Course Catalog 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Oberlin College Courses Offered in 2016-17 (and planned offerings in future years)
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You may wish to consult information about using the Oberlin Catalog located here: Using the Online Catalog to My Advantage
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NSCI 995H - Private Reading - Half
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS
Private readings are offered as either a half or full academic course and require the faculty members approval. Students who wish to pursue a topic not covered in the regular curriculum may register for a private reading. This one-to-one tutorial is normally at the advanced level in a specific field and is arranged with a member of the faculty who has agreed to supervise the student. Unlike other courses, a student cannot register for a private reading via PRESTO. To register for a private reading, obtain a card from the Registrars Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty members approval for the reading, and return the card to the Registrars Office.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: G. Kwakye, L. Kwakye, M. Loose, T. Paine, P. Simen, J. Thornton
Consent of the Instructor Required: Submit Private Reading Card to Registrar’s Office
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OPTH 202 - Intro to Opera: Performing Techniques
Next Offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2017…
Semester Offered: First Semester
HC
Credits: 2 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: Con Staff
Consent of the Instructor Required: No
Prerequisites & Notes
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.
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OPTH 203 - Introduction to Opera: Performing Techniques
Next Offered: Spring 2017
Semester Offered: Second Semester
HC
Credits: 2 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: J. Moniz
Consent of the Instructor Required: No
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 202 is prerequisite to OPTH 203. (An equivalent introductory acting course may be substituted for OPTH 202 as a prerequisite to OPTH 203.)
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OPTH 305 - Opera Workshop
Next Offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2017…
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: Con Staff
Consent of the Instructor Required: No
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 203.
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OPTH 306 - Opera Workshop
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
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: 20
Instructor: S. Stunkel
Consent of the Instructor Required: No
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 203.
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OPTH 400 - Performance Project
Semester Offered: First and Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
May be repeated for credit.
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OPTH 404 - Seminar in Opera
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 10
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 305, 306.
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OPTH 405 - Seminar in Opera
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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; acting in a foreign language. Emphasis is placed on becoming familiar with operas in the standard repertory and selected contemporary works.
Enrollment Limit: 10
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 305, 306.
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OPTH 406 - Seminar in Directing
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 305, 306.
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OPTH 407 - Seminar in Directing
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
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.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 305, 306.
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OPTH 500 - Advanced Seminar in Opera
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
Advanced study in role development, performance practice, and professional development, including research and repeated public performances. Off-campus performances may be scheduled.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 404, 405. Open only to fifth-year students, special students, and candidates for the Artist Diploma.
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OPTH 501 - Advanced Seminar in Opera
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
Advanced study in role development, performance practice, and professional development, including research and repeated public performances. Off-campus performances may be scheduled.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
OPTH 404, 405. Open only to fifth-year students, special students, and candidates for the Artist Diploma.
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OPTH 502 - Research Project in Opera
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
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.
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OPTH 503 - Research Project in Opera
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: CNDP
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.
Enrollment Limit: 4
Instructor: J. Field
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
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.
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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: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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
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PHIL 122 - The Nature of Value
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, WINT
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
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PHIL 126 - Problems of Philosophy
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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: T. Ganson, O. King
Prerequisites & Notes
: Strongly recommended for students considering graduate work in Philosophy.
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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: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, QFR
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.
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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
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, QFR
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
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PHIL 210 - Existentialism
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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. (H)
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: P. McInerney
Prerequisites & Notes
: One course in philosophy.
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PHIL 215 - Ancient Philosophy
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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.
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PHIL 216 - Modern Philosophy
Next Offered: 2016-2017
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
An introduction to 17th and 18th century European philosophy. The focus is on metaphysics and epistemology. We read Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. (H)
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: T. Ganson
Prerequisites & Notes
: At least one previous Philosophy course.
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PHIL 222 - Philosophy of Science
Next Offered: 2016-2017
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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
: At least one previous Philosophy course.
