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Course Catalog 2012-2013 
    
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Course Catalog 2012-2013 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Oberlin College Courses Offered in 2012-13 (and planned offerings in future years)

 You may wish to consult inforamation about using the Oberlin Catalog located here: Using the Online Catalog to My Advantage 

 
  

  • MUTH 231 - Music Theory III


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Continuation of MUTH 132, including diatonic and chromatic modulation; introduction to sonata form. Analytical and writing skills are developed.
    Instructor: Staff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: MUTH 132 or a passing score on Music Theory Placement Test 3.
    Co-requisite: MUTH 201.
    Enrollment Limit: 20.
    Preference given to students for whom music theory is a required subject.
  

  • MUTH 232 - Music Theory IV


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Continuation of MUTH 231 emphasizing chromatic harmony and techniques of 20th-century music.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: Staff
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Minimum of C- in MUTH 231, or a passing score on Music Theory Placement Test 4.
    Co-requisite: MUTH 202.
    Preference given to students for whom music theory is a required subject.
  

  • MUTH 317 - Music and Embodied Cognition


    Next Offered: Fall
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP/DDHU
    This course explores the relationship between musical experience and conceptualization. Starting from basic embodied experience, this course explores how music generates affect -how and why different works and styles have different feels-and how the experience and feel of music motivate and ground traditional and novel concepts. The approach is interdisciplinary, with readings drawn from: perception and cognition (general and musical); ancient and modern philosophy and music theory; human development (ontogenetic and phylogenetic); cognitive neuroscience; cognitive linguistics; and musicology, including gender issues pertaining to music. Written coursework includes 1) responses to readings, 2) brief analyses of works and styles, and 3) a term paper.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: A. Cox
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: Junior standing and instructor consent. 

     
  

  • MUTH 325 - Counterpoint


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CNDP/DDHU
    A species approach to strict counterpoint, designed to acquaint students with fundamental voice-leading techniques of music from the 16th through the 19th century. The course explores the foundations of counterpoint, through the five species; students study contrapuntal techniques through two- and three-part written exercises, class discussion, and two-part dictation. Students examine passages from the literature to ascertain the relationship of strict counterpoint to free composition.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: J. Hartt
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Minimum grade of C- in MUTH 202 & 232.
  

  • MUTH 326 - The Music of Ravel


    Next Offered: Fall 201209
    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP/DDHU
    Ravel’s music is inspired both by that of his contemporaries and by such diverse influences as gamelan music, Russian octatonicism, Basque folk music, orientalism, jazz, and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. His harmonic language, though overall tonal at least in his early works, combines non-tonal elements—such as symmetrical chords drawn from nondiatonic collections—with complex dissonant diatonic harmonies. While his forms are creative adaptations of older models from the Baroque and Classical periods, his sophisticated motivic and thematic ideas and their transformations owe much to the spirit of the early twentieth century.

    This course traces the various sources on which Ravel drew for inspiration and explores why, despite the diversity of his models, Ravel always sounds unmistakably like Ravel. Our textbook will be The Cambridge Companion to Ravel, ed. Deborah Mawer (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: S. Heinzelmann
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Must have passed MUTH 202 & 232.
  

  • MUTH 340 - Form and Analysis


    Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP/DDHU
    A course developing techniques of analysis that apply to standard tonal forms. Structural principles underlying the binary, ternary, rondo and sonata forms (including the concerto) are studied in detail.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: J. Miyake
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    MUTH 202 & 232.
    Not open to students who have taken MUTH 343 (String Quartet) or 345 (Mozart).
  

  • MUTH 343 - The String Quartet


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP/DDHU
    A course in 18th and early 19th century musical form, as manifested in the string quartets of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. All standard forms except concerto are studied, including binary, ternary, minuet and trio, sonata and rondo; however, the emphasis is upon sonata-based compositions. Class participation and five short analytical papers are required.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: W. Darcy
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    MUTH 202 & 232.
    Not open to students who have taken MUTH 340 (Form and Analysis) or 345 (Mozart).
  

  • MUTH 352 - The Romantic Symphony


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    An analytical study of selected symphonies by 19th-century composers, including Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler. Particular attention will be given to the concept of “sonata deformation,” whereby composers deform the 18th-century sonata paradigm for particular expressive purposes. Class participation and two large analytical papers are required.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: W. Darcy
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: MUTH 202 & 232.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
  

  • MUTH 361 - The Visible in Music


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3
    Attribute: CNDP
    Sound and image are commonly assumed to be discrete concepts, reflecting a fundamental separation of the eye and the ear. Yet visual images play a significant role in musical experience:  visual methods of transcription, recording, and analysis have been a feature of musical practice since the invention of notation; musicians frequently collaborate with practitioners in the visual arts in multimedia, opera, film, and theater; and even in “purely musical” works, visual imagery plays a fundamental role in the perception of musical meaning.
     
    This course surveys some of the ways that music and visuality interact.  The course is divided into three main segments: In the first segment we will evaluate the reputed abstractness of musical sound in light of theories of hybridity and purity.  In the second segment we will analyze selected musical works, ranging from C.P.E. Bach to Stravinsky; here our analyses will be informed by a combination of music theories and relevant documents from visual culture.  The third segment of the course focuses on some hybrid forms of “eye music” in the 20th century.  Students will complete weekly reading, listening, and analysis assignments; three short model-composition exercises; and an individual research project.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: R. Leydon
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Minimum grade of C- in MUTH 202 & 232.
  

