Academic Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Listing
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Courses listed below are grouped together alphabetically by subject prefix. To search for a specific course, please follow the instructions in the course filter box below and click on “Filter.”
Departments and interdisciplinary programs are described in detail on the Majors, Minors, and Other Programs page within this catalog. Please refer to the detailed sections on each area of study for more information. Requirements to fulfill a major or minor appear within each program or area of study.
All students must also complete the courses in the Common Curriculum (General Education), including Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) requirements and other requirements that pertain to the undergraduate degree. Courses are numbered as follows.
000-049 - Non-credit courses.
050-099 - Common Curriculum (General Education) courses and others that do NOT count toward the major.
100-199 - Introductory-level courses which count for the major.
200-299 - Sophomore/junior-level courses that often may be easily taken by non-majors. (Some departments may use 200-249 and 250-259 to delineate between sophomore and junior level offerings.)
300-399 - Upper-level courses intended primarily for majors - these are courses representing the depth component of the major.
400-499 - All advanced courses for seniors, including those used to fulfill WS (Senior Writing Experience requirement), small seminars, research, thesis, and independent studies.
Wherever possible, the departments have indicated the instructor and the term during which a course is given. Some courses are offered only occasionally and are so indicated. The College retains the right not to offer a course, especially if enrollment is insufficient.
A few courses are not valued at full course credit, and some carry double credit.
A full course unit may be equated to five quarter-credit hours, or three and one-third semester credit hours.
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Philosophy |
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PHL 296H - Philosophy Honors Independent Project 2 Course Units: 1
(Staff)
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PHL 297 - The Ethics of Forgiveness and Revenge Course Units: 1
(Spring; Scheiter, Zaibert) Examination of different ways of responding to wrongdoing. When is revenge appropriate and why? When is forgiveness appropriate and why? CC: HUM
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PHL 305 - Relativism Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Relativism is not just a ’ theoretical’ issue: the Events of 9/11 have pitted those who demand ‘moral clarity’ against those who urge ‘more understanding’. Moral disagreement is not limited to conflicts between cultures: democratic societies attempt to accommodate points of view which conflict and diverge, sometimes nearly to the point of violence, as debates on abortion or gay marriage or the separation of church and state, or even taxation, show. But relativism is also an important theoretical issue as it raises questions about truth, justification of belief and moral skepticism. We explore these theoretical, moral and political dimensions through reading of theorists such as Rawls, Nagel, Harman, Thomson, Gutmann, and others. One philosophy course prerequisite or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 316 - Indian Philosophy II: Ways of Knowing the World Course Units: 1
(Winter; Nowakowski) This course examines the debates between Buddhist intellectuals and their rivals in two Hindu philosophical traditions, the Nyaya and the Mimamsa, which dominated Indian philosophy from roughly the 6th to the 12th centuries CE. Through close study of the primary texts in translation, we will explore their theories of the ways by which human beings can know the world. We will then see how these Indian philosophers apply their theories of knowledge and good reasoning to a variety of disputed questions about the existence of God, the self, reincarnation, and the structure of the external world.
No prior experience with Indian or Asian philosophy or religion is assumed or expected. However, given the challenging nature of the texts, some prior work in philosophy (whether eastern or western) would be a very good idea! CC: HUM
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PHL 338 - Zen and Tibetan Buddhism Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Mahayana Buddhist philosophy explains the nature of reality as emptiness, which means that the nature of reality is beyond (and thus empty of) words, concepts and characteristics. Mahayana Buddhism also regards compassion as the primary motivation for ethics. This course focuses on the metaphysical theories of two schools of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy: Chinese/Japanese Zen Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The course examines Zen Buddhist theories of No-Self and the nature of mind that makes sudden enlightenment possible, as well as Tibetan Buddhist theories of interdependent arising and emptiness. This course is applicable to the Asian Studies and Religious Studies majors. CC: HUM, LCC
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PHL 341 - The Contemporary Crisis of Truth Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A study of 20th century European or American philosophies: phenomenology, existentialism, or analytic philosophy. CC: HUM
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PHL 359 - Postmodernism Course Units: 1
(Cross listed with WGS 359) (Not Offered this Academic Year) Do some groups control the way we use language? Is discourse male-dominated or Euro-centric? Postmodern theories investigate the nature of language, as well as questions concerning power and language: How is power gained and controlled through discourse, the media and other cultural institutions? Postmodern theories have had an impact on contemporary literature, art, and media theory. Readings by Structuralist and Postmodern thinkers, such as Saussure, Barthes, Foucault, Cixous, Irigaray, and Derrida will be discussed. Prerequisite(s): one philosophy course or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 365 - Philosophy of Mind Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Critical examination of some central issues in the philosophy of mind, including the mind/body problem, the problem of other minds, “intelligent” machines, and animal minds. CC: HUM
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PHL 366 - Epistemology Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Philosophical examination of problems and issues surrounding our concepts of knowledge, justification, memory, and perception. CC: HUM
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PHL 375 - Biomedical Ethics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) An introduction to ethical problems in biology and medicine, touching on such issues as reproductive ethics (abortion, cloning), research ethics, the ethics of death and dying (assisted suicide, euthanasia) and similar subjects. CC: HUM
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PHL 408 - New Directions in Philosophy Course Units: 0
(Fall, Winter; Davis) Preparation for biweekly talks by visiting philosophers and development of writing skills. This course extends over two terms. Only one course credit is given. Required of philosophy and interdepartmental majors. During the first term, students sign up for 408; during the second, for 418. Both 408 and 418 may be taken during any year. Because 408 carries no credit, students should register for it in conjunction with three other full-credit courses. Seniors who have not otherwise satisfied their Senior Writing Requirement may do so by taking this course.