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PHIL 225 - Environmental Ethics
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Environmental Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, WINT
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
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PHIL 228 - Philosophy of Mind
Next Offered: 2016-2017
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
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
:
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PHIL 231 - Philosophy of Music
Next Offered: Spring 2017
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
As a unique College-Conservatory collaboration, this course encourages any student who cares about music to reflect on its nature and significance. With a focus on Western art music, the course introduces students to key texts and arguments in musical aesthetics. Topics include the nature of the musical work, the relation between music and the emotions, and ways in which music can be meaningful. Students will be responsible for attending the T-TH lecture and one Friday discussion section. Please register for the section that has a discussion section which will work with your student schedule.
Enrollment Limit: 45
Instructor: J. O’Leary, K. Thomson-Jones
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
: 1 full course in philosophy OR 1 200-level course in music history OR consent of instructors. Cross-listed with MHST 336.
Cross List Information MHST 336
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PHIL 235 - Biomedical Ethics
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society
Next Offered: 2016-2017
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, WADV
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) Prerequisite: Three hours in philosophy.
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: T. Hall
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PHIL 345 - Law, Liberty, Privacy, and Property: Libertarianism and its Critics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
Are there moral limits to the government’s power to tax for public goods or to provide for the badly off’ Does an extensive surveillance state, gun prohibition, socialized health care, or state paternalism violate rights of citizens? We will consider these and other questions through an examination of libertarian literature and criticisms. (V)
Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: T. Hall
Prerequisites & Notes
One course in philosophy.
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PHIL 358 - Seminar: Philosophy of Perception
Next Offered: 2016-2017
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, WADV
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
: Two full courses in Philosophy.
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PHIL 401F - Honors - Full
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU, HONR
Honors - Full
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
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PHIL 401H - Honors - Half
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2HU, HONR
Honors - Half
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
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PHIL 995F - Private Reading - Full
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4HU
Private readings are offered as either a half or full academic course and require the faculty member’s approval. Students who wish to pursue a topic not covered in the regular curriculum may register for a private reading. This one-to-one tutorial is normally at the advanced level in a specific field and is arranged with a member of the faculty who has agreed to supervise the student. Unlike other courses, a student cannot register for a private reading via PRESTO. To register for a private reading, obtain a card from the Registrar’s Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty member’s approval for the reading, and return the card to the Registrar’s Office.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
Consent of the Instructor Required: Submit Private Reading Card to Registrar’s Office
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PHIL 995H - Private Reading - Half
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2HU
Private readings are offered as either a half or full academic course and require the faculty member’s approval. Students who wish to pursue a topic not covered in the regular curriculum may register for a private reading. This one-to-one tutorial is normally at the advanced level in a specific field and is arranged with a member of the faculty who has agreed to supervise the student. Unlike other courses, a student cannot register for a private reading via PRESTO. To register for a private reading, obtain a card from the Registrar’s Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty member’s approval for the reading, and return the card to the Registrar’s Office.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: D. Ganson, T. Ganson, T. Hall, P. McInerney, K. Thomson-Jones, M. Thomson-Jones
Consent of the Instructor Required: Submit Private Reading Card to Registrar’s Office
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PHYS 051 - Einstein and Relativity
Semester Offered: Second Semester, First Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS, QFR
An examination of the special and general theories of relativity and how these theories have changed our conception of space and time.
Enrollment Limit: 230
Instructor: D. Styer
Prerequisites & Notes
Note: P/NP grading.
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PHYS 052 - The Strange World of Quantum Mechanics
Semester Offered: Second Semester, Second Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS
The behavior of atoms and electrons is governed by rules that seem bizarre to our eyes because our opinion of what is usual and what is strange is based on only macroscopic experience. This course investigates these strange conceptual underpinnings of quantum mechanics.
Enrollment Limit: 230
Instructor: D. Styer
Prerequisites & Notes
P/NP grading.
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PHYS 054 - Musical Acoustics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: 60
Instructor: R. Owen
Prerequisites & Notes
Only elementary mathematics is used; review and assistance will be given to those who need it.
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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
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: 80
Instructor: J. Scofield
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PHYS 103 - Elementary Physics I
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: J. Scofield, M. Keller
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.
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PHYS 104 - Elementary Physics II
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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, D. Stinebring
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: PHYS 103 or consent of instructor. Notes: Students must register for both the lecture and one laboratory section.
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PHYS 110 - Mechanics and Relativity
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: R. Owen, Y. Ijiri, D. Stinebring
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.
