Courses

Fall 2023

ENGL 110: College Composition I – 3 credits
Instructor: Dr. Robin Smith, American College of Norway
Immersion in college-level critical reading and expository writing, emphasizing revision and careful
preparation of manuscripts. English Composition is a foundational course for students who will be
transitioning to university. It is designed to increase your ability to construct prose that reflects
your thoughts, analysis, synthesis, interpretations, and ideas about texts, research, literature, essays,
and the like. In essence, you will learn to read critically, which entails, among others, identifying
problems, assumptions (stated and unstated), inferences, analyzing arguments, and testing
conclusions.

ENGL 226: Creative Writing – 3 credits
Instructor: Dr. Robin Smith, American College of Norway
In this course students will explore the process of writing fiction and poetry. Throughout the
semester they will be expected to bring in examples of their own work to share with their peers.
(Don’t worry. Everyone has to do it. This is part of the process.) Class discussions will focus on
constructive criticism, thus giving the writer ideas for revision. At the end of the semester
participation and a small body of work demonstrating revision and dedication will be used to
determine a grade.

THEA 210 – Ibsen as an Influencer – 3 credits
Instructor: Eric Todd Guggisberg, American College of Norway
This course is designed for students who have interests in social media, cinematography, and
cultural studies. The course melds practical skills like learning effective filming and camera
techniques with a theoretical understanding of messaging and communication. In addition to
studying old and new influencers and gaining practical experience with camera techniques and
social media, we will spend time in Oslo throughout the course where we will hopefully have the
unique opportunity to conduct research, meet Scandinavian icons, visit Norway’s National Theater,
along with other arts venues.
We will focus on Ibsen and the social, cultural, and gender issues he addressed in his works. We will
look at the social, cultural, and gender issues in the United States for a brief period. From there
students will “modernize” a specific part of Ibsen’s work so that it addresses the issue that they
have chosen to highlight.. Along the way a field trip to the Ibsen Museum will be arranged. We will
also see the Nationalteater’s production of “John Borkman”. It will be very stylized and modernized.

THEA 397: Cooperative Education, Events – 1 credit
Instructor: Tonje Kristiansen, American College of Norway
This is a 1 credit interactive course offering students practical experience in performance and event
planning. Students will work collaboratively to plan special events, organize performance pieces as
needed, and participate in running events and any performances. College is a pivotal time for
students to expand their horizons, gain real world experience and build community. Specifically,
clubs and societies on campus are one of the many ways students can get involved. Being an active
member of an organization not only helps enrich a student’s college life, but can help them
strengthen various qualities both personally and professionally.

SOCI 101 – Introduction to Sociology – 3 credits
Instructor: Susan Joel, PhD, Springfield College
This course provides an introduction to sociological thought, research, concepts, and theory.

SOCI 312 – Genders in Society – 3 credits
Instructor: Susan Joel, PhD, Springfield College
This class focuses on sociological analysis of gender relations. Sociological concepts and
theories help to explain both differences and inequalities between men and women in United
States society.

SOCI 250: Youth In Society – 3 credits
Instructor: Susan Joel, PhD, Springfield College
This course is designed to provide a critical comparative framework for interpreting the
experiences and perceptions of youth in the United States. We consider the ways that society
portrays youth, the effect of corporate culture on youth, the expression of youth identities
through experiences like the prom, the internet, fashion, and music. We look at real people’s
experiences within these contexts, and see how they operate as spaces for youth to internalize
and confront social power relations reflected in age, social class, racial and ethnic, and
gendered norms.

 

Spring 2024

ENGL 130: College Composition II: Writing for Public Audiences – 3 credits
Instructor: Robin Jewel Smith, American College of Norway

College Composition with an emphasis on rhetoric and critical thinking. Requires the writing and production of both primary and secondary research, while asking students to apply that research to larger community issues. Students will practice writing with an immediate and explicit public purpose.

PSYCH 299: Cultural Influence on Behavior – 3 credits
Instructor: Abbey Marie Schneider, American College of Norway

The demand for understanding the impact of culture on human behavior continues to grow  as the human experience is increasingly characterized by intercultural contact. To  acknowledge variation among cultures is a first step. This course will delve deeper into the  ways in which culture impacts our behavior, the way we think, what we believe and our own  identity. The course will be organized in three parts beginning theoretically and moving  toward practical applications.

MGMT 300 – Principles of Management – 3 credits
Instructor: Kay M. Powell, University of North Dakota

This course provides a survey of the traditional functions of management with primary emphasis on planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. This emphasis involves coverage of managerial decision making, leadership, motivation, interpersonal communication, staffing human resources, and organizational structure, design, and change and development. Additional topics include the history of managerial thought, management information systems, international management, and business ethics and social responsibility.

LEAD 494 – Readings in Leadership – 3 credits
Instructor: Kay M. Powell, University of North Dakota

An introduction to leadership as a discipline including the theories of leadership, the role of leadership in history and today’s society, communication and interaction with diverse individuals and groups, basic network-building concepts and assessment of application of leadership theory and skills.

The course material/assignments will be dealing with decision-making, team dynamics, and historical figures of leadership to make it worthy of a 400-level designation. For students who continue their education at UND, it would “count” for those seeking a Leadership Minor as their first course in the study.

HON 391 – Hollywood and Business – 3 credits
Instructor: Kay M. Powell, University of North Dakota

Advanced interdisciplinary course on varying topics in the humanities: Hollywood film class that focuses on the theme of “Business.”  Through lectures, in-class screenings, and discussion, we will trace the evolution of the perception of business and management.   Moving chronologically from the industrial revolution to today’s fast-paced global world of information management and AI, how does popular culture made in Hollywood keep up?  What has changed in the narrative structure of storytelling and the field of management?  We’ll start with the US’ Hays code and advance to current marketing of products in film and how these arrangements affect what we see on the screen.
Note: Students should consider that these films may have content that some consider offensive and that several movies/shows are rated “R” or “TV-MA” (mature audiences).

HUM 391 – Advanced Humanities Seminar – Social Media – 2 credits
Instructor: Tonje Kristiansen, American College of Norway

POLS 220: Arctic Symposium – Travel Course (Svalbard) – 1 credit
This course is built around a five-day, four-night group trip to Norway’s fascinating Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Our primary aim is to stimulate and deepen interest in the Arctic, a region of increasingly vital importance to our world, as well as in the far north of Norway. During our time we will experience firsthand the climate of the High North, sample life in Longyearbyen, one of the world’s most northernmost towns, and expand our understanding of Svalbard’s history and status. Along the way will also learn more about its beautiful but fragile ecosystem and about the interlinking global processes of climate change. This is truly a rare opportunity that will unfold a unique place.

IDS 399: The Arctic Seminar – 3 credits
This course will offer a wide-ranging yet targeted survey of an emergent geo-political focal point of the 21st century, the Arctic region. While climate change and rising sea-levels have worried many from an environmental perspective, these developments have also opened new and lucrative economic possibilities, especially for the oil-prospecting, shipping and even tourism industries. These various components will be explored in the course: the geographical context; the history of Arctic exploration; the parallels with Antarctic scientific cooperation; the impact of climate change; the importance of oil and gas deposits; the shipping industry; the changing role of Arctic Council; Scandinavian interests in the area; the role of the big powers, even including China; and 21st century scenarios for this vital emergent region. 

 

All 3 credit courses unless otherwise noted

*Courses subject to change