which provides students with the foundations for a successful university experience by integrating an introduction to the liberal arts with an orientation to APSU expectations.  Emphasis is given to the meaning, values and goals of a liberal education as students engage in academic and career planning, use the tools for information literacy, develop good academic habits and become involved in campus life.  All students who enter APSU with fewer than 12 credit hours earned in a college or university must enroll and remain in APSU 1000 during their first semester or until a passing grade is received; no student who enters with more than 12 hours is permitted to enroll in APSU 1000.

ENGL 1010 English Composition I [3 hrs]: 
Development of the student's writing skills through a process of thinking, researching, planning, writing, reviewing, revising, and editing expository essays.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

ENGL 1020 English Composition II [3 hrs]:  [Prerequisite:  ENGL 1010] 
Development of the student's writing skills through a process of thinking, researching, planning, writing, reviewing, revising, and editing expository essays. A continuation of ENGL 1010.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

COMM 1010 Fundamentals of Public Speaking [3 hrs]: 
Public Speaking principles with emphasis on preparation and presentation of informative and persuasive speeches.  (Course offered on campus and online.)
 

ENGL 2030 Traditions in World Literature [3 hrs]:  [Prerequisites:  ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020] 
An Overview of world literature that will include works from different periods.  This course is a prerequisite for all ENGL upper division courses.  (Course offered on campus and online.)
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ART 1030 Art Appreciation [3 hrs]: 
The relationship and influences of the visual arts on the individual and culture.   (Course offered on campus and online.)

MUS 1030 Music Appreciation [3 hrs]: 
An introductory course designed to help create an awareness of the contribution which music can make toward the enrichment of living.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

MUS 2030 World Music [3 hrs]: 
Exposes non-music majors to the varied functions and forms music has in culture, with particular emphasis on non-western types.  The study of traditional music, contemporary indigenous music and musical fusions created and used by a variety of cultures are points of entry for exploring and understanding societies highly differentiated from our own.

PHIL 1030 Introduction to Philosophy [3 hrs]: 
The method and content of philosophy as a tool to understand the nature of humankind and the world.  Primary aims will be to develop the vocabulary and the issues of the major fields of philosophy:  metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and ethics.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

PHIL 2200 Religion and the World [3 hrs]: 
An exploration of the origins, nature and content of religion as a source of human value, meaning and hope.  Emphasis given to the beliefs, values, symbols, and rituals of the world's major religions.

THEA 1030 Introduction to Theater [3 hrs]: 
Creates an awareness of the nature of theatrical art and its place in human culture.  Incorporates study of history, theory, and practice of theatrical art.  This is not a performance course.  (Course offered on campus and online.)
 

ECON 2010 Principles of Macroeconomics [3 hrs]:
Principles of pricing, stabilization, and growth in a modern capitalist economy, supply and demand, employment theory and fiscal policy banking systems and monetary policy, economic growth and fundamentals of the international economy.

GEOG 1010 Physical Geography [3 hrs]:
Introduction to map reading as well as development of skills and techniques used in the study of geography.  This course concentrates on interrelationships among elements of the natural environment:  landform, climate, soil, vegetation, weather, and water.

GEOG 1020 Geography of the Developed World [3 hrs]:
Regions and nations generally included within the developed world will be analyzed with respect to their world importance, locations, population characteristics, economies, external connections/relationships and problems/potentialities.  Europe, former Soviet Union, North America and the more economically developed countries of the Pacific rim are included.

GEOG 1030 Geography of the Developing World [3 hrs]:
Regions and nations generally included within the developing world will be analyzed with respect to their world importance, locations, population characteristics, economies, external connections/relationships and problems/potentialities.  Middle America, South America, North Africa/Southwest Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia are included.

HHP 1250 Wellness Concepts and Practices [3 hrs]:
Course combines health-related content knowledge with participation in physical activity.  Content areas include fitness concepts, nutrition and weight management, substance use and abuse, prevention of chronic disease and human sexuality.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

HIST 1210 World History I [3 hrs]:
Earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, chine and the Aegean; classical civilizations of Greece and Rome; medieval civilizations of the Middle East, India, East Asia and Western Europe; Africa and the Americas before European contact; the Renaissance; the Reformation; wars of religion; and age of exploration.

HIST 1220 World History II [3 hrs]:
European interactions with the people of Asia, Africa and the Americas from 1660; absolutism; the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment; civilizations of Africa, the Middle East and Asia; the French Revolution; the Industrial Revolution; nationalism; zenith and decline of European hegemony; 20th century wars and ideologies.

