Course Descriptions

INTEGRATIVE STUDIES COURSES FOR COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES ONLINE

LSTD 5003 - Intro to Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies

You’ll gain an appreciation for performance standards and scholarship appropriate to graduate study and develop the skills necessary for success in academic research and writing in this intensive seminar.

LSTD 5013 - Interdisciplinary Foundations

You’ll learn to understand and interpret information as the interdisciplinary approach to graduate studies is reinforced. Readings will introduce the concept of paradigms as an organizing principle for understanding and interpreting information.

LSIS 5033: Ethnographic Field Research and Writing

This course is an applied exploration of ethnographic research methodology through the development of a research question, immersion with a person or group of people, and completion of a final paper. Research skills addressed include participant-observation, listening, and critical thinking to develop both insider (emic) and outsider (etic) perspectives about sociological and cultural issues.

LSTD 5043  - Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies

This course focuses on enhancing your understanding of the fundamental concepts of research, so you can be an informed consumer of research and write research proposals.

LSTD  5073 - Quantitative Research Methods for Interdisciplinary Studies

You’ll explore descriptive and inferential statistics for quantitative research using graphs, frequency distributions, probability, central tendency, dispersion, hypothesis testing, tests of mean differences and correlation.

LSTD 5083 - Qualitative Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies

You’ll become familiar with the most common methods of qualitative research, learning to design a study, how to recognize and address ethical issues and how to analyze qualitative data.

LSIS 5093 - Literature Review Development

You’ll explore the literature review process through academic searches, selecting sources and documenting salient research related to a specified problem statement, background to the problem, research questions and methodology.

LSIS 5113 - Critical Readings in Interdisciplinary Studies

You’ll analyze critical research texts that will expand creative thought and insight about the world in which we live and provide a basis for future application of interdisciplinary study and reasoning.

LSIS 5133 - Advanced Interdisciplinary Foundations

You’ll be introduced to Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm concept and its ability to describe and guide the acquisition of knowledge. Topics include the origins of the paradigm concept and the history and nature of scientific discovery.

LSIS 5203 - Addressing Diversity in the United States

You’ll study of theories of leadership, identity, race, gender, disability, and oppression, issues of diversity and inclusion, challenges of underrepresented populations in the United States, and our responsibilities as leading diverse populations.

LSIS 5233 - Global Challenges in Leadership

This course is an exploration of global leadership challenges based on individual, organizational, and multi-cultural scenarios. Issues examined include cultural diversity, the role of women in global context, social and economic disparities, development of a global mindset and global leaders, leading multinational and culturally diverse teams, and challenges of expatriate leadership.

LSIS 5243 - LGBTQ Leadership

An exploration of LGBTQ leadership and associated issues in social, corporate, and political organizations. Topics include current and historical LGBTQ leaders, challenges associated with anti-LGBTQ bias, and implementation of diversity policies inorganizations.

LSIS 5253 - Cultural Communication in Leadership

A critical look at the value and necessity of cross-cultural communication in human development and interdisciplinary learning for quality interpersonal relations in communities and the workplace. The course will survey major theories of cultural communication and their intersections with race, gender, sexuality, and economics and will apply these concepts to real-world scenarios.

LSIS 5263 - Significance of Race in Society in the United States

An exploration of the major theoretical perspectives used to explain racial issues in the United States. Identifies common racial/ethnic assumptions through an examination of how race or ethnicity is portrayed in the media with a comparison of current research findings relating to inequality.

LSIS 5273 - Overcoming Educational Inequality in the United States

An examination of inequality within the American educational system from K-12 to higher education utilizing demographic data and analyzing current research on inequality based upon race, class, and gender.

LSIS 5293 - Exploring Race and Gender in Film

An examination of race and gender in film during the post-civil rights period. Explores the effects of inequality and inclusiveness through the cinematic lens and analyzes the evolution of film relating to the depiction of race and gender issues.