  • MUTH 370 - Music of the Twentieth Century


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    A panoramic survey of the music of Europe and the United States from 1900 to 1950. Class discussion will focus on compositional styles and techniques.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: B. Alegant
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Minimum grade of C- in MUTH 202 & 232.
  

  • MUTH 373 - Experimental Music and the Avant Garde


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3
    Attribute: CNDP
    The course explores musical practices that have been understood as “avant garde” from the late 19th century to the present. Specific musical techniques and the broader aesthetic projects of a variety of innovative musical styles are investigated through close study of recordings, scores and readings. Some topics include: late works of Beethoven and Liszt (explored in terms of their latent modernity), music of Satie and his circle, works based on unusual tuning and temperament systems (including Harry Partch and LaMonte Young), selected works by Cage, Varese, Nancarrow, Ligeti, Crumb, Gubaidulina, Saariaho, as well as post-war serialism, minimalism, acoustic ecology (including music by Pauline Oliveros and R. Murray Schafer), and “avant-pop”.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: R. Leydon
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    MUTH 232
  

  • MUTH 410 - Senior Project in Theory: Reading


    Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Extensive readings in theoretical literature under the supervision of a project supervisor.
    Instructor: Staff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Consent of instructor required.
    Consent from Division Director required for those with junior status.
    Enrollment Limit: Open only to Music Theory majors with senior or junior status.
  

  • MUTH 411 - Senior Project in Theory: Thesis


    Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    A major analysis project carried out under the supervision of a project supervisor.
    Instructor: Staff
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: MUTH 410.
    Consent of instructor required.
    Approval of continuation in the Music Theory major from the Division Director is also required.
    Enrollment Limit: Open only to Music Theory majors .
  

  • MUTH 415 - Analysis and Performance


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    Wri
    The course focuses on the analysis and performance of tonal and non-tonal music, paying particular attention to the ways in which analysis informs interpretation and performance.  Class participation (with opportunities for in-class performance) and several analytical papers are required; writing is a crucial element of the course.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: B. Alegant
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    MUTH 202 and MUTH 232
  

  • MUTH 448 - Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    An introduction of the theories of Heinrich Schenker through analysis, reading, lectures, and class discussion. The main sources are Oswald Jonas’ Introduction and Schenker’s Five Graphic Music Analyses. Music analyzed is principally from works by composers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: J. Miyake
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Minimum grade of C- in MUTH 202 & 232.

     
  

  • MUTH 455 - The Music of Mahler


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    This course focuses upon selected works of Gustav Mahler: early piano Lieder, the song cycle Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and the first four symphonies. These compositions are subjected to close analytical scrutiny. Students will learn how to come to grips with the complex tonal and formal issues underlying these works. Particular attention will be given to Mahler’s use of rotational form, teleological genesis, fantasy projection, and structural deformations such as the breakthrough and the off-tonic sonata.
    Enrollment Limit: 18
    Instructor: W. Darcy
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Minimum grade of C- in MUTH 202 & 232.
  

  • NSCI 201 - The Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    An introductory course in neuroscience that familiarizes students with concepts and information central to work in the neurosciences. Students will learn the basics of brain structure and function at molecular, cellular and systems levels. This foundation will be used to explore a number of behavioral and applied topics.
    Enrollment Limit: 95
    Instructor: L. Bianchi, M. Braford, P. Simen, J. Thornton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Second year or above, or BIOL 100 or consent of instructor.  Neuroscience majors should consider taking the laboratory course (NSCI 211).
  

  • NSCI 211 - Neuroscience Laboratory


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 hours
    Attribute: 2NS
    This laboratory exposes students to a variety of research techniques employed by neuroscientists: neuroanatomical procedures for staining and examining brain tissue; physiological procedures for recording the electrical activity of nerve cells; as well as commonly used techniques used to explore brain-behavior relationships (lesions, electrical and chemical stimulation). Some labs use computer simulations.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: G. Kwayke, L. Kwakye, P. Simen
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Previous or current enrollment in NSCI 201. Notes: P/NP grading. Neuroscience and Psychology majors given priority. NOTE: Obtain consent by logging onto Blackboard. Select Catalog of Open Organizations at right side of screen. Select Neuroscience. Click on ‘211 Consent’ on left side of screen and complete form. Once you have submitted the form and if the instructor consents you into the course, you will be notified by email. You must then register in PRESTO.
  

  • NSCI 301 - Fundamentals of Animal Behavior


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    The evolution of and mechanisms underlying animal behavior will be examined in a broad array of topics, including orientation and migration, communication, mating systems, and social behavior. The course will integrate, as appropriate, across a variety of perspectives including the development of behavior, neuroethology, and behavioral ecology.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: C. McCormick
    Prerequisites & Notes
    A minimum grade of C-, P, or CR is required in the pre-requisite.  NSCI 201,FYSP 133 or FYSP 137, or BIO 100, or BIO 605.
  

  • NSCI 319 - Neurophysiology: Neurons to Networks to Cognition


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-H
    Our brains allow us to perform extraordinarily complicated functions. Neurons both individually and in neural circuits make these functions possible. We will examine how neurons receive, integrate and transmit information and how groups of neurons produce both simple and complex behaviors. Students will analyze and discuss relevant portions of the recent scientific literature.
    Enrollment Limit: 25
    Instructor: M. Loose
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite:NSCI 201 AND either BIOL 100 or BIOL 605. A minimum grade of C-, P or CR is required in the pre-requisites.
  

