Academic Catalog

Liberal Arts

All programs must meet certain minimum requirements in both the major and in the liberal arts. Course requirements for each program are listed in each curriculum along with liberal arts selections. Courses listed as “Core Electives” in a curriculum can be chosen by students from one of the several core areas listed below. Each core area provides a variety of courses for student choice. Students must take a minimum of 32 credits in core electives for the associate degree and an additional minimum of 28 credits for the bachelor’s degree. Individual majors have specific requirements and may require more than the minimum number of liberal arts credits or may specify certain courses in a particular core area. All liberal arts core elective courses are 4 credits. Please refer to the curriculum of the major for specific requirements.

Liberal Arts Core Electives (AS)

Associate Degree Core Elective Areas1

To obtain a minimum of 8 courses (32 credits), students may choose from the following course selections:

  • 2 courses (minimum) from the Communications Core
  • 2 courses (minimum) from the Math/Science Core
  • 1-2 courses from the Humanities Core or
    • 1 course from the Humanities Core and/or
    • 1 course from the Arts/Foreign Language Core
  • 2 courses from the Social Sciences Core
1

Subject to Change

Associate Degree Courses by Core1

Communications Core Electives (Minimum 8 Credits)

EN 100Introduction to College Writing4
EN 106Service Industry Communications5
EN 110Health Science Communications4
EN 200Workplace Communications4
EN 211Oral Communications4

Math/Science Core Electives (Minimum 8 Credits)

CHM 101Life Science Chemistry4
CHM 300Chemistry I and Lab4
MA 100Introduction to College Math with Lab4
MA 105Basic College Math with Lab5
MA 109Math for Life Science4
MA 110Introduction to College Math4
MA 121Business Math4
MA 125Technical Math I4
MA 200Applied Math for Business4
MA 210Technical Math II4
PHY 126Applied Physics & Lab4
PHY 200Physics I & Lab4
PHY 300Physics II & Lab4
SCI 110Environmental Science4

Arts/Foreign Language Core Electives (Maximum of 4 Credits in Place of a Humanities Course)

AR 203Introduction to Drawing4
AR 2063D Sculpture: An Adventure in the Third Dimension4
AR 207Introduction to Applied Music4
AR 209The Art of Collage4
FL 200Introduction to Japanese4
FL 201Introduction to Spanish4
FL 202Spanish for Healthcare Workers4

Humanities Core Electives (Minimum 4 Credits)

HU 208Rap/Rock and Poetry4
HU 211Introduction to Film4
HU 215Popular Culture4
HU 216Music and the Media4
HU 240Graphic Design in the 20th Century4
HU 242The Automobile and American Culture4
HU 244Science Fiction4
HU 289Racing Through Film4
HU 291Critical Thinking and Chess4

Social Sciences Core Electives (Minimum 4 Credits)

SS 140Criminal Investigations4
SS 170Life-Span Development4
SS 201American Government in Action4
SS 204Juvenile Justice System in America4
SS 210Personal Financial Planning for Wealth and Success4
SS 211Principles of Economics4
SS 222Mindful Living4
SS 236Small Business and the Law4
SS 260American History4
SS 261A History of Video Games and Esports4
SS 262Contemporary History4
SS 263Architectural History4
SS 264The Holocaust4
SS 271Introduction to Psychology4
SS 272Psychology of Healthcare4
SS 273Psychology of Happiness4
SS 274 Human Relations in the Workplace4
SS 291Social Problems4
SS 292Internet and Society4
SS 293Crime and Deviance4
1

Subject to Change

Liberal Arts Core Electives (BS)

Please refer to the curriculum for each program for specific requirements as some curricula require more than the mini-mum number of liberal arts core courses. Only the associate-level core electives in the list below can be used to satisfy bachelor’s degree core requirements.

Bachelor’s Degree Core Elective Areas1

To obtain a minimum of 7 courses (28 credits), students may choose from the following course selections:

  • 2 courses from the Communications Core
  • 2 courses from the Math/Science Core
  • 1 course from the Humanities Core
  • 1 course from the Social Sciences Core
  • 1 course from either the Humanities Core
    • or from the Arts/Foreign Language Core
  • or from the Social Sciences Core
1

Subject to Change

Bachelor’s Degree Courses by Core1

Communications Core Electives (Minimum 8 Credits)

EN 322Argumentative Research Writing4
EN 331Research Writing in the Social Sciences4
EN 421Technical Communications4
EN 422Advanced Writing in the Health Sciences4

Math/Science Core Electives (Minimum 8 Credits)

