LEAP Prides

This pride examines the United States democracy by looking at the dynamic interaction between the founding ideals of the United States government, the institutions established by the Constitution, and the ongoing contest for power within and through those institutions. Students will learn how Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court shape law and public policy; how the electoral process influences the decisions of voters and political parties; and how the media, interest groups, political action committees, and public opinion impact political outcomes.  

This pride introduces you to current concepts in the maintenance of animal health and the application of scientific information to health-related decision making. You will have the opportunity to apply biomedical sciences to disease prevention programs in companion animals, food animals, and horses. The course will emphasize the biology of infectious diseases, immune response, and toxicology. You will also have opportunities to investigate the wide variety of careers in animal health and the biomedical sciences 

*This class does not meet General Education requirements, but does meet the first-year seminar requirement for students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government... " --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789. ME 7:253 Democracy depends on an informed electorate who engage in critical thinking so as to hold in check potential abuses of power. Understanding argumentation provides students with the ability to critically assess and create effective discourse. 

Offered only to incoming students, AURORA Outdoor Orientation Programs ease the college transition. The ORION expedition takes first-year students on a five- day backpacking expedition through the Pennsylvania wilderness. Participants gain not only backpacking skills from trained upperclassmen, but insight into college life in a relaxed environment. The classroom component introduces students to health and wellness topics such as: eating well on campus, group dynamics, time management, and mental and emotional wellness. 

There are two sections of the Aurora Pride paired with CAS 100A: (1) Lion, (2) Nittany. Students should enroll in one section. 

This pride explores health issues in an integrated way by taking into account the many different factors—biological, behavioral, social, cultural, and environmental—that influence health throughout the life span. Health will be emphasized as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not just the absence of disease. You will learn to identify the many factors that contribute to differences in health and health risk for individuals and groups. You will apply health principles and research findings to health promotion, disease prevention strategies, and public health policies.  

This pride is only open to students who are college of HHD pre-majors. 

Through this course, students will gain a well-rounded level of competency in the use of spreadsheet software as a tool. Students will develop problem-solving strategies while gaining insight on the tactical use of spreadsheets. Concepts are contextualized in a broader discussion of information systems management including data security, ethical issues, social media, distributed (cloud) services, and emerging trends.  

There are sis sections of the Business Problem Solving Pride: (1) Blue, (2) Lion, (3) Nittany, (4) Roar, (5) State, and (6) White. Students should enroll in one section. 

This pride is only open to students enrolled in the Smeal College of Business or the Division of Undergraduate Studies. 

Calculus is an important building block in the education of any professional who uses quantitative analysis. This course introduces and develops the mathematical skills required for analyzing change and creating mathematical models that replicate real-life phenomena. The goals include to develop the students' knowledge of calculus techniques and to use the calculus environment to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Please note, there will be 24 LEAP students, and up to 19 non-LEAP students in MATH 140. CAS 100 will only be LEAP students.

This pride introduces the fundamental concepts and processes of solving computational problems through the design, implementation, testing and evaluation of efficient and robust computer programs. The concepts include basic computational constructs found in imperative, object-oriented and functional programming languages such as iteration, conditionals, functions, recursion, and datatypes. These provide the basic building blocks found in virtually all programming languages.

There are two sections of the Computer Science Pride: (1) Lion and (2) Nittany.  Students should enroll in one section.

This pride is only open to students in the College of Engineering or the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

This is an introductory university-level course in computer systems literacy. The history, architecture and operation of computing systems and underlying computing theory are covered. The intent of this course is to ensure that students with diverse backgrounds can gain the information technology fundamental skills and understanding to succeed with subsequent in-depth courses in the Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations curriculum. At the same time the general nature of the introduction may make it useful for other programs that involve education in concepts and skills relating to information and computing systems.

There are two sections of the Cybersecurity Pride: (1) Lion and (2) Nittany.  Students should enroll in one section.

This class explores the workings of the climate system at the present, and in the past, through a series of modules with hands-on learning activities. We will learn how simple and sophisticated computer models can provide useful tools for making predictions about what our climate will be like in the next few hundred years, which will be a critical time for our species as we endeavor to find a more sustainable way of living. We will examine the impacts of climate change on humanity, and explore strategies to help us successfully meet these challenges.