  • NSCI 320 - Neuroanatomy


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    A comprehensive analysis of the organization of vertebrate nervous systems is approached from a structural perspective with emphasis on the human central nervous system. Principles of organization are stressed.
    Enrollment Limit: 40
    Instructor: M. Braford Jr
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: NSCI 201 or consent of instructor. A minimum grade of C-, CR or P is required in the pre-requisite.
  

  • NSCI 321 - Studies in Neuronal Function


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 hours
    Attribute: 2NS
    Students will investigate how neurons communicate and interact. The first four to six weeks in the laboratory will familiarize the student with methods used to investigate the actions of living neurons and with the design of experiments. The remainder of the semester will focus on the design, performance, and analysis of an original experiment. Students may need to schedule additional laboratory time outside of class to complete their independent experiment.
    Enrollment Limit: 10
    Instructor: M. Loose
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: NSCI 211 and previous or concurrent enrollment in NSCI 319, or consent of the instructor.
  

  • NSCI 324 - Laboratory in Neuroanatomy


    Semester Offered: Second Semester, First Module
    Credits (Range): 1 hour
    Attribute: 1NS
    This lab introduces students to neuroanatomical and neurohistological methods and techniques. Both the gross and fine microscopic anatomy of the nervous system are studied.
    Enrollment Limit: 14
    Instructor: M. Braford Jr
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Previous or current enrollment in NSCI 320.
  

  • NSCI 325 - Neuropharmacology


    Next Offered: 2013-2014
    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    This principals of synaptic transmission and signal transduction are reviewed to better understand the ways in which drugs act in the central nervous system and how drugs influence behavior. A neural systems approach, rather than a pharmacological approach to drugs, is emphasized. Topics such as addiction, drugs and mental illness, drug effects on learning, sleep, pain, and weight control will be covered.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Paine
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: NSCI 201 or 204 or consent of the instructor. Note: Neuroscience and Psychology majors given priority. A minimum grade of C-, CR or P is required in the pre-requisite.
  

  • NSCI 327 - Neuropharmacology Laboratory


    Next Offered: 2013-2014
    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014, Second Module
    Credits (Range): 1 hour
    Attribute: 1NS
    This laboratory is designed to introduce students to procedures used to explore the actions of drugs on the nervous system. The lab focuses on biochemical, cellular and behavioral approaches for understanding drug action. Students will gain experience not only with these relevant techniques, but also with experimental design and critical analysis of pharmacological data.
    Enrollment Limit: 12
    Instructor: T. Paine
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite & Notes: Previous or current enrollment in NSCI 325.
  

  • NSCI 331 - Hormones, Brain and Behavior


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    Hormones have an impact on just about everything we are and do, from our personalities and moods to our growth, fluid regulation, and reproductive behavior. This class explores what hormones are and how they act to alter bodies and behavior. This field of study is sometimes called endocrinology/neuroendocrinology.
    Enrollment Limit: 25
    Instructor: J. Thornton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: NSCI 201 with a minimum grade of C-, CR or P or consent of the instructor.
  

  • NSCI 332 - Neuroendocrine Research Methods


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 hours
    Attribute: 2NS, WR
    This methods course will introduce a number of the principles and basic techniques used to study how hormones interact with the brain. Also, we will use the study of hormones to learn more about how to design and run scientific experiments. Some experiments will require participation outside of scheduled laboratory meetings.
    Enrollment Limit: 12
    Instructor: J. Thornton
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Previous or current enrollment in NSCI 331.
  

  • NSCI 337 - Neurotoxicology and Neurodegeneration


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 NS
    This course examines the pathophysiological link between (i) neurotoxicology, the adverse effects of chemicals, metals, and injurious agents on the nervous system and (ii) neurodegeneration, the progressive neuronal loss observed in many diseases due to aberrant cellular pathways. Topics such as neurotoxicology of the nervous system, biochemical, molecular, developmental neurotoxicology, and the synergism of genes and environment in neurodegenerative diseases are covered. In addition to the assigned readings, students will read, present, and discuss findings from current literature.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: G. Kwakye
    Prerequisites & Notes
    NSCI 201
  

  • NSCI 338 - Laboratory in Neurotoxicology and Neurodegeneration


    Semester Offered: Second Semester, Second Module
    Credits (Range): 1 Hour
    Attribute: 1 NS
    The laboratory is designed to introduce students to a variety of cellular and molecular techniques and assays used to investigate the effect of neurotoxic metals and other injurious agents on the nervous system. Labs will include topics such as generation and examination of dose-response curves following neurotoxic insult, examination of oxidative stress, and assessment of cell viability in cultured cell lines. Occasionally, students will be required to work outside the scheduled lab period.
    Enrollment Limit: 12
    Instructor: G. Kwakye
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Previous or current enrollment in NSCI 337
  

  • NSCI 360 - Cognitive Neuroscience


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 NS
    Cognitive neuroscience is the study of the neural basis of cognition, including functions such as perception, decision making, problem solving and language. The strong emphasis in this course will be on understanding the brain circuits that underlie these features of cognition. As a complement to the study of cognitive psychology, the course focuses on the study of brain structure and activity by methods such as electrophysiology and functional magnetic resonance imaging.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. Simen
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    NSCI 201.
  

