Mar 29, 2024  
Course Catalog 2022-2023 
    
Course Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Search


This is a comprehensive listing of all active, credit-bearing courses offered by Oberlin College and Conservatory since Fall 2016. Courses listed this online catalog may not be offered every semester; for up to date information on which courses are offered in a given semester, please see PRESTO. 

For the most part, courses offered by departments are offered within the principal division of the department. Many interdisciplinary departments and programs also offer courses within more than one division.

Individual courses may be counted simultaneously toward more than one General Course Requirement providing they carry the appropriate divisional attributes and/or designations.

 

Applied Studies

  
  • APST 461 - Seminar in Choral Conducting and Literature

    FC CNDP
    4 credits
    A one-year course. Development of all elements of the conductors craft: harmonic and formal analysis, rhythmic security, aural imagery, knowledge of instruments and voices, technique and vocabulary of gesture, group management and psychology, rehearsal techniques, and programming. Participation in performing ensembles and assistance in preparation of ensembles for performance are essential course components.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Open to choral conducting majors. Prerequisite: See statement under Master of Music in Conducting. APST 460 is prerequisite to APST 461.
  
  • APST 560 - Seminar In Choral Conducting

    FC CNDP
    4 credits
    The continued development of all of the elements of the conductor’s craft begun in APST 460, 461.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Prerequisites: See statement under Master of Music in Conducting. APST 560 is prerequisite to APST 561.
  
  • APST 561 - Seminar in Choral Conducting and Literature

    FC CNDP
    4 credits
    The continued development of all of the elements of the conductor?s craft begun in APST 460 and APST 461.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Prerequisites: See statement under Master of Music in Conducting. APST 560 is prerequisite to APST 561.
  
  • APST 562 - Graduate Project in Choral Conducting

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A course of guided study in preparation for the Comprehensive Final Examination.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: Open only to Choral Conducting majors in the MM program. Prerequisites: See statement under Master of Music in Conducting. APST 562 is prerequisite to 563.
  
  • APST 563 - Graduate Project in Choral Conducting

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A course of guided study in preparation for the Comprehensive Final Examination.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: Open only to Choral Conducting majors in the MM program. Prerequisites: See statement under Master of Music in Conducting. APST 562 is prerequisite to APST 563.
  
  • APST 600 - Performance Ensembles (Artist Diploma)

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Students are assigned by the major teacher to various performing groups in consultation with the conductors or supervisors of these groups.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Open only to students enrolled in the Artist Diploma program. Pianists should refer to the end of the Division of Keyboard Studies section for specific information.
  
  • APST 601 - Performance Project (Artist Diploma)

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Projects may include accompanying of recitals or performing solo recitals (including preparation of the two required solo recitals), and other public performance as soloist, arranged in consultation with the major teacher. Some of the projects are to be prepared independently by the student. Projects are evaluated each semester by members of the major department to arrive at a course grade.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Enrollment Limit: Open only to students enrolled in the Artist Diploma program. Notes Pianists should refer to the end of the Division of Keyboard Studies section for specific information.
  
  • APST 602 - Graduate Lecture Recital

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The student will prepare and present the lecture-recital required for the Historical Performance Master’s degree. The project is supervised jointly by the principal applied instructor and an academic performance practice faculty member. The topic must be chosen in consultation with both supervising faculty members.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of the principal applied instructor required.
  
  • APST 604 - RAP Individual Projects

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    For Recording Arts and Production Artist Diploma Students.
  
  • APST 605 - RAP Assigned Projects

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    For Recording Arts and Production Artist Diploma Students.
  
  • APST 700 - Musical Union

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    An organization dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of large choral masterworks. Two major concerts are presented yearly.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Note: P/NP or CR/NE grading. Open to all members of the College community.
  
  • APST 701 - Oberlin College Choir

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A large select ensemble which performs a broad spectrum of a cappella and accompanied choral literature from all periods. Presents on-campus concerts and off-campus performance tours.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Note: P/NP or CR/NE grading. Admission by audition.
  
  • APST 702 - College Singers

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A large choral ensemble for liberal arts students which performs a broad spectrum of accompanied and a cappella choral repertoire.
  
  • APST 704 - Opera Chorus

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Participation and performance in the Opera Chorus of a major Opera Theater production. Since not all operas contain substantial chorus material, credit will be available only for those operas providing significant choruses.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Notes: Credit availability will be determined by the Opera Theater director, conductor, and choral director. P/NP or CR/NE grading. Admission by audition.
  
  • APST 705 - Oberlin College Women’s Chorale

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The Women’s Choral will provide singers the opportunity to explore a variety of choral music written specifically for female voices. The choir will sing three- (SSA) or four-part (SSAA) music including songs from the ‘classical,’ contemporary, world music, secular and sacred genres.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • APST 709 - Oberlin Orchestra/Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Oberlin Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of primarily large-scaled masterworks. The Orchestra normally performs five orchestral programs and one opera production each year. Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble is a select group performing three concerts each semester that focuses on recent works by composers of very diverse styles and background with occasional masterworks from the twentieth century. Faculty and student composers are presented each year. Frequently the ensemble work directly with composers invited to campus. Oberlin Orchestra and the Contemporary Music Ensemble are scheduled at the same time, which allows for flexible ensemble assignments throughout the semester and ensures full and varied performance experiences for students.Prerequisite & Notes: Admission is by audition. Student may elect the two-credit option following consultation with their advisor and the conductors.
  
