LEAP Prides

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.

The AURORA Outdoor Orientation Program eases the transition into Penn State. The program brings together first-year students for a five-day backpacking trip in the Pennsylvanian wilderness. Led by trained upperclassmen, participants gain not only backpacking skills but insight into their new college life. The classroom component introduces students to general health and wellness topics including eating healthy on campus, group dynamics, time management, and mental and emotional wellness. Students will earn all 3 GWH credits required to graduate (KINES 89). No previous backpacking experience required! For more information call 814-865-3890 or visit: shaverscreek.org/aurora

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.

Business Information Systems is an applications-oriented course that provides an overview of (1) the role of information systems in business process design, (2) current technologies used for obtaining, storing, and communicating information in support of operations and decision-making within a business organization, and (3) concepts and principles for programming, developing, and using popular spreadsheet and database tools. Applications focus on important problems and issues found in business disciplines, including accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain operations, and general management. MIS 204 is a graduation requirement for all Smeal College of Business students.

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

Business Information Systems is an applications-oriented course that provides an overview of (1) the role of information systems in business process design, (2) current technologies used for obtaining, storing, and communicating information in support of operations and decision-making within a business organization, and (3) concepts and principles for programming, developing, and using popular spreadsheet and database tools. Applications focus on important problems and issues found in business disciplines, including accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain operations, and general management. MIS 204 is a graduation requirement for all Smeal College of Business students.

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

In this pride students will cover topics that include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, statistical inference, regression and correlation, and forecasting. SCM 200 introduces basic statistical concepts and models within the framework of business problems and applications. Students learn about the usefulness of business statistics to decision making, how to perform basic statistical and analytical procedures, and how to interpret, critically evaluate, and analyze data. Special emphasis is given to active learning methods. SCM 200 is an entrance-to-major course for the Smeal College of Business.

This pride will be beneficial to students interested in computing majors including Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Sciences, Electrical Engineering, and Social Data Analytics. The course is the first programming course required for these majors. Using the Python programming language, the course introduces fundamental concepts of programming and computational thinking, with a rigor that prepares students for subsequent courses in computing.

This pride provides an introduction to engineering design processes, methods, and decision-making using team design projects. Design communication methods discussed include graphical, verbal, and written. 

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

This pride provides an introduction to engineering design processes, methods, and decision-making using team design projects. Design communication methods discussed include graphical, verbal, and written. 

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

In this pride, you will explore the ways in which people think about, use, and are affected by the natural environment. It will provide skills for analyzing and evaluating how people have transformed the environment in different parts of the world through integrating natural and social science approaches. We will address questions such as:  Why do we conserve what we conserve?  How can we mitigate the effects of economic development upon the natural environment? Is sustainable development possible? How is climate change impacting social and ecological systems? Can we adapt to the impacts of climate change?

Students in this pride will explore the intersection of ethical leadership with the study of peace and conflict. In the Ethical Leadership course, students will explore 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. In the Introduction to Peace and Conflict course, students will explore how, why, and when individuals, groups, and states turn to violence to pursue political goals, as well as how they resolve conflict and sustain peace.

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

An introductory examination of the role of music in narrative film.  The pride is not a history of film music, although our approach will in some respects be historic.  Our purpose is 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 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

The Freshman Research Experience in Chemistry pride is designed to engage first-semester undergraduate students in chemical research.  The research will focus on the knowledge and application of two core concepts central to understanding compounds' structure-reactivity relationships: polarity and pH. Students will investigate selected organic compounds and learn simple lab techniques, which will allow them to collect and analyze data to draw conclusions about these compounds, their structures, and their properties.  This experience will culminate into a session where students will be shown how these studies tie into Penn State chemistry research by working in a graduate-level research lab. 

This pride is only open to students in the Eberly College of Science.

Leisure activities impact the health of individuals and communities.  Our leisure and recreation activities are critical factors in our mental and physical well-being, a way we bounce back from life's challenges, a fundamental part of our quality of life. Communities come together around special events, parks, sports, and shared experiences indoors and outdoors. We will examine historically and in current society how people make leisure part of their busy lives and enhance their personal health and community life.

Students in this pride will have the opportunity to take two HDFS courses. In Art and Science of Human Flourishing, students will explore what it means to live a life of deep meaning, fulfillment, and service to others through the lens of science, philosophy, and their own experience. You will be exposed to diverse ideas and research on the skills associated with flourishing including scientific theories, philosophical and religious writings, and reflective exercises and contemplative practices. In Human Development and Family Studies, you will be provided with a broad overview of human development emphasizing social and emotional development. 

This pride fulfills the first-year writing requirement (just as ENGL 015 does), but it is designed especially for international students. You will learn and practice the academic reading, writing, and research skills needed for successful university study. You will plan, write, and revise short essays and response papers, and also complete an extended research project. The classes require regular, active participation in group discussions, peer review tasks, mini-presentations, and workshops. Topics that get special coverage include: library research and resources, source materials and academic ethics, and exploration of academic majors and the Penn State community. 

 The iLEAP Pride is open to all international first-year students at the University Park campus.

Information, People, and Technology presents the high points of an education in the College of Information Sciences and Technology. 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? IST 110 is the introductory course in IST and as such, serves as a prerequisite for 200-level IST courses. It is a required course for all majors and minors in IST, and meets the requirements for a General Education Social Science [GS] course.

