Curriculum
Students transferring courses to Mount Mercy from other institutions will have their coursework evaluated by the Registrar's Office to determine whether a transfer course will satisfy a specific core requirement. Applicable transfer policies based on degree status will also be considered.
Reflection and Action: The Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum is the foundational piece of a Mount Mercy education. Regardless of one’s major, every student at Mount Mercy can be assured of a broad course of study in the traditional liberal arts. The courses in the Core are designed to foster inquiry, critical thinking, personal reflection, and a spirit of service and citizenship. The Core emphasizes freedom of choice as each student creates an individualized plan to complete the core requirements according to his or her needs and interests. The Core Curriculum has four components:
- An introductory Portal Course
- A comprehensive survey of the seven Domains of Liberal Study
- A culminating Capstone experience
- Multiple ways to achieve Competency in writing, math, and oral communication
The Mount Mercy Portal
The portal course has two main objectives: to introduce students to the fields of liberal studies, priming them to make informed choices about their future core courses; and to foster a sense of community and service in the class, at Mount Mercy, and in the greater Cedar Rapids area. Students will examine questions from the Mercy Critical Concerns: earth, immigration, non-violence, poverty, racism, and women.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will gain experience examining problems from multiple perspectives. The interdisciplinary nature of the course fosters teamwork and leadership in the students. As they encounter questions from various liberal disciplines, students will be asked to reflect, then take action, as they articulate for themselves what it means to be a citizen in their various communities. During the portal course, students will outline an integrated plan for completing their course of liberal studies, as chosen from the Domains.
Transfer students who have an AA degree from an Iowa Community college, earned 60 hours or more transferable college credits, or have used transfer courses to fulfill 7 of the 10 domain requirements, are exempt from the portal course. Portal courses include:
| Sharing The Earth With Animals | ||
| Rogues, Rebels, And Accidental Discoveries: The Crooked Path to Creativity | ||
| Ethnic Iowans: Diversity Issues in the New Millennium | ||
| Cities, Sewers And Shots: Health Protection | ||
| Immigrants and Literacy: In Pursuit of the American Dream | ||
| Avatars Of Good and Evil: Media Stereotypes vs. Reality | ||
| Why A Mercy Education? | ||
| Poor Women, Poor Family, Poor Work | ||
| Screen Icons: A Cultural & Aesthetic Study | ||
| The Religious Roots of Political Involvement | ||
| Talking in "She" and "He": Gender Communication in College and Beyond | ||
| Water - A Shared Responsibility | ||
| Law Ungendered: History of the Legal Status of U.S. Women | ||
| Terrorism, Violence and Conflict Resolution | ||
| Perspectives on Recent Immigration to the United States | ||
| Selfie Living in a Digital Age | ||
| Environmental Responsibility |
Note: Portal course waived for RN-BSN students.
Competencies
In addition to completing a Portal Course, a Capstone course and all of the Domains of Liberal Studies, students are required to demonstrate core competencies. These may be demonstrated by taking and earning at least a C- in particular courses, or a student may demonstrate competencies through previous experience and coursework. Students who think that they may be able to demonstrate a competency need to arrange assessment well in advance of beginning their Mount Mercy coursework. The competencies should be completed within a student’s first two years of college. If a student demonstrates competency and one of the course requirements listed below is therefore waived, that does not grant the student the credit hours listed. Students transferring to Mount Mercy with an AA degree from an Iowa Community College are considered to have met the competency requirements in writing, math and speech.
The competencies are:
1. Writing Competency: Met by successful completion of four hours of college-level English Composition:
| Writing And History | ||
| Writing And The Environment | ||
| Writing And Popular Culture | ||
| Writing and Issues of Health & Mortality | ||
| Writing And Film | ||
| Writing And Gender Studies | ||
| Writing And Social Issues | ||
| Writing And Other Cultures | ||
| Writing And Life Stories | ||
| Writing And Sports | ||
| Writing And Place |
Note: The writing course is a prerequisite to the literature courses.