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PHL 411 - Writing Philosophy Workshop Course Units: 0
(Fall, Winter; Baker) Two-term workshop on argumentative writing skills. Students will learn how to write philosophy papers. Honors thesis in Philosophy will be written in the course of participating in this workshop. The course will be required of all philosophy majors.
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PHL 412 - Writing Philosophy Workshop Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter; Baker) Two-term workshop on argumentative writing skills. Students will learn how to write philosophy papers. Honors thesis in Philosophy will be written in the course of participating in this workshop. The course will be required of all philosophy majors. CC: HUM
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PHL 418 - New Directions in Philosophy Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter; Davis) Preparation for biweekly talks by visiting philosophers and development of writing skills. This course extends over two terms. Only one course credit is given. Required of philosophy and interdepartmental majors. During the first term, students sign up for 408; during the second, for 418. Both 408 and 418 may be taken during any year. Because 408 carries no credit, students should register for it in conjunction with three other full-credit courses. Seniors who have not otherwise satisfied their Senior Writing Requirement may do so by taking this course. CC: HUM
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PHL 443 - On What There Is Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) An examination of such topics as determinism and free will, causation, time, personal identity, necessity and possibility, objectivity, and God. Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 444 - Power, Authority, and the State Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course concentrates on issues in contemporary political theory. Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 445 - Topics in Metaphysics Course Units: 1
(Winter; Nowakowski) May be repeated, if topic changes. Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 446 - Topics in Epistemology Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) May be repeated, if topic changes. Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 447 - Topics in Logic Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) May be repeated, if topic changes. Prerequisite(s): PHL 231 or permission of instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 448 - Topics in Ethics or Value Theory Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Prerequisite(s): Two PHL-courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM Note: Course may be repeated, if topic changes.
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PHL 450 - Topics in the History of Philosophy Course Units: 1
(Fall; Scheiter) The topic changes from course to course and is up to the discretion of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 462 - Philosophy of Language Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) An examination of key concepts in the philosophy of language, such as truth, meaning, reference, definite descriptions, names, demonstratives, and propositional attitudes. The fundamental question: How does language connect us to the world? Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 474 - Advanced Biomedical Ethics Course Units: 1
(Spring; Baker) An advanced historically based introduction to biomedical ethics. Among the subjects treated will be the relationship between bioethics and traditional medical ethics, the evolution of the discourse, core concepts, models, theories and organizational infrastructure of bioethics, including IRBs and ethics committees. The course is designed to serve as a foundation for graduate work in bioethics and to fulfill the required knowledge competencies recommended by the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities in its 1998 report Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation. Prerequisite(s): two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 476 - Philosophy of Law Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) An advanced course in jurisprudence. Primary topics include: the nature of law and legal reasoning in general; the nature of criminal law, including both the role of excuses in the criminal law and the aims and justification of criminal punishment; and the nature of tort law, including both the relationship between negligence and liability and the relationship between causation and liability. Prerequisite(s): One philosophy course or permission of the instructor. CC: HUM
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PHL 490 - Philosophy Independent Study 1 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Selected topics in philosophy. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
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PHL 491 - Philosophy Independent Study 2 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Selected topics in philosophy. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
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PHL 492 - Philosophy Independent Study 3 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Selected topics in philosophy. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
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PHL 493 - Philosophy Independent Study 4 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Selected topics in philosophy. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
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PHL 498 - Philosophy Honors Thesis 1 Course Units: 0
(Fall, Winter; Staff) Substantial two-term written project on a specific philosophical topic, under the direction of an advisor, culminating in an honors thesis. Philosophy 498 carries 0 credits. Upon completion of PHL 499 the student receives two course credits. Normally taken in the senior year.
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PHL 499 - Philosophy Honors Thesis 2 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter; Staff) Substantial two-term written project on a specific philosophical topic, under the direction of an advisor, culminating in an honors thesis.PHL 498 carries 0 credits. Upon completion of PHL-499 the student receives two course credits. Normally taken in the senior year.
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Physics Physics Courses
Common Curriculum Courses
Courses numbered in the 050’s are designed particularly for non-science majors seeking to satisfy Common Curriculum requirements, and all of these courses carry Common Curriculum credit. They may not be counted toward the major in physics or toward any other science or engineering major, but may count toward an interdepartmental major (see requirements for Physics, B.S.).