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PHYS 111 - Electricity, Magnetism and Thermodynamics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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. Stalnaker, J. Scofield
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.
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PHYS 212 - Modern Physics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: D. Styer, 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.
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PHYS 242 - Electronics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: J. Stalnaker
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: PHYS 104 and PHYS 111, or consent of instructor.
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PHYS 290 - Computational Modeling
Next Offered: 2017-2018
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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
Prerequisites: PHYS 111 or instructor consent.
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PHYS 310 - Classical Mechanics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: R. Owen
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: PHYS 212 and MATH 234.
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PHYS 311 - Electricity and Magnetism
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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.
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PHYS 312 - Quantum Mechanics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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.
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PHYS 314 - Intermediate Laboratory
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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.
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PHYS 316 - Waves and Optics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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
Prerequisites: PHYS 310 and MATH 234
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PHYS 340 - Physics of Materials
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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
Prerequisites: PHYS 212.
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PHYS 410 - Statistical Mechanics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR
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: D. Styer
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: PHYS 312 or CHEM 339 and MATH 231.
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PHYS 411 - Electrodynamics
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS, QFR
Maxwell’s equations. Electromagnetic energy and momentum. Waves and radiation. Relativistic electrodynamics.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: D. Styer
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: PHYS 311.
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PHYS 412 - Applied Quantum Mechanics
Semester Offered: First Semester, First Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS, QFR
Quantum mechanics applied to atoms and molecules, including time-dependent perturbation theory and the quasiclassical (WKB) approximation.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: D. Styer
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: PHYS 312.
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PHYS 414 - Advanced Laboratory
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR, WADV
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
Prerequisites: PHYS 314.
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PHYS 451 - Special Problems in Physics and Astronomy
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS
Special coursework or research projects for students at all levels who are prepared to work independently.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
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PHYS 555 - Research
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, HONR
Projects for individual investigation. Consent of instructor required.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, 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.
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PHYS 995F - Private Reading - Full
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS
Private readings are offered as either a half or full academic course and require the faculty member’s approval. Students who wish to pursue a topic not covered in the regular curriculum may register for a private reading. This one-to-one tutorial is normally at the advanced level in a specific field and is arranged with a member of the faculty who has agreed to supervise the student. Unlike other courses, a student cannot register for a private reading via PRESTO. To register for a private reading, obtain a card from the Registrar’s Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty member’s approval for the reading, and return the card to the Registrar’s Office.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
Consent of the Instructor Required: Submit Private Reading Card to Registrar’s Office
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PHYS 995H - Private Reading - Half
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2NS
Private readings are offered as either a half or full academic course and require the faculty member’s approval. Students who wish to pursue a topic not covered in the regular curriculum may register for a private reading. This one-to-one tutorial is normally at the advanced level in a specific field and is arranged with a member of the faculty who has agreed to supervise the student. Unlike other courses, a student cannot register for a private reading via PRESTO. To register for a private reading, obtain a card from the Registrar’s Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty member’s approval for the reading, and return the card to the Registrar’s Office.
Enrollment Limit: 5
Instructor: S. FitzGerald, Y. Ijiri, M. Keller, R. Owen, J. Scofield, J. Stalnaker, D. Stinebring, D. Styer
Consent of the Instructor Required: Submit Private Reading Card to Registrar’s Office
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POLT 100 - Introduction to American Politics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course provides a broad introduction to American politics with an emphasis on historical and contemporary issues and debates. We will consider a range of questions dealing with various aspects of American political institutions, elite and mass political behavior and public policy. Prerequisites and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 40
Instructor: M. Forrest
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POLT 107 - Intro to US Politics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course is a broad introduction to US politics and political institutions. We cover fundamental political questions in the US, analyzing how they have shaped our governmental institutions over time. We begin with the founding, and move through subsequent important political and institutional shifts, with a focus on inclusion/exclusion and the uses and distribution of power. We will use this perspective to contextualize our analysis of how these debates manifest themselves in contemporary US politics. Prerequisites and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 35
Instructor: K. Miller
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POLT 112 - Introduction to Middle East Politics
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD
The course examines state-society relations in the modern Middle East and North Africa. It explores the impact of colonial legacies, varied ruling regimes, inter-state conflict, economic programs, ideological struggles, oil wealth, cultural transformation and grassroots activism on political development. These themes are explored in relation to key events including the demise of the Ottoman Empire, the creation of the state of Israel, the Iranian Revolution, the Iraq War and the Arab Spring. Prerequisites and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 35
Instructor: S. El-Kazaz
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POLT 116 - The Theory and Practice of Contemporary Left Politics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the nature, causes and consequences of the transformation of Left politics in advanced capitalist societies over the last half-century. The course begins with the experience of postwar social democracy and eurocommunism in order to understand their achievements and limitations. It then analyzes the rise of more recent forms of Left politics including new social movements (such as environmental and peace movements), the Third Way, contemporary anarchism (including Occupy), radical anticapitalist parties (such as Syriza and Podemos), and identity politics.