  • NSCI 361 - Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 Hours
    Attribute: 2 NS
    This laboratory course will survey theoretical and empirical techniques used in cognitive neuroscience, which is the study of the neural basis of cognition. These techniques complement each other and range from computational modeling of neural circuits, to behavioral psychophysics experiments, to physiological methods for observing brain activity, such as electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Since computation is central to all of these techniques, meetings will take place primarily in the computer lab.
    Enrollment Limit: 12
    Instructor: P. Simen
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    NSCI 201 and Statistics (MATH 113, STAT 113, MATH 114, or STAT 114 or equivalent) or PSYC 200, or permission of instructor.
  

  • NSCI 400 - Neuroscience Seminar


    Semester Offered: FirstSemester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    Neuroscience seminars are capstone courses for Neuroscience majors designed to help students integrate and apply their knowledge of neuroscience as well as help them consolidate their research, analysis, writing, and presentation skills. These courses will focus on the analysis and discussion of the original research literature in a selected area of neuroscience.
    Enrollment Limit: 12
    Instructor: M. Braford, G. Kwakye, L. Kwakye
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Neuroscience major and senior status or consent of the instructor.
  

  • NSCI 607 - Independent Research


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS
    Students may work on a research problem with an individual investigator.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: L. Bianchi, M. Braford Jr, G. Kwakye, L. Kwakye, M. Loose, C. McCormick, T. Paine, P. Simen, Staff, J. Thornton
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: NSCI 201.
  

  • NSCI 995 - Private Reading


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 0.5-3 hours
    Attribute: 0.5-3NS
    Independent study of a subject beyond the range of catalog course offerings. Signed permission of the instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: L. Bianchi, M. Braford Jr, G. Kwakye, L. Kwakye, M. Loose, C. McCormick, T. Paine, P. Simen, Staff, J. Thornton,
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Available to junior and senior majors. Grading option at the discretion of the instructor.
  

  • OPTH 202 - Intro to Opera: Performing Techniques


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 to 3 Hours
    A two-semester course in the fundamentals of acting for the singer, emphasizing techniques of body movement through exercise and pantomimes; preparation and performance of opera scenes which stress ensemble work.
    Instructor: V. Vaughan
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Enrollment Limit: 25.
    Prerequisites: OPTH 202 is prerequisite to OPTH 203. (An equivalent introductory acting course may be substituted for OPTH 202 as a prerequisite to OPTH 203.)
    Open to singers and to pianists interested in accompanying opera; sophomore status required.
  

  • OPTH 203 - Introduction to Opera: Performing Techniques


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 to 3 Hours
    A two-semester course in the fundamentals of acting for the singer, emphasizing techniques of body movement through exercise and pantomimes; preparation and performance of opera scenes which stress ensemble work. Open to singers and to pianists interested in accompanying opera; sophomore status required.

     
    Instructor: V. Vaughan
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: OPTH 202 is prerequisite to OPTH 203. (An equivalent introductory acting course may be substituted for OPTH 202 as a prerequisite to OPTH 203.)
    Enrollment Limit: 25.
  

  • OPTH 303 - Advanced Acting for Singers


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    A course designed to further the singer’s acting skills, using techniques from Stanislavsky and Meisner.  The aims of the course are to give the singer the skills to deal with the acting challenges opera offers by learning how to make viable choices and being able to put them into play effectively.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: S. Stunkel
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    The class is open to juniors and seniors with consent of the instructor.
  

  • OPTH 305 - Opera Workshop


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    A continuation of OPTH 202, 203. Emphasis is placed on eighteenth century period style, acting techniques unique to opera, and recitative; requirements include preparation and performance of opera scenes.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites and Notes Prerequisite: OPTH 203.

    Enrollment Limit: 15.
  

  • OPTH 306 - Opera Workshop


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: CNDP
    A continuation of OPTH 202, 203. Emphasis is placed on nineteenth- and twentieth-century period styles, acting techniques unique to opera, and spoken dialogue; requirements include preparation and performance of opera scenes.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: J. Field

    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: OPTH 203.
  

  • OPTH 400 - Performance Project


    Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2 Hours
    Public performance of a major role with the Opera Theater or musical and dramatic preparation of an operatic role, selected by the instructor with the approval of the voice teacher. Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Enrollment Limit: 12.
    May be repeated for credit.
  

  • OPTH 404 - Seminar in Opera


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    A continuation of OPTH 305, 306. Advanced work in role preparation, including individual class presentations of research projects on selected operas, audition techniques, preparation and performance of opera scenes. Emphasis is placed on becoming familiar with operas in the standard repertory and selected contemporary works.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 10.
    Prerequisite: OPTH 305, 306.
  

  • OPTH 406 - Seminar in Directing


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    A study of the steps in mounting a production, from title selection through use of scenery, lights, and costumes to performance; discussion of major historical figures in the development of opera stage direction; projects in directing.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
    Prerequisites: OPTH 305, 306.
  

  • OPTH 407 - Seminar in Directing


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    A study of the steps in mounting a production, from title selection through use of scenery, lights, and costumes to performance; discussion of major historical figures in the development of opera stage direction; projects in directing.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: OPTH 305, 306.
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
  

  • OPTH 500 - Advanced Seminar in Opera


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Advanced study in role development, performance practice, and professional development, including research and repeated public performances. Off-campus performances may be scheduled.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
    Prerequisites: OPTH 404, 405.
    Open only to fifth-year students, special students, and candidates for the Artist Diploma.
  

  • OPTH 501 - Advanced Seminar in Opera


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Advanced study in role development, performance practice, and professional development, including research and repeated public performances. Off-campus performances may be scheduled.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: OPTH 404, 405.
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
    Open only to fifth-year students, special students, and candidates for the Artist Diploma.
  

