Course Finder

Satisfies Global Citizenship

• Advisory: FRENCH 1*.

This course completes the basics of the language further stressing pronunciation, grammar and everyday vocabulary as indispensable tools for comprehension. It also includes simplified readings highlighting French customs, culture, and everyday life. This course is taught in French except in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the professor.

*The advisory for this course is comparable to two years of high school French.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

• Advisory: FRENCH 3.

The course examines the different cultures of the French-speaking world through the analysis of films. Students will not only learn some vocabulary pertinent to the analysis of films but they will also practice advanced conversation and study advanced grammar through written and spoken tasks. The films chosen for the course focus on the important issues that characterize the French-speaking world such as colonialism, diversity, immigration, and women’s issues, among others. This course will be taught in French except in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the professor.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

• Advisory: FRENCH 2*.

This course offers an in-depth review and practice of functional French grammar and vocabulary, with a strong emphasis on communication and cultural competency across the French-speaking world. Students will engage in dynamic discussions based on selected films and readings that reflect diverse Francophone perspectives. The course is conducted primarily in French, with limited use of English for clarification when necessary, at the discretion of the professor.

*The advisory for this course is comparable to three years of high school French.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

• Advisory: FRENCH 3*.

This course is designed to review functional French grammar with emphasis upon idiomatic constructions and expressions. Oral discussions are based on selected readings from contemporary French and Francophone literature and other types of media. This course is taught in French except in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the professor.

*The advisory for this course is comparable to four years of high school French.

• Prerequisite: FRENCH 2*.

*The prerequisite for this course is comparable to three years of high school French.

This course provides an opportunity to acquire fluency in spoken French with emphasis on natural, colloquial use. This course is taught in French unless in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the professor.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

• Advisory: FRENCH 3.

This course traces the development of French culture from the French Revolution to the present. It examines the fundamentals of French culture including history, geography, politics, immigration, regional identity, education, literature and the arts, and religion. It also addresses the place of France within the European Union, and some challenges faced by Francophone countries. The course will be taught in French except in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the professor.

• Corequisite: Any course in French.

This course — taken in tandem with another course in the discipline — enables a student to apply course content in a meaningful and relevant way to a particular activity. In this hands-on course, students engage in applied learning through unpaid experiential activities organized by the student (in conjunction with SMC’s applied/service learning center) and approved by the instructor. Students will develop a customized reading list relevant to their particular activity, complete a minimum of 15 hours of volunteer work with that activity, and submit academically-sound written reports regarding the activity. By applying course material to their experience, students develop a deeper understanding of the discipline.

Formerly ET 42.

This course is an introductory overview of the electronic game development process that underlines the historical context, content creation strategies, and future trends in the industry. The course will also explain how games are produced, tested, and released. This course will also cover the history of game platforms up to the most recent systems, and the expanded growth in Mobile, Casual, and Serious game development.

• Advisory: GAME 1, GAME 2.

This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents, turning them into physical prototypes for common tabletop game formats such as board games, card games, or dice games. Instruction will focus on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will develop multiple prototypes, and team members will assume different roles for each design.

Formerly ET 44.

This course focuses on building a solid understanding of play mechanics: the formal elements of play, the dramatic elements that make a game meaningful to its players, and the system dynamics that shape the overall experience. Lectures will use historical and current games and genres to illustrate key concepts. Topics include strategy and tactics, resource management, emergent complexity, puzzles and puzzle development, and the business of games. Students will learn to analyze existing games and develop original game concepts critically.

• Advisory: GAME 10.

Formerly ET 13.

This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce 2D game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents into playable software prototypes. Instruction will focus on the fundamentals of multi-platform software authoring including interactive storytelling, navigation metaphors, technical constraints, and usability. Students will gain experience working with media (text, graphics, animation, video, and audio), using authoring environments, and writing scripts to control interactivity. Emphasis will also be placed on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will complete one major 2D game prototype for portfolio development.

This course uses the Unity game engine.

This introductory course provides an overview of the 3D real-time creation tool, Unreal Engine, as it may be applied to a variety of disciplines, such as game development, architectural visualization, and filmmaking. Topics covered include 3D objects, materials, lighting, physics, cameras and effects. In addition to the technical skills needed to effectively use the software, students will also be introduced to professional workflows for a range of careers.

• Advisory: GAME 20.

Formerly ET 49.

This is a faculty-supervised studio course that will enable students to produce 3D game prototypes for portfolio inclusion. Working in teams, students will develop original game design documents into playable software prototypes. Instruction will focus on advanced principles of multi-platform software authoring as well as on iterative design, playtesting, and successful communication. Each team will complete one major 3D game prototype for portfolio development.

This course uses the Unity game engine.

C-ID: GEOG 110.

*Maximum credit allowed for GEOG 1 and GEOG 5 is one course (4 units).

This course surveys the distribution and relationships of environmental elements in our atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, including weather, climate, water resources, landforms, soils, natural vegetation, and wildlife. Focus is on the systems and cycles of our natural world, including the effects of the sun and moon on environmental processes, and the roles played by humans.

This course is a study of hazards and their effect on humans and the natural environment. It includes an analysis of volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, catastrophic mass wasting, fires, and the effects of terrorism. This course focuses on appropriate responses from law enforcement personnel, fire technicians, and public sector managers.

C-ID: GEOG 125.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

This course introduces Global Studies through a survey of the world’s major geographic regions. Students will encounter core concepts related to processes of global connection and change, while also developing basic geographic literacy in the distribution of human and natural features on Earth. Students will examine and discuss significant issues — cultural, social, political-economic, and environmental — impacting humanity today as both problem and possibility. In particular, this course considers the diverse localized impacts of globalization as a continuing story of peoples and places isolated and connected by imperial, colonial, and international systems of the past and present.

GEOG 11 is the same course as GLOBAL 11. Students may earn credit for one but not both.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of Earth Science with a laboratory. Topics covered include the solar system, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere, This course focuses on the interactions between physical and chemical systems of the Earth including the tectonic cycle, rock cycle, hydrologic cycle, weather and climate.

GEOG 12 is the same course as GEOL 12. Students may receive credit for one, but not both.

C-ID: GEOG 140.

Satisfies Global Citizenship

This course surveys the physical and human geography of California and the process shaping its landscapes. Topics include natural features and resources, such as geology, climate, plants and animals, and hydrology. Historical and current trends in human population, migration, and settlement patterns are considered, including a review of the state’s major cultural groups. Primary and advanced economic activities are examined within modern rural and urban settings. Emphasis is on the profound connections between these topics, on California’s unequaled diversity, and the rapid change that is transforming our people and its landscapes.