"With my busy schedule, allocating time to studies is difficult. Online courses allow me to work on assignments from anywhere I have an Internet connection, 24/7. NIU is very good at integrating technology to make my online experience easy and enjoyable. There is a definite plus to online learning."
Robert Dunn,
BGS Student
REGISTRATION | COSTS | LOCATION
OFF-CAMPUS COURSES | ONLINE COURSES
Course Descriptions
CSCI | ECON | ENGL | GEOG | HIST | STAT | WOMS
Computer security has become an increasing problem. We see frequent reports of lost personal information and identity theft. This hands-on class covers basic security problems and the tools available for dealing with them. Students will gain knowledge and skills to protect their information with proper encryption; they will also learn about various exploits and how to recognize them and minimize exposure. Previous familiarity with computer use and Internet tools, such as e-mail and Web browsers, recommended.
350. Topics in Computer Science: Security Basics (3). Each lettered topic may be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours when subject changes. Prerequisites & Notes: Senior standing and consent of department.
Kaisone Rush. CSCI 350
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9245) meets online 8/27-12/10 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford: Saturday 9/1 Initial, Saturday 10/27 Midterm, Saturday 12/15 Final; 10:00 a.m. to noon.
Database and Communications Software
CSCI 466
This course will cover all essential concepts and practices of database design, development, and administration. Real-world examples will be studied in depth using Oracle and MySQL. This is a newly revised course with all new content and format. It covers all core materials in a typical introductory database course. The core database knowledge is essential for over 90% of all IT jobs. It is the course you must have in all practical sense! The major topics to be covered include: The relational model fundamentals, Data Modeling with E-R model; SQL and PL/SQL; Database Programming (Pro*C, Java); Transactions/Concurrency; Physical Data Organization and Query Processing & Optimization. Some previous exposure to Java/Data Structures helpful, but not required
466. Database/Data Communications Software (4). Software development in a representative current database and an on-line interactive teleprocessing system. Extensive laboratory work. Prerequisites & Notes: CSCI 465 or consent of department.
Yuejian Sheng. CSCI 466
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9048) meets online 8/27-12/10 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Multi-University Center, OakBrook Campus: Tuesday 8/28, Monday 10/22, Tuesday 12/11; 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Web Development
CSCI 475/575
This course will have three face-to-face meetings. There will be online lectures, tutorials, quizzes and discussions. There will be both individual assignments as well as a group assignment. Office hours will be conducted both online and in person at the NIU-Rockford location for your convenience
475. Web Development (3). Examination of web application development. Technical topics include HTML, Cascading Style Sheets, JavaScript, and cross-browser compatibility. Includes designing an effective user interface with color, graphics, navigation, and related topics. Extensive laboratory work. Prerequisites & Notes: CSCI 440 or CSCI 464, or consent of department.
Sherry O’Brien
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• Section YE1 (CSCI 475 Ref. # 9049; CSCI 575 Ref. # 9051) meets online 8/27-12/10 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford: Monday 8/27 Initial, Monday 10/15 Midterm, Monday 12/10 Final; 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Health has evolved into a multidisciplinary concept; the study of the concept has broadened beyond the realm of physicians and epidemiologists and now includes economists. This online course will examine this universal concept from an economist’s perspective, which will include an analysis of market for health care, the social determinants of health, the role of the government, the role of the private sector, and an evaluation of the efficiency of public policy. The centerpiece of this course will be to promote learning through effective communication. Evaluation in the course will be based on online discussions, online tests, and presentations. We will have three meetings in a traditional classroom format; attendance at these meetings is mandatory and an integral part of the course requirement.
370A. Current Economic Issues: Health Economics (3). Topics of current importance to consumers, resource owners, business, and government. May be repeated once as topics change. Prerequisites & Notes: ECON 260.
Sowjanya Dharmasankar. ECON 370A
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9057) meets online 9/4-12/4 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Elgin Community College on Tuesdays 9/4, 10/16, 12/4; 6:30-9:16 p.m.