  • OPTH 502 - Research Project in Opera


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    An advanced project of directed research into an opera (its sources, period, libretto, and composer) culminating in a major paper. Includes preparation for the comprehensive examination required of master’s degree candidates.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
    Prerequisites: OPTH 305, 306. Completion of OPTH 404, 405 recommended.
    Concurrent enrollment in OPTH 404, 405, subject to approval of instructor.
    Priority is given to candidates for the master’s degree in Opera Theater.
  

  • OPTH 503 - Research Project in Opera


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    An advanced project of directed research into an opera (its sources, period, libretto, and composer) culminating in a major paper. Includes preparation for the comprehensive examination required of master’s degree candidates.
    Instructor: J. Field
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: OPTH 305, 306.
    Completion of OPTH 404, 405 recommended.
    Concurrent enrollment in OPTH 404, 405, subject to approval of instructor.
    Priority is given to candidates for the master’s degree in Opera Theater.
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 4.
  

  • PHIL 121 - Philosophy & Morality


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course will explore challenges to the possibility of ethics, such as whether morality is a matter of convention as opposed to something objective, and whether we have free will. We will also discuss classical theories of morality, including utilitarian and Kantian theory. We will finally consider a range of practical moral controversies, such as the extent of the duties of the affluent to assist the poor, abortion, and the treatment of animals.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Hall
  

  • PHIL 122 - The Nature of Value


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course deals with central questions in ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy, the three branches of value theory. These questions include, What makes an action right or wrong? What makes a state just? and, What makes a work of art or landscape beautiful? In order to answer these questions, we will consult key texts, compare forms of judgment, and critically engage with value problems.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: K. Thomson-Jones
  

  • PHIL 126 - Problems of Philosophy


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    This course will introduce students to the methods of philosophy and to many of the main issues of contemporary philosophy. The following issues will be investigated: evidence for and against the existence of God, whether there is any intrinsic meaning to life, whether there are any objective moral standards, free will and responsibility, skepticism and the grounds of knowledge, consciousness and the physical world, and the nature of persons.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. McInerney, T. Ganson
  

  • PHIL 200 - Deductive Logic


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    What makes an argument a good or a bad one? We will explore the idea that the answer depends on the underlying structure of the argument, and develop a formal language which allows us to bring out that structure. Students will thus acquire an increased ability to critically evaluate arguments in any sphere. A grasp of the essential elements of symbolic logic is also vital for anyone wishing to grapple seriously with contemporary Anglophone philosophy.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: M. Thomson-Jones
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: Strongly recommended for students considering graduate work in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 201 - Reason and Argument


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    A study of methods for analyzing and evaluating arguments as they appear in various settings, including scientific, philosophical, and legal contexts. The course will include an introduction to the study of formal logic, and inductive and probabilistic reasoning.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: D. Ganson
  

  • PHIL 206 - Epistemology


    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    In this course we will be addressing questions concerning the nature of knowledge, rationality, justification, and truth. Special topics include: skepticism, relativism and feminist epistemology.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: D. Ganson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in Philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 208 - Metaphysics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    A survey of some central issues in metaphysics, such as: Is truth always relative to a conceptual scheme? Are there such things as numbers, and if so, what sorts of things are they? What does it mean to say that something is possible, or is necessarily so? How is it that objects persist over time and through changes? Do objects have their parts necessarily? Readings will be from a variety of sources; requirements will be in the form of papers.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: M. Thomson-Jones
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 210 - Existentialism


    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    Existential philosophy examines basic ethical issues about individual freedom, having a meaningful life, and relations with other people. This course examines the works of Camus, deBeauvoir, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre on a set of issues that are distinctive of existential philosophers, including absurdity and the meaning of life, authenticity and self-deception, the meaning of love and sex, and the significance of death and being finite.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. McInerney
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy. (H)
  

  • PHIL 215 - Ancient Philosophy


    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    An introduction to the central problems of Ancient Greek philosophy, with special emphasis on how Plato and Aristotle respond to Socrates’ paradoxical claims about morality and human nature. Other topics include fate, death and feminism. (H)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Ganson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: This course is principally intended for students who have done previous work in philosophy or classics, but there is no specific prerequisite.
  

  • PHIL 216 - Modern Philosophy


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    In this course we will examine developments in western philosophy during the 17th and 18th centuries, concentrating on Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, and Kant, plus, to a lesser extent, Spinoza, Berkeley, and Leibniz. Texts include primary sources with translations as required. (H)
    Enrollment Limit: 36
    Instructor: T. Ganson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    This course is not an introductory course, but may be taken by students without previous study in philosophy with a special interest in the topic.
  

  • PHIL 220 - Philosophy of Language


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    In this course we shall explore central contributions to the philosophy of language by major classic and contemporary philosophers of the 20th century, including Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine, Davidson, and Putnam. In addition we shall examine how some of these influential views on meaning, reference, truth, and the content of belief have been applied to address key issues in metaphysics and epistemology, such as the problem of skepticism and moral realism.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: D. Ganson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy. Note: Previous work in formal logic strongly recommended.
  