Enrollment Limit: 35
Instructor: C. Howell
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POLT 120 - Introduction to International Politics
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WINT
This course surveys the major theories and concepts of international politics, and applies them to the discipline’s enduring questions. Topics include: the evolution of state sovereignty; causes of war and peace; inequality and the politics of the global economy; the emergence of non-state actors; changing norms of intervention; and the effects of globalization on the modern state system.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: E. Sandberg, K. Kranz, K. Mani
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POLT 133 - Introduction to Political Theory: What to do with the canon in political theory?
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
In this course we engage with the question of political power at two levels. First, we identify how the canonical texts of Western political theory describe and theorize power. We will answer questions such as: What is power? What can we do about power and what is its relationship to freedom? Second, while we will read authors by engaging with the understanding of power, we also ask why they are taught in political theory and how they came to constitute a canonical tradition. Power is not only embedded in our texts but is also key to the selection of these readings. We will move back and forth between identifying power as a process of disciplinary formation and thinking about how the texts describe and analyze power. Prerequisites and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: G. Popa
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POLT 134 - Political Theory Live: Thinking in Practice
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
Political reflection doesn’t start in books. It starts in the worldon the street, among friends, on talk shows and in newspapers, and in legislatures among other places. In this course we will take theory live. We will find it in the world and reflect upon it, using particular texts as touchstones to think about such themes as virtue, power, justice and freedom. Our aim is to establish the relevance of political thinking not just as an academic pursuit, but as an everyday activity. Likely texts include Plato’s Republic, Hobbes Leviathan, Arendt’s The Human Condition, and Foucault’s Discipline and Punish.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: J. Schiff
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POLT 202 - American Constitutional Law
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
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD, WINT
The case method is used to analyze the principles of the American Constitution and Supreme Court decision-making. Topics include: presidential, congressional, and Supreme Court power; state versus national control of social policy and commerce (Obamacare); equal protection of the law and race, gender, sexual orientation; implied fundamental rights to abortion choice, education, marriage and sexual intimacy; First Amendment rights of free speech and religion, and modern constitutional theories.
Enrollment Limit: 35
Instructor: R. Kahn
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: One course in politics or consent of instructor. This is a Core Intermediate Course in the Law and Society major.
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POLT 203 - The First Amendment
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WINT
This course will consider some of the historical, theoretical, and doctrinal issues surrounding the First Amendment to the American Constitution (freedom of expression and freedom of, and from, religion). Topics include obscenity and sexual speech, libel, hate speech, school prayer, and other forms of religious expression. A previous course in constitutional law is helpful but is not required. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade.
Enrollment Limit: 23
Instructor: H. Hirsch
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POLT 204 - Research Methods and Public Policy
Semester Offered: Second Semester
FC
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: 4SS
Research Methods and Public Policy is designed to acquaint students with the research process through which scientific knowledge about the political world is gained. This will necessarily include research design (e.g., experimental and non-experimental designs), hypothesis formulation, measurement of concepts, and various methods for collecting and analyzing data (e.g., sampling, survey research, cross-tabulation, and computer calculations using SPSS). The primary objectives of this course are to make students sophisticated consumers who are able to evaluate the scholarly merits of empirical political work and turn students into skilled researchers who are able to apply these techniques in their own work.
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: J. Liu
Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have taken Politics 205.
