Critical Thinking introduces skills, concepts, models, and techniques for reading, writing, and thinking critically. Critical thinking is a necessary process for identifying and solving problems in academia and the workplace, as well as interpreting information in the media. Through the use of critical and logical thought processes, students will develop practical, analytical skills that prepare them for the investigative nature of being life-long learners.

Introduction to Political Science explains foundational principles of the field. Students will learn the purpose of political science, common terms and concepts, and subfields. Among these are introductions to political philosophies and ideologies, comparative systems of government, and international relations. The course also examines the professional and academic fields to which a political science degree is relevant.

This is the first course in a two-course sequence in American Government. The course is designed to convey basic facts about the structure and functioning of the American political system. The philosophical foundation of the U.S. Constitution is explored and the federalist construct is examined. The functions of the three separate branches of government and their roles in policy making are a major focus.

Martin Luther King, Jr, said, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to KEEP MOVING.” Making Writing Relevant is a composition course that will definitely keep you moving. It is not merely a required course; it is the type of course you will want to take because it moves you onto the path to success. Over eight-weeks, we will help you learn the most important components of a successful writer-communicator. We will teach you how to research properly, knowing you will need this skill in every course you take here at APUS and also in interactions in your professional and personal life. We will teach you the formatting style you will use in your field. We will provide a supportive community to strengthen and encourage you, and by the end of this nearly-all-you-need-to-know-about-writing course, you will be able to fly.

Science is unquestionably central in shaping our modern world. Though often directed by the “big science” efforts of universities, global corporations, and nations, it is the individual scientist that populates these scientific communities. It is at this individual level, both professionally and personally, that science touches us most directly. Students earn advanced degrees in a wide range of specialties like physics, biology, and chemistry. Science is also a central component in related fields of medicine, geology, genetics, ecology, cosmology, and technology. On the personal level we encounter science everyday when we eat genetically enhanced food, take complicated medicines to combat illness, debate the origins of life, strive to understand new information about ourselves in the universe, use advanced technologies, and in many more ways. These scientific developments do not emerge instantaneously from a vacuum. To fully understand science, one must have an appreciation of its history and how it has developed over time. The latest scientific advance is merely a snapshot of the present, and only looking at this image obscures our appreciation of the dynamic interaction between science and culture, and the ways that national, institutional, and individual goals have determined its trajectory. This broader perspective, gained only by the study of the history of science, serves as our central mission in this class. STEM185 and HIST270 are considered equivalent courses. Beginning January 2023, students may only take one of these courses for credit.

This course investigates the concepts of college algebra. The course covers the concepts of algebra, graphing and solution of linear and quadratic equations, inequalities and the solution of systems of linear equations. The course is organized into four distinct parts. The first part of the course covers the basic concepts involved in graphing points and linear equations. The second part of the course investigates the solution and graphing of inequalities and systems of linear equations. The third part of the course concentrates on the manipulation and use of exponential expressions and radicals. The final part of the course considers the solution of quadratic equations and their applications. Practical applications are provided throughout the course. There is careful attention to the presentation of concepts that will become important in the study of analytic geometry, trigonometry and calculus. The course assumes the student has completed MATH101 Introduction to College Algebra or an equivalent course and is completely comfortable with the language of algebra, equations and inequalities, polynomials, factoring, and rational expressions.

THIS COURSE DOES NOT FULFILL MATH PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS IN SCIENCE PROGRAMS. STUDENTS IN AS OR BS PROGRAMS OR IN PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE MATH302 SHOULD TAKE MATH110 OR HIGHER AS THEIR MATH GEN ED UNLESS CLEARED WITH ACADEMIC ADVISOR FIRST. This course examines various mathematical concepts and problem solving techniques and provides mathematical functional literacy for those majoring in non-technical subject areas such as intelligence, military history, economics, and management. Students will learn how to solve a wide variety of problems from such areas as: mathematical thinking; logic; number theory and real numbers; introduction to algebraic equations, inequalities, and problem solving; functions and graphs; geometry; mathematical systems and matrices; sophisticated counting techniques; consumer math; and an introduction to probability and statistics. This course is principally a problem-solving course where students learn how to solve a wide variety of mathematical problems, rather than a conceptual course where problem solving is not emphasized.