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PHY 051 - Seeing the Light: Concepts of Vision Course Units: 1
(Same as BIO 051) (Not Offered this Academic Year) An introduction to the biology and physics of vision. Topics include the workings of the eye and brain, the properties of light, and recent advances in the development of robotic vision. Closed to physics and biology majors. No mathematics or science background is required. Corequisite(s): PHY 051L CC: SCLB
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PHY 053 - Physics and Politics Course Units: 1
(Same as HST 253 ) (Not Offered this Academic Year) This class will introduce students to some of the most important developments during the twentieth century in modern physics, the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics, set in a comparative context of the capitalist democratic United States, fascist National Socialist Germany, and communist Soviet Union. Along with an explanation of how the science works, this class will examine how the political, social, and ideological context can influence science and scientists. No background in mathematics or physics required. CC: SET
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PHY 054 - Laser Technology and Modern Optics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) An introduction to lasers and their applications in today’s technological society. The special properties of laser light, various types of lasers and how they function, and laser applications including holography, medical uses of lasers, communications, and spectroscopy. Laboratory provides hands-on experiences with lasers. Not open to physics majors. No background in mathematics or physics required. Corequisite(s): PHY 054L CC: SCLB
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PHY 100 - First-Year Seminar Course Units: 1
(Fall; Staff) Team-taught course introducing physics at Union. Topics covered may include astronomy, astrophysics, atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, computational physics, laser physics, quantum measurement, nuclear and particle physics, solid-state physics, and statistical physics. Prerequisite(s): By invitation. CC: SET
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PHY 110 - Physics for the Life Sciences 1 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Spring; Staff) An introduction to classical mechanics, fluids, and thermodynamics with applications in the life sciences. Students must major in a life science or be admitted by permission of the instructor. Prerequisite(s): MTH 102 or MTH 112 or MTH 113 (may be taken concurrently). Corequisite(s): PHY 110L CC: SCLB Lecture/Lab Hours Three lab hours each week.
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PHY 111 - Physics for the Life Sciences 2 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter; Staff) An introduction to electromagnetism, optics, and the structure of matter with applications in the life sciences. Prerequisite(s): PHY 110 or PHY 120 or IMP 112 or IMP 120 . Corequisite(s): PHY 111L Lecture/Lab Hours Three lab hours each week.
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PHY 120 - Matter in Motion Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Calculus-based introduction to classical mechanics; Newtonian dynamics and energetics of a single particle and of systems of particles. Integrated class and lab meets four times each week. Prerequisite(s): MTH 102 or MTH 112 or MTH 113 (may be taken concurrently). CC: SCLB
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PHY 121 - Principles of Electromagnetics Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Calculus-based introduction to waves, electro and magneto statics, and electrodynamics through Maxwell’s equations. Integrated class and lab meets four times each week. Prerequisite(s): PHY 120 or IMP 112 or IMP 120 and MTH 102 or MTH 112 or MTH 113 (may be taken concurrently)
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PHY 122 - Relativity, Quantum, and Their Applications Course Units: 1
(Winter; Staff) Calculus-based introduction to the structure of matter, including quantum effects, particle, nuclear, atomic, molecular, and solid state physics, and applications to materials of interest to engineers and scientists. Prerequisite(s): PHY 121 or IMP 113 or IMP 121 . Corequisite(s): PHY-122L Lecture/Lab Hours Three lab hours each week.
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PHY 123 - Heat and Light Course Units: 1
(Fall; Staff) Calculus-based introduction to thermodynamics, geometric and physical optics, and astrophysics. Integrated class and lab meets four times each week. Prerequisite(s): PHY 121 or IMP 113 or IMP 121 .
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PHY 200 - Molecular Biophysics Course Units: 1
(Winter; Staff) Selected topics in molecular biophysics including an overview of proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and bacteria, with an emphasis on molecular structure and functioning. Experimental techniques used in modern biophysical research included in the course are various optical spectroscopies and microscopies, as well as hydrodynamic methods (sedimentation, diffusion, viscosity, electrophoresis), NMR, and x-ray diffraction. Prerequisite(s): PHY 111 or PHY 121 or IMP 113 or IMP 121 , and some exposure to biology or permission of the instructor.
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PHY 210 - The Physics of Modern Medicine: Applications in Imaging, Surgery and Therapy Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course introduces the technologies used in modern medicine and the basic physical principles that underlie them. Topics will include: laser surgery, ultrasound imaging, laparoscopic surgery, diagnostic x-ray imaging, nuclear medicine, computed tomography (CAT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and radiation therapy. Safety issues involved in the use of each technique will be considered in depth, and discussions will include societal implications of the growing use of technology in medicine. Specific medical applications discussed will include (but are not limited to): colon cancer screening, arthroscopic knee surgery, laser eye surgery, dermatological laser surgery, obstetrical ultrasound, cardiovascular ultrasound, mammography, osteoporosis screening, cancer radiation therapy, and applications of PET and MRI brain scans in neuroscience. Prerequisite(s): PHY 111 or PHY 121 or IMP 113 or IMP 121 , or permission of the instructor.
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PHY 220 - Relativity and Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A second course in modern physics covering special relativity and an introduction to quantum mechanics. Topics include relativistic kinematics, relativistic dynamics, four-vector notation, relativistic collisions, origins of quantum mechanics, Schrodinger’s equation and the development of wave mechanics, applications of wave mechanics in one and three dimensions (step potential, square well, harmonic oscillator), angular momentum operators, the hydrogen atom, Dirac notation and matrix formulation of linear operators, Dirac Delta function, spin angular momentum, measurement theory, and time-independent perturbation theory. Prerequisite(s): PHY 122 . Lecture/Lab Hours One hour computational lab each week.