  • APST 712 - Trombone Choir

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Trombone Choir provides trombone majors and secondary students an opportunity to perform original music and transcriptions. The purpose of this ensemble is to apply our foundational work in lessons and to perfect sound, pitch, and ensemble playing. During the Baroque Period, the trombone was referred to as the voice of an angel. Our goal is to sound like the voice of an angel.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Notes: Admission by audition. P/NP or CR/NE grading.
  
  • APST 713 - Brass Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Ensemble for brass instruments.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • APST 714 - Trumpet Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Coaching in section playing in standard orchestral repertoire and of works written for trumpet ensemble.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Note: P/NP or CR/NE grading.
  
  • APST 724 - Oberlin Sinfonietta/Oberlin Chamber Orchestra

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Oberlin Sinfonietta is an ensemble principally for performance majors and performs literature of contrasting styles and genres from the 18th to the 21st centuries with a focus on literature fro smaller ensembles ranging from sextets to the standard sinfonietta ensemble representing one of every instrument. Oberlin Chamber Orchestra is dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of appropriately scaled masterworks. The Orchestra normally performs five chamber orchestra programs and one ensemble assignments throughout the semester and ensures full and varied performance experiences for students. Prerequisite & Notes: Admission is by audition. Students may elect the two-credit option following consultation with their advisor and the conductors.
  
  • APST 726 - Oberlin College Arts and Sciences Orchestra

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Provides Arts and Sciences students with the opportunity for preparation and performance of the symphonic repertoire, including collaborations with student, faculty, and guest soloists and choral ensembles. Three concerts annually.
  
  • APST 730 - Collegium Musicum

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A vocal ensemble specializing in the performance of medieval, Renaissance, and early Baroque music. Two major concerts yearly. Consent of instructor required.
    Prerequisites & Notes: P/NP or CR/NE grading. Admission by audition.
  
  • APST 744 - Early Music Studio

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Early Music Studio is an instrumental and vocal ensemble dedicated to the performance of early music. Participants are encouraged to treat the ensemble like a workshop, in which together we explore earlier repertoires and experiment with historical techniques. Open to singers and all players of historical instruments
  
  • APST 745 - Baroque Orchestra

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Baroque Orchestra
  
  • APST 746 - Brazilian Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The Brazilian Ensemble provides an opportunity for musicians of all levels to explore the diversity of Brazilian music, including forr choro, bossa nova, samba, maracat and batucada. The music chosen is dependent on the musicians enrolled.
  
  • APST 748 - Javanese Gamelan

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    In this course you will learn to perform Central Javanese gamelan (a percussion-based ensemble featuring gongs and keyed instruments. No prior musical experience is necessary. By the end of the class, however, students will have gained a basic understanding of how the music is constructed, along with cultural matter specific to its performance. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to take turns on all the different instruments but work towards ensemble rather than individual expression for a final performance.
  
  • APST 749 - Sumatran Talempong

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    In this course you will learn to play gong ensembles from Indonesia, including the classical practice of Central Javanese gamelan (a percussion-based ensemble featuring gongs and keyed instruments); and village-style talempong from West Sumatra that features interlocking drums and kettle gongs. No prior musical experience is necessary. By the end of the class, however, student will have gained a basic understanding of how the music is constructed, along with cultural matters specific to its performance. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to take turns on all the different instruments but work towards ensemble rather than individual expression for a final performance.
  
  • APST 750 - Djembe Orchestra 1

    HC CNDP CD
    2 credits
    This course provides the fundamentals and basic concepts and techniques of Mandé music. The traditional rhythmic structure of Djembe and Dununs will be studied to further develop skills within modern day Black American Music, fusion and orchestral music. Culture, geography, history, and folkloric philosophy will be explored through song, music, performance, practicum and academic discourse. This course will be taught from a traditional West African and world view perspective in the context of social, occupational and religious function. Students will immerse themselves in a physical, cultural and spiritual exploration of these traditional styles of drumming from the regions of Mali, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
  
  • APST 751 - Djembe Orchestra 2

    HC CNDP CD
    2 credits
    This course is an expansion of the fundamentals and basic concepts and techniques of Mandé music. The traditional rhythmic structure of Djembe and Dununs will be studied to further develop skills within modern day Black American Music, fusion and orchestral music. Culture, geography, history, and folkloric philosophy will be explored through song, music, performance, practicum and academic discourse. This course will be taught from a traditional West African and world view perspective in the context of social, occupational and religious function. Students will immerse themselves in a physical, cultural and spiritual exploration of these traditional styles of drumming from the regions of Mali, Guinea and Ivory Coast. Students will be tasked with learning new ways of experiencing themselves through music and with creating their own rhythms through which they will assert their history and voice in a culturally aware and diverse music practice
    Prerequisites & Notes: APST 750 Djembe Orchestra 1, or consent override from instructor/jazz dept.
  
