Signature Work
The Signature Work experience advances the mission of St. Thomas by asking upper-class students to integratively engage with a topic that is relevant to the mission, convictions, and vision of St. Thomas. This experience is intended to be a culmination of students’ time at St. Thomas: Students showcase their ability to integrate and consciously reflect on their learning from across their years at St. Thomas in an interdisciplinary manner.
The St. Thomas Signature Work experience addresses the Integrative and Applied Learning aspects of the American Association of College and Universities’ (AAC&U) Essential Learning Outcomes. Signature Work focuses on “synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies” as “demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems” (Paul Gaston, General Education & Liberal Learning, 2010, p. 9). Culminating experiences such as Signature Work are listed by the AAC&U as high-impact practices.
Students must have already completed 80 credits of course work before taking a Signature Work Course.
A student’s major may require a specific course which satisfies the Signature Work requirement. However, if a student’s major does not require a specific Signature Work course, a student may take a Signature Work course in the field of their choosing.
A Signature Work course may also meet another (any other) core requirement.
Students must take one course:
Some sections of a course may carry the Signature Work flag while others do not. Students should use ClassFinder to determine which course sections satisfy the Signature Work requirement in the term for which you are completing the requirement.
Spring 2021 Courses
Course - Section | Title | Days | Time | Location | |||||||||||||
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ENGL 481 - D01 | Seminar: Gothic Literature | See Details | * | * | |||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:See Details Time of Day:* Location:* Course Registration Number:25050 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Young-ok An Reading texts such as Ann Radcliffe’s THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO, Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, Byron’s English Cantos of DON JUAN, Hemans’s THE SPIRIT’S RETURN, and Landon’s THE ANCESTRESS, we will discuss the rise and the development of the Gothic genre as a counterpart to European Enlightenment discourse, and the contribution of women writers to the genre. This course satisfies the Signature Work requirement, an Early British Literature requirement for English majors, and a WAC Writing in the Discipline requirement. Prerequisite: Completion of five courses at or beyond ENGL 211, including ENGL 280, or for non-majors, permission of the instructor and department chair. Schedule Details
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SOWK 406 - 01 | Sr Field Place & Integ Seminar | - - W - - - - | 1525 - 1700 | SCB 101 | |||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- - W - - - - Time of Day:1525 - 1700 Location:SCB 101 Course Registration Number:23584 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Eva M. Solomonson See description for SOWK 405. SOWK 406 is the spring course. Concurrent registration in SOWK 402 is required. Schedule Details
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SOWK 406 - 02 | Sr Field Place & Integ Seminar | - - - R - - - | 1525 - 1700 | ||||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- - - R - - - Time of Day:1525 - 1700 Location:
Course Registration Number:23767 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Catrice M. O'Neal See description for SOWK 405. SOWK 406 is the spring course. Concurrent registration in SOWK 402 is required. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - D02 | Signature: Theology & Beauty | M - W - F - - | 1215 - 1320 | ||||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - W - F - - Time of Day:1215 - 1320 Location:
Course Registration Number:26379 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Mark J. McInroy Theology courses numbered 221-229 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. If this section of the class appears to have very few seats, it is because the rest of the seats in the classroom will be occupied by students on the “old core.” This section examines a variety of theological approaches to aesthetic questions, both ancient and modern. Is beauty "in the eye of the beholder"? Are "beauty" and "prettiness" synonymous? Are "beauty" and "ugliness" opposites? Might beauty still be considered a transcendental aspect of being along with the true and the good? Is it possible that Beauty is a name for God, or a means by which God reveals God's self in the created order? It also explores the implications of varying answers to these questions for the arts, and for lives of faith. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - D04 | Signature: Faith & Politics | - T - R - - - | 0800 - 0940 | ||||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- T - R - - - Time of Day:0800 - 0940 Location:
Course Registration Number:26380 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Michael J. Hollerich Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - D05 | Signature: Theo & Politics | - T - R - - - | 0955 - 1135 | ||||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- T - R - - - Time of Day:0955 - 1135 Location:
Course Registration Number:26381 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Michael J. Hollerich Theology courses numbered 221-229 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. If this section of the class appears to have very few seats, it is because the rest of the seats in the classroom will be occupied by students on the “old core.” This section is a theological investigation of changing relationships between Christianity and the political order, principally in religious terms as understood by Christians themselves but also from the vantage point of government. Emphasis in the first half of the course is on the foundational events of the New Testament and the early Christian era, and in the second half on Christianity's experience with secular and democratic modernity in America. The aim of the course is to measure the effect, in changing historical contexts, of persecution, establishment, and disestablishment, on a religion which professes both to be rooted in transcendent reality, and to have direct implications for life in this world. Primary readings from scripture, ancient and modern theology, speeches, sermons, Supreme Court decisions, and political, sociological and religious reflections on the American experiment with democracy and freedom of religion. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - D08 | Signature: Faith & Law | M - W - F - - | 1215 - 1320 | ||||||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - W - F - - Time of Day:1215 - 1320 Location:
Course Registration Number:26384 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Marguerite L. Spencer You may complete your signature work requirement in this course by special permission of the instructor. Contact the instructor to inquire. This section will attempt to fashion a paradigm for the Christian practice of law through a close reading of a variety of theological texts, treaties, case studies and rules of professional conduct. If to work is to share in the creative activity of God, then what specific challenge does this pose for an attorney given the grinding realities of the legal profession? If to be a professional is to live out a tripartite relationship between self, client, and a higher standard, then how does an attorney determine, much less respond to, such a standard? Emphasis will be placed on the meaning of justice, law, rights and responsibilities. An ethic of care that fosters the development of a compassionate world and a common life will be emphasized. Schedule Details