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PHY 230 - Intermediate Classical Mechanics Course Units: 1
(Fall, Spring; Staff) An analytical treatment of classical mechanics. Topics include motion of a particle in one, two, and three dimensions; planetary motion; collision theory; moving coordinate systems; dynamics of rigid bodies; and the Lagrangian form of the equations of motion. Prerequisite(s): PHY 110 or PHY 120 or IMP 112 or IMP 120 , and MTH 117 Prereq/Corequisite(s): (pre- or co-requisite), or permission of the instructor. Lecture/Lab Hours One hour computational lab each week.
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PHY 270 - Intermediate Electromagnetism Course Units: 1
(Winter; Staff) Electric and magnetic fields and potentials; electric and magnetic properties of matter; Maxwell’s field equations. Prerequisite(s): PHY 121 and MTH 117 or IMP 113 or IMP 121 , or permission of the instructor. Lecture/Lab Hours One hour computational lab each week.
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PHY 295H - Physics Honors Independent Project 1 Course Units: 0
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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PHY 296H - Physics Honors Independent Project 2 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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PHY 300 - Methods of Modern Experimental Physics Course Units: 1
(Spring; Staff) A laboratory-based course dealing with contemporary techniques in experimental physics. Prerequisite(s): PHY 122 and one physics course at the 200-level or higher, or permission of the instructor. CC: WAC
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PHY 310 - Advanced Topics in Physics 1 Course Units: 1
(Fall; Mann) Course topic for each year to be chosen from the following:
- Computational Physics: A laboratory-based course providing practical tools to solve computational physics problems drawn from a wide range of areas, including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum mechanics. Algorithms include root-finders, integration techniques, Monte Carlo methods, ordinary and partial differential equation solvers, numerical Fourier transforms, minimization tools, and numerical linear algebra algorithms.
- Condensed Matter Physics: An introduction to the microscopic structures and to the electrical and thermal properties of metals, insulators, and semiconductors. Topics include the description of crystal lattices, electrons in a periodic potential, electronic band theory, phonons and their interactions with electrons, cohesive energy of solids, defect states, and superconductivity.
- Modern Physical Optics: Interference, diffraction and polarization of light, interaction of light and matter, classical and quantum description of optics, and lasers. Three-hour lab each week.
- Nuclear/Elementary Particle Physics: An introduction to both nuclear and particle physics covering basic nuclear structure and properties, nuclear models, nuclear decay and radioactivity, nuclear reactions, fission, fusion, accelerators, elementary particle physics, and the quark model.
- Statistical Mechanics: Probability theory, laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases and the statistical basis of thermodynamics, Bose Einstein and Fermi Dirac distributions, applications to simple fluids, magnetic systems, metals, photons, and superfluid helium.
- Advanced Electromagnetism: Relativistic electrodynamics, electromagnetic radiation and waves.
- Quantum Optics: The study of the interaction of light and matter in systems where the wave nature of matter and the particle nature of light must be taken into account. Topics may include single-photon interference, correlated photons and the EPR paradox, quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum teleportation, atom optics and atom interferometry, laser cooling and Bose-Einstein Condensation, and implications of quantum mechanics for nanomaterials and nanodevices.
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Electronics: A laboratory course in basic electronics and instrumentation for science majors. Topics include AC and DC circuits, diodes, rectifiers, transistors, operational amplifiers, binary logic, Boolean algebra, digital circuits, analog-digital conversion, transducers, and computer interfacing. Six hours of lab each week.
Others depending upon student interest. Course open to juniors and seniors only. Enrollment by permission of the instructor.
Note: Fall 2017 topic is Computational Physics.
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PHY 311 - Advanced Topics in Physics 2 Course Units: 1
(Winter; Maleki) Course topic for each year to be chosen from those listed in Physics 310 depending upon student interest. Course open to juniors and seniors only. Enrollment by permission of the instructor. Note: Winter 2018 topic is Quantum Optics.
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PHY 312 - Advanced Topics in Physics 3 Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Course topic for each year to be chosen from those listed in Physics 310 depending upon student interest. Course open to juniors and seniors only. Enrollment by permission of the instructor.
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PHY 350 - Advanced Quantum Mechanics Course Units: 1
(Spring; Staff) A second course in quantum mechanics with applications to selected problems in atomic, nuclear, and solid state physics. Prerequisite(s): PHY 220 and MTH 117 , or permission of the instructor.
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PHY 490 - Physics Research 1 Course Units: 0
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) The student will normally begin a research project by the fall of the senior year under the supervision of a faculty member; interested students are encouraged to begin research projects earlier in their studies. All students involved in research will meet together once a week with a faculty member who will organize oral reports by the students based on their progress. A written report is required on completion of the project. Note: Completion of PHY 491 earns the total credits.