  • APST 752 - Gamelan Community Engagement

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    In this course you will learn to perform Central Javanese gamelan (a percussion-based ensemble featuring gongs and keyed instruments. No prior musical experience is necessary. By the end of the class, however, students will have gained a basic understanding of how the music is constructed, along with cultural matter specific to its performance. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to take turns on all the different instruments but work towards ensemble rather than individual expression for a final performance.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Prerequisites: APST 748 previously or concurrently.
  
  • APST 800 - Chamber Music

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Students wishing to enroll for APST 800, 805, or 810 must fill out a chamber music form available from the Dean’s Office, at the beginning of the semester. Students add APST 800, 805, 810 to their schedules only after being assigned to an ensemble. Assignments are made by the Conservatory Office of the Associate Deansin consultation with faculty. Since it may not be possible to assign all students to a faculty coach, priority in placement in a group is given to upperclass students who need to complete an ensemble requirement.
  
  • APST 802 - Orchestral Repertoire for Woodwinds

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A study of works from the standard repertoire with emphasis on concepts of style and ensemble.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Enrollment limited to 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons. Notes: May be repeated for credit a maximum of two times. One semester may be used toward the small ensemble requirement for woodwind students. Priority will be given to third, fourth and fifth-year students.
  
  • APST 804 - Orchestral Repertoire for Brasses

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A study of works from the standard repertoire with emphasis on concepts of style and ensemble.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Note: May be repeated for credit a maximum of three times. Enrollment limited to a maximum of two standard symphony orchestra brass sections, with priority given to third, fourth and fifth-year students.
  
  • APST 805 - Contemporary Chamber Music

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Same as APST 800, except that the repertoire covered is drawn from recognized 20th century and contemporary composers. Students wishing to enroll for APST 800, 805, 806, or 810 must fill out a chamber music form available from the ConservatoryOffice of the Associate Deans, at the beginning of the semester. Students add APST 800, 805, 806, 810 to their schedules only after being assigned to an ensemble. Assignments are made by the Conservatory Office of the Associate Deans in consultation with faculty. Since it may not be possible to assign all students to a faculty coach, priority in placement in a group is given to upperclass students who need to complete an ensemble requirement.
  
  • APST 806 - Advanced String Quartet Seminar

    FC CNDP
    4 credits
    A performance class designed around a body of repertoire by the same composer or theme. Each string quartet will receive one coaching and participate in the 90-minute class meeting each week. The class will focus on technical aspects of ensemble playing along with the musical and historical significance of the works studied. The semester will culminate in a formal performance of complete works. This course is for pre-formed groups with prior performance experience together. Faculty approval needed.
    Prerequisites & Notes: APST 800 or 805 - One semester of previous work together required.
  
  • APST 807 - Oberlin Improvisation and Newmusic Collective

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Oberlin Improvisation and Newmusic Collective
  
  • APST 808 - Performance & Improvisation Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Performance and Improvisation Ensembles provide an opportunity for students to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different musics of the world and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. Emphasis is placed on transcription and creating a means of adaptation to the student’s primary (western) instrument. Ensemble instruction will be divided into two modules per semester, each focusing on the musical styles of a particular region (Sub-Saharan Africa, South America/Central America/The Caribbean, Northern Africa/The Middle East, Asia). PI ensembles will participate in intensive residencies and collaborative performances with visiting artists.Prerequisite & Notes: APST 140 or 141 (Internalizing Rhythms) and APST 142 (Beginning Improvisation) or demonstrated improvisational skill. Audition and instructor’s consent required. Students with highly proficient performance skills on a unique or indigenous instrument are also eligible to audition. PI ensembles may not be used to satisfy major ensemble requirements.
  
  • APST 809 - Silent Film Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The Silent Film Ensemble will devise live performance scenarios for film. A variety of experimental improvisation techniques may be employed and a variety of scoring techniques may also be developed, including text, music and graphic notation. The full ensemble will meet weekly and smaller sub-groups will be expected to create work outside of class time. The semester will culminate in a public performance showcasing the group’s work. This ensemble is open to all students, college or conservatory, regardless of instrumental or vocal experience.?
  
  • APST 810 - Piano Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Students wishing to enroll for APST 800, 805, 806, or 810 must fill out a chamber music form available from the Conservatory Office of the Associate Deans, at the beginning of the semester. Students add APST 800, 805, 806, 810 to their schedules only after being assigned to an ensemble. Assignments are made by the Conservatory Office of the Associate Deansin consultation with faculty. Since it may not be possible to assign all students to a faculty coach, priority is given in placement in an ensemble to upperclass students.
  