  • PHIL 222 - Philosophy of Science


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    Our best scientific theories seemingly posit an array of entities which we are unable to detect with the unaided senses, but which nonetheless underlie the world of everyday experience – things such as genes, electrons, and magnetic fields. Do we have good reason to believe in such entities? And do we arrive at the theories in question by employing a `scientific method’ which guarantees truth and objectivity?
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: M. Thomson-Jones
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Three hours of Philosophy
  

  • PHIL 225 - Environmental Ethics


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Environmental Studies
    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course examines the disparate moral questions raised by the effects of human activity on the natural environment. Do we have duties to regulate economic activity now to preserve resources for future persons? Do we have moral duties to individual animals living in nature, or to entire species of animals? Is the non-living environment itself the legitimate object of moral concern? The readings include work from philosophers, naturalists, biologists, and economists. (V)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Hall
  

  • PHIL 226 - Social, Political, Legal Philosophy


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course has three sections: whether, and on what basis, people have a moral obligation to the state, what a just distribution of resources requires, and applied political topics. This last section includes topics such as poverty in other countries, freedom of speech, gun control, just war theory, and punishment. Readings are classical and contemporary, and include Plato, Locke, Marx and others.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Hall
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy. (V)
  

  • PHIL 228 - Philosophy of Mind


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    An examination of central topics in contemporary philosophy of mind, including the mind-body problem and the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. McInerney
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Three hours in Philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 231 - Philosophy of Music


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course invites you consider why we value absolute music as we do, whether for its beauty, expressiveness or as a kind of language. The aim of the course is to make explicit views which are already implicit in musical practice, and subject them to philosophical examination. (V)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: K. Thomson-Jones
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy or consent of instructor.
  

  • PHIL 235 - Biomedical Ethics


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Law and Society
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This course will examine ethical problems arising in the practice of medicine and biomedical research. Topics will include death and dying, medical paternalism, physician assisted suicide, eugenics, cloning, research ethics, and more. Our readings will be drawn primarily from contemporary philosophers. (V)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: T. Hall
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 239 - Philosophy of Digital Art


    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3 HU, WR
    The development of new technologies for the digital, computer-based composition, display, and reproduction of images and sounds has fundamentally changed many kinds of art practice. In this course we will examine how the digital revolution in the arts affects our understanding of what counts as art, why art matters, and how art engages us.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: K. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
  

  • PHIL 245 - Nineteenth Century Philosophy


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    Nineteenth Century philosophers developed influential theories of the emotional and cultural features of people, of how individuals are defined by their societies, and of how individuals can and should exert their individuality against societal pressure. This course examines the philosophies of Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard, Mill and Nietzsche (with some attention to Kant, Feuerbach, Comte, Schopenhauer and James). (H)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. McInerney
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 250 - Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    Many of the major figures of 20th-century continental philosophy claimed to produce intellectual revolutions that would affect all areas of human life. Their departures from traditional categories have made their works both enticing and difficult to understand. This course will examine the major ideas of the most influential figures of 20th-century continental philosophy: Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, and Habermas, with some consideration of those of Husserl and Derrida. (H)
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: P. McInerney
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 320 - Seminar: Recent Work on Scientific Realism


    Semester Offered: First Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    Should we regard our most successful scientific theories as straightforwardly telling us the truth, even when they describe parts of the world inaccessible to ordinary experience - electrons, genes, and magnetic fields? The “scientific realism” debate has come to life again in recent years, and we will examine the most interesting new  contributions to it. (Students who have taken Philosophy 222 can consider this seminar a more advanced sequel to the first half of that course; overlap in the readings will be only partial.)
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: M. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite & Notes: Six hours in Philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 347 - Seminar: The Cognitive Science of Rationality and Morality


    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    Whether a mental system is rational depends on normative standards of rationality and on the structure and activities of the mental system. This seminar examines what psychological, neuroscientific, economic, and evolutionary biological studies of human cognitive, evaluative, emotional, and motivational processes reveal about human rationality and morality.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: P. McInerney
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Six hours in philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 349 - Philosophy of Law


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    This seminar will discuss some primary topics in the philosophy of law, including what law is, and when, in principle, one might justifiably disobey the law. We will discuss the moral limits on the scope of the law, including whether the law might justifiably be paternalistic or moralistic. We will also take up the appropriate reading of the American constitution, and we will evaluate important constitutional rulings on speech, privacy, abortion, guns, and other matters.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: T. Hall
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite & Notes: Two courses in Philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 352 - Seminar: Representation in Science


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU
    One of the liveliest areas of research in current philosophy of science revolves around the question of how representation proceeds in science. Aspects of this issue we will cover include: the role of models and modelling in science; representation in science versus representation in art; the idea that some scientific representations are fictions; and the bearing of all this on the question of whether our best scientific theories should be regarded as telling us the truth.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: M. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Six hours in Philosophy, or permission of the instructor.
  

  • PHIL 358 - Seminar: Philosophy of Perception


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3HU, WR
    An examination of central philosophical problems concerning our cognition of the world by way of the senses. Topics include: the distinction between appearance and reality, knowledge of the external world and of one’s own body, the nature and existence of secondary qualities such as colors and flavors, and the distinction between sensation and perception. The focus will be on recent literature, though some historical readings will be included.
    Enrollment Limit: 15
    Instructor: T. Ganson
    Prerequisites & Notes
    6 hours of Philosophy.
  

  • PHIL 401 - Independent Research


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2-5 hours
    Attribute: 2-5HU
    Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
  

  • PHIL 411 - Honors Research


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3-6 hours
    Attribute: 3-6HU
    Consent of instructor required.
    Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
  

  • PHIL 995 - Private Reading


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 0.5-3 hours
    Attribute: 0.5-3HU
    Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
  

  • PHYS 054 - Musical Acoustics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-H
    The basic principles of physics (mechanics, wave motion, and sound) that influence the design and performance characteristics of musical instruments will be studied. The major groups of modern orchestral and keyboard instruments will be discussed, and the physics of hearing, singing, harmony, tuning temperaments, and room acoustics will be included. Group projects will be required.
    Enrollment Limit: 75
    Instructor: C. Martin
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Only elementary mathematics is used; review and assistance will be given to those who need it.
  