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PHY 491 - Physics Research 2 Course Units: 2
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) The student will normally begin a research project by the fall of the senior year under the supervision of a faculty member; interested students are encouraged to begin research projects earlier in their studies. All students involved in research will meet together once a week with a faculty member who will organize oral reports by the students based on their progress. A written report is required on completion of the project. Prerequisite(s): PHY 490 CC: WS
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PHY 492 - Physics Research 3 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) The student will normally begin a research project by the fall of the senior year under the supervision of a faculty member; interested students are encouraged to begin research projects earlier in their studies. All students involved in research will meet together once a week with a faculty member who will organize oral reports by the students based on their progress. A written report is required on completion of the project. Prerequisite(s): PHY 491 CC: WS (final term)
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PHY 493 - Physics 1 Term Research Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) The student will normally begin a research project by the fall of the senior year under the supervision of a faculty member; interested students are encouraged to begin research projects earlier in their studies. All students involved in research will meet together once a week with a faculty member who will organize oral reports by the students based on their progress. A written report is required on completion of the project. Corequisite(s): Fall term students attend PHY 490 Lectures. CC: WS
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PHY 495 - Physics Independent Study 1 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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PHY 496 - Physics Independent Study 2 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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PHY 497 - Physics Independent Study 3 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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PHY 498 - Physics Independent Study 4 Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff) Topic to be chosen in consultation with a faculty member and the student’s advisor.
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Portuguese |
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POR 100 - Basic Portuguese 1 Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A foundation course in Portuguese, open only to students who have been accepted for the following fall’s term abroad in Brazil. Study of the structure of the language supported by laboratory work, audio-lingual training. CC: HUM
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POR 104T - Portuguese Language Studied Abroad Course Units: 1
(Fall; W. Garcia) A continuation of Basic Portuguese I. Prerequisite(s): POR 100 . See International Programs.
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POR 200 - Intermediate Portuguese 1 Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Intermediate Portuguese I is an intensive and accelerated grammar review, and offers vocabulary growth. This course furthers the development of conversation, reading and writing skills based on a variety of cultural text and authentic cultural artifacts. CC: LCCP, HUM
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POR 490 - Portuguese Independent Study Course Units: 1
(Staff) Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.
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Political Science |
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PSC 123 - Topics in Mathematical Political Science Course Units: 1
(Same as MTH 060 ) (Staff) A mathematical treatment (not involving calculus or statistics) of escalation, political power, social choice, and international conflict. No previous study of political science is necessary, but PSC 111 or PSC 112 would be relevant. CC: QMR
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Political Science - Introductory Courses |
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PSC 111 - Introduction to US Politics Course Units: 1
(Fall, Winter; Plencner, Spring; Hays) A broad overview of the operation and issues of central concern in the study of U.S. politics. Particular attention is paid to evaluating the U.S. governing system in relation to major theories of political power, such as elitism, pluralism, and populism. In examining these and other broad concepts there is a focus on the foundations, institutions, and linkage mechanisms (political parties, media, etc.) that play a critical role in U.S. politics. Depending on the instructor, topics covered often include: the founding period, U.S. political culture, civil rights and liberties, money and politics, campaigns and elections, the role of mass media, parties and interest groups, politics in the post 9/11 era, and public policies focusing on crime, foreign affairs, the environment, poverty, health care, and war. CC: SOCS
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PSC 112 - Introduction to Global Politics Course Units: 1
(Fall; Hislope, Winter; Lobe, Spring; Dallas) An overview of 21st century dynamics that shape national politics in different regional settings, the behavior of states in the world arena, and how global actors impact each other. Depending on the instructor, topics to be explored could include war, terrorism, political economy, historical perspectives, cultural tensions, nation-building and development, imperialism, democracy, balance of power, human rights, emerging institutions, and the world’s ecology. In all sections, attention will be paid to the development of political arguments, the critical use of concepts and theories, and strategies of making judgments about globalization and about the impact of international affairs on domestic politics and vice-versa. CC: SOCS
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PSC 113 - Introduction to Political Thought Course Units: 1
(Fall; Brown, Winter; Marso, Spring; Cidam) This course examines key ideas and concepts, as well as “eternal” questions, in the history of western political thought. We will ask controversial questions such as: What is justice? Can we achieve democracy without eliminating poverty? What are the qualities of a good leader? Should we even have leaders? Can women be philosopher-kings? How does class struggle affect the participation of citizens? What are the qualities of a “good” citizen? These questions have been debated for over 2500 years. The debate continues in this course as we learn what the major thinkers said about these issues. CC: SOCS
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Political Science - Research Methods |
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PSC 220 - Social Data Analysis Course Units: 1
(Same as SOC 201 ) (Not Offered this Academic Year) Introduction to the research process in political science with an emphasis on the analysis of social science data. Focus on the utility of quantitative data and statistical techniques to answer research questions about the political world. Prerequisite(s): Any introductory social science course; a background in math is not necessary. CC: QMR
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PSC 223 - Critical Comparisons in Politics Course Units: 1
(Winter; Hislope) What does a convincing explanation in political science look like? This course will focus on how to make good comparative explanations in political science. We will explore how to do this by studying and applying key concepts, such as culture, social movements, elites, institutions, hegemony, and the state. This course will help prepare students for writing the senior thesis.
