Short Courses

2015 Fall Semester Short Courses

Missouri State University-West Plains will offer a variety of short courses during the 2015 fall semester that will appeal to community members and students alike. The courses will provide personal enrichment for area residents and serve as a special interest course for students who want to gain an extra credit hour or two. The courses focus on specific topics that will provide opportunities for lifelong learning. Most courses will last five to eight weeks and meet one night per week.

Getting Started: For information about the admissions and registration process, contact the office of admissions at (417) 255-7955 or WPAdmissions@MissouriState.edu. The application fee will be waived for students taking short courses. To receive the waiver, students should mention they are taking short courses when they hand in the admissions application.

Tuition and Fees: Nondegree-seeking students enrolling in one or two credit hours for the 2015 fall semester will pay $124 in tuition and fees for a one-credit hour course and $248 for a two-credit hour course.* For a full listing of tuition and fees go to https://wp.missouristate.edu/recreg/costs.htm.

Course No. Title Term Credit Day Time Instructor
AGR 161 01 Introduction to Horses Full semester 2 M 5:30 PM‑6:30 PM W-Risner, L.
See below:
AGR 161 1L Introduction to Horses Full semester 2 OL Online W-Risner, L.
Scope and role of the horse industry. Responsibilities of ownership; selection, breeds-development and uses; basic care-nutrition, health care, conditioning and facilities.
AGR 162 01 Introduction to Riding Full semester 1 ARR Arranged W-Risner, L.
Introductory course with a focus on safe and effective techniques for both English and Western riding. The course may be repeated for a total of 3 hours.
AGR 200 02 Greenhouse Management 1st 8 weeks 1 M 5:30 PM‑7:20 PM W-Risner, L.
The course will focus on sustainability in the greenhouse environment. The system at Missouri State University-West Plains is unique in that an aquaculture system is used to fertigate plants both hydroponically and through drip and mist irrigation to high tunnel and row crops. Topics covered include sustainable greenhouse construction, heating, cooling and environmental control systems. Students will also get hands on experience at the Missouri State University-West Plains Greenhouse in developing planting materials, watering systems, fertilization systems including fertigation. Students will learn how to regulate light and temperature in the greenhouse and regulate plant growth and insect and disease management will be covered.
ART 098 02 The History of Photography 1st 8 weeks 1 T 5:30 PM‑7:20 PM Kitt, B
This course surveys the history of photography from its beginnings to the present.
ART 098 01 Digital Photography Full semester 2 W 4:30 PM‑6:20 PM Albin, Kelli
This class is designed to teach basic skills in digital photography. In addition, students will gain a working photography vocabulary and be exposed to some basic photo enhancement techniques.
CFD 197 01 The Great Immunization Debate 1st 8 weeks 1 M 6:30 PM‑8:20 PM TBD
The Great Immunization Debate: A realistic study of vaccinations. This study will explore the risks, benefits and alternatives to immunizations. The course seeks to help parents and concerned individuals make safe, sensible decisions to this serious debate. The study will address the emotional debate, the political forces, the personal freedom issues and the historical perspective of vaccinations.
CFD 197 02 Birth Order & Its Role in Development 2nd 8 weeks 1 M 6:30 PM‑8:20 PM TBD
Does birth order impact personality development? A unique study exploring how a child's place in the family may directly impact personality development. What are the common characteristics of the first born? Middle child? Baby of the family? Do children with the same birth order have commonalities? This course will seek to discover how placement within the family structure may have direct implications for personality development.
CIS 197 01 Business Computing: Microsoft Office 1st 5 weeks 1 T 6:00 PM‑8:50 PM Thanomsing, C.
This course will provide practical, concentrated instruction to help students improve skills in the use of several programs within the Microsoft® Office Suite. Extended emphasis will be given to Excel and Word and a detailed overview will be provided for Outlook, Access and PowerPoint. Computer projects will range from simple to complex and will likely include specific projects from the students' workplaces. The course will be taught in a computer classroom, featuring a computer for each student.
ENG 184 01 Sherlock Holmes: The Classic Cases 1st 5 weeks 1 M 5:30 PM‑7:20 PM Howerton, P.
This course will be a study of some of the classic cases of the most iconic detective in the world of fiction, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Approximately 20 stories, such as "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Speckled Band," "The Dancing Men," "The Solitary Cyclist," "The Blue Carbuncle" and "The Crooked Man," will be required reading. This reading will be supplemented with the viewing of film adaptations of five of the stories. Discussions will explore Doyle's contributions to the detective genre, the plot structures of detective fiction, Holmes' methods of detection and his interpretations of justice, how the stories reflect the culture in which they were created and how Holmes and his methods compare to detectives that came before and after him. In-class participation, daily quizzes, a two-page essay and a final exam will be required.
ENG 184 02 African-American Biography: Richard Wright 2nd 5 weeks 1 M 5:30 PM‑7:20 PM Howerton, P.
This course will be a study of a classic American autobiography, Richard Wright's Black Boy. Richard Wright (1902-1960), a grandson of slaves and son of an illiterate sharecropper, was one of the first African-American authors to protest white treatment of blacks, becoming a leading American author with the publication of Uncle Tom's Children in 1938 and Native Son in 1940. Black Boy (1945) chronicles Wright's childhood experiences in the Jim Crow South and his coming of age and development as a writer. Discussions will explore Wright's contributions to the genre of autobiography, the structure of Black Boy, how this autobiography reflects the culture Wright experienced, how Wright resisted and reacted to extreme racism and how he used his experiences to develop as a writer. In-class participation, daily quizzes, a two-page essay and a final exam will be required.