The human mind has been considered one of the “last frontiers” of science. In this Pride, students will learn the psychology underlying student and teacher academic behavior, motivation, assessment, and more. This course is designed around state-of-the-art research of human learning and behavior. Students are introduced to prolific theories of learning and effective instructional practice—including classroom management techniques, motivation, and assessment. Students from many areas of study will find this Pride valuable, including education-related majors, professions which require teaching, human development, speech pathology, or simply students seeking to hone their academic skills.

This combination of courses allows new engineering students to complete an important design course and satisfy the General Education speech requirement. The two courses are a natural combination. Engineering Design requires the presentation of design principles in class. Effective Speech emphasizes the principles of presenting problems, solutions, and processes. Students will apply and integrate what they learn in both courses through activities such as developing speeches about their design projects. EDSGN 100 is not required of students who intend to major in Computer Engineering or Computer Science. To enroll in the Engineering prides we suggest students should be eligible for MATH 140.

There are six sections of the Engineering Pride. Four are paired with CAS 100A (Lion, Nittany, Roar, and State) and two are paired with ENGL 15 (Blue and White). Students should enroll in one section.

This pride is only open to students in the College of Engineering and the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Leaders, in whatever context, make difficult decisions, distribute scarce resources, direct and influence the conduct of others, and represent the goals of the enterprise they lead. Thus they ought to exemplify prudence, fairness, integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, sincerity, and morally upright behavior. This pride investigates these concepts and the moral dilemmas that arise in developing or applying them. It also explores, philosophically as well as practically, the ways leaders might identify ethical challenges, analyze them, imagine possible solutions, and be motivated to do the right thing.

This pride is reserved for Paterno Fellow Aspirants who will be introduced to the ethics of intercultural communication, a vital topic in our increasingly interconnected world. CAS 271N is designed to give undergraduate students an introduction to the various issues, trends, and historical perspectives pertaining to communication within U.S. domestic and international cultures. PHIL 103 provices an introduction to the basic questions of ethics, the major currents in traditional ethical theory (virtue, ethics, deontology, consequentialism), and more recent developments (e.g. care ethics).

This is pride is only open to students aspiring to the Paterno Fellows program. To enroll, contact Barb Edwards at bae1@psu.edu.

This pride explores the role of music in narrative film. It is not a history of film music, although our approach will in some respects be historic. The purpose is for students to gain an understanding of the role of music in film, to observe various artistic approaches to the use of music in film, and to examine how music interacts with the other elements of sound—sound effects and dialogue—in an artistically unified sound track that, in turn, accompanies and interacts with the movie's visual component to create a compelling and satisfying work of art.

In this pride, students make connections between disease and lifestyle through health, wellness, and biochemical and molecular changes. KINES 84Z is designed to give students a complete understanding of fundamental principles of physical fitness with an appreciation for disease prevention. In BMB 1Z, students will learn about the scientific process and how science has contributed to the knowledge used in the medical field to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. Through this unique linked course pairing, students will satisfy the Integrative Studies General Education requirement.

GD 100 places emphasis on problem solving and observing design, while developing intuition and creativity. Projects focus on the process of defining the parameters of a design problem, observing examples within the design industry, and crtically evaluating examples of effective and ineffective design. GD 100 will help students to: 1. Understand the graphic design industry and the responsibilities of the profession. 2. Develop an appreciation for the practie of design. 3. Begin to develop the ability to define and solve problems. 4. Incrase their knowledge of the history of graphic design and typography. 5. Refine their conceptual skills. 6. Learn and understand the vernacular of the industry.

CAS 101N introduces students to the field of communication studies and to the most important concepts, questions, and ideas that surround the study of communication today. This class is essential for any student who wishes to consider a major or minor in Communication Arts and Sciences. The course is also an important elective for students who want to understand processes of communication in a variety of social forms or settings, including interpersonal, small group, organizational, intercultural, public, and technological.