  • APST 811 - Genre Nova Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The Nova Genre (formally PI Ensembe) Performance and Improvisation Ensemble provides an opportunity for students to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different world musics and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. Emphasis is placed on transcription and creating a means of adaptation to the student’s primary (western) instrument. Ensemble instruction will be divided into two modules per semester, each focusing on the musical styles of a particular region (Sub-Saharan Africa, South America/Central America/The Caribbean, Northern Africa/The Middle East, Asia). PI ensembles will participate in intensive residencies and collaborative performances with visiting artists.
  
  • APST 812 - Double Bass Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Preparation and performance of ensemble repertoire for double bass (duos, trios, quartets, etc.).
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • APST 813 - Sound Painting

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Sound Painting is a live composing sign language where music and the composition are created in real time. The sound painter stands in front of a group of musicians (or dancers, thespians) like a conductor. They give various signs which the musicians then choose what to play within those parameters. E.g.: “Whole group, long tone, middle register, slowly enter” - the musicians would choose what note to play (within a mid register), what volume to play, and when to start within 1-5 seconds. The result is somewhat aleatoric and new music like. While there is a sign for free improvisation, there are no improvisation skills required making it easy and accessible to all musicians. We will meet for 1.5 hours a week and students are expected to practice these techniques for 1 hour a week
    Does this course require off campus field trips? No

  
  • APST 814 - Harp Majors Seminar

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Includes a variety of activities and topics designed to address many aspects of career preparation, such as group study of orchestral excerpts, harp ensemble repertoire, stage presentation, performance techniques, practice and tuning skills, harp maintenance, and pedagogy. All harp majors are required to attend harp ensemble during each year of study at Oberlin, whether taking the class for credit or auditing.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • APST 815 - Guitar Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    This course will cover ensemble repertoire for guitarists (trios, quartets, etc.).
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Open to guitar majors.
  
  • APST 816 - Horn Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Coaching in section playing from quartet to octet in standard orchestral repertoire, and one recital each semester of works written for horn ensemble.
  
  • APST 817 - Beginning Guitar Class

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    This course is designed primarily for beginning guitarists, or guitarists who would like to fill in some gaps in their formal training. We will focus on the development of solid technique and musicianship on the guitar and related plucked instruments. Various styles and approaches to guitar playing will be considered, including, but not limited to, classical, folk, “fingerstyle”, and historical (e.g. the lute, using the Conservatory’s collection of historical plucked instruments). Basics covered will include reading pitch notation and tablatures, creating accompaniments, melodic playing, playing by ear,’soloing’, historical contexts, and improvisation.
  
  • APST 818 - Oberlin Creative Music Lab

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The Oberlin Creative Music Lab is an ensemble that specializes in contemporary, open-form, and guided improvisation while performing existing works written for creative music ensemble. Students will rehearse as an improvisation ensemble each week to grow together as a cohort and improve upon skills such as listening, interaction, and creative decision-making. The ensemble will also rehearse contemporary repertoire that highlights approaches to large ensemble improvisation including works by Anthony Braxton, Pauline Oliveros, and George Lewis, among many others. Students will create their own work for the ensemble and present a culminating concert at the end of the semester. The Creative Music Lab welcomes performers and composers who practice in electronic and acoustic mediums
    Prerequisites & Notes: Note: This course will be offered for P/NP Grade Mode only.
  
  • APST 820 - Ensembles for Harpists

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Harp students taking this course will be assigned by the major teacher to various performing groups of the school in consultation with the conductors of those groups and in accordance with their needs. Hours according to meeting times of the various ensembles.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of the instructor required.
  
  • APST 821 - Ensemble for Percussionists

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Percussion students taking this course will be assigned by the major teacher to various performing groups of the school in consultation with the conductors of those groups and in accordance with their needs. Hours according to meeting times of the various ensembles.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Notes: Students may elect the two-credit option in consultation with advisor.
  
  • APST 822 - Ensembles for Guitarists

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Includes the assignment of guitarists to chamber music groups or to larger ensembles as needed.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • APST 823 - Chamber Singers

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Chamber Singers is a select choral ensemble modeled after professional chamber vocal ensembles of 8-16 voices, focused primarily on performing one-voice-per-part music. Admission is by audition only.
  
  • APST 825 - Oberlin Percussion Group

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Percussion majors taking this course will develop skills in finding the right sound, applying techniques learned, nurturing a keen sense of ensemble playing, and gaining valuable performing experience outside of Oberlin. The major objective of this course is to premiere new works. The group rehearses a minimum of four hours per week.
  
  • APST 826 - Oberlin Arts & Sciences Chamber Music

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    This performance class provides students enrolled in the College with the opportunity to learn chamber works in small ensembles, receive coachings, and perform in public as part of a credit-bearing class. Class meets weekly for a two-hour session in which student groups play for the entire class and are coached by the instructor. Students may audition either as individuals or in pre-formed groups; individuals will be placed in groups at the discretion of the instructor. All instruments will be considered, although placement is contingent on the availability of repertoire and instrumental composition of the group of students auditioning in a given semester. The semester concludes with a public performance in which all groups must perform at least one movement selected from the works they have prepared over the course of the semester.
    Prerequisites & Notes: This course is only intended for Arts and Sciences students.
    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • APST 841 - Viola da Gamba Consort

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    A survey of sixteenth and seventeenth century consort literature for three to seven viols. First semester open to players with some experience.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Second semester open to students who have completed the Winter Term beginning gamba class, as well as to advanced players. Consent of instructor is required.
  