2. Oral Communication competency: Met by successful completion of CO 101 Oral Communication.
3. Mathematics competency: Met by successful completion of the three-hour college-level math course including:
| Mathematics In Arts And Humanities | ||
| Fundamentals Of Arithmetic & Logic | ||
| Finite Mathematics | ||
| Basic Mathematical Modeling | ||
| Basic Statistics | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Mathematics Modeling | ||
| Calculus I |
4. Technology Competency: Met according to criteria set within the curriculum of each major.
The Mount Mercy Domains of Liberal Studies
The Mount Mercy Domains of Liberal Studies give all students in all majors a sense of breadth and connection among traditional liberal arts disciplines. These courses are grouped according to the overall concepts covered by courses in that domain: Expressive Arts, Global Awareness, Historical Roots, Holistic Health, The Natural World, Self and Society and Ultimate Questions.
Domain Requirements
Domain I: Expressive Arts – Great works of art, music, drama, and literature engage us emotionally and cognitively as they interrogate the ways we perceive and understand ourselves and the world around us. Studying literature and the fine arts strengthens habits of mind – observation, the ability to entertain multiple perspectives and discern significant patterns; envisioning, the ability to imagine and think innovatively; reflection, the ability to evaluate one’s own perceptions; expression, the ability to communicate what is meaningful in the pursuit of purposeful living; and aesthetic judgment, the ability to appreciate the context in which fine art is created – that find application in every discipline of study.
Two courses, one from literature, one from fine arts. The courses included in this domain:
| Lliterature courses: | ||
| Topics In American Multiculture Literature | ||
| Major World Writers | ||
| Introduction To Literature | ||
| American Drama | ||
| American Literature Survey: Colonial to 1914 | ||
| Major American Writers | ||
| Literature and Gender | ||
| British Literature and Culture 1 | ||
| Irish Literature & Culture 1 | ||
| Introduction to Film Adaptation | ||
| Fine arts courses: | ||
| Introduction To Art | ||
| Introduction To Film Studies | ||
| Introduction to Dramatic Art | ||
| Introduction To Music | ||
Domain II: Historical Roots – The courses in this domain will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition and the relationship between historical developments and contemporary social and political trends. The curriculum provides opportunities for students to investigate the social, economic, political, and cultural development of diverse peoples from the beginnings of civilization to the present. Emphasis is placed on reading, writing, researching, speaking, and on critical and analytical thinking. The courses included in this domain include:
| History of Early America | ||
| History Of Modern America | ||
| Origins Of The Western Tradition | ||
| Emergence Of The West, 800-1648 | ||
| History Of Western World Since 1648 |
Domain III: The Natural World – Courses in this domain will give students a basic understanding of the natural world and how it functions. Students will learn to employ the scientific method as they engage with specific fields of inquiry, such as the central processes of biological systems, the energetics and chemical reactions underlying all processes in living and non-living systems, the global role of geologic, hydrologic and atmospheric systems in supporting life on earth, and the impact of human activity on the environment. Students are required to take a course and an accompanying lab, but transfer students who have earned at least six hours of approved science credits do not have to meet the lab requirement. The courses included in this domain:
| Natural World Domain Laboratory * | ||
| Biology Of Human Concern | ||
| Foundations of Biology & Scientific Inquiry I | ||
| Biostatistics and Scientific Investigation I | ||
| Basic Microbiology 2 | ||
| General Chemistry I | ||
| Natural Science-Physical | ||
| Introduction To Earth Science |
Domain IV: Ultimate Questions – This domain introduces students to the study of the ultimate questions of human experience. It invites consideration of possible answers to those questions through philosophical or religious reflection about the existence of God, the meaning of human life, ethical responsibility, the common good, and social justice. These courses provide significant encounters in key places with the Catholic intellectual tradition in philosophy and religious studies, including sources, fundamental questions, and developmental stages. As liberal arts courses, they also engage students in critical analysis of ideas and symbols, and foster a variety of skills including critical thinking, finding key concepts in the midst of complex information, evaluating ideas, and communicating effectively.
