First-Time Freshman Clusters 2008-2009
Area B - Science
Area C - Humanities
Area D - Social Science
Mixed - Meets one or more requirements in Area B, C and D
Area B - Science
Atoms are Everything – Physics 1001, 1002, and 1003
For Physic majors only.
The goal of physics is to uncover these basic principles from which we can understand all the incredibly diverse phenomena that we observe in the Universe. The three courses that compose this cluster give an overview of the progress that has been made in finding these ideas in the past few hundred years.
Biology of Humans – Biology 1007, Biology 2011 and Biology 2021
Biology sequence for science majors (KPE and Health Science majors only). You must be at English 910.
Students will first learn about the structure and function of living organisms and then will use the knowledge gained from this examination of life to examine the structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) of the human animal. The courses will all emphasize the unity of life forms on earth that can be seen by examination at the cellular and molecular level and then will build on this theme of “unity-yet-diversity” by examining structures and functions of the multicellular organisms we hold near and dear, humans. Human health will be emphasized throughout the courses.
Diversity of Life – Biology 1403 (Animal), Biology 1401 (Cell), and Biology 1402 (Plant)
Biology sequence for science majors (Biology, Environmental Science majors). You must be at English 910.
Students will study the structure and function of the major groups of organisms on earth. The courses will all emphasize the unity of life forms on earth that can be seen by examination at the cellular and molecular level and then will build on this theme of unity and diversity by examination of structures and functions of multicellular organisms. The ecological and evolutionary pressures that have helped to shape life on earth will be emphasized throughout.
Healthier Living I - Chemistry 1605, Biology 2011 and Psychology 1005
Designed for Pre-Nursing students. (You must be taking Math 950 or qualified for baccalaureate-level math/statistics to enroll in this cluster)
The three courses in this cluster will study the processes which contribute to peoples’ health. Chemistry 1605 is designed to introduce to the structure of matter in terms of atoms and molecules underlying living systems, reactions in aqueous solutions of which protoplasm is made and the chemicals found in water and foods all applied to the health professions. Biology 2011 will provide an understanding of the workings of the human body. Psychology 1005 will bring in the basic processes underlying human behavior, perception, motivation, learning and thinking, and emotion as they affect health and as they influence decisions about health.
Healthier Living II (Offered at Concord)- Chemistry 1605, Biology 2011 and Psychology 1005
Designed for Pre-Nursing students. (You must be taking Math 950 or qualified for baccalaureate-level math/statistics to enroll in this cluster)
The three courses in this cluster will study the processes which contribute to peoples’ health. Chemistry 1605 is designed to introduce to the structure of matter in terms of atoms and molecules underlying living systems, reactions in aqueous solutions of which protoplasm is made and the chemicals found in water and foods all applied to the health professions. Biology 2011 will provide an understanding of the workings of the human body. Psychology 1005 will bring in the basic processes underlying human behavior, perception, motivation, learning and thinking, and emotion as they affect health and as they influence decisions about health.
Healthier Living III Chemistry 1101, Engineering 1011 and Psychology 1005
Designed for Engineering students. Chemistry 1101 will provide a more technical focus on atoms and molecules and their interactions. Engineering 1011 will focus on the role of engineering decisions on sustainability and environmental concerns and the impact of engineering decisions on the health of people who use the engineer’s products. Psychology 1005 will bring in the basic processes underlying human behavior, perception, motivation, learning and thinking, and emotion as they affect health and as they influence decisions about health.
How Things Work – Physics 1500, Biology 1005 and Geology 1003 For non-science majors only
The cluster will seek to provide students with scientific explanations for how things work with explanations and examples drawn from the physical and biological sciences. In Physics students will learn about the laws of physics and how various devices and instruments work. In Biology students will explore biological concepts and functions that explain how the human body works. In Geology students will learn how earthquakes and volcanoes work and some of the techniques involving the study of these phenomena
Molecules, Energy and Living Things – Chemistry 1101, 1102, and 1103
For Biochemistry, Chemistry, Geology, Physical Science, Pre-Physical Therapy majors. You must be at college level in Math.
An understanding of the building blocks of materials (atoms and molecules) will lead to an appreciation for chemical principles and the driving forces for chemical reactions. All reactions, including those that take place in living organisms, are controlled by these factors. The fundamental attractive forces between atoms and molecules are surveyed, including ionic and covalent bonding, and weaker attractive forces such as hydrogen bonding. Concepts of energy, entropy, catalysis, equilibrium and kinetic control of reactions lead to an understanding of why reactions occur. The development of the concepts of life as based on Chemistry and molecules, along with the history of life and the theory of evolution, help place Mankind in the overall pattern of the World and Universe.
