Online courses directory (457)

Sociology is the scientific study of society. As such, it closely examines human interactions and cultural phenomena, including topics like inequality and urbanization and the effects of these on groups and individuals. To do their work, sociologists rely on a philosophy of science called positivism, which you will study in Unit 1. The philosophy of positivism asserts that authentic knowledge, or truth, can only be gained through empirical observations. In other words, we need to be able to experience our observations or use scientific measurement with a form of sensory experience, as opposed to using faith-based or emotional experiences. Another central concept to sociology is that of the sociological imagination. The sociological imagination allows sociologists to make connections between personal experiences and larger social issues. For example, did you know the U.S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world? In order to understand this trend, sociologists use scientific methods…

In the 1960’s, H. Marshall McLuhan, media theorist, critic, and visionary, asserted that societies are changed by the advances of technology, especially communication technologies.  He is well known for his prophecy that communication technology would one day make us one great “global village.”  In the end, the processes and theories regarding communication in our daily lives to exchange information, create meaning, and share understanding remain a critical component of human relationships.  Whether we are chatting with a stranger while waiting for a bus, solving a problem with a group of coworkers, or sharing our dreams and goals with our best friend, principles and practices of human communication are at the foundation of each of these human transactions. This course provides an introduction to the human communication concentration in the communications major.  This course will introduce you to communication principles, common communication practices, and a selection of theories to better unders…

This course examines the development of the art and architecture of the cultures of ancient Nubia through what we have learned from archaeology and how that evidence has helped us create the picture we now have of the culture and history of the birth and development of art and civilization in the Nile Valley.

This course deals with international relations, peace and security and brings together a number of experts from the field and academia to share their perspectives. The course will help you gain insight into conflict resolution and the role organizations such as the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, the African Union and NATO play in a changing world.

The destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile were a great catastrophe in the history of the Jewish Nation. What really happened during that dark, fateful age, and how did new opportunities arise from the ashes?

The French Revolution was one of the most important upheavals in world history. This course examines its origins, course and outcomes.

The purpose of this course is to systematically examine the elements and factors which result in an effective speech.  The textbook and associated lectures present an element-by-element examination of the essentials of public speaking while also identifying traits of the individual speaker and how they impact preparation and presentation.  In addition to these resources, a comprehensive series of brief videos demonstrate specific, performance-oriented aspects of public speaking.  Tying each of these course elements together are the themes of information and ethics, emphasized in each resource because they are becoming increasingly important to all communicators.  For example, the textbook constantly returns to the discussion of society’s ever-increasing access to information and the demands on the individual to use it effectively and ethically.  The authors note that “the New York Times has more information in one week than individuals in the 1800s would encounter in a lifetime,” which illustrates…

The purpose of this course, as governed by the textbook at its core, Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, is to complete a fairly comprehensive examination of the evolution and impact of the media, primarily in the United States.  Each of the major media (newspapers, magazines, books, radio, movies, music, and television), as well as new media (electronic entertainment, social media, and the Internet), are examined from their conception to the present and future possibilities.  Emphasis is placed on how each media industry has evolved over time, responding to changes in society, technology, politics, and economics.  The course also explores the cultural impact of the media, from individual media products to entire industries, with particular emphasis on the cultural and ethical factors that influence production, consumption, and also, due to the advent of new media, participation.  Upon completing this course, you should be more conscious of how your viewpoints are shape…

We live in an increasingly globalized world.  Technology enables us to do business just as easily with our neighbors as with a businessperson thousands of miles away from us.  Knowing how to navigate cultural differences is an increasingly valuable skill that will make you a more valuable employee.  Encounters among members of different cultures frequently fail simply because of basic cultural differences, such as the importance of time, proper greetings, or even the use of eye contact.  This course is designed to help you identify how to become a better communicator in these sorts of cross-cultural situations.  You will learn about barriers to successful communication that involve cultural differences.  You will also learn more about your own communication style and how it can be developed to facilitate more successful intercultural encounters. Though some of this course addresses a Western/U.S. perspective, much of the course focuses on characteristics of specific cultures and how generally one cultur…