This pride introduces you to agriculture in developing countries and frames this focus with a discussion of contemporary crucial issues facing agriculture on a global scale, emphasizing global hunger and food security. The primary goal of the course is to inform students about international agriculture, challenging them to think critically and independently about agricultural issues and development, to generate global citizens who are more aware and conversant on important contemporary challenges in the global food, agriculture, and natural resource systems.

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? This pride explores these questions from a “macro” view of economics. Topics explored include GDP, the unemployment rate, inflation and economic growth, fiscal and monetary policies, aggregate supply and demand, interest rates, and the Federal reserve.

This pride provides an overview of the interaction between mass media and society, and pays particular attention to the social influences (e.g., economics, politics, technology, law, and culture) that shape media messages. Among others, the course examines the nature of media controllers as well as the character of "users" and "consumers" of media products. Students will gain a better understanding of the dynamic nature of the mass media in an information society.

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 and magazines, listening to the radio, using the Internet, and playing videogames. 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 on society.

This pride examines the political, social, and ideological developments of Europe since 1848. Students will gain knowledge about many aspects of modern European history, including: the origin and impact of two World Wars, the European aspects of both totalitarianism and democracy, and the changing role of Europe in the larger world. In examining these aspects of Europe, students will be able to assess primary historical sources, which are integral to the study of history, and to situate Europe in its broad and global context during the past 180 years.

Propaganda is a deliberate, systematic attempt to manipulate beliefs and emotions, usually through methods considered deceitful and unethical. Persuasion, on the other hand, is an everyday activity in our personal, social, and civic lives. This course will explore the distinction—historically and theoretically—between propaganda and persuasion, with an emphasis on developing the critical skills necessary to distinguish between the two. You will learn to recognize, describe, and evaluate propaganda in all of its various forms and contexts. It includes important cases from the history of propaganda as well as contemporary cases of public advocacy that raise questions about the distinction between persuasion and propaganda.

Science of Fitness is a pride in which students will learn about fitness theory and practice. This theoretical knowledge will then be put to use in a laboratory setting as students first evaluate their present fitness levels and then create and implement a personal fitness program. This course meets the first-year seminar requirement for students in the College of Health and Human Development and the Division of Undergraduate Studies. 

Introduction to Security and Risk Analysis is a preliminary course with a broad focus, spanning the areas of security, risk, and analysis. In addition to familiarizing you with basic technical terminology, it will also touch upon social and legal issues, risk analysis and mitigation, crime intelligence and forensics, and information warfare and assurance. Through the use of case studies, you will apply these concepts to the requirements for security in government agencies and business organizations.

Solid communication skills are essential to the success in all fields–that is why Penn State has three required courses for writing and speaking. The Speech and Writing pride enables you to complete two of those classes in a single unified experience. Both classes will explore topics that encourage critical thinking, speaking, and writing. You will study the basic rhetorical principles of argumentation, invention, arrangement, and style and experience the differences between spoken and written presentations. This combination allows you to develop a solid grounding in the writing, speaking, thinking, and research skills essential for your success at Penn State an in your career.

Solid communication skills are essential to the success in all fields​–​that is why Penn State has three required courses for writing and speaking. The Speech and Writing pride enables you to complete two of those classes in a single unified experience. Both classes will explore topics that encourage critical thinking, speaking, and writing. You will study the basic rhetorical principles of argumentation, invention, arrangement, and style and experience the differences between spoken and written presentations. This combination allows you to develop a solid grounding in the writing, speaking, thinking, and research skills essential for your success at Penn State an in your career.

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Solid communication skills are essential to the success in all fields–that is why Penn State has three required courses for writing and speaking. The Speech and Writing pride enables you to complete two of those classes in a single unified experience. Both classes will explore topics that encourage critical thinking, speaking, and writing. You will study the basic rhetorical principles of argumentation, invention, arrangement, and style and experience the differences between spoken and written presentations. This combination allows you to develop a solid grounding in the writing, speaking, thinking, and research skills essential for your success at Penn State an in your career.

Through the two courses in this pride, students have the opportunity to both participate in an authentic research experience and to learn about the history of disease and epidemiology. In the freshman research experience course, students will isolate a new virus (called a phage) that infects bacteria, characterize it, and determine its genetic code. In History of Disease and Epidemiology, students will explore how discoveries in medicine and microbiology have given us our modern understanding of disease. For example, in early December 1799, George Washington developed a severe throat infection. His doctors prescribed a treatment used for centuries by well-educated physicians. They sliced open several veins and drained about four pints of blood from the founding father’s body.  Washington died a few days later. Today, bleeding a patient to treat a sore throat is somewhat unfashionable. But why? What has changed since 1799? How have the discoveries in medicine and microbiology given us our modern understanding of disease? In SC 297E, we will answer these questions, and you will be grateful that you live in the 21st century.

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

Principles of the voice mechanisms, preventing vocal abuse, and promoting vocal health across the life span are core principles of the pride. The focus is on preventing voice disorders and promoting activities that contribute to healthy vocal habits across the life span. The pride integrates theoretical knowledge, practice-based, and measurement-focused activities to assist learners in understanding, achieving, maintaining, and promoting a lifetime of healthy vocal activities. Learning activities include: weekly lessons, information/research gathered via library and Internet resources and downloadable apps for analyzing voice qualities. Students who can benefit from this course include those interested in teaching, business, law, counseling or any field that requires healthy voice use.