Humanities & Social Sciences Courses
and Short Descriptions as at Fall 2011
H&SS 111 ISLAMIC STUDIES
This course explores the meaning of the traditional values and ethics of Islam and their significance in today’s modern, scientific, and technological world. It includes a brief survey of Islamic ethics across the history of Islam. The course highlights the application of Islamic ethical values within three major spheres: the social setting, the workplace, the environment. Based on the Sunnah and the historical record of Islam, emphasis is placed on how Islamic ethics can contribute to the issues facing modern society in meeting the challenges of the working environment and in raising an ecological consciousness of a modern, global society in its relationship with the natural environment.
Contact: Dr Abdullah Al Shami or Dr Mashhad Al-Allaf
Prerequisites: COMM 101
Corequisites: COMM 151
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 121 GERMAN LANGUAGE I
German I is designed for students interested in learning the German language. Initial focus is on conversational German to allow the student to function in a German speaking setting. Elementary grammar and written construction are introduced.
Contact: Mrs Gabriele Harb
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: any previous secondary or post secondary course in German
3:0:3
H&SS 171 GERMAN LANGUAGE II
In this course, students understand and make up short simple questions, directions and messages in various situations including public announcements and short conversations at a higher level. Students? skills in writing, reading, speaking and listening are improved so that they can take part in the official examination START 1 of the German Goethe-Institute at the end of this course.
Contact: Mrs Gabriele Harb
Prerequisites: H&SS 121
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 200 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
The course provides a basic introduction to contemporary business environments and the responsibilities of management in an organization. It analyses operations of core functions of firms such as marketing, R&D, sales, operations, human resources, and also examines the theoretical and applied evolution of managerial functions of planning and decision making, organizing and changing, leading and controlling.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 201 THE WEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This course examines the presence of the West in the Middle East over the past thousand years. Its starting point is the Crusades, and it goes on to consider the impact of European commercial activity in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. European colonialism in the region during the nineteenth and twentieth century, and the effects of World War I upon it provide the subsequent stages. The course includes an examination of the discovery and exploitation of the Middle East’s oil reserves, and the geopolitics that accompanied the development.
Contact: Dr Mark Hayman
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 221 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
This course introduces the fundamental principles of comparative government, political theory, international and public policy, and their application in the Islamic societies of the Arabian Gulf and the oil and gas industry.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 222 THE UAE BEFORE AND SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF OIL
This course examines the special relationship between the Gulf sheikhdoms and Britain from 1820 until 1971, and the UAE in the oil era.
Contact: Dr Mark Hayman
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 251 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
This course looks at the basic social and economic institutions of market capitalism. The topics of contemporary economic issues, business organization, price theory and market structure, and economic analysis of public policies are included. Inflation, unemployment, fiscal policies and monetary policy are discussed.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: MATH 111
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 253 TOPICS IN QURANIC AND HADITH STUDIES
This course looks at the basic social and economic institutions of market capitalism. The topics of contemporary economic issues, business organization, price theory and market structure, and economic analysis of public policies are included. Inflation, unemployment, fiscal policies and monetary policy are discussed.
Contact: Dr Abdullah Al Shami
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 261 ENGINEERING ETHICS FROM AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
The course introduces moral principles within the scope of engineering education and includes the following topics: professional and ethical responsibility; identifying, formulating, and resolving the moral issues raised by engineering practice; and understanding the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context. Different codes of engineering ethics such as NSPE and IEEE are emphasised, as is an Islamic code of ethics and the role an engineer should play in their community. Different models of professionalism are also analysed in connection with moral obligations from an Islamic perspective.
Contact: Dr Mashhad Al-Allaf
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 293 SPECIAL TOPIC IN THE HUMANITIES
The course offers content not included in existing courses. A student can take multiple Special Topics courses with different content for credit subject to program approval.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and to be determined by the instructor
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 311 LEADERSHIP
The course aims to enhance student understanding of what leadership is and how it works, to help students understand the real goal of leadership which is the achievement of mutual objectives which are intended to enhance one's group, organization or society. It also gives students the competencies needed to be effective in the practice of leadership.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 321 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF JAPAN
Provides a broad introduction to Japan including its importance as a major economic partner of the U.A.E. Topics covered include history, politics, economics, society and technology.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 333 THE HISTORY AND POLITICS OF MIDDLE EAST OIL
Provides a survey of the oil industry in the region from the early 1900’s to the present day. Amongst the aspects studied are relationships between rulers and oil companies, the types of concessions agreed, problems and conflicts associated with oil developments, imperialism and oil, oil and the two world wars, nationalism and oil, the establishment of OPEC and OAPEC and finally the story of oil in the UAE.
Contact: Dr Mark Hayman
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 351 WORLD PETROLEUM MARKETS
This course introduces the principles of economics as applied to the oil industry, including the economics of petroleum markets, and the role of petroleum resources in the economic development of owner states. Price theory, petroleum supply components and issues, petroleum market structure, petroleum politics, and case studies on economic development from oil wealth are examined, as well as production contracts, and oil and gas transportation and distribution.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: H&SS 251
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 354 FDI AND THE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION
The course provides an in-depth understanding of the evolution of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Multinational Corporations (MNC) through a study of the main international business and economics theories and their analysis of FDI (e.g. product cycle, transaction costs, the Hymer approach, Dunning’s OLI, new trade theories and economic geography). Of specific importance is the impact of FDI and MNCs on home and host economies, the strategic expansion of MNCs, the role of subsidiaries and the role of technology in shaping the contemporary MNC network. The course also includes an analysis of topics related to the impact of MNCs on the world economy such as innovation strategies and environmental policies. Theories are applied to the international oil and energy industry in the form of case studies.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: COMM 151
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 375 THE ECONOMICS OF MONEY, BANKING AND FINANCIAL MARKETS
This course is an economic analysis of the world financial system, from its central banks to local and regional banks. It explains and examines how money is created and destroyed in an economy, how much money an economy needs for optimal growth, and many other similar subjects.
Contact: Dr Matthew Webb
Prerequisites: H&SS 251
Corequisites: None
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 393 SPECIAL TOPIC IN THE HUMANITIES
The course offers content not included in existing courses. A student can take multiple Special Topics courses with different content for credit subject to program approval.
Prerequisites: Junior standing and to be determined by the instructor
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
H&SS 493 SPECIAL TOPIC IN THE HUMANITIES
The course offers content not included in existing courses. A student can take multiple Special Topics courses with different content for credit subject to program approval.
Prerequisites: Senior standing and to be determined by the instructor
Restrictions: None
3:0:3