  • APST 842 - Lute Consort

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Lute Consort
  
  • APST 843 - Baroque Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    The class is designed for players of historical instruments: e.g., baroque flute, baroque violin, baroque recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and for singers.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Note: P/NP or CR/NE grading. Students add APST 843 to their schedules
  
  • APST 844 - Renaissance Flute/Recorder Ensemble

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Study of performance on Renaissance recorders. Repertoire is chosen from a different area of concentration each semester.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required. Notes: The one-hour credit option requires one coached rehearsal per week as well as outside practice and rehearsal. The two-hour credit option requires an additional one-hour per week for preparation of a performance/research project involving source materials related to the music or playing of Renaissance recorders.
  
  • APST 960 - Performance Ensembles (Artist Diploma)


    2 credits
    Performance Ensembles (AD)
  
  • APST 961 - Performance Project (Artist Diploma)


    2 credits
    Perform Proj (Artist Dipl)
  
  • APST 995F - Private Reading - Full

    FC CNDP
    4 credits
    Private Reading - Full
  
  • APST 995H - Private Reading - Half

    HC CNDP
    2 credits
    Private Reading - Half

Arabic

  
  • ARBC 101 - Beginning Arabic I

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course provides a thorough introduction to Arabic language and culture and presumes no previous knowledge of Arabic. The course begins with the alphabet and number system and engages students in reading, writing, speaking, and listening on a range of topics such as self-identification, family, travel, food, housing, study, weather, and others. By the end of the semester, students will have reached the Novice Mid/High level of proficiency in Arabic based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students at this level will be able to communicate in speaking and writing about a number of familiar topics. This course will include required field trips.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Designed for beginners with no previous study of Arabic.
  
  • ARBC 101OC - Beginning Arabic I

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course provides a thorough introduction to Arabic language and culture and presumes no previous knowledge of Arabic. The course begins with the alphabet and number system and engages students in reading, writing, speaking, and listening on a range of topics such as self-identification, family, travel, food, housing, study, weather, and others. By the end of the semester, students will have reached the Novice Mid/High level of proficiency in Arabic based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students at this level will be able to communicate in speaking and writing about a number of familiar topics. This course will include required field trips. HIST 207OC is required for this learning community.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Designed for beginners with no previous study of Arabic.
    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARBC 102 - Beginning Arabic II

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    Arabic 102 continues to develop the Arabic language and culture study begun in 101. This course expands the range of topics and builds upon listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students will discuss such topics as housing, shopping, education, and professions. By the end of the semester, students will have reached the Novice High/Intermediate Low proficiency level in Arabic according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students at this level will be able to communicate personal information, discuss daily activities, express personal preferences and apply their skills in an Arabic-speaking culture. The course will include required field trips.
    Prerequisites & Notes: ARBC 101 or equivalent.
  
  • ARBC 995F - Private Reading - Full

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    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.
  
  • ARBC 995H - Private Reading - Half

    HC ARHU
    2 credits
    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.

Archaeological Studies

  
  • ACHS 300 - Senior Project

    FC SSCI
    4 credits
    Senior Project
    Prerequisites & Notes: Consent of instructor required.
  
  • ACHS 400 - Honors

    FC
    4 credits
    Honors. Archeological Studies majors may undertake Honors research during their senior year under the supervision of a faculty advisor who is normally a member of the Curricular Committee on Archeology. An Honors Project normally consists of a written thesis or other creative project based on original library, laboratory, or field research, or some combination thereof. The final project is submitted in the spring semester of the senior year and followed by a public presentation.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Students who qualify for Honors and are interested in the program should consult with the program director by the beginning of the second semester in their junior year. Honors proposals are due on or about April 15. Consent of instructor required.
  
  • ACHS 995F - Private Reading - Full

    FC
    4 credits
    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 the online registration system. To register for a private reading, obtain the form from the Registrar’s Office, complete the required information, obtain the faculty member’s approval for the reading, and return the form to the Registrar’s Office.
  
  • ACHS 995H - Private Reading - Half

    HC
    2 credits
    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.

Art History

  
  • ARTH 100 - Themes in Western Art

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    A thematic approach pairing important art historical concepts and problems with four major periods in western art history: classical art and representation; word and image in medieval art; the artist as intellectual creator in the Renaissance and Baroque; and the artist as social critic in modernity.
  