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POLT 206 - The Politics of Sexual Minority Communities
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Comparative American Studies
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the history and politics of LGBT communities in the United States during the twentieth century. No background in the subject is required, though a general knowledge of American history and politics during this period is helpful. Topics include the relative freedom of urban LGBT communities before and during World War II, the repression of the 1950’s, the Stonewall Rebellion and its aftermath, the politics of AIDS, and the place of LGBT issues in the African-American community. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade. Notes: Counts for CAST major.
Enrollment Limit: 23
Instructor: H. Hirsch
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POLT 208 - Environmental Policy
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Environmental Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course introduces students to the foundations, evolution, actors, content, goals and future of environmental policies in the U.S. We will contrast federal policies with initiatives in local communities, at the State level, in other countries, and at the international level. By navigating through various levels of governance, this course builds a typology of environmental policies highlighting distinct assumptions, interests, approaches and agendas of key players in the development and implementation of policy.
Enrollment Limit: 22
Instructor: S. Pathak
Prerequisites & Notes
ENVS 101 Note: Restricted to ENVS and POLT majors.
Cross List Information This course is cross-listed with ENVS 208.
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POLT 210 - Latin American Politics
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Latin American Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD, WINT
An introduction to Latin American political development since 20th century. Uses comparative analysis to examine the region’s major political models and their protagonists. Focus on the role of the state; major theories and policies of economic development; the regimes and practices of authoritarianism, populism and democracy; the military; contemporary challenges to democracy.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: K. Mani
Cross List Information Cross Referenced with Arts 342 & HISP 342
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POLT 212 - Political Economy of Development in Asia
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
East Asian Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
A survey of relationship of politics and economy in India, China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, including: legacies of historical structures; effects of imperialism; state formation; rural development; industrial development; finance; international economic relationships. Key issues include: capitalism vs. state socialism; export-led industrialization vs. import substitution; the position and role of labor. Written work consists of two take-home, open-book essays, and weekly blogs.
Enrollment Limit: 35
Instructor: M. Blecher
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POLT 216 - The Political Economy of Advanced Capitalism
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course is an introduction to comparative political economy, broadly defined as the mutual interaction between democratic states and capitalist markets. It examines how the triangular relationship between the state, labor and business differs from one advanced capitalist country to another. The course will examine the political economies of Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, the United States and Japan. It will pay particular attention to globalization; deindustrialization; the political economy of race, gender and class; challenges to the welfare state and trade unions; neoliberalism; financialization; and the Great Recession and its aftermath.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: C. Howell
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POLT 228 - US Foreign Policy Making
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WINT
Analyze foreign policy theories concerning the President, Congress, bureaucracy, media, advocacy organizations, and public opinion. Study pivotal moments in U.S. foreign policy: Washington’s farewell, Monroe Doctrine, Wilson’s 14points, Truman’s 1947 speech, Kennan’s ‘Containment’ in Foreign Affairs, Nixon Doctrine, Carter Doctrine, Clinton Doctrine, GW Bush’s National Security Memorandum 2002. We will seek to understand U.S. foreign policies with respect to selected ‘hot spots’ confronting President Obama and his foreign policy team. Prerequisistes and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: E. Sandberg
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POLT 230 - Feminist Theory
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course proposes a survey of feminist theory through the lens of emotions. Because emotions are a key site to understand how political power operates, we will engage in a genealogy of feminist rhetoric and activism. The first section of the course is an introduction to contemporary feminist and queer theory. The second section surveys authors such as Wollstonecraft, Mill, Engels, and the Milan Bookstore Collective. We will ask how these historical figures and groups are relevant to us. Prerequisites and notes:
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: G. Popa
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POLT 231 - European Political Theory: From Plato to Rousseau
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
How did political thought develop in Europe from ancient Greece until the 18th century, the era of “Enlightenment?” Does it still matter today? We will pay particular attention to questions of virtue, politics and human nature, property, rights, the foundations of political order and the goals of political life. Authors to be studied include: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Locke, concluding with an introduction to Rousseau.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: J. Schiff
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POLT 232 - European Political Theory: Rousseau & After
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
How did political thought develop from the 18th to the mid-20th century? Does it still matter today? We will pay particular attention to critiques of Enlightenment that emerge in this period; to questions about the meaning of politics and its relationship to history; and to questions of freedom, political economy, bureaucracy and totalitarianism, among others. Authors may include: Rousseau, Burke, J. S. Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, and Arendt. Prequisites and notes: POLT 231 recommended but not required.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: J. Schiff
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POLT 238 - Modern American Political Thought
Next Offered: 2017-2018
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
A survey of major themes and issues in American political thought between 1960 and the present. Topics include the New Left, the counterculture, modern feminism, Black Power, environmentalism, neoconservatism, LGBTQ liberation, and America’s place in the world. Politics 233 and/or working knowledge of American history during the period is helpful but not required. Class participation is expected and constitutes a portion of each student’s grade.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: H. Hirsch
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POLT 239 - Marxian Theory
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
A survey of Marxian theory from Marx and Engels to the present. In-depth study of Marx and Engels, we proceed to leading Marxist thinkers and political activists of the early 20th century: Bernstein, Luxemburg, Kautsky, Lenin and Gramsci. Finally we briefly take up critical theory, Marxian feminism, and Marxian environmentalism. The course includes two lectures and weekly one small discussion group each week. Written work consists of two take-home, open-book essays, and weekly blogs.
