Mason Impact Courses

Check out these courses to learn more about active citizenship, gain skills by working with local community partners or engage with a community-based learning project!

CECiL's Mason Impact courses are courses that include a focus on civic engagement or community based learning. With these experiences, students have an opportunity to engage in a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, resources, or service in a context of partnership and reciprocity with the community (local, regional/state, national, and/or global). Check out Mason Impact for more information about other Mason Impact experiences and courses. 

Benefits of these courses:

  • They provide the skills and knowledge for you to tackle global challenges.
  • These courses are offered through every college and school so no matter what your major, your studies can leave an impact. 
  • You'll have access to apply for funding with the Mini Grant, which is available to any student completing a project within their course. You could receive up to $500 to finish your project.
Course Name Description
BUS103: Developing Your Professional Skills: Foundational Elements Students will investigate and develop their professional skill set. Topics include introduction to the business school and business world, what it means to be professional, how to consume the business press, and how to research business issues. Develop professional writing and presentation skills, explore career options and the job search process, and develop personal educational and professional development plans.
BUS 303: Developing Your Professional Skills: Advanced Elements In this course, students will continue to develop their professional skill set. Topics covered include understanding the modern work environment, business ethics and professional responsibilities, and professional judgment. Students will also continue to hone their professional writing and presentation skills, prepare for the job search process, and develop personal job search and professional development plans.
WMST 450: Policing Black Bodies Interrogates the myriad ways in which Black Bodies are formally and informally policed. Special focus is given to the ways in which Black women’s bodies are policed not only by the criminal justice system, but also informally through sexual and intimate partner violence, forced sterilization and contraception. Course utilizes the theoretical lenses of intersectionality and of color blind racism.
EVPP 336: Human Dimensions of the Environment Many of our most pressing social and environmental issues today fall into the category of “wicked problems”. Characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and divergence of human values and viewpoints, wicked problems are prone to becoming mired in controversy and failures of governance. To understand the nature of these problems, we must understand the systems from which they arise and their dynamics. This course in human dimensions of the environment takes a problem-based learning approach and introduces foundational literatures on wicked problems, systems thinking, and collective governance.
ME 453: Developing the Societal Engineer A course which highlights, through speakers, discussions and workshops, the professional responsibility of a being a mechanical engineer. Additional topics that will be covered include ethical issues, current events and trends in the profession. Engineering case studies will be explored. 
HDFS 499: Advanced Internship and Analysis in Human Development and Family Science Supports students in the development and implementation of a program for staff and/or clients at internship site. Examines internship-related experiences within the context of developmental and family theories and empirical research. Contemplates and prepares for the transition to professional. This course is a required internship experience. Note: Students will have 10 hours in the classroom and complete 125 hours in the field.