Two courses, one from Philosophy, one from Religious Studies. The courses included in this domain:
| Philosophy courses: | ||
| Introduction to Western Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Religious Studies courses: | ||
| Introduction To The Bible: Old Testament | ||
| Introduction To The Bible: New Testament | ||
| Introduction to Christianity | ||
| Introduction To World Religions | ||
| Christians Divided:Conservative Versus Liberal Battles | ||
| Christian Action:Moral Responsibility, Charitable Service, Social Justice | ||
Domain V: Self and Society – This domain is designed to expose students to the study of society and the manner in which people behave and impact the world around us. It introduces students to the concepts and methods of social science, the scientific inquiry into human behavior and social, political and economic problems within institutions. Students will appreciate the interconnectedness and complexity of human interaction as represented in the various social science disciplines. The courses included in this domain:
| Two of the following courses from different disciplines: | ||
| Introduction To Criminal Justice | ||
| Macroeconomics Principles | ||
| Introduction To American Politics | ||
| Introductory Psychology | ||
| Introduction To Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| Diversity in America | ||
Domain VI: Global Awareness– Courses in the Global Awareness Domain address the basic question of what it means to live in a globalized world. Courses in this Domain address at least one of three areas: multicultural sensitivity as individuals come in contact with cultures that are different from their own; the interconnectedness of global political and economic policies; and an understanding of ecological and resource issues that transcends national borders.
| Survey Of Mexican Culture Today | ||
| Biology And Human Culture | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| British Literature and Culture 1 | ||
| Irish Literature & Culture 1 | ||
| European Union: Culture, Politics & Economics | ||
| Recent China In Global Economy | ||
| Modern East Asia | ||
| Latin American History | ||
| Introduction to Asian Thought | ||
| Government and Politics Around the World | ||
| Introduction to International Relations | ||
| Globalization and Human Survival | ||
| Service Learning Abroad | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Social Inequalities | ||
| Global Race Relations | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I |
Domain VII: Holistic Health – Courses in this domain explore health-related theories and research and address various aspects of the six dimensions of wellness including physical, emotional, social, environmental, intellectual, and spiritual. Courses aim to increase students’ knowledge within the dimensions of wellness to enable them to enhance health-related aspects of their own lives and perhaps the lives of others. The courses included in this domain:
| Personal Financial Planning | ||
| Health Awareness and PE Methods | ||
| Women's Health | ||
| Healthy Lifestyle | ||
| Complementary Therapy & Wellness | ||
| American Food | ||
| Meditation And Its Benefits | ||
| Psychology Of Eating | ||
| Men's Health | ||
| Psychology Of Adjustment | ||
| Human Sexuality |
The Mount Mercy Capstone
The 400-level Mercy Experience Capstone course (ME 450 Mercy Experience Capstone) is intended as a culminating experience in the liberal studies. Students need to register for this course along with the senior seminar (or another designated course) within their major, typically during the year in which they plan to graduate. During the Mercy Experience Capstone, students will integrate knowledge they have acquired from each of the core domains and will reflect on their Mercy education in the context of their major discipline. In addition, they will examine one of the Mercy critical concerns identified by the Sisters of Mercy from a disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and global perspective and will actively participate in a related capstone project.
| 1 | Course counts in only one area in the core requirements, it will not satisfy two core requirements. |
| 2 | For nursing majors only. |
| * | BI 110 Natural World Domain Laboratory is a 1 credit laboratory course that fulfills the requirement of the Natural World domain for transfer students who have taken a non-laboratory based non-major course before transferring into Mount Mercy. |
Note: Students should consult accelerated and traditional course schedules to determine course availability and delivery format.