  • ARTH 110 - Christian Art: A Global History

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    A survey of Christian art and architecture from its origins in the third century CE to the present, including all regions where Christian art has been produced, from the Middle East and Europe to Ethiopia, Asia and the Americas. Topics to be considered include the invention(s) of Jesus’ appearance, icons and iconoclasm, religious architecture, art’s role in the Reformation, its use by missionaries, and contemporary Christian art. The course uses this broad topic to introduce the discipline of art history, and makes extended use of the Allen’s collections. Field trips required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARTH 150 - Approaches to Western Art

    FC ARHU WINT
    4 credits
    This course is not a chronological survey course, but rather a chance to learn different ways of thinking and writing about art. Each instructor will address a variety of central art historical topics such as technique, style, iconography, the status of the artist and art?s relationship with its original context within a given period or periods of art history. Visits to the Allen Memorial Art Museum will play an important part in the course. Field Trips required.
    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARTH 152 - Approaches to Chinese and Japanese Art

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    This combined introduction to the Arts of China and Japan will follow a rough chronology from ancient to modern. We will focus on smaller contexts, including temples, tombs, and artistic circles and examine a range of media (e.g. painting, sculpture, prints). Primary themes will include how socio-political circumstances inform artistic production, the spatial or social networks of art, cultural exchange, and tensions between court-sponsored traditions and other artistic practices.
    This course is cross-listed with EAST 143


    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARTH 153 - Approaches to Islamic Art and Architecture

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    An introduction to the monuments and masterpieces of Islamic art and architecture. Through a series of case studies and thematic discussions, we will familiarize ourselves with the diverse cultural settings in which buildings and art objects were created. We will study building types such as mosques, tombs, and palaces, along with examples of pottery, calligraphy, manuscript illustration, and contemporary art. Special emphasis will be placed on the global context and cross-cultural dimensions of Islamic art.
  
  • ARTH 154 - Approaches to African Art

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    This course serves as an introduction to the visual cultures of Africa and its Diasporas. Proceeding through a series of thematic case studies, students will explore African arts through critical lenses such as performance, ritual, sexuality, and identity. Special attention will be paid to cross-cultural influences, impacts and legacies of empires, slavery, and colonialism, and the contemporary art market. Visits to the Allen Memorial Art Museum are a central component of the course.
    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARTH 157 - Approaches to the Art of the Americas

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course provides an introduction to the art of the Americas following a rough chronology from ancient through the present. Through a close analysis of each context, we will consider a range of art practices including architecture, city planning, land art, ceramics, fiber arts, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. Students will explore themes including networks of cultural exchange and migration, empire and expansion, decolonial and post-colonial methodologies, spirituality and art, nation building, modernization, and universalism.
    This course is cross-listed with HISP 157


  
  • ARTH 158 - Approaches to Islamic Art

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    An introduction to the art, architecture, and material culture of the Islamic world, from its beginnings in the seventh century to present day. Our thematic approach will cover questions of interfaith exchange, race and slavery, gender and sexuality, colonialism and contemporary museums. We will study manuscript paintings, calligraphy, mosques, palaces, pottery, lacquer, and metalwork. Class sessions include a field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

    This course is appropriate for new students.
  
  • ARTH 204 - Introduction to Book Studies

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    This course introduces students to key approaches and concepts in the discipline of Book Studies. Book Studies encompasses printed and handwritten paper objects, but also ancient clay tablets and contemporary electronic media. This interdisciplinary course lays the groundwork for students to study the social and cultural history of books as historical, aesthetic, religious, and visual artifacts in Book Studies courses throughout Oberlin’s curriculum. Students will have hands-on experience in the Letterpress Studio, Art Museum, College Library and Conservatory collections with text-and-image-objects from Europe, East Asia, Islamicate cultures and the Americas. Field trips are required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

  
  • ARTH 210 - Medieval Art

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    A chronological survey of medieval art emphasizing the period’s creativity and fundamental importance for the larger history of western art. Topics covered include: the invention of Christian art and architecture, manuscript illumination, Byzantine icons and iconoclasm, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, art in monasteries, courts and cities, medieval realism and the beginnings of secular art.
  
  • ARTH 211 - Illuminated Manuscripts

    FC ARHU WINT
    4 credits
    From 500 to 1500, the hand-written codex operated at the heart of medieval culture. Texts, copied and recopied over hundreds of years, were important conveyors of many types of ‘knowledge’ about history, religion, science and proper behavior to name but a few for which pictures served as amplification, commentary and/or explanation. This course traces the history of medieval manuscripts and will include visits to Special Collections to view actual manuscripts.
  
  • ARTH 212 - Monastic Art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    Monasteries were a major venue for artistic production from the sixth to the fifteenth century. We will examine how monks, nuns and friars used art and architecture in their religious life. We will study such works as the book of Kells,made for Irish monks, Cluniac monasteries on the pilgrimage roads, and work associated with new orders including Cistercian monasteries like Fontenay and the art of the mendicant orders of Sts. Francis and St. Dominic.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level art history class or consent of instructor.
  
  • ARTH 213 - Late Medieval Art

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    The art of Northern Europe from 1300 to 1500. In addition to major artists like Pucelle, van Eyck and Fouquet, the course will consider devotional art, the relation of realism to symbolism, the emergence of oil painting and printing, courtly and civic patronage, and the structure of artistic production.
  