 This LEAP pride gives students the opportunity to take two HDFS courses. In HDFS 108N, students explore human flourishing - defined as a life of deep meaning, fulfillment and service to others. Students will be taught about flourishing through the lens of science, philosophy, and their own experience. In HDFS 129, students will be introduced to developmental theories and the developmental tasks and challenges unique to each stage of development from birth through old age. Three of the credits students earn in this pride will be applied to their integrative studies general education requirement.

This pride opens an intellectual journey through the ideas and challenges that IT professionals face in the world. It will address major questions such as: How can we use technology to organize and integrate human enterprises? How can technology help people and organizations adapt rapidly and creatively? What can we do about information overload? Three perspectives (or facets) address the core issues: information or the basic science of data encoding, transmission and storage; people or the interactions among technologies, institutions, regulations and users; and technology or the design and operation of basic information technology devices. Students completing the course will be confident users and consumers of information technology.

There are two sections of this pride, (1) Lion and (2) Nittany. Students should enroll in one section.

Art History 100 provides an introduction to the history of art from prehistory to the present, through selected topics, rather than a comprehensive survey. Areas covered usually include prehistoric art, art of the Near East and Egypt, ancient Greek and Roman art, medieval art culminating with the Gothic, Renaissance art both in Italy and northern Europe, Baroque and Rococo art, and modern developments often highlighting Romanticism, Impressionism, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Feminist, and contemporary art. The course also introduces selected artistic traditions in Africa, Asia and the Americas. The course is designed to meet two principal goals. The first is to increase students' powers of visual analysis and to help them build a critical vocabulary for discussing an art object's medium, composition, style, and iconography. The second is to foster an understanding of the deep implication of the visual arts in their social and cultural contexts, both historical and contemporary.

Why are some countries rich and other countries poor?  Is our national debt a problem?  Why can't we just print a large amount of money to pay off the debt?  Macroeconomics takes a "macro" view of economies, studying the big picture.  Students will understand GDP, the unemployment rate, inflation, and economic growth.  Fiscal and monetary policies are examined.  Other topics include aggregate supply and demand, interest rates, and the Federal Reserve. 

Aside from working and sleeping, individuals in the United States spend more time-consuming media than any other single activity. By the time the average person reaches the age of 65, he or she will have spent over six full years of life watching television - not to mention the additional time spent reading newspapers, magazines, listening to the radio, using the internet, and playing video games. Given the centrality of media in the lives of most people, it is imperative that we understand and critically explore the variety of ways in which we perceive and are influenced by media messages. The purpose of this pride is to introduce students to the study of the effects of media on individuals and society. 

How do individuals, firms, and governments make decisions? What determines prices? Are monopolies always bad? This course is designed to develop the basic concepts and techniques of microeconomic theory and its applications. Considerable emphasis is placed on the basic principles of economics, methods of economic analysis, price determination, consumer behavior, theory of the firm, and market structures. ECON 102 is an introduction to microeconomic analysis and policy. Students will analyze issues clearly and critically. 

This course offers a survey of several different cultural traditions as expressed in myth, as well as discussion of myth in its literary, social, geographical, political, and religious contexts. Various theories of the evolution and analysis of myth will be examined. Mythological traditions from around the globe will be compared in order to determine qualities which they share and examine ways in which they are unique. This course will help you see the world in new and exciting ways, based on the wide variety of global myths. At the same time, you will consider the permanent human issues which connect all of these traditions to each other, to the modern world, and to you. CMLIT 108 is one of the choices of survey courses, which count toward the Comparative Literature major and the World Literature minor.

THEA 101N introduces theatre and performance as artistic practice, creative action, a way of knowing, and a record and unfolding of culture. Combining the disciplinary domains of social science and the arts, the performances and performance practices we study range from the scared, to the artistic, to the commerical (and often more than one of these at once). This course positions the study of performance as interdisciplinary-drawing from foundational texts in sociology, anthropology, and literature, just as it draws from such other art forms as visual art, architecture, dance, and music. We work from the following three interrelated premises: art and culture shape each other; performance happens everywhere-in many geographies, and in spaces real and virtual; and theatre and dance are human endeavors that tell us about the past, rehearse the present, and point to possible futures.