POLS 2010 American National Government [3 hrs]:
Institutions and processes of American national government, including the Constitution, federalism, civil rights and liberties, the presidency, Congress, courts, political parties, elections, public opinion, media, interest groups and the federal administrative process.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

POLS 2040 Introduction to Public Policy [3 hrs]:
The policy-making process with an emphasis on selected policy areas.  Specific policy areas included are welfare, criminal justice, education, civil rights, energy, the environment and regulation of the economy.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

POLS 2070 International Politics [3 hrs]:
The system of the nation-state, power and ideology, the diplomatic process, colonialism and imperialism, regions and crises, international organization and law, war and peace, the United States in World Affairs.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

PSY 1010 General Psychology [3 hrs]:
A general introduction to psychology as the scientific study of behavior and mind.  Sample topics include the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, emotion and motivation, development, abnormal behavior, personality and social behavior.

SOC 2010 Introduction to Sociology [3 hrs]:
Introduction to sociology as a scientific discipline. Subject matter includes sociological concepts, sociological processes, social structure, social organization and social institutions, including family, education, politics, religion and economy.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

SOC 2050 Social Problems [3 hrs]:
A survey of social subjects including family, city, public health, alcoholism, drug dependency, racial and gender inequality, work, crime and violence.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

SOC 2500 Cultural Anthropology [3 hrs]:
Theories and elements of culture are identified and applied to a variety of human societies.  Emphasizes pre-modern society.  (Course offered on campus and online.)
 

HIST 2010 American History I [3 hrs]:
Early exploring and colonizing activities, colonial customs and institutions, colonial wars, friction with England, war for independence, problems of the new republic, the Constitutional Convention, War of 1812, new nationalism, Jacksonian democracy, expansionism and Manifest Destiny, sectional controversy and Civil War.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

HIST 2020 American History II [3 hrs]:
Reconstruction, industrialism, the Populist Revolt, politics of the Gilded Age, the New Imperialism and the Spanish-American War, the progressive era, World War I, prosperity and depression, the New Deal, World War II, post-World War II era to present.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

HIST 2030 History of Tennessee [3 hrs]:
From colonial frontier of the 18th century to the modern urban setting.  Emphasis will be placed on the political, economic, and social factors that shaped the life of Tennesseans in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
 

ASTR 1010 Planetary Astronomy [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]:  [Co-requisite:  ASTR 1011]
The subjects of planetary astronomy such as the planets and their moons, planetary geology, the sun, the origin of the solar system; the tools and methods of astronomy including celestial observation, light and other types of radiation, telescopes and spectroscopy.  Laboratory 1011 is to be taken concurrently.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

AST 1020 Stellar Astronomy [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite ASTR 1021]
The subjects of stellar astronomy such as star birth, star death, pulsars, black holes, galaxies, quasars and cosmology; the tools and methods of astronomy including locating and naming stars and constellations, light and other radiation, telescopes and spectroscopy.  Laboratory 1021 is to be taken concurrently.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

BIOL 1010 Principles of Life [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]:  [Co-requisite:  BIOL 1011]
A course for non-science majors.  topics covered include scientific methodology, the nature of living organisms, cell structure and function, cell chemistry and division, nature of heredity and gene action, the theory of evolution and principles of ecology.  BIOL 1010 will not serve as a rerequisite for upper level biology courses.

BIOL 1020 Diversity of Life [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  BIOL 1021]
A course for non-science majors.  The course reviews basic scientific methodology and surveys the kingdoms of life with particular attention to the evolution and ecology of these forms.  The portion of the course involving vertebrate animals will include discussions of selected human systems.  BIOL 1020 will not serve as a prerequisite for upper level biology courses.

BIOL 1040 Human Biology [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  BIOL 1041]
A course for non-science majors.  A survey of human structure, function, evolution and ecology.  Topics covered include scientific methodology, biological chemistry, cells, tissues, organ systems, genetics and human development, evolution and ecology.  BIOL 1040 will not serve as a prerequisite for upper division biology courses.

BIOL 2010 Human Anatomy & Physiology [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  BIOL 2011]
Designed for students in health and human performance, psychology, nursing and allied health programs.  Structure and function of the human body, with emphasis on cellular structure and function, tissues and the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous and endocrine systems.  (Course offered on campus and online.)

BIOL 2020 Human Anatomy & Physiology [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  BIOL 2021, Prerequisite BIOL 2010]
Continuation of BIOL 2010.  Treats the cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems, water and electrolyte balance, human reproduction, growth and development and human genetics.

CHEM 1010 Chemistry:  Society and the Environment [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  CHEM 1011]
A course for non-science majors.  The nature of matter and energy, the developments of chemical technology, and the interaction of this technology with humans and their environment.  Topics include atomic structure, energy in matter, chemical bonding and molecular structure, solutions, acid-base reactions and the redox reactions.

CHEM 1020 Chemistry:  Society and the Environment [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]:  [Co-requisite:  CHEM 1021, Prerequisite:  CHEM 1010]
Basic organic chemistry, synthetic polymers, biochemistry, air and water pollution, consumer chemistry and energy sources. 