Enrollment Limit: 60
Instructor: M. Blecher
Consent of the Instructor Required: No
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POLT 244 - Politics Transitional Justice
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD
How do states and societies deal with the legacies of mass human rights violations’ Transitional justice refers to the judicial and non-judicial measures used to redress these violations, including international criminal tribunals, truth commissions, reparations, and the construction of collective memory. Through cases from Latin America, Africa and Europe, we explore the theoretical and practical dilemmas transitional justice presents in post-conflict societies; we also explore how international norms and domestic practices have interacted to shape contemporary debates over the principle of universal jurisdiction and the responsibility to protect. Prerequisite: One course in Politics (highly recommended: POLT 120)
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: K. Mani
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POLT 245 - Human Security
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: 4SS
How does the international political system affect human well-being? Can institutions and norms of human rights, international justice, and conflict prevention protect people from the effects of economic inequity, environmental degradations, and war? The course addresses these questions, and examines whether the concept of human security offers a viable alternative to national security.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: K. Kranz
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POLT 246 - International Law and Organizations
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines international law and organizations as the foundation of global governance. We will grapple with how states and other actors in the international community engage with and shape international law and organizations, and with how international and regional organizations increasingly coordinate actions that used to fall exclusively within the national domain. You will become familiar with different international and regional organizations and with the laws that affect issue areas such as security policy, migration, the international economy, and the environment.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: K. Kranz
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POLT 250 - Neoliberalism and its Critics
Semester Offered: Seond Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 Credits
Attribute: 4SS
The term neoliberalism has become a key term to define the current conditions of capitalism. This course seeks to trace actual debates about neoliberalism to Marx’s polemic with liberal political economists. We will read J.S. Mill, K. Marx, F. Hayek, M. Friedman, W. Benjamin, M. Foucault and D. Harvey to understand what we can do about our neoliberal condition.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: G. Bogdan Popa
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POLT 251 - Being Responsible in Politics
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
Actions always have consequences. In politics, who is responsible for those consequences, to whom, and why’ How can we hold others responsible and assume our own political responsibilities’ We will critically examine the responsibility of political leaders and other officials; social responsibility, and existential responsibility in political theory and philosophy, as well as their depictions in literature and film. Authors will include Aristotle, Schmitt, Weber, Arendt, Young, and Sartre.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Instructor: J. Schiff
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POLT 260 - Post Soviet Politics
Next Offered: 2017-2018
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: CD, 4SS
This courses explores some of the major political themes of the last one hundred years - the Russian revolution, Stalinism, the nature of the Soviet political system, Gorbachev’s perestroika, the Soviet collapse, and Russia’s struggle with capitalism and democracy. Much of the course will be devoted to the dramatic events since the fall of the Soviet empire and the attempt of Russia and other post-Soviet stated to find their place in the global political economy.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: S. Crowley
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POLT 263 - Comparative Political Economy in the Middle East
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the relationship between political and economic actors, institutions and practices in the Middle East and North Africa. Through comparative analysis the course explores themes including state-business relations; developmental initiatives and trajectories; natural resource wealth with a focus on oil politics; labor organization; property rights regimes; the politicization of fiscal and monetary policy; and neo-liberalism as manifest in the contemporary Middle East.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: S. El-Kazaz
Prerequisites & Notes
:
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POLT 264 - Urban Politics in Developing Cities
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the politics of planning, governance and resistance in developing cities. Studying cities as diverse as S’o Paulo, Algiers, Mumbai, Istanbul and Cape Town, the course examines the histories of planned and unplanned urbanization and the impact of globalization on city governance. It explores how political practices such as democracy, redistribution, nationalism, legal enforcement and religious activism transform in the particular setting and spatial configuration of the city.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: S. El-Kazaz