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Political Science - Comparative Politics Unless otherwise indicated, prerequisites for the following courses are PSC 111 or PSC 112 or sophomore standing.
200-level courses in comparative politics generally cover political issues that are regionally concentrated (such as Latin America, Europe, China, and the Middle East), or they focus on themes (such as democracy, nationalism, social movements) that are framed at a conceptual level accessible to students from across the college.
300-level courses in comparative politics have a special topics theme (women and politics, the Marxist political tradition, democratization, genocide, and film) and/or a strong methodological component. The course materials are more conceptually and theoretically complex, and involve a more sophisticated set of intellectual problems.
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PSC 201T - Cambodia Study Abroad: Crossing Cultures Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This class is geared towards deepening students’ understanding of Cambodian history, culture and contemporary society. During Winter term (prior to the beginning of class in Spring term), there are two weeks of instruction designed to give students academic background on political and economic development, and a brief primer on 20th century and contemporary Cambodian history, politics, economy, and society. However, the core of the class is the experience in-country during Spring term. This will consist of classroom study, lectures by in-country experts, excursions to learn and interact with the broader society, and will help students to excel in their internships with local NGOs.
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PSC 213 - Contemporary China: Politics, Economy and Society Course Units: 1
(Fall; Dallas) A survey course on the politics of the People’s Republic of China, with an emphasis on state-society relations. After briefly introducing the Republican and state socialist eras, the heart of the course provides a historical and topical overview of the contemporary political and economic reforms in China. It explores topics in Chinese domestic politics, such as policy-making, center-local relations, inequality, rural transformation, industrialization, village elections, the rule of law and contentious politics, in addition to China’s relationship with the outside world, including its integration into the international economy, the environment, energy and foreign policy. CC: LCC
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PSC 216 - Politics in Africa Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course is designed to introduce students to the essential political history and political dynamics of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of the term, students will have developed an understanding of the process through which the states of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa emerged; the types of political systems that have evolved in these states; ethnicity and ethnic conflict in Africa; inter and intra-state wars on the continent and their impact; the challenges of economic development and securing prosperity for Africa; and gender and politics, religion and politics, and the politics of terrorism in Africa.
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PSC 240 - Comparative Ethnic and Racial Politics Course Units: 1
(Spring; Hislope) An introduction to the trends and patterns of ethnic conflicts in the contemporary world. Issues pertaining to the rise of nations; theories of ethnic mobilization; the attempt to build general, cross-national explanations; and current efforts to solve ethnic conflict. CC: LCC
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PSC 243 - Latin American Politics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course offers a working knowledge of Latin America’s current politics, trends, and challenges. Years after democratization, regular elections are in place, and support for democracy in the region seems widespread. Still, as local traditions infuse the principles of liberal democracy, politics in Latin America reveal unique traits. Exploring the political as an interpretive endeavor, the course’s readings, assignments, and class discussions will help to identify key political institutions, traditions, and cleavages, as well as forms of agency and leadership, both in specific countries and at the regional level. CC: LCC
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PSC 245 - Populisms in Latin America & Beyond Course Units: 1
(Fall; Seri) Leadership and politics in Latin America are often characterized as populist, but there is widespread disagreement as to what populism is. Claimed by no one, most of the time populism is blamed, disapprovingly, upon leaders and movements connoting demagoguery, manipulative appeals to people’s emotions and disregard for formal institutions and rules. Interestingly, a similar characterization of populism has recently entered politics in countries such as France or the U.S. With a main focus on Latin America, extending the discussion outside the region, this course scrutinizes three different “populist moments,” from the first half of the 20th century to the present. Major figures such as Peron or Vargas; neoliberal reformers from the 1990s, from Fujimori to Menem, and recent Latin American leaders, from Chávez, to Fernandez de Kirchner, plus a few salient cases from outside the region (e.g. Trump, Le Pen) will be examined in the class.
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PSC 247 - Human (In)Security in a Comparative Perspective Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) With a focus on “the daily lives of ordinary people”, the recent tradition of Human Security redefines safety as “freedom from fear and freedom from want.” At the interface of security, development, and Human Rights grounding democratization, Human Security adopts the perspective of the common citizen, calling for collaboration between states and international and grassroots organizations to prevent and eliminate obstacles undermining people’s autonomy, rights, and development. This course aims, first, to provide students with a solid conceptual and applied knowledge of Human Security. Second, by learning about the deep-seated conditions that hinder people’s safety from fear and from want, students will gain a thicker perspective on the structural challenges for peace and democracy around the world through the eyes of the people on the ground.
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PSC 248 - The Politics of the New Europe Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A survey of contemporary European politics including topics such as the emerging European Union, the rise of right-wing movements, growing regional and sectional conflict, patterns of immigration, and debate about the very meaning of “Europe.”
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PSC 249 - Middle East Politics Course Units: 1
(Winter; Angrist) This course is designed to introduce students to the essential political history and dynamics of the Middle East in the 20th century. Students will study the processes through which the states of the contemporary Middle East emerged; the types of political regimes that have evolved in these states; the origins and evolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict; the relationships between Islam and politics; and debates regarding U.S. foreign policy toward the region.