  • ARTH 214 - Synagogues, Churches and Mosques: Sacred Art of the Medieval Mediterranean

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    The art and architecture of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the Mediterranean from the first to the fifteenth century. We will study religious art typologically (for example, what roles did religious buildings play?), through important works (i.e. the Great Mosque of Cordoba), sites (i.e., Jerusalem, Damascus, Rome, Istanbul) and media (metalwork, textiles, and manuscripts). We will emphasize art’s contribution to contact, exchange and conflict between the three religions, with particular attention to Spain.
    Prerequisites & Notes: An introductory course in Art History or Religion.
    This course is cross-listed with JWST 326


  
  • ARTH 215 - Saints and Relics in Medieval and Renaissance Art

    FC ARHU WINT
    4 credits
    This course studies the role art played in the Christian cult of the saints during the Middle Ages. We begin in the fourth century, when Christianity first assumes a broad public face, and finish around 1550, in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. We will study both thematic issues-the importance of relics, the promotion of pilgrimage, etc.-and the iconography of specific saints-among them Thomas Becket, Francis of Assisi, and King Louis IX. We will seek to understand the impact of the cult of the saints on medieval art, and the impact of medieval art on the cult of the saints.
  
  • ARTH 216 - Romanesque & Gothic Art

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    A study of European art from c. 1000 to c. 1300, with special emphasis on church architecture and decoration. Topics to be considered include: pilgrimage, the development of Gothic architecture, and art’s varied audiences.  Style will be a central theoretical concern.
  
  • ARTH 217 - Ancient and Early Medieval Art: from Augustus to Charlemagne

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    This course studies art’s place in the epochal change from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages. We begin in the mid-1st century BCE, as Augustus assumed power, and continue through the Christianization of the Empire in the 4th century up to its consolidation under Charlemagne in the 9th. We address ancient monuments such as the Forum and the Pantheon, the invention and development of Christian iconography and architecture in dialogue with pagan and Jewish art, Byzantine icons and iconoclasm, and the earliest Islamic architecture. A particular focus will be on changing use of cities and buildings. Field trip required.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level ARTS course or the consent of the instructor.
  
  • ARTH 218 - From Emperor to Pope: Art, Architecture, and Urbanism in Ancient and Medieval Rome

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    This course studies Roman art and architecture from 31 BCE, when Augustus assumed power, through its Christianization and the rise of the papacy, to 1309 and the papacys move to Avignon. We will address ancient monuments such as the Forum and the Pantheon, early Christian monuments such as St. Peters at the Vatican, and the art and architecture of medieval Rome. A particular focus will be the reuse of buildings and spaces over the millennium.
  
  • ARTH 223 - Politics and Protest: Modern Chinese Art

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    An examination of artistic trends from the fall of dynastic China in 1911 to the 1990s, this course will highlight artists’ attempts to ‘modernize’ against the backdrop of Civil War, the rise of the Communist Party, and following the death of Mao. Topics will include: early art societies, academies and curriculum, woodcuts, Socialist Realist painting, propaganda posters, and such post-Mao movements as Scar art, the Stars, and ‘90s experimental art.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-level course in art history or East Asian Studies is strongly encouraged. This course counts towards the China field in the East Asian Studies major.
    This course is cross-listed with EAST 222


  
  • ARTH 225 - Pleasure and Design in Confinement: Japanese Prints in and after Edo

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    Colorful ukiyo-e, pictures of courtesans, kabuki actors reenacting samurai epics, and landscapes of Mt. Fuji, are among the most recognizable images of Japanese art. This course explores how woodblock prints developed in the 17-18th centuries alongside the growth of Edo (modern Tokyo) and during a period of isolationism. We will track innovations in woodblock technology and how features of prints were creative responses of artists to constraints imposed by the ruling shogunate. We will begin with key social and cultural changes, examine select thematic topics and artists (e.g. Utamaro, Hokusai) and conclude with modern prints.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-level course in art history or East Asian Studies is strongly encouraged. This course counts towards the Japan field in the East Asian Studies major. This course counts towards the Book Studies Concentration.
    This course is cross-listed with EAST 225


  
  • ARTH 226 - Monks, Miracles, and Magic: Buddhist Art in East Asia

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course explores Buddhist art in China and Japan. Focusing on archaeological sites and monuments, we will explore tenets of the religion, and how devotional faith inspired the production of various artistic forms: painted or carved cave-temples, sculptural tableaux and monasteries, as well as portable sutras, paintings, and other artifacts. Key issues include text-image relationships and how Buddhism intersects with interests of imperial patronage and politics.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level Arts Course.
  
  • ARTH 227 - Topics in East Asian Art: Monuments in a Comparative Perspective

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    An examination of personal, religious, and political monuments in ancient-modern Japan and China, this course explores diverse approaches in the construction of monuments and memorials. Do monuments help us remember the past; allow us to generate new memories, or both? We will focus on the overall artistic design of sites, including material, iconography, and space, and examine how features have been reshaped or generated controversies. Topics may include the Ise Shrine, Todaiji, Peace Memorial Park, Nanjing Massacre Museum, and Tian’anmen Square.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Background in East Asia or Art History is strongly recommended.
  