Area C - Humanities
The Ancient World – History 1017, Theatre 1013 and Philosophy 1201
Study ancient civilizations through the historical writings, the dramatic texts of the ancient theatre, and the philosophical writings of antiquity that feed the imaginative, mythic, and questioning side of us all. The themes of the individual versus the state, attitudes toward gender, and the idea of fate will be explored in each course. In History 1017, you will be introduced to the historical method, using the analysis of primary source documents to understand how historians arrive at a picture of the past and the nature of the evidence on which they base their interpretations. In Theatre 1013, you will study classical forms of ritual and drama to understand how modern people find and express contemporary values in ancient works. In Philosophy 1201, you will examine classical texts to understand the unique character of philosophic questioning and analysis and how this attitude and these practices enable us to gain insight into perennial concerns.
Keeping It Real: The Arts and Pop Culture – Ethnic Studies 1022, Theatre 1021 and Theatre 1022
In a year-long sequence of courses the cluster explores the evolution of the popular arts in the United States, focusing on the contributions of American ethnic minority groups, and particularly African Americans who have had the most long-term influence on American popular culture. The fall quarter is devoted to an examination and analysis of some of the earliest surviving genres of ethnic narratives, e.g. slave narrative, field hollers, blues, jazz, etc. Students will examine the discontinuity often found between these texts and the form that ethnic performance takes on the popular stage. In the winter quarter the emphasis is on the study of short stories, plays, and novels by minority Americans. Students will study the successful transition of these written works to stage and film and the impact of these transitions on issues of content, audience and voice. The spring quarter focuses on contemporary forms of ethnic performance (e.g., comedy, hip-hop, spoken word, etc.) and the continuing and long-term influence of racial minority groups on American popular culture.
Language and Culture – a three-quarter sequence of language study (1000, introductory level or 2000, intermediate level)
The study of language is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Students learning a foreign language will study the culture, literature, and art of the people(s) who speak the target language being studied. Language study aims to teach the critical examination of ideas and theories through the use of historical, linguistic, literary, philosophical, and/or rhetorical approaches and methods; and to encourage understanding of enduring human concerns and the intellectual and cultural traditions within which they arise. Students may enroll in courses in Spanish, French, Italian, Sign Language, Filipino, Persian (Farsi, Dari and Tajik), German, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. (Students may not complete language study by credit-by-exam or self-paced study or they will not receive general education credit.)
Spirituality Meets the Creative Spirit – Dance 1202, Music 1004, Philosophy 1401
Dance, music and religion have always been fundamental forms of creative expression and have been interrelated throughout history. All these modes of creativity explore the human body and the concept of transcendence. Dance 1202 explores Pilipino, African, Mexican, Pacific Island, South Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and American cultural dances though the lens of traditions, especially the oral traditions of storytelling from which they come. Students will also study the nature of the creative process in dance. Music 1014 explores, studies and analyzes the creative process in music and associated arts from a philosophical and historical perspective. Students will apply this knowledge in the study of music of a variety of world cultures (including the music of India, the Middle East, China, Japan, Africa, Latin America and Native America in additional to Europe and North America) and discover how music and the related arts are expressions of the human spirit. Philosophy 1402 will explore the spiritual and religious traditions of the world as expressions of human creativity. Students will examine ideas about God, the human person, and the afterlife as core ideas of the world’s eastern and western religious traditions (e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
Structure, Expression and Meaning in Music – Music 1031, Music 1032 and Music 1155
For music majors –ONLY
Students take essential instruction in two separate disciplines of Music Theory and Music History providing the foundation for more advanced study in these disciplines required for music majors. Music students in this cluster will meet two of their three humanities course requirements and three major requirements. The third lower division humanities course must be taken from another department.
Area D -Social Science
Viewing Diversity – Anthropology 1006, Ethnic Studies 1005, Communication 1005
This cluster provides a critical overview of some of the most important issues pertinent to the broad variety of ways in which human beings perceive diversity. Major emphasis will be devoted to visual presentations of diversity regarding individual identity, culture, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality and the global balance of political and economic power. Needless to say, matters of human diversity are some of the most important issues of our day, in our faces every day, with news from around the world, often filled with conflict, crying out for understanding. Other dimensions of human diversity are also covered proportionately, including gender and sexual orientation, social and economic class, and physical handicaps.
Mixed - Meets one or more requirements in
Area B, C and D
Beats, Physics and the Mind – Physics 1200 (Physical Science), Music 1085 (Fine Arts), Philosophy 1303 (Letters)
The theme provides a framework for the understanding and execution of sound and technology as contemporary creative force commonly called “music”. An understanding of the basic principles of the physics of sound (acoustics) is essential for further work in audio production. Physics 1200 will educate students on the science of how sound works. Additionally this course will begin to hint at how a firm understanding of this knowledge can lead to creative ventures by engaging the student in a project which will have them craft a custom musical instrument. In Music 1085 students learn about how to practically apply acoustical principles to audio production as well as learn the techniques of microphone placement and sound design editing/mastering in order to craft an artistic work in the form of a recording. Philosophy 1303 asks the question what makes “music” and what it is for something to be “musical”. Student engage in arguments about what they consider to be music or musical and they will also be engaged in thinking about how the techniques of audio production couples with purposeful manipulations of recognizable sounds do or don’t matter in the final musical experience.