BIO 374Pathophysiology: A Clinical Approach4
CHM 300Chemistry I and Lab4
CHM 400Chemistry II4
MA 300Statistics4
MA 301Math for Management Studies4
MA 310Calculus I4
MA 315Math for Game Developers4
MA 320Calculus II4
MA 330Engineering Calculus I6
MA 340Engineering Calculus II6
MA 350Engineering Calculus III6
MA 355Discrete Math4
MA 356Linear Algebra4
MA 360Advanced Engineering Math6
MA 370Eng. Probability & Statistics4
PHY 300Physics II & Lab4
PHY 340Engineering Physics II w Lab6
SCI 300Public Health by Numbers4
SCI 304Development of Western Science4
SCI 307Understanding Science Through Photography4
SCI 320Understanding Flight4
SCI 330Our History and Future in Space4
SCI 350Introduction to Genetics and Evolution4
SCI 360Wellness for Life4

Arts/Foreign Language Core Electives (Maximum of 4 Credits in Place of a Humanities Course)

Course Title Quarter Credit Hours
AR 312The Art of Hands-On Animation4
FL 200Introduction to Japanese4
FL 201Introduction to Spanish4
FL 202Spanish for Healthcare Workers4

Humanities Core Electives (Minimum 4 Credits)

Course Title Quarter Credit Hours
HU 311The Art of Film4
HU 315Cultural Competence in the Workplace4
HU 320Multicultural Voices4
HU 321Representations of Gender4
HU 331Ethics and Technology4
HU 334Engineering Ethics2
HU 341World Religions4
HU 350Literature and Health4
HU 352History of Rock and Roll4
HU 432History of Western Art4
HU 433Encountering 20th Century Art4
HU 441World Literature4

Social Sciences Core Electives (Minimum 4 Credits)

Course Title Quarter Credit Hours
SCI 360Wellness for Life4
SS 303Communication in the Global Workplace4
SS 304Digital Media & The Law4
SS 311The Global Economy4
SS 320Health Equity and Diversity4
SS 330Contemporary Social Issues4
SS 350Everything is a Negotiation4
SS 370Marriage and the Family4
SS 371 Forensic Psychology4
SS 470Applied Research Statistics4
SS 471Developmental Psychology4

General Description

The Humanities and Social Sciences Department is an integral part of the curriculum in every major offered at NEIT. There are three primary core disciplines within the department: Communications, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Communications Core focuses on writing, oral communication, and critical thinking skills, in the Humanities Core, students may choose from electives relating to film, philosophy, literature, music and the arts. Social Sciences Core offerings include psychology, sociology, history and economics. Underlying both the Humanities and Social Sciences courses is a concern with issues of human values, and with social problems and responsibilities of our global community.

Specific degree requirements in Communications, the Humanities, and Social Sciences can be found in the descriptions of curriculum requirements.

Program Objectives (revised 2/14/24)

As described above, the HU/SS program goals indicate that all graduates from NEIT who experience the general education core will:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in various modes of communication including written, spoken, and visual.
  2. Demonstrate proficiency in active reading, information literacy, and research skills.
  3. Demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking, problem-solving, logical reasoning, and ethical reasoning.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the arts, human values, cultures, and societies that define the human experience.
  5. Develop self-knowledge, interpersonal skills, and effective teamwork.
  6. Demonstrate multicultural collaboration, social responsibility, and civic participation.
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of social, political, economic, and historical perspectives.

General Description

The Mathematics and Sciences Department has no majors but plays a crucial role for all of the technical majors in the university, giving students the background knowledge they need to better understand their technologies.

The mathematics portion of the curriculum includes courses ranging from basic algebra to applied calculus and statistics. Science courses are offered in chemistry, physics, and environmental science.

Courses in the Mathematics and Sciences Department have two principal objectives. The first is to provide students with the mathematical tools necessary to function successfully in their technical fields. Math/science courses required in each technology have been chosen for their relevance to that particular field.

The second objective is to help instill in students a progressive, linear thought processing capability to help with problem solving in situations for which they have not been specifically trained. The study of science provides an understanding of the physical and natural laws governing technical applications, while mathematics offers a problem-solving approach to thinking. These skills are crucial for success in a constantly changing technical environment.

Complete details about curriculum requirements in mathematics and science can be found in the descriptions of curriculum requirements.

Program Outcomes

  1. Provide students with the mathematical tools necessary to function successfully in their technical fields. 
  2. Demonstrate ample knowledge to deal with mathematical problems encountered in entry level positions.
  3. Demonstrate mathematical background required for technical education.
  4. Compare solutions with estimates for reasonableness.
  5. Utilize hands-on experiments as applications of concepts.
  6. Experience cooperative learning to demonstrate applications of concepts.
  7. Develop problem solving abilities and linear thought processing capability sufficiently to handle more advanced questions.
  8. Work in laboratory groups and document experimental results.
  9. Develop a deeper mathematical background to continue their technical education.