  • PHYS 068 - Energy Science and Technology


    This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
    Environmental Studies
    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of issues associated with the generation and consumption of energy in modern society. Topics to be covered include the sun’s energy, electric energy production, distribution, and storage, the hydrogen economy, and energy use in transportation, buildings and industry. Technologies discussed include photovoltaic and wind energy, nuclear power, heat pumps, fuel cells, and hybrid cars.
    Enrollment Limit: 75
    Instructor: J. Scofield
  

  • PHYS 103 - Elementary Physics I


    Semester Offered: First Semester, First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    An introduction to classical mechanics, fluids, waves, and optics, intended primarily for students majoring in the life or earth sciences, but also accessible to non-science majors having good high-school mathematics preparation; those planning to major in physics should take PHYS 110 instead. Algebra and trigonometry are used extensively.
    Enrollment Limit: 60
    Instructor: M. Keller, D. Stinebring
    Prerequisites & Notes
    The laboratory is an integral part of this course and may not be taken alone. Notes: Students must register for both the lecture and one laboratory section.
  

  • PHYS 104 - Elementary Physics II


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    An introduction to electricity and magnetism and modern physics, including applications to geology, biology, and medicine. Intended primarily for students in the life and earth sciences; those planning to major in physics should take PHYS 111 instead. The laboratory is an integral part of this course and may not be taken alone.
    Enrollment Limit: 60
    Instructor: M. Keller
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PHYS 103 or consent of instructor. Notes: Students must register for both the lecture and one laboratory section.
  

  • PHYS 110 - Mechanics and Relativity


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    A study of Newtonian mechanics and special relativity, focusing on conceptual understanding, problem solving and laboratory work. Topics include point-particle dynamics, conservation principles, oscillation, systems of particles, rotation; time dilation, length contraction, and the relativity of simultaneity. This is the first course in a three-semester calculus-based introductory sequence.
    Enrollment Limit: 64
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, C. Martin, R. Owen
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: MATH 133. Notes: Concurrent or prior enrollment in MATH 134 is highly recommended as it is a prerequisite for PHYS 111. Students must register for both the lecture and one workshop section.
  

  • PHYS 111 - Electricity, Magnetism and Thermodynamics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    This is the second course in the three-semester calculus-based introductory sequence. Topics include electric and magnetic fields, electric and magnetic properties of matter, direct and alternating current circuits, electromagnetic phenomena, thermodynamics and kinetic theory.
    Enrollment Limit: 60
    Instructor: J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 110 and MATH 134. Notes: Concurrent or prior enrollment in MATH 231 is highly recommended as it is a prerequisite for PHYS 212. Students must register for both the lecture and one laboratory section.
  

  • PHYS 151 - Introduction to Climate Modeling


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    This course will consider Earth’s climate as an example of a complex system that can be explored best through computational modeling. Main components affecting the climate — atmospheric composition, ice cover, global ocean and atmospheric currents, solar insolation, and carbon reservoirs and cycling — will be considered and dealt with using simple heuristic models. The emphasis will be on developing student modeling skills and intuition rather than a fully-detailed climate model.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: D. Stinebring
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: Physics 103 or Physics 110 or Chem 101 or Chem 103 or permission of the instructor.
  

  • PHYS 212 - Modern Physics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    This is the last course in the three-semester calculus-based introductory physics sequence. The course covers waves and topics in modern (20th century) physics. Topics include relativistic dynamics, quantum properties of light, wave properties of matter, elementary wave mechanics, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical physics.
    Enrollment Limit: 32
    Instructor: Y. Ijiri, J. Scofield
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 111 and MATH 231. Notes: Concurrent or prior enrollment in MATH 234 is highly recommended for students intending to major in physics. Students must register for both the lecture and one laboratory section.
  

  • PHYS 242 - Electronics


    Next Offered: 2013-2014
    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F
    This course provides a basic introduction to analog and digital electronic circuits. Students will be asked to design, construct, and analyze electric circuits both using computer simulation software and with actual circuit components. Students will be required to attend three-hour afternoon lab periods, twice weekly.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: C. Martin
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 104 or PHYS 111, or consent of instructor.
  

  • PHYS 290 - Computational Modeling


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS
    There are many problems in the natural sciences that cannot be solved using pen and paper. This course will introduce the methods that a computational scientist uses to understand the world around us. Topics may include various techniques, e.g. solving ODEs, Monte Carlo simulations, and genetic algorithms, as well as applications, e.g. orbital dynamics, chemical kinetics, molecular dynamics, chaos and other examples from the natural sciences.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: R. Owen
    Prerequisites & Notes
    PHYS 111 or instructor consent.
  

  • PHYS 310 - Classical Mechanics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    A more in-depth study of Newtonian mechanics of particles and systems. Topics include Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, oscillator systems, central force motion, rigid body motion, and noninertial reference frames. We will also make use of computational methods to solve for equations of motion.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: J. Stalnaker
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 212 and MATH 234.
  

  • PHYS 311 - Electricity and Magnetism


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    An in-depth study of electric and magnetic fields and their effects on matter. Vector calculus will be used extensively after briefly reviewing it. We will learn to solve a variety of boundary value problems using techniques useful in many areas of physics. We will explore Maxwell’s equations in detail, culminating in an introduction to electromagnetic radiation. Practical topics will be interspersed throughout the course.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: R. Owen
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 310 and MATH 234.
  

