Our Courses
The following compulsory five courses were offered earlier in the first two semesters of the first year.
FND 101 - Basic Mathematics*
| Credits | 3 |
| Core/Optional | Compulsory |
| Learning Outcomes | The aim of this course is to equip the students with the basic knowledge and techiques required for logical reasoning and thinking. |
| Time Allocation | Lectures |30|, Discussions |15| |
| Syllabus | Real Numbers; Factoring Methods; Solving Linear Equations; Solving Linear Inequalities; Basic Coordinate Geometry; Graphical representation of linear and none linear relations; variables, Relations, Functions; Basic Trignometry; Inroduction to calculas: Limits, Derivatives, applications of Derivatives, Techniques of Integration; Basic Probability |
FND 102 - Logic*
| Credits | 3 |
| Core/Optional | Compulsory |
| Learning Outcomes | The aim of this course is to equip the students with the basic knowledge and techiques required for logical reasoning and thinking. |
| Time Allocation | Lectures |30|, Discussions |15| |
| Syllabus | Nature and scope of Logic: Sentences, Arguments, Truth and validity, Deductive Inference; Natural Languages and formal languages: Developing symbolic Language; Logical constants, variables and symbolic sentences: Translations from natural languages to symbolic language and vice versa; Proof of Validity by derivation: Rules of inference for arguments involving logical constants of negation and implication; Methods of Derivation; Arguments with logical constants of conjunction, disjunction and bi-conditional, rules of inference, derivations using the ten rules of inference; Introduction to the method of truth tables for testing validity: Direct and indirect methods of truth tables, tree Method; Introduction to the logic classes: Concepts in class logic, Symbolization of arguments in terms of classes; Testing for validity using Venn Diagrams; Fallacies: formal and non-formal; Inductive inference and scientific method. |
* Note that you can only choose either Basic Mathematics or Logic
FND 103 - Writing Skills
| Credits | 3 |
| Core/Optional | Compulsory |
| Learning Outcomes | The aim of this course is to initiate students in the methods and styles of academic writing |
| Time Allocation | Lectures |30|, Discussions |15| |
| Syllabus | The course will cover main elements of academic writing such as “note-taking”, “summarizing”,” paraphrasing,” “paragraphing,” “topic sentence”, “summary sentence”, “thesis statement”, and “crafting essays.” Fundamentals to good academic writing is critical and argumentative thinking, and the course will pay a considerable attention to train students in writing argumentative essays. The qualities of academic writing such as “accuracy”, “clarity”, “precision”, “objectivity, and, more importantly, “responsibility” will figure prominently in the lectures and exercise in this course. |
FND 114 - Law and Ethics
| Credits | 3 |
| Core/Optional | Compulsory |
| Learning Outcomes | The aim of this course is to enable the students to assess the significance of law and ethics in understanding the society and to evaluate differences between law and ethics while being aware of their interfaces |
| Time Allocation | Lectures |30|, Discussions |15| |
| Syllabus | This course will be taught in two sections on law, ethics emphasizing the differences and Interfaces. Section one: What is law; Branches of Law; The Legal System of Sri Lanka; The Court Structure; Services of law; The constitution: Separation of power, Sri Lankan constitution, Fundamental Rights; Law in relation to Religion, Morals, Gender, Justice and punishment, Freedom, Sovereignty and the State; International Law, Legal concepts: Emergency laws, Intellectual Property Law, Public Trust, Right /Duty, Democracy /minorities, torture. Section two: What is Ethics; Ethics and Morality; Nature of ethical propositions; Religious ethics; Theories of Ethics: Aristotelian Ethics - Necomachean Ethics, Kantian Ethics - Categorical Imperative,, Levinaslan Ethics - Responsibility to Other, Derridian Ethics-Forgiveness, Alain Budiou - Understanding of Evil; Professional Ethics, Teacher and student, Doctor and patient, Lawyer and client; Trials against Socrates, Christ, Elchmann; Bio Ethics and Animal Ethics; Selected ethical concepts: sex, adultery, marriage, divorce, abortion love, prostitution, plagiarism, ragging, student politics, racism. |
FND 115 - ICT Skills
| Credits | 3 |
| Core/Optional | Compulsory |
| Learning Outcomes | The objective of this course is to introduce the students into basic computer skills. |
| Time Allocation | Lectures |19|, Discussions |52| |
| Syllabus | Introduction to computers and basics of ICT: Major hardware components of a computer, the function of each, input and output devices, data storage and processing, relevance to ICT; Operating system and managing files in the computer: Function of the Operating system, Windows folder structure, saving, copying, and moving files and folders, file and folder management; Word processing: MS Word basics, document creation and formatting, inclusion of pictures and other objects, simple picture editing using Word; Spreadsheets: MS Excel basics, calculations, graphs, linking cells, other Excel functions; Presentations: MS Power Point basics, slide styles, animations, entrance, exit, and emphasize features; Computer networks, Internet and Email: Computer networking fundamentals, introduction to internet, effective searching for information, use of Email; Web page design: HTML basics, design of simple web pages using HTML and Front Page. |