• Section YE2 (Ref. # 9058) meets online 9/6-12/6 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Waubonsee Community College on Thursdays 9/6, 10/18, and 12/6; 6:30-9:15 p.m.
This online course will help students develop the skills needed to craft creative nonfiction essays, including memoir, travel, and autobiography. Through reading published creative nonfiction essays and participating in weekly writing exercises, students will learn about and apply the techniques of narration, characterization, dialogue, scene, voice and tone. Additionally, students will critique short essays written by established non-fiction writers, create their own portfolio of essays, and participate in online class workshop sessions. Selected readings will be posted online for students.
300A. Advanced Composition (3). Writing expressive, persuasive, and informative essays and developing appropriate stylistic and organizational techniques. Open to both majors and non-majors.
Lynda Nance. ENGL 300A
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9059) meets online 9/8-12/8 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Elgin Community College on 9/8, 10/20, 12/8, 9:00 a.m. to noon.
• Section YE2 (Ref. # 9060) meets online 9/8-12/8 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Waubonsee Community College on Saturdays 9/8, 10/20, 12/8, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Shakespeare
ENGL 315
This course, intended for the general non-English major, will address the following central questions: who is Shakespeare, what was his culture like, and why are his plays considered to be the greatest works of literature written in the English language? During the semester, we will explore these questions as we read representative plays from Shakespeare’s canon, including samples of his histories, comedies, tragedies, and romances. In addition to analyzing the plays as literary texts, we will also seek to understand and critique them as dramatic works by watching video selections of stage productions and film adaptations. Requirements include: regular attendance, as well as consistent and constructive contribution to the classroom dialogue; a mid-term exam; a final, comprehensive exam; and four brief, but focused, response papers (2-3 pages each). Our text will be The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd edition.
315. Shakespeare (3). Representative plays. Intended to prepare the general student to read and view the plays independently. Not available for credit in the major.
Jeffrey Johnson. ENGL 315
• Section CE1 (Ref. # 9061) meets at NIU-Naperville on Wednesdays, 6:30-9:15 p.m., 9/12-12/12.
Recent Western Literature
ENGL 339
This course will examine in translation some of the most highly influential works of European fiction, drama, and poetry in the twentieth century, by authors including Chekov, Kafka, Brecht, Camus, Rilke, Hesse, Popa, and Duras. At issue in such works is the relation of the (alienated) individual to society, and the anxiety inherent to a rapidly changing world in which traditional beliefs and values are seriously shaken. The texts studied for this course will be approached as responses to such anxiety, represented through strange characters, complex narrative strategies, and plots that sometimes border on the absurd as they delineate the dilemma of modern existence.
339. Recent Western Literature (3). Comparative study of representative modern works, read in translation, by authors such as Chekov, Proust, Kafka, Rilke, Dinesen, Duras, and Calvino.
Ryan Hibbett. ENGL 339
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9062) meets online 8/27-12/3 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Hoffman Estates on Mondays 8/27, 10/15, 12/3; 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Gender and the Novel
ENGL 400 / WOMS 430
Scholars of literature often say that the novel genre came into being in part as a way to help readers work through anxieties as social classes and categories became less rigid and also less stable. In this class we will examine whether the novel’s investigation of social categories looks different depending on whether the authors or main characters are male or female. Do men and women write different kinds of novels, and if so, how are they different? Do authors write differently about women and about men, and to what extent is this based on the author’s own sex and gender expression? Do women and men write about other social categories, such as class and race, differently? These and other questions will be considered in the reading and analysis of six novels. Primary texts will include: Little Women (Alcott), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain), Native Son (Wright), Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston), The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse (Erdrich), and Middlesex (Eugenides).
400. Literary Topics: Gender and the Novel (3). Topics announced. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours when topic varies.