Bodies at Play – Dance 1201 (Fine Arts), Recreation 2400 (Social Science), Kinesiology and Physical Education 1626 (Life Science)
Through the study of dance and theatre, leisure and recreation, athletic performance, physical activity, and nutrition, this cluster will provide a well-rounded look at some of the most pressing body-oriented issues that students face, and place them within the context of academic study and the social climate of the very diverse East Bay Area. Issues addressed will include: body image, food and celebration, disability, gender and sexual identity, eating disorders, cross-cultural approaches to recreation and ritual, health and fitness, the relationship of physiological and psychological changes, current debates around issues obesity, tradition versus innovation and the nature of collaboration within diverse populations. Students will have the opportunity to integrate the experiential leaning of dance, theatre, creative arts, food preparation, recreation planning, and athletics, with theoretical and analytical approaches through reading, discussion, films and writing. Through coming into an informed, sensitive, and celebratory relationship with their own bodies, students will be ready to approach the rest of their University education with inspiration, focus and an embodied connection to their communities.
Creativity and Social Change: Rebels, Outlaws and Visionaries – Dance 1203 (Fine Arts), Theatre 1016 (Letters), and Criminal Justice 1100 (Social Science 1)
The focus will be on individuals and community who have lived and worked outside the mainstream, whether by force or by choice, and the creative, empowering and revolutionary ways in which they chose to speak out and ignite change. We will be examining these people and their movements across diverse cultures, focused primarily on America in the 20th and 21st century. The primary lenses through which we will study will be the fields of Dance, Theatre, and Criminal Justice. We will explore important thinkers, activists and artists and their social/political/historical contexts; we will study and experiment with their theories and techniques for creative expression; and students will create original work which will reflect their own understanding of these subjects.
Earth Crisis! – Geology 2301 (Physical Science), Environmental Science 2802 (Science Elective), Environmental Studies 2001 (Social Science)
Critical analysis of environmental issues and problems from scientific and social perspectives and from global to local scales. Environmental problems increasingly affect all aspects of life, including all aspects of human society. Only 59% of people reported (1,009) that they felt global warming was already happening, 61% of people said global warming was due to human activities, but only 22% reported that they understood the issue of global warming very well. The lack of understanding by the American public of the social and scientific implications of environmental crises is alarming. Global warming will be but one of the topics we will seek to explore in this cluster as well as other topics that directly affect people living in the Bay Area like earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, and floods.
Energy and the Environment – Physics 2005 (Physical Science), Geology 1006 (Science Elective), Philosophy 1102 (Letters)
Achieving sustainability and thus meeting human energy needs while protecting our environment is a complex, interdisciplinary problem that cannot be solved without a basic understanding of the laws of nature that constrain our scientific options and the moral, cultural, economic, and political principles that govern how humanity can and should respond to these issues. Phys 2005 will study the scientific facts concerning energy. Students will learn what energy is and the laws of physics that govern the creation, use, nuclear, solar, geothermal, etc. Geology 1006 will provide students with a broad survey of Earth System Science with a focus on energy in the environment, energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, petroleum, geothermal, etc.) and the environmental implications of some energy technologies (e.g. air pollution, acid rain, global warming, etc.). Philosophy 1102 will make students familiar with the methodology of argument and how to apply this methodology to moral issues.
Sports in our World – Statistics 2008 (Quantitative Reasoning), Economics 1888 (Social Science), Kinesiology and Physical Education 1888 (Social Science) This cluster is designed for those students who will be declaring business as their major.
Sports will be the lens through which you will gain a wider and deeper understanding of our society and perspective on how to interpret information from the world of sports. Stat 2088 will lead off examining how scientific methods help us understand sports. KPE 1888 will explore current scholarship and debates surrounding issues of women’s participation and involvement in sport, and its relationship to sexism, racism and homophobia. Econ 1888 will focus on the unique economic issues of sports, use statistical methods to analyze the economics of sports and provide comparisons to other more qualitative approaches to the study of sport.
Thinking Globally – Environmental Science 2801 (Science Elective), Philosophy 1104 (Letters), Political Science 1171 (Social Science 1)
In Environmental Science 2801 students will investigate the science behind important environmental issues affecting California and the Earth. The course integrates physical and life science content and provides the background for students to have meaningful discussions about environmental ethics and policy. In Philosophy 1104 students will learn about social issues (e.g. environmental racism) related to the environment and learn to construct logical arguments based upon various ethical frameworks (e.g. precautionary theory). In Political Science 1171 students will gain an understanding of the history, ideologies and institutions of modern environmental politics and policy. This cluster will provide students with the scientific background of environmental issues, enables students to create ethical arguments and determine the social and political implications of environmental policies.