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PSC 340 - Politics and Film Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course explores political themes through the rigorous viewing of feature films and documentaries from the United States and abroad. Films present differing perspectives on the subject. Themes include war, revolution, counter-revolution, role of the individual in social conflict, and US intervention in foreign lands. Class requires critical analysis of the films, supplementary readings, and six conceptual-analytical papers.
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PSC 341 - Genocide Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Genocide is humanity’s greatest and most enduring scourge. After the horrific Holocaust, the world’s leaders cried out, “Never Again.” Sadly, genocide has occurred, again and again, wherein mass murders, ethnic cleansing, mass rape and pillaging, has taken place in countless places and times since World War II. This course examines examples, causes and motives, position of the perpetrators, victims and bystanders. We shall also look at proposals for avoiding or preventing genocide, perhaps through some form of international humanitarian intervention, or “responsibility to protect.”
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PSC 342 - Challenges to Democratization in Latin America Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Democracies in Latin America confront a number of challenges, obstacles, and dilemmas that frequently put their continuity at risk. With the format of a research seminar, this course will explore five thematic clusters. Social indicators on rights and inequality, political identities and citizenship, political and legal institutions, life and economic growth after Neoliberalism, and public safety, crime, and state violence. A preoccupation with some of the most urgent challenges faced by democratization in the region will also lead us to assess actual and potential alternatives. CC: LCC
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PSC 343 - Women and Politics in the Muslim World Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) In this course we will study how politics and women intersect across the Muslim world, including the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. Empirically, we will investigate the varied paths women’s rights have taken in different national settings while examining similarities and differences in the degree to which women wield social, economic, and political power in their respective countries. We will seek theoretical explanation for women’s status in the region, which varies significantly from country to country. Sample topics for discussion include the Koran and women, debates about the veil, honor killings, the impacts of oil, war, and foreign intervention on women’s status, and Muslim female prime ministers and presidents.
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PSC 347 - Comparative Left Politics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A critical exploration of Marxian ideas and a comparative examination of how those ideas were, and are, translated into political practice.
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PSC 349 - Seminar: Comparative Politics Course Units: 1
(Fall; Angrist) Selected topics in comparative politics. Content will vary from year to year. Preference to junior and sophomore political science majors. CC: LCC
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Political Science - International Politics Unless otherwise indicated, prerequisites for the following courses are PSC 111 or PSC 112 or PSC 113 , or sophomore standing.
200-level courses in international relations cover foreign policy-oriented courses (China and the USA), regional interstate topics (Asia and the Middle East), and practicum-based courses (Model UN). These courses are framed at a conceptual level accessible to students from across the college.
300-level courses in international relations cover advanced issues in international political economy, institutions of global governance, US security, and transnational actors and trends. The course materials are more conceptually and theoretically complex, and involve a more sophisticated set of intellectual problems.
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PSC 251 - American Foreign Policy Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course will provide an overview of the history of US Foreign Policy from the Cold War to the post-Cold War era. The course focuses on major policy options, issues in the Middle East, reset to Asia, and the choices between multilateralism and hegemonic dominance. The course emphasizes policy-making, especially the role of the President and Executive, in struggles with Congress, and the role of various NGO’s, think tanks, and other lobbyists in the formation of foreign policy outcomes.
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PSC 252 - Global Value Chains Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course examines the intertwining of power, politics and markets that undergird the production and consumption of everyday consumer goods, from coffee to cars to iPhones. It examines the primary countries where these goods are produced, their differing labor regimes, the international agreements regulating them, the transnational corporations which coordinate the chain of production and consumption, how goods are globally traded and the relative winners and losers these linkages create, usually between developing and developed countries. Each product also corresponds with an underlying theoretical topic, such as natural resources and the global commons or heavy industrialization and industrial policy. The course will introduce some basic conceptual building blocks which will help us organize the extraordinary variety of places, production processes, policies and populations engaged in global value chains. But, we will spend most of the course examining one commodity or product at a time, using what we learn along the way to build an increasingly sophisticated understanding of global production and exchange. Finally, for a final project, students will conduct research on their own product of choice and explore a theoretically important concept associated with it.
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PSC 253 - International Relations of East Asia Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course surveys the main currents of international politics in East Asia since World War Two, with an emphasis on events since the end of the cold war. It considers the sequential rise of the economies of Japan, the four East Asian tigers, and finally Southeast Asia and China, and how regional integration across East Asian countries differs from other regions in the world. Furthermore, it examines the foreign policies of the main players in this area, including the important role of the United States, and it explores the evolution of international institutions and norms pertinent to East Asia. CC: LCC
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PSC 254 - Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) In this class students will develop an understanding of the origins, development, and essence of the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as the challenges involved in resolving the conflict. The conflict will be examined in its historical, political, and human dimensions.
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PSC 256 - Model United Nations Course Units: 1
(Winter; Seri) This course prepares students to participate in the National Model United Nations (NMUN), the largest UN simulation in the world. The NMUN program provides students a better understanding of the inner working of the United Nations. Course goals are to develop research, writing, public speaking, and diplomatic skills amongst students as they confront at myriad of global public policy challenges. At the simulation, students and faculty from five continents work to propose resolutions addressing regional conflicts, peacekeeping, human rights, women and children, economic and social development, and the environment. Students are permitted to take PSC 256 multiple times for credit, but this course can only count once toward a PSC major, ID major or minor. Note: PSC 256 cannot be taken pass / fail.