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POLT 269 - Latin American Politics Past and Present through Film
Next Offered: 2017-2018
Semester Offered: First Semester, Second Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2SS, CD
Introduction, screening, and discussion of films from contemporary Latin American cinema that explore political and social conditions of both the dictatorship past and the democratic present. Emphasis on films from Argentina and Chile, both feature and documentary films; course content varies year to year. The course encourages interdisciplinary connections in the study of Latin America, bringing cultural and artistic ‘texts’ of film into dialogue with social science themes. Students participate in either of two discussion groups (Spanish or English) and write several short essays.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: K. Mani
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
Concurrent enrollment in POLT 210 or HIST 293 or HISP 318 or similar course focused on Latin America; consult instructor.
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POLT 271 - Gender, Sexuality and the Law
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society; Gender Sexuality and Feminist Studies; and Comparative American Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD, WINT
This course will consider some of the historical, theoretical, and doctrinal issues surrounding sexuality and gender in American law. A previous course on constitutional law is helpful but not required. Topics include sexual privacy, military exclusions and the construction of manhood, gender and sexuality in the workplace and in education, sexual consent, and various topics in family law. Class participation is essential and is a component of each student’s grade. Prerequisite & Notes: Counts for CAST major.
Enrollment Limit: 22
Instructor: H. Hirsch
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POLT 277 - Imgrn, Refugee & Asylm Policy
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines historical and contemporary US immigration politics and policy from a critical analytic perspective. We cover issues of membership, belonging, and citizenship, and how these ideas change over time. We then examine issues of territoriality and borders, unauthorized immigration, deportation and detention, and refugee/asylum politics. Finally, we delve into contemporary immigration politics and the battle over comprehensive immigration reform.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: K. Miller
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POLT 279 - American Presidency 2016
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the U.S. Presidency in contemporary American politics, with a particular focus on the state of the presidency in 2016. We begin by looking at the founding, as well as different approaches to studying the presidency. We then consider the impact of primary and general elections on the presidency by taking a closer look at the 2016 presidential election. Next, we investigate the powers of the president by considering the constitutional tools of the office, individual leadership styles, and its influence over public opinion and other branches of government. Finally, we evaluate the president’s impact on policymaking.
Enrollment Limit: 30
Instructor: J. Garcia
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POLT 280 - U.S. Congressional Politics and Legislative Strategies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WINT
This course is intended to provide a broad understanding of the inner workings of the U.S. Congress and its larger position within the American political system. We begin by looking at the founding and origins of the modern Congress. We then examine the impact of political parties, congressional organization and rules, and electoral incentives on legislative actions and the policymaking process. Next, we consider the relationship between Congress and other institutional actors (Executive and Judicial Branches, Interest Groups). We conclude by evaluating the current functioning of Congress and the state of congressional representation.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: J. Garcia
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POLT 281 - Interest Groups and Political Advocacy
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the U.S. interest group system as a source of political advocacy and representation. We start by outlining the contours of this system as it existed in the early to mid-twentieth century. We then critically analyze key shifts in this system that have occurred since that time and altered the contours of political advocacy in the U.S., including the rise of the corporate lobbyist, the weakening of labor unions, the expansion of social justice organizations, and the emergence of the nonprofit sector. We close by considering recent efforts to democratize political advocacy in light of the foregoing shifts.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: M. Forrest
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POLT 282 - Politics of Inequality in the United States
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course examines the political and historical sources of inequality in the contemporary United States. We start by unpacking popular accounts that link this inequality to the decline of the twentieth century’s New Deal political order. We then explore alternative accounts that show how this order itself also constituted today’s inequality, either by fostering different patterns of social privilege and marginality or by addressing these patterns in somewhat contradictory and unsustainable ways. We close by considering how the public should politically respond to inequality in the contemporary U.S., given what we know about its political and historical roots.