  • PHYS 312 - Quantum Mechanics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    A rigorous study of the foundations of quantum mechanics, with applications to one-dimensional systems, angular momentum, and the hydrogen atom. Stationary-state perturbation theory. Mathematical solutions to the Schrodinger equation will be developed.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisites: PHYS 212 and PHYS 310 and MATH 234.
  

  • PHYS 314 - Intermediate Laboratory


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F
    Introduction to physics laboratory techniques, such as the use of vacuum systems, optical devices, lock-in amplifiers, cryostats, and nuclear instrumentation. Each student attends two laboratory sessions per week and turns in short reports for each experiment with two longer ones at the middle and end of the semester.
    Enrollment Limit: 16
    Instructor: J. Stalnaker
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PHYS 212.
  

  • PHYS 316 - Waves and Optics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS
    A study of optical radiation. Course will cover geometrical, wave, and nonlinear optics. Topics include physical optics, the wave equation, interference effects, pulse propagation, lasers, and selected topics from modern optics.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: J. Stalnaker
    Prerequisites & Notes
    PHYS 310 and MATH 234
  

  • PHYS 321 - Introduction to General Relativity


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 Hours
    Attribute: 4 NS
    New course added 11.02.12.

    Einstein’s theory of gravitation, general relativity, lies increasingly at the forefront of modern theoretical and observational physics. This course will serve as an introduction to the physics of curved spacetime, with topics including black holes, gravitational waves, and the large-scale structure of the universe. We will also introduce and apply the mathematical tools of differential geometry, which constitute the language of general relativity and much of modern theoretical physics.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: R. Owen
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Physics 310 or permission of the instructor.
  

  • PHYS 340 - Physics of Materials


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F
    This course will explore the physical properties of several classes of materials including metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, and composites. The properties will be discussed in relationship to theories of atomic, electronic, and/or band structure. Emphasis is placed on those features (optical, magnetic, electrical, and mechanical) important for technological applications.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: Y. Ijiri
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite & Notes: PHYS 212.
  

  • PHYS 410 - Statistical Mechanics


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4NS, QP-F
    Thermodynamics, classical and quantal statistical mechanics, entropy, temperature, chemical potential, ensembles. Applications include magnetism, phase transitions, heat capacities of gases and solids, thermal radiation, ideal fermion and boson gases.
    Enrollment Limit: 20
    Instructor: J. Scofield
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PHYS 312 or CHEM 339.
  

  • PHYS 414 - Advanced Laboratory


    Semester Offered: Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3NS, QP-F
    Each student attends two laboratory sessions per week and performs, semi-independently, five to six experiments chosen from the fields of atomic, nuclear, and elementary particle physics, condensed matter physics, and optics. Students must keep an organized laboratory notebook, turn in short reports describing the key results of each experiment, and write a longer paper describing one experiment in the form of a research publication.
    Enrollment Limit: 14
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Prerequisite: PHYS 314.
  

  • PHYS 451 - Special Problems in Physics and Astronomy


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-5 hours
    Attribute: 1-5NS
    Special coursework or research projects for students at all levels who are prepared to work independently. Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Note: P/NP grading.
  

  • PHYS 555 - Research


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 2-6 hours
    Attribute: 2-6NS
    Projects for individual investigation. Consent of instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
    Prerequisites & Notes
    Interested students are encouraged to speak with faculty members about possible projects. Students in the Physics Honors program are required to enroll.
  

  • PHYS 995 - Private Reading


    Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
    Credits (Range): 1-3 hours
    Attribute: 1-3NS
    Signed permission of the instructor required.
    Enrollment Limit: 5
    Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, C. Martin, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
    Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
  

  • POLT 100 - Introduction to American Politics


    Semester Offered: Second Semester 2013-2014
    Credits (Range): 3 hours
    Attribute: 3SS, WR
    This course provides an introductory overview of American politics with an emphasis on current political controversies and debates. Students will have the opportunity to consider and discuss a range of institutional and behavioral issues such as the timelessness of the US Constitution, the effectiveness of the legislative process, and the rationality of American public opinion and voting behavior.
    Enrollment Limit: 35
    Instructor: M. Parkin
  

  • POLT 105 - American Government: Election 2012 Who Will Win the Presidency?


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 4 hours
    Attribute: 4SS, WR
    Who will win the presidential election of 2012? In what manner? What, if any, difference will it make? The exploration of these questions is framed by a consideration of what has been and remains the fundamental issue of American political life: What should government do? (And not do?)Two required research projects: (1) predict the outcome in a state of your choosing, and (2) Explain the actual election result and its significance.
    Enrollment Limit: 150
    Instructor: P. Dawson
  

  • POLT 108 - Making Sense of Politics: Research in Political Science


    Semester Offered: First Semester
    Credits (Range): 3 Hours
    Attribute: 3 SS
    Political debate is crowded with claims and counter-claims: e.g., “President Obama is a centrist, betraying his most ardent supporters,” “President Obama has a secret agenda to import European socialism.” How is one to assess such statements? What evidence would be appropriate? How might such evidence be obtained? With the goal of being able to answer such questions, this course introduces students to the research principles and methods appropriate to the study of political phenomena.
    Enrollment Limit: 30
    Instructor: C. DeSante
    Consent of the Instructor Required: No
 

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