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PSC 258 - Strategies of WWII Course Units: 1
(Winter; Brown) This course will examine the interplay between military and political strategies that shaped the course of World War II, with special attention to the European Theater. It is designed to illustrate the nature of strategic thinking, its relationship to tactical thinking, and its real-world constraints. Special attention will be given to the British decision to continue fighting after the French surrender, the Battle of Britain, Hitler’s decision to invade Russia, the allied decision to invade North Africa, and the planning for Normandy.
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PSC 350 - Theories of International Politics Course Units: 1
(Spring; Brown) In-depth investigation and evaluation of the major perspectives on world politics. Mainstream theories will be compared and contrasted to critical/alternative paradigms. Special attention is given to modes of theory evaluation.
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PSC 351 - Global Organized Crime Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course will focus on the emergence of new transnational criminal networks in the age of globalization, and the sources and patterns of political corruption in a comparative perspective. Specific issues to be explored include: trafficking zones, weak states, economic underdevelopment, the western consumer demand for illegal commodities, international anti-corruption discourse, US drug policy, comparative analysis of mafia organizations, and how private money corrupts democracies.
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PSC 352 - International Organizations Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) This course analyzes the development of contemporary international organizations in all forms, examines the activities of various regional organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), as well as multinational organizations. Focusing on major principles, organizational characteristics, functions, and activities of the United Nations and the UN system, the course assesses the rapid changes, problems, and opportunities that have developed since the end of the Cold War.
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PSC 353 - Terrorism and Torture Course Units: 1
(Spring; Angrist) This course considers the definition(s) and history of terrorism, as well as its causes and manifestations in the contemporary era. Next, strategies for combating terrorism will be explored - with a major focus on the so-called “war on terror” the U.S. has been engaged in since 2001. A particularly controversial aspect of U.S. actions in the past decade has been the use of torture against detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other locations. The course will therefore consider a broad-ranging literature on torture - from its history, to the conditions under which it is used in the contemporary era, to questions regarding whether or not torture is effective (and for what purpose).
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PSC 354 - Human Rights and Immigration Course Units: 1
(Fall; Cidam) This course explores the tense relation between immigration, nation-states, and human rights. What are the rights of documented/undocumented immigrants? What kind of human rights abuses are these people subjected to? What renders non-citizens so vulnerable to various forms of violence, discrimination, and mistreatment? To what extent can these problems be addressed and remedied by appeals to human rights? In what ways does the contemporary condition of non-citizens reveal the limits, paradoxes, and promises of human rights? In this upper level political science course, we will address these challenging, intriguing, and somewhat disconcerting questions through an interdisciplinary inquiry. CC: SOCS
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PSC 355 - Defense Policy Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) A deeper understanding of US Defense Policy in relation to current trends in the international threat environment. Examines the historical roots of US defense policy with a focus on the impact of isolationism, exceptionalism, and the Cold War on those policies. The policy-making process itself will be examined highlighting the influence of the realist paradigm, as well as the various organizational inputs, which help to shape the policy outcomes. A look at the post-Cold War period with emphasis on the impact of 9/11 and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on changes in US policy.
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PSC 358 - Wealth and Power Among Nations Course Units: 1
(Fall; Dallas) An examination of the tensions between developed and developing countries in the global political economy. First, the course traces the genealogy of thinkers on the issues of development, such as Smith, Marx, Keynes, modernization theory and development economics, as a way to understand the enduring debates within the field. Second, it examines historical transformations in the international economy, such as in trade, global finance and economic crises, in order to understand how the structures and opportunities for developing countries have transformed over time. Finally, although there is no focus on any single region of the world, the course touches upon the oil boom in the Middle East in the 1970s, the debt crises in Latin America and Africa in the 1980s, the rise of Japan and the East Asia tigers, the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries in the 1990s, the new giants of China and India, new forms of post-Fordist production, and the relationship between production and identity.
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PSC 359 - Seminar: International Politics Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Selected topics in international politics. Content will vary from year to year. Preference to sophomore and junior political science majors.
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Political Science - Political Theory 200-level courses survey a wide range of texts and themes, and may focus on a specific historical period or a specific theoretical approach. These courses can be taken by students at all levels.
300-level courses are geared towards students who have likely taken PSC 113 or a 200-level course in theory, and have basic familiarity with the history of Western political thought. Some familiarity with close reading and textual interpretation is expected, although these are practices and skills that students will also further develop in 300-level courses.
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PSC 230 - (331) Ancient Political Thought Course Units: 1
(Not Offered this Academic Year) Examines the ideas of major political thinkers in ancient philosophy. Potential themes include the tension between philosophy and politics, the nature of democracy, the relationship between war and political life, debates concerning how to live a “good life,” the political significance of poetry and art, and the body/mind duality. Thinkers and texts that may be covered include Homer, Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, the Greek poets, Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and the Bible.
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