  • ARTH 239 - Word and Image across Middle East and Asia

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    From comic books to Magritte’s “This is not a pipe,” there are numerous ways texts and images connect. Do images and texts “speak” differently, or can they be in sync? In this class, we turn to fifteenth- to seventeenth-century illustrations of a vast body of Asian literature, such as the Persian Book of Kings, the Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, and the epic story of Rama. Our discussions will focus on artistic media and translation: what happens when a literary work moves from book to picture, culture to culture, painting to sculpture?
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-level course in art history or the consent of the instructor.
    English, in literature, is recommended but not required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

    This course is cross-listed with CMPL 239


  
  • ARTH 252 - Collectives and Collaboration in Modern and Contemporary Art

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course traces the importance of creative collaboration and spaces of collective art practice in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Taking a global approach, we will study how collaboration enabled experiments in materials, style, and audience with attention to the significance of collective work for artists marginalized from the dominant art world whether because of geography or gendered, racial, ethnic, and sexual identities. Drawing extensively from primary sources, students will consider topics including group versus individual voice, art and identity formation, alternative modes of display, audience, and institutionalization.
    Prerequisites & Notes: 100-level course in art history recommended but not required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

  
  • ARTH 253 - Latinx Art: Past and Futures

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    In the past thirty years, Latinx art has emerged as a distinct field of study within Art History, absorbing a diverse group of artists working across styles into one category. This survey pairs an overview of Latinx art from 1945 through the present with the theories and arguments that serve as the foundation for the field. Guiding questions are: what are the possibilities and limitations of Latinx art? What role does aesthetics play? What is the future of the field? In particular, we will explore the role of Queer, Black, Indigenous, and feminist histories in the development of Latinx art. Field trips required for this course.
    Prerequisites & Notes: 100-level course in art history recommended but not required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

    This course is cross-listed with HISP 253


  
  • ARTH 254 - The Arts of Latin America in the 20th and 21st Centuries

    FC ARHU CD
    4 credits
    This course examines artistic interventions in the Americas between the early twentieth-century and the present. Taking a thematic approach, this course will consider how artists of the Americas positioned their practice in relationship to local cultural and political struggles (including revolutions, dictatorships, and modernization) as well as dominant international art trends. This course will also introduce students to key critics and scholars that ask what is Latin American art and why is it a distinct field?
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

  
  • ARTH 269 - Beyond the Plane: Photography as Intermedium

    FC ARHU
    4 credits
    Photographs are understood to be two-dimensional. But what do we see when we look beyond the plane? This course examines “intermedia art” from a photographic perspective. Beginning with early photography as a ‘fixed’ medium during the 1820s, we follow artistic, technological, and cultural development through the 21st Century across Europe, the United States, Latin America, China, and elsewhere. Highlighting photographic artworks that intersect other forms of artmaking - drawing, painting, sculpture, music, film/video, performance, computation, installation - the course will use Fluxus theories of “intermedia” to reveal how photography is ‘unfixed’ and embodied by multimodal artistic forms and urgent social-political issues. Field trips required.
    Prerequisites & Notes: Introductory course in art history is required.
    Does this course require off campus field trips? Yes

  
  • ARTH 270 - Africa, Europe, and the Art of Colonization

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    Focusing on the relationship between African art and colonialism since the 19th century, this course serves as an introduction to the role of colonial and postcolonial theory in art history. Case studies will investigate the active, multifaceted role visual media played in European colonization efforts on the continent; as well as African responses to colonial visual culture. Using critical readings of key texts and images as the basis for course projects, students will be encouraged to develop their own definitions of ‘colonialism,’ and to speculate on the possibility of a ‘de-colonized’ Art History.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level course in Art History or Africana Studies.
  
  • ARTH 271 - Looking for Africa in Brazil

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    This course traces the creation and evolution of some major artistic strategies developed and inspired by five million Africans and their descendants who found themselves in Brazil following the transatlantic slave trade. Our focus will be on analyzing the role of visual culture in defining Brazil’s relationship to Africa and the memory of slavery, and in using artworks to think with theories of cultural development in the African diaspora.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level course in Art History or Africana Studies
  
  • ARTH 272 - Sacred Arts of Vodou and Santería

    FC ARHU CD WINT
    4 credits
    This course provides frameworks for both describing and analyzing some of the religious arts developed and inspired by Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and its diasporas. Our focus will be on articulating how lived religious practices associated with terms like ‘Santería,’ and ‘Vodou’ embody the contradictions and complexities of culture, race, sexuality, nationhood, and community in Cuba, Haiti, and their U.S.-based diasporas. Specific case studies will include communal altars, religious goods stores, popular media, and sacred rituals. Field trip required.
    Prerequisites & Notes: A 100-Level course in Art History or Africana Studies.
 

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