Enrollment Limit: 25
Instructor: M. Forrest
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POLT 304 - Topics in Political Psychology
Next Offered: 2017-2018
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WADV
Political psychology is an interdisciplinary field that uses theories from social, personal, and cognitive psychology to examine politics. Students will explore how human thoughts and emotions influence elite and mass political behavior in the contemporary United States. Topics include: information processing, persuasion, identity and inter-group conflict, civil liberties and tolerance, political communication, and elite decision-making in a wartime context.
Enrollment Limit: 12
Instructor: M. Parkin
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
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POLT 306 - Gender and Migration
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
This course offers an intensive analysis of the gendered dimensions of US immigration politics and policy through an examination of the specific experiences of women migrants. Using a combination of migration theory and intersectional feminist theory, we analyze historical trends that have lead to an increase in the number of women migrants, including globalization, neoliberal trade agreements, and changes in the US political landscape. We also examine gender-specific labor issues, gendered violence, and forced migration.
Enrollment Limit: 14
Instructor: K. Miller
Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes
Cross List Information GSFS 306
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POLT 308 - Constitutional Interpretation and Individual Rights
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Law and Society
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS
Exploration of the following contemporary approaches to constitutional interpretation in light of their use in landmark constitutional law cases that impact the development of individual rights and the power of American government: progressive originalism (Dworkin, Barber, and Balkin); conservative originalism (Bork and Scalia); representation-reinforcing and polity malfunction (Ely); pragmatism and judicial minimalism (Sunstein and Strauss); popular constitutionalism (Tushnet, Eisgruber, Levinson); constitutional revolutions (Ackerman), and eclectic (Tribe and Fleming).
Enrollment Limit: 14
Instructor: R. Kahn
Prerequisites & Notes
: One course in constitutional law: POLT 202, 203, 204, 207, 226, 271, 301,302, 303, 308, 309, 321, or consent of instructor. This course counts as a Core Research Seminar in the Law and Society Major.
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POLT 309 - Justice
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
Comparative American Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, WADV
A seminar devoted to a consideration of major classic and modern theories of justice, and their application to contemporary issues such as affirmative action, disability, same-sex marriage, reproductive rights, and economic fairness. A previous course in political theory or constitutional law is recommended but not required. Substantial class participation expected. Notes: Counts towards CAST and GSFS major.
Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: H. Hirsch
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POLT 312 - Mastering Nature: The Politics of Science and Technology in the Middle East
Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD
This seminar course examines the relationship between political projects and science and technology. It investigates how the struggle over power transforms and is itself transformed by science as modern and contemporary regimes worked to ‘master’ non-human and human nature (and bodies) in the Middle East. The course explores relationships between for example: imperial control and environmental management; religious authority and advancement in medical and evolutionary biology; psychology and colonialism; nationalism and the sciences of archeology and genetics; astronomical innovation and controlling ‘time’ in the Muslim world; and climate change sciences and oil interests.
Enrollment Limit: 12
Instructor: S. El-Kazaz
Prerequisites & Notes
Consent of instructor required.
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POLT 313 - State, Society and Economy in China
This course may also count for the major in (consult the program or department major requirements) :
East Asian Studies
Semester Offered: Second Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4SS, CD
We analyze the achievements and problems of China’s ongoing efforts at structural ‘reform’, from state socialism to capitalistic authoritarianism, sampling the latest studies of political economy (the role of the state in production, trade and finance), political sociology (inequality, stratification, social politics), polticial anthropology, and grassroots politics (resistance, civil society and ‘democracy’). Students will write research papers on a topic of their choice, and; they and the instructor will present and critique drafts. Designed for juniors and seniors.
Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: M. Blecher
Prerequisites & Notes
: One course in comparative politics or consent of the instructor.
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