General Electives Courses

Course Detail: Yearbook teaches a variety of skills, including journalism, publishing and photography. The end result is a yearbook that students will keep for years. Students plan, organize and design our yearbook, conducting interviews with faculty and fellow students and covering all aspects of school like in words and pictures.

Course Detail: Special Projects are week-long programs designed to encourage intellectual excitement and experiential growth for both students and faculty in a context often not possible in ordinary classroom situations. They complement the regular academic offerings and may include intensely focused programs, travel, and integration of disciplines. All Special Projects are supervised by faculty. Supervising faculty will define appropriate academic requirements according to the goals of each project. Special Projects week is typically scheduled between winter and spring terms.

Course Detail: As part of their privilege to attend ASMS, students are required to complete satisfactorily two (2) hours of work service every week for the duration of their time at ASMS. Work service enables students to contribute to the cost of their education and to demonstrate commitment to the school. All work service assignments are essential contributions to the ASMS community. Work Service assignments are made according to the needs of the school and seniority of students. Incoming students are placed in maintenance for the first year. Efforts are made to place returning students in office positions.

Course Detail: All incoming sophomores and juniors are to complete satisfactorily the Orientation Program into which they are scheduled. Topics for this class include study skills, library research and plagiarism issues, time management, and stress management.

Course Detail: Students will participate in the design and publication of the school newspaper, Firewire. Students will study the practices of journalism and then write and edit articles for publication. Photography and web design may be topics for the course. Firewire may be published online or in a printed format. Prerequisites: Sophomore English.

Course Detail: Students will develop a plan of action to explore a problem in today's communities which allows for scientific discovery over the course of their Junior year. Successful completion will include a research paper, product, portfolio and presentation. Students will be able to demonstrate accumulated skills in time-management, research, problem-solving, human interaction, organization, public-speaking and self-sufficiency. Students must be enrolled for three terms to receive credit for this class. Students will receive a WF if they do not complete the entire sequence. .5 credits will be earned each term which will be awarded in full at the end of the third term. Requirement: Junior status, application process.

Course Detail: An introduction to world Mythology with emphases that can vary: Greek and Roman Myth, Egyptian, Hebrew, Hindu and Buddhist. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: This course provides an introduction to the study of psychology. Students will be introduced to topics that offer insight into human thought and behavior. The course will survey introductory topics such as learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, lifespan development, physiological basis of behavior, stress and health, psychological disorders, social psychology, and research methods. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: This course offers a survey of both competitive and informal debate formats, including the classic Lincoln-Douglas model. While the course will emphasize oral communication, students will be expected to write short essays, research papers, and briefs in preparation for the debates. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: In this course, students will study content knowledge and test-taking skills to help improve their performance on the ACT exam. They will take several practice exams over the course of the term. Prerequisites: None.

Course Detail: Introduction to Research Methods is a required course for all sophomores. This class meets once a week for two terms and is graded pass/fail. This course introduces students to research methods and their application across a variety of disciplines as preparation for lifelong inquiry. Students will learn qualitative and quantitative research approaches, experimental design, ethics in research, research communication, and how to critically consume research. Prerequisites: none. 

Course Detail: Introduction to Research Methods is a required course for all sophomores. This class meets once a week for two terms and is graded pass/fail. This course introduces students to research methods and their application across a variety of disciplines as preparation for lifelong inquiry. Students will learn qualitative and quantitative research approaches, experimental design, ethics in research, research communication, and how to critically consume research. Prerequisites: none. 

Course Detail: In this course based on College Board standards, students will explore the ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. They will examine the concepts of psychology through reading and discussion and analyze data from psychological research studies. Students will: connect psychological concepts and theories to real-life scenarios; understand and interpret data; and analyze research studies in psychology. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: In this course based on College Board standards, students will explore the ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. They will examine the concepts of psychology through reading and discussion and analyze data from psychological research studies. Students will: connect psychological concepts and theories to real-life scenarios; understand and interpret data; and analyze research studies in psychology. Prerequisites: none.

Course Detail: The sciences are fields of study where truth and objectivity are prioritized above all else. The methods used in the sciences to approach finding objective truth have developed over time, driven by the work of philosophers who have questioned and developed these methods of scientific inquiry. This course will delve into the history of scientific study ranging from the Ancient Egyptians, the Renaissance, up through modern perspectives. During this process, students will learn how the philosophy of science has progressed from the historical days of alchemy and other pseudoscience to the modern-day practices of skepticism, induction, and empiricism. Students will learn how ethical values changed in the sciences; not only in terms of research involving living subjects, but also involving the validity of scientific claims and the importance of accuracy when reporting data. To aid in the study of these topics, students will read passages by influential philosophers of science such as Thomas Kuhn, Alan Chalmers, and Karl Popper. Students will be encouraged to discuss their thoughts and opinions on these issues and, when appropriate, to debate the relative validity of the various schools of scientific thought. Prerequisites: Juniors and seniors only.

Course Detail: College Admissions Seminar is a required non-academic course for ASMS seniors. During weekly sessions, seniors will complete steps of the college admissions process while receiving guidance and feedback from ASMS staff. Throughout the term, students will prepare applications, write essays, learn about financial aid, and schedule mock interviews. Prerequisites: GE101, GE 102, and GE502.