LSIS 5403 - Archaeoastronomy and Methods

Course topics include observed motions of celestial objects, calendrical systems, quantitative Archaeoastronomy research methods and the importance of archaeological context, astronomy’s role in the development of religion and the deification of celestial objects, and celestial associations with monumental architecture. It includes a survey review of material cultural evidence for astronomical associations at selected monumental sites such as Stonehenge, Newgrange, Chaco Canyon, Cahokia, Big Horn Medicine Wheel, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Egypt, and the Forbidden City in China. Many additional sites will be examined in other courses.

LSIS 5423 - Archaeoastronomy of Chaco Canyon and Cahokia

This course will include historic period ethnographic information (“ethno-astronomy”) for these early American culture groups, including constellations and star lore, cultural cosmology, and creation stories (or “cosmogony”). The course also includes calendrical systems, astronomical links to ritual systems, and Archaeoastronomy for these monument-building societies.

LSIS 5433 - Astronomy Traditions of The First Nations in the United States and Canada

This course focuses on Indigenous astronomy and how it has been used in First Nations in the United States and Canada. Historical examples are explored. This is a graduate-level survey course that explores how certain First Nations have used visible astronomy. Native American and other Indigenous cultures have been very familiar with celestial movements in the night sky, and they put this to use in their societies. Students will become knowledgeable of the astronomical practices in many cultures of The First People in the United States and Canada and will thereby gain insight as to the various ways that astronomy has been used and how astral phenomena were interpreted and employed. 

LSIS 5463 - Archaeoastronomy Beyond the Americas

This survey course will review evidence of the role of astronomy for a range of cultures around the world. It includes monumental architecture at sites such as Nabta Playa, Abu Simbel and Karnak in Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and as well as Rappa Nui (Easter Island). The course also includes the cultural astronomy traditions of the indigenous peoples of Australia and the integrated navigation methods (including stellar navigation) developed by the Polynesian peoples. An organizing theme for this course is the demonstrated relationship between sky knowledge and predictive skills with varied forms of social power in different cultures.

LSIS 5483 - Ethnoastronomy 

This course explores ethnoastronomy and how Indigenous cultures have used visible astronomy. Many cultures have been very familiar with celestial movements in the night sky and have put this to use in the management of their societies. Students will become knowledgeable of archaeoastronomical practices in Indigenous cultures throughout the world and will thereby gain great insight as to the various ways that astronomy has been used and how astral phenomena was interpreted and employed by each. This course explores Indigenous astronomical beliefs as they relate to such as creation and religion.

LSIS 5493 - Field Research in Archaeoastronomy

This is a one-week research methods course in the field. Archaeoastronomy & Methods and Archaeoastronomy of Chaco Canyon and Cahokia are prerequisites. The field school will initially be focused on a specific site associated with the Chacoan Culture in the four corners region, but will later branch out as additional research projects are undertaken that will benefit from archaeoastronomical examination. It is designed to provide students with the required methods and tools training to integrate Archaeoastronomy methods into their own future research. This course is optional.

LSIS 5700 - Astronomy Traditions of the First Nations in the United States and Canada 

This course explores how certain First Nations in the United States and Canada have used visible astronomy. Native American and other Indigenous cultures have been very familiar with celestial movements in the night sky and they put this to use in their societies. Students will become knowledgeable of the astronomical practices of many cultures in the United States and Canada and will thereby gain insight as to the various ways that astronomy has been used and how astral phenomena were interpreted and employed. 

LSIS 5980 - Research for Master’s Thesis

Research and writing of a thesis for completion of OU College of Professional and Continuing Studies graduate degrees.

LSTD 5980 - Thesis

Prerequisite: graduate standing, LSTD 5003, LSTD 5013, and completion of first concentration core course; or permission of dean. May be repeated for a maximum credit six hours. Research and writing of a thesis for completion of College of Professional and Continuing Studies Online graduate degrees. (F, Sp, Su)  See also: Degree Completion Options