ENG 184 03 Mark Twain: Life and Literature Last 5 weeks 1 M 5:30 PM‑7:20 PM Howerton, P.
Mark Twain is not only the most recognizable American author, flaunting his trademark bushy eyebrows and mustache and his smoking pipe and white suit, he also has proven to be the most prolific and influential American author. This course will offer insights into his life and literature. Students will be asked to revisit some of Twain's most popular works by reading excerpts from The Innocents Abroad, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Life on the Mississippi. They also will read several lesser-known works, such as "The Story of the Old Ram," "Buck Fanshaw's Funeral," "Cone-Pone Opinions," and a selection of speeches and letters that demonstrate the range of genres in which Twain worked, as well as his range of hilarity and tragedy, optimism and pessimism and romanticism and realism. This reading will be supplemented with a viewing of Ken Burns' documentary Mark Twain and with audio recordings of Twain's writings. In-class participation, daily quizzes, a two-page essay and a final exam will be required.
EPR 110 1L Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1st 8 weeks 3 OL Online Boys, C.
This course introduces students to the requirements for starting and operating a successful business. Students will learn how to assess the business environment and identify potential viable business opportunities. Business start-up, planning organization, management, marketing, accounting and financing are also covered in this practical course.
EPR 130 1L Sales & Customer Service 2nd 8 weeks 3 OL Online Boys, C.
This course helps students learn the skills necessary to serve as an effective interface between customers and the organization offering products and/or services. Emphasis is placed on the development of communication skills that enhance and establish long0 term customer relationships. Effective sales techniques and presentations will also be covered.
EPR 197 01 Marketing w/Social Media-Blended 1st 5 weeks 1 M 5:30 PM‑8:20 PM Boys, C.
See below:
EPR 197 1L Marketing w/Social Media 1st 5 weeks 1 OL Online Boys, C.
In this course, you will learn how to use social media to market and promote a small business. A variety of popular social media platforms will be covered, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
TEC 197 01 Beginning App Inventor for the Non-Programmer 1st 5 weeks 1 M 6:00 PM‑8:50 PM Thanomsing, C.
This is an introductory course. No prior programming experience is necessary or required. This course will give you first-hand experience developing your own Android mobile applications without needing programming experiences or having to learn any programming. You will learn programming by building apps for mobile phones and tablets using a free visual interface, drag and drop system. You will learn basic features and how to install and set up App Inventor. You will explore and learn how to build various different mobile applications using visual interface and drag & drop. Lastly, you will have an opportunity to develop, package and install your brand new applications on an Android device.
TEC 197 02 Digital Storytelling & Presentation Graphics 2nd 5 weeks 1 M 6:00 PM‑8:50 PM Thanomsing, C.
This is an introductory course and is not strictly about Microsoft PowerPoint. Minimal experience using Microsoft PowerPoint is recommended, but not required. This course will provide you broader knowledge and skills in designing and developing the digital presentation using various digital storytelling or presentation graphics software. This course will offer you opportunities and possibly give you first-hand experience exploring ways and techniques to utilize several software and tools to create meaningful, attractive and engaging presentations. You will learn the basic principles of presentation design. Through an exploration and investigation of presentation graphics software, you will learn how to use various software to develop linear, multi-dimensional, interactive, multimedia and storytelling presentations.
TEC 197 03 Mobile Technology in Everyday 3rd 5 weeks 1 M 6:00 PM‑8:50 PM Thanomsing, C.
This is an introductory course. No experience using mobile technology is necessary or required. This course will provide a better understanding of the ways mobile technology and applications interact with everyday life and learning. This course will offer you opportunities and possibly give you first-hand experience exploring how you, as a mobile technology user, can effectively, efficiently and productively utilize your mobile device and applications for everyday use. This course has two related goals. First, at the end of this course, you will be able to operate and manage mobile phones and tablets. In this goal, you will investigate how all of the components in mobile devices (hardware, software and features) work together. Secondly, at the end of this course, you will be able to utilize mobile applications in your everyday life and learning. In this goal, you will investigate various different mobile applications.
TEC 200 1L Applied Electricity & Electronics 2nd 8 weeks 3 OL Online Hadley, M.
Prerequisite(s): Grade of C or better in TEC 100 or departmental permission. "To request permission, contact Cathy Boys at (417) 255-7278 or Jim Hart at (417) 255-7296.

An introduction to the production and use of electrical energy in motors, generators and electronic circuits. Students learn the construction and operation of motors, generators and electronic control circuits. Includes theory, concepts and hands-on-operation of electrical equipment associated with alternative energy systems.

* Supplemental Course Fees may apply. Additional student services fees apply for students taking more than 2 credit hours