Mary Shelden. ENGL 400
• Section YE1 (ENGL 400 Ref. # 9064; WOMS 430 Ref.# 9226) meets online 9/5-12/5 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Wednesdays 9/5, 10/17, 12/5, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Though maps have been used by civilizations for well over 5,000 years, practically all aspects of mapping today involve computers—from the collection of real-world data by GPS or satellites to drafting and printing. Rather than study the history of maps and mapping, we will instead study the concept of maps as tools of modern communication and visualization. This course is also the starting point for NIU's certificate of undergraduate study in GIS (in addition to applying toward the B.G.S.) and is required for several further courses in geography. Mandatory introductory face-to-face class meeting.
256. Maps and Mapping (3). Introduction to maps as models of our earth, tools of visualization, and forms of graphic communication. Use of satellite and aerial imagery, land surveying, and geographic information systems in map production. Thematic maps and how they are used. Map design for informational and persuasive purposes. Two hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory.
Paul Sill. GEOG 256
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9092) meets online 9/4-12/4 with a mandatory face-to-face meeting at NIU-Hoffman Estates on Tuesday 9/4, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Women in Science
GEOG 324x/BIOS 324x/WOMS 324
Science and technology permeate our society. Who practices science and the way in which science is conducted is socially constructed. Why is it then that women feel outside of “science” and continue to be underrepresented in many scientific fields? In this course we will examine the history of women in science and address the current status of women in various scientific disciplines. We will spend time examining what we may consider both the “women question in science” and the “science question is feminism.” We will also explore the representation of women of science as they are portrayed in literature and film. The objectives of this class are to discuss issues of science and gender using recent scholarly literature, to critique the various viewpoints, to become familiar with the subject, and to discuss these issues in a constructive manner!
324x. Women in Science (3). Crosslisted as WOMS 324 and BIOS 324X. Why women are underrepresented in many scientific fields. The history of women in science, the current status of women in science, and the representation of women in various scientific disciplines.
Lesley Rigg. GEOG 324x, BIOS 324x, WOMS 324
• Section YE1 (GEOG 324x, Ref. # 9094; BIOS 324x, Ref. # 9034; WOMS 324, Ref. # 9225) meets online 8/27-12/5 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Waubonsee Community College on Mondays 8/27, 10/15, 12/3, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 359
Have you ever asked yourself, "where in the world am I?" GEOG 359 may help you answer that question with an introductory study into the principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this online course, we develop skills in GIS, its components, and how it applies to our surrounding environment. This course is a primer for those who are interested in learning more about the dynamic and ever-changing world of GIS and its career applications.
359. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3). Study of the fundamental principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Emphasis on the development of these systems, their components and their integration into mainstream geography. Two hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory. Prerequisites & Notes: GEOG 256 or consent of department.
Phil Young. GEOG 359
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9095) meets online 9/6-12/6 with a mandatory face-to-face meeting at Elgin Community College on Thursday 9/6, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 459
A Geographic Information System (GIS), composed of multiple map layers of a place, can facilitate problem-solving in a variety of social, environmental, and business settings; this course will apply GIS to examples from these different settings. Methods of integrating land, environmental, demographic, and business information will be demonstrated. In addition to applying to the B.G.S., this class also counts toward NIU’s certificate of undergraduate study in GIS.
459. Geographic Information Systems (3). Study of the conceptual framework and development of geographic information systems. Emphasis on the actual application of a GIS to spatial analysis. Prerequisites & Notes: GEOG 359 or consent of department.
Richard Greene. GEOG 459
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9096) meets online 9/8-12/8 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Naperville on Saturdays 9/8, 10/20, 12/8; 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Workshops in Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 468
The primary objective of this class is for the student to recognize the complexities and processes involved in creating a Geographic Information System (GIS) from conception to completion. This online “workshop” will revolve around a GIS utilizing current data sets and software. The methodology of this course will be a blended set of lessons and exercises which will include design, data capture, quality control and data management. A student enrolled in a Homeland Security, GIS Certificate program or students seeking a BGS degree may also be interested in taking this course.