CHEM 1110 General Chemistry [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Corequisites:  CHEM 1111, MATH 1730]
Fundamental laws and theories, elements, compound and mixtures, atomic structure, kinetic theory and gas laws, chemical calculations and chemistry of solutions.

CHEM 1120 General Chemistry [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]: [Prerequisite CHEM 1110, Co-requisite CHEM 1121]
Acids, bases and salts, kinetics, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, descriptive chemistry, organic chemistry, nuclear chemistry.

GEOL 1040 Physical Geology [3 hrs lecture, 2 hrs lab (4)]: [Co-requisite:  GEOL 1041]
Minerals and rocks, volcanism and related processes, weathering and soil development, glaciations, wind and stream erosion, major water and soil pollution problems, natural disaster forecasting, and development of landscape.

GEOL 1050 Historical Geology [3 hrs lecture, 2 hrs lab (4)]:   [Co-requisite GEOL 1051]
Plate tectonics and continental drift, development of major scientific theories about the earth, physical environment and organic populations of the earth in prehistoric times.

PHYS 1010 Conceptual Physics:  Motion, Heat and Sound:  [Co-requisite:  PHYS 1011]
Motion, energy, properties of matter, heat and sound.  The approach is conceptual and non-mathematical.  The role of physics in the understanding of everyday experiences in our technological society.

PHYS 1020 Conceptual Physics: Electricity, Light, and Modern Physics [3 hrs lecture, 3 hours lab (4)]:  [Co-requisite:  PHYS 1021]
Electricity and magnetism, light, atomic and nuclear physics and relativity.  The approach is conceptual and non-mathematical.  The role of physics in the understanding of everyday experiences in our technological society.

PHYS 1710 Introductory Chemistry and Physics [3 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (4)]:  [Co-requisite:  PHYS 1711]
Introductory integrated lab/lecture course in chemistry and physics.  Included are hands-on and computer based activities in the scientific method, astronomy, motion, energy, kinetic theory, waves and sound, atomic structure, electricity and magnetism, elements and periodic properties, chemical bonding, electrochemistry, environmental issues and linkage to NASA via the Internet. 

PHYS 2010 College Physics [4 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (5)] [Prerequisite MATH 1110, Co-requisite PHYS 2011]
The elements of mechanics, including physical measurement, linear and circular motion, simple harmonic motion, fluids and heat.  Applications of conservation laws to technological and biological systems are considered.  Algebra is used extensively.  Trigonometry and vectors are developed and used as needed.

PHYS 2110 University Physics [4 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (5)] [Co-requisites:  MATH 1910, PHYS 2111]
The same topics as covered in PHYS 2010.  The mathematical level involves algebra and trigonometry and in addition calculus ideas.

PHYS 2120  University Physics [4 hrs lecture, 3 hrs lab (5)] [Prerequisite PHYS 2110, Co-requisite PHYS 2121]
The continuation of PHYS 2110 which covers the same general topics as PHYS 2020. The mathematical level involves more use of calculus than does PHYS 2110.
 

MATH 1010 Mathematical Thought and Practice [3 hrs]: [Prerequisite:  A mathematical background equivalent to high school Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II]
This course examines how different areas of mathematics explain and shape our world, as well as how we view and experience it.  Exact content will vary, but will consist of a selection of 3 to 5 topics chosen from various areas of mathematics.

MATH 1420 Structure of Mathematical Systems [3 hrs]:  [Prerequisite:  MATH 1410]
Problem solving, proportionality, the real number system, probability, data analysis, geometric concepts and measurement.

MATH  1530 Elements of Statistics [3 hrs]:  [Prerequisite:  A mathematical background equivalent to high school Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II]
Measures of central tendency and dispersion for descriptive statistics, estimations of confidence intervals for means and proportions, probability distributions, hypotheses testing, analysis of variance, the least squares method and correlation analysis. 

MATH 1730 Precalculus [4 hrs] [Prerequisite:  A working knowledge of two years of high school Algebra and Geometry or equivalent]
Analysis of functions and their graphs, inverse functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, theory of equations, conic sections, circular functions and their graphs, trigonometric identities and conditional equations, solutions of triangles, trigonometric form of complex numbers, DeMoivre's Theorem, parametric and polar equations.  Structured primarily to prepare students for MATH 1910.

MATH 1810 Elements of Calculus [3 hrs]:  [Prerequisite:  A working knowledge of two years of high school Algebra and Geometry or equivalent]
Designed for students whose major interest is outside the physical sciences but who require a working knowledge of calculus.  Limits, the derivative, differentiation techniques, applications of differentiation, the definite integral, integration techniques and applications of integration.

MATH 1910 Calculus and Analytic Geometry [5 hrs]:  [Prerequisite: Four years high school mathematics, including Trigonometry]
Elements of plane analytic geometry, functions, limits, derivatives of algebraic and trigonometric functions, integration and applications.