There is no shortage of quotes in which inspirational business leaders describe the sources of their success. Their reasons are often diverse, but almost everyone comes back to the same thing: people. The people are the company; they create the success. In BUS301: Managing Human Capital, you learned how to find, train, and manage these people. Please keep in mind that there is more to successful business leadership than managing human capital. You must have a suitable structure and culture at your firm in order to achieve success. Imagine the U.S. military; it boasts some of the best-trained soldiers in human history, but that talent would be wasted without a structure designed to appropriately deploy forces. In other words, the military would not be as successful without streamlined organizational behavior. Organizational behavior (OB) is the study of how people interact in organizations. These interactions are governed by a number of factors, including your personal life, the personality of your boss or you…

This course traces the destruction of the Jews and Jewish life in Europe by Nazi Germany, drawing on major works of history, literature, and film. The lectures outline the work of the Nazis as well as Jewish responses.

Learn how John F. Kennedy's life, presidential administration, and tragic death have influenced the general public, the media, and all nine U.S. presidents over the last fifty years. THIS COURSE IS OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE! Follow @LarrySabato on Twitter. He tweets frequently about JFK and other political subjects.

This course analyses the intersection between the Olympic Games and the media and how television and other media contribute to fund, shape and disseminate the major sporting spectacle in the world: the Olympic Games.

Learn about the European Union, how it works, why it matters and what it can offer you! Regardless of where you live, the EU not only affects your life but may also transform it. This course aims at empowering you, your family, business and community in Europe and beyond and will enable you to discover jobs and paths you were not aware of. Des sous-titres sont proposés en français.

Scott McLean, formerly the Shadle-Edgecombe Endowed Faculty Chair at Arizona Western College, introduces the textbook used throughout this course by noting that “[E]ffective communication takes preparation, practice, and persistence.  There are many ways to learn communication skills; the school of experience, or ‘hard knocks,’ is one of them.  But in the business environment, a ‘knock’ (or lesson learned) may come at the expense of your credibility through a blown presentation to a client.” Effective communication skills are a prerequisite for succeeding in business.  Communication tools and activities connect people within and beyond the organization in order to establish the business’s place in the corporate community and the social community, and as a result, that communication needs to be consistent, effective, and customized for the business to prosper.  McLean’s textbook provides theories and practical information that represent the heart of this course, while additional resources a…

Whether you know it or not, you are actively contributing to a comprehensive media environment forged on both regional and global levels even when you are privately using social media websites!  The media we use today has come a long way, but the basic pattern of development remains consistent.  This course introduces various academic theories, cases, and models to make sense of local and global media development.  How does a locally operated newspaper trigger development of the national mass media market?  How does a global conglomerate media company set agendas for international news distribution?  Consider how the following historical events may be connected: In 1833, The Sun, a New York-based newspaper, became available to the general public for the first time.  This marked the beginning of the mass production of information and created a market sector that could be influenced by average people. In 1995, conglomerate media company, News Corporation, headquartered in New York City, acquired the H…

Marketing is an understanding of how to communicate with the consumer.  It includes four activities: Creating products and services that serve consumers; Communicating a clear value proposition; Delivering products and services in a way that optimizes value; Exchanging, or trading, value for those offerings. Many people incorrectly believe that marketing and advertising are the same thing.  In reality, advertising is but one of the many tools used in marketing, which is the process by which firms determine which products to offer, how to price those products, and to whom the products should be made available. In this course, you will learn about the marketing process and examine the range of marketing decisions that an organization must make in order to sell its products and services. You will also learn how to think like a marketer, discovering that the focus of marketing has always been on the customer.  You will begin to intuitively ask: what does the customer need?  What does the customer…

Effective public relations skills are essential to so much of the success in private and public spheres.  Public relations efforts address how we wish to present ourselves to others and how to deal with the perceptions of who others believe we are.  Public relations tactics are useful for large international corporate projects, or something as personal as networking for your own career advancement. If you are taking this course as part of a communications major, you may well find most every other course in the program is based on addressing how we relate to others.  The field of public relations takes the theories of human interaction and applies these theories for real-life results. This course will help prepare you to conduct public relations suitable for small start-up businesses, international companies, political campaigns, social programs, personal development, and other outreach projects.  There are many tools useful to effective public relations.  As we review the components of a public relat…

This course will explore questions relating to the who, what and how of terrorism studies, by introducing students to cutting-edge research and the experts investigating these topics.

Violence is among the top three leading causes of injury and death in the US and globally. We will focus on different disciplinary approaches and perspectives to understanding and potentially preventing violence.