468. WORKSHOP IN GIS (3). Problems and techniques of GIS prototype development. Emphasis on GIS development and spatial database management for public sector applications such as land parcel mapping, emergency services, facilities management, and homeland security. The processes of deisgn and production, editing and quality control, and final implementation of an operational product are stressed through applied projects. PRQ: GEOG 359 and consent of department.
Phil Young. GEOG 468
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9097) meets online 9/5-12/5 with a mandatory face-to-face meeting at NIU-Rockford on Wednesday 9/5, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
The Catholic Church since 1545
HIST 320/498D
The major objective of this course is to explore the evolution of the Roman Catholic Church from the beginning of Christianity to modern times with an emphasis on the period after the Council of Trent (1545-1563). In this course, religious belief, worship and liturgy will be discussed only marginally; instead we will focus on the development and evolution of the Roman Catholic Church as an institution.
320. The Catholic Church since 1545 (3). History of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe from the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council. Topics include the Council of Trent, sacramentalism, the Inquisition, dechristianization, and religious revival.
498D. Special Topics in History: Modern European (including British) History (3). Selected themes or problems. Topics announced. May be repeated when subject varies.
Stephen Haliczer. HIST 320/498D
• Section YE1 (HIST 320 Ref. # 9099; HIST 498D # 9101) meets online 9/4-12/4 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Tuesdays 9/4, 10/16, 12/4; 6:30-9:15 p.m.
An introduction to basic concepts in statistical methods including probability, theoretical and empirical distributions, estimation, tests of hypotheses, linear regression and correlation, and single classification analysis of variance procedures. Not available for credit toward the major in mathematical sciences. Not used in major GPA calculation for mathematical sciences majors. This course will have online weekly discussion along with online lecture notes. There will be three meetings: one for an initial meeting, midterm and then final exam. The homework will be done using Microsoft Excel.
301. Elementary Statistics (4). Introduction to basic concepts in statistical methods including probability, theoretical and empirical distributions, estimation, tests of hypotheses, linear regression and correlation, and single classification analysis of variance procedures. Not available for credit toward the major in mathematical sciences. Not used in major GPA calculation for mathematical sciences majors. Prerequisites and Notes: MATH 206 or MATH 210 or MATH 211 or MATH 229.
Claudine Myers. STAT 301
• Section YE1 (Ref. # 9188) meets online 8/28-12/13 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Naperville on Tuesdays 8/28, 10/16, 12/11, 7-9 p.m.
• Section YE2 (Ref. # 9189) meets online 8/30-12/13 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Thursdays 8/30, 10/18, 12/13, 7-9 p.m.
Women’s Culture in the U.S.
WOMS 430/ILAS 490
Throughout the history of the United States, women have contributed a great deal to the country's cultural landscape. This course will examine the important contributions that women have made to American culture through a consideration of women's fine arts and crafts, fashions, literature and music. This is an online course with three face-to-face meetings; orientation to Blackboard will be provided at the first face-to-face meeting. Requirements include online discussions, short writing assignments, and midterm and final exams.
ILAS 490. Advanced Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies (3). Topics from the sciences, social sciences, and/or humanities treated from an interdisciplinary perspective. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours when topic varies.
WOMS 430. Special Topics in Women’s Studies (3). May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester credit hours as topic changes.
Rebekah Kohli
• ILAS 490 Section YE2 (Ref. # 9104) meets online 9/8-12/8 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Saturdays 9/8, 10/20, 12/8; 9:00 a.m. to noon. Will meet simultaneously with WOMS 430.
• WOMS 430, Section YE2 (Ref. # 9227) meets online 9/8-12/8 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Saturdays 9/18, 10/20, 12/8; 9:00 a.m. to noon. Will meet simultaneously with ILAS 490.