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Summer 2021 Courses
Course - Section | Title | Days | Time | Location | ||||
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ENGR 480 - 01 | Engineer Design Clinic I | M - - - - - - | 1730 - 2030 | SER 105 | ||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - - - - - - Time of Day:1730 - 2030 Location:SER 105 Course Registration Number:30627 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Steven C. Albers Serves as the first capstone course. Student design teams, under the direction of a faculty coordinator, will develop engineering solutions to practical, open-ended design projects conceived to demonstrate the value of prior basic science and engineering courses. Ethical, social, economic and safety issues in engineering practice will be considered as well. Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in either (ENGR 320, 350, 371, and 381) or (ENGR 331, 346, and 410) or (CISC 231, ENGR 345, and concurrent-registration in-or prior completion of-ENGR 431) or (ENGR 362, 363, and 365) Schedule Details
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THEO 227 - L03 | Contexts: Nazism and Apartheid | M T W R - - - | 1015 - 1215 | |||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M T W R - - - Time of Day:1015 - 1215 Location:
Course Registration Number:30932 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Kimberly J. Vrudny In this course, students will explore approaches to theology that emerge out of diverse cultural contexts. Sections may focus on biblical interpretation, dynamics of church life, mission work, or transnational solidarity through the eyes of the marginalized, or they may focus on efforts to articulate and bear witness to the gospel amid new cultures and historical challenges, according to the instructor’s discretion. Sections may focus on experiences of marginalization and oppression as a source for theological reflection for women (giving rise to feminist/womanist/mujerista theologies, for example), or for people of color or indigenous peoples (giving rise to Latin American, African-American, Minjung, and South African liberation theologies, for example), or for economically exploited classes (also giving rise to liberation theologies). This course will thus provide an opportunity to learn how the global Christian community is gaining fresh insights into the gospel that were missed when the dominant perspective on theology reflected primarily the experience of European men, or to learn how claims by Christians have at various times served both to challenge and to reinforce systems of power and privilege. Pre-requisite: THEO 100 Schedule Details
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Fall 2021 Courses
Course - Section | Title | Days | Time | Location | ||||||||||
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ENGR 480 - 01 | Engineer Design Clinic I | M - W - F - - | 1525 - 1700 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - W - F - - Time of Day:1525 - 1700 Location:
Course Registration Number:42785 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Heather D. Orser, Tiffany D. Ling Serves as the first capstone course. Student design teams, under the direction of a faculty coordinator, will develop engineering solutions to practical, open-ended design projects conceived to demonstrate the value of prior basic science and engineering courses. Ethical, social, economic and safety issues in engineering practice will be considered as well. Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in either (ENGR 320, 350, 371, and 381) or (ENGR 331, 346, and 410) or (CISC 231, ENGR 345, and concurrent-registration in-or prior completion of-ENGR 431) or (ENGR 362, 363, and 365) Schedule Details
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SOCI 480 - W01 | Seminar in Criminal Justice | - T - R - - - | 0955 - 1135 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- T - R - - - Time of Day:0955 - 1135 Location:
Course Registration Number:43052 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Jessica P. Hodge The senior seminar serves as a capstone experience for students to address several central issues in the study of crime and justice. The major focus is to build upon students knowledge from previous courses with a focus upon an integration of knowledge from material learned throughout the major. Students will complete a final project that demonstrates an in-depth understanding of a criminal justice topic that could lead to future work in the criminal justice field. Prerequisite: SOCI 210 and 312 or permission of instructor Schedule Details
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SOWK 405 - 01 | Sr Field Place & Integ Seminar | M - - - - - - | 1525 - 1700 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - - - - - - Time of Day:1525 - 1700 Location:
Course Registration Number:43892 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Eva M. Solomonson Senior Fieldwork complements the student’s academic work through practical experiences in a social work agency, institution or department. Under the supervision of an agency field instructor, the student learns social work tasks and functions while applying theory to actual social work situations. Students participate in an on-campus seminar with other senior social work majors while in placement. The placement is approximately 15-20 hours per week throughout two consecutive terms (fall and spring semesters). Concurrent registration in SOWK 401 is required. SOWK 405 is the fall course. Schedule Details
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SOWK 405 - 02 | Sr Field Place & Integ Seminar | - - - R - - - | 1525 - 1700 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- - - R - - - Time of Day:1525 - 1700 Location:
Course Registration Number:43893 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:
Instructor:Catrice M. O'Neal Senior Fieldwork complements the student’s academic work through practical experiences in a social work agency, institution or department. Under the supervision of an agency field instructor, the student learns social work tasks and functions while applying theory to actual social work situations. Students participate in an on-campus seminar with other senior social work majors while in placement. The placement is approximately 15-20 hours per week throughout two consecutive terms (fall and spring semesters). Concurrent registration in SOWK 401 is required. SOWK 405 is the fall course. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - 01 | Theology and Politics | - T - R - - - | 0955 - 1135 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:- T - R - - - Time of Day:0955 - 1135 Location:
Course Registration Number:44221 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Michael J. Hollerich Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - L03 | Theology and Politics | See Details | * | * | ||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:See Details Time of Day:* Location:* Course Registration Number:44092 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Kimberly J. Vrudny Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed. Schedule Details
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THEO 300 - L04 | Theology and Politics | M - W - F - - | 0935 - 1040 | |||||||||||
Description of course Genetics B/ Lab: |
Days of Week:M - W - F - - Time of Day:0935 - 1040 Location:
Course Registration Number:44106 (View in ClassFinder) Credit Hours:4 Instructor:Kimberly J. Vrudny Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed. Schedule Details
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