This pride will explore the distinction—historically and theoretically— between propaganda and persuasion. In this course you will develop a more precise understanding of “propaganda” and the techniques of the propagandist. Toward this end, we will study the history of propaganda, as well as contemporary cases of public advocacy that raise questions about the distinction between persuasion and propaganda. 

This pride is reserved for Paterno Fellow Aspirants who will be introduced to the academic study of pop culture. In SOC 19, students will be introduced to the theories, concepts, and research techniques sociologists use by applying them to study popular culture. WMNST 106N is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, with an emphasis on the experiences, achievements, and status of women in the arts and humanities in the U.S. and global context.

This pride is only open to students aspiring to the Paterno Fellows program. To enroll, contact Barb Edwards at bae1@psu.edu.

This pride emphasizes the fundamental principles of physical fitness and skills necessary to implement a personalized fitness program that will evolve over the lifespan. Students also consider factors which affect their performance in executing a fitness plan such as nutritional concerns, the impact of stress, choice of proper equipment, matching personal goals to proper execution, and personal motivation. In their pursuit of an active and healthy lifestyle, students assess personal health, fitness, and wellness using pre/post intervention strategies, and engage in physical exercise to practice concepts presented in the course training techniques.

Society and Disease Management is an interdisciplinary general education course to educate students in the biological mechanisms of diseases, treatment of individual patients, and how disease burden is managed within communities. In addition to studying how infectious diseases spread through populations, societal impacts and global health approaches to managing disease interventions will be examined. Foundations of this course include the basics of the human immune system, development of vaccines and antibiotics, emergence of drug resistant diseases, as well as applications from economics, systems theory, and health policy. Specific diseases will be examined within a historical context leading to a survey of present-day concerns relating to treatments, and then explore issues regarding future methods to control or eradicate disease. This longitudinal approach will provide students with a full awareness of disease management from its beginnings, to both early and modern treatment methods, culminating in how to potentially combat a disease using advances in genomic medicine and biotechnology all within the cultural framework of a community.

UPDATED DESCRIPTION: During the worst viral pandemic in the last 100 years, let’s explore viruses!  We will explore different types of viruses, current viral research and how it relates to events going on now.  Through this journey you will gain fundamental skills in the process, comprehension and communication of science.  You will begin to use bioinformatic tools to explore viral genomes and come up with interesting research questions.  While you are learning about science, you will also be completing Freshman Seminar requirements for PSU 016 and learning key critical thinking and metacognitive strategies that will help you in your college and scientific career.  If you like researching viruses, there will be a chance to take a continuing course concerning viral genomics in the Fall. BMB 205 counts as a student’s first-year seminar requirement.

This pride is only open to students enrolled in the Eberly College of Science or Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Since the dawning of history, humankind faced the destructive power of volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions can wipe out entire populations, destroy food supplies, and alter the Earth's climate for years at a time. At the same time, volcanoes provide fertile soil for growing crops and natural geothermal energy. This course uses virtual field trips to past volcanic eruptions to introduce basic concepts in geosciences and volcanology. Students will use real data from active volcanic fields, as well as original data collected during home experiments, to calculate physical properties of magmas and to interpret the potential impacts of various volcanic hazards. 

This class focuses on women's shared and unshared experiences, issues of gender roles and stereotyping, questions related to sex/gender systems, and the different disciplinary approaches to the study of women and gender. The course asks how women's behavior, activities, accomplishments, roles, sexuality and status have been shaped by biological, psychological, sociological, cultural, historical and political determinants, as well as by women's experiences based on their racial, class and sexual identities. Topics include the history of women's liberation movements, women's experiences in home, work and educational settings, gender roles and stereotyping as influenced by media, culture, education, and other social institutions, health and body image issues, and multiple forms of oppression. The course will focus equally on feminist issues in both the US and on a global scale and is both interdisciplinary (drawing information and readings from history, psychology, political science, and sociology) and broadly inclusive (addressing at all times the relationship between gender, race, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation).