General Education courses for Spring
2007
Course Descriptions
Arts
AMUS 100 Introduction to Music
Understanding the art of music
through directed listening emphasizing
the many uses of musical material.
Uses numerous illustrations accenting
the criteria that determine quality.
AMUS 102 The Golden Age of Piano Music
An introduction to the art of music
through the study of piano
compositions from the Romantic Era.
Emphasis will be placed on directed
listening to live and recorded
performances of major works by
Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, Fanny and
Felix Mendelssohn, Clara and Robert
Schumann, Gottschalk, ColeridgeTaylor and many others.
AMUS 208 Introduction to Opera
Defining the medium, its premises and
problems, its gradual formation
through history, and its function as a
dramatic art form. Only one of A Mus
208 and 338 may be taken for credit.
AMUS 219 Rock Mus in Hist. Persp.
This course surveys rock styles from
the 1950s through the early 1990s
focusing on records and their historical
context. The material covers a broad
range of artists and topics
representing rock’s stylistic diversity
and cultural significance. In addition to
historical analysis, emphasis will be
placed on active listening with an ear
for elements of record production as
well as musical style.
ATHR 107 Introduction to Dramatc Art
The components of dramatic art;
attention to the contributions of
acting, script, makeup, scenery,
lighting, sound, music and architecture
to the theatre as a unified creative
expression.
ATHR 225 American Theatre History
Development of theatre and drama in
the United States from its 17thcentury beginnings to the present.
Humanities
AAAS 142 Afro/Afro-Amer Literature
ACLC 105 Myths of the Greek World
Survey of Black authors from diverse
cultures and an analysis of their
relationship to Black thought.
Survey of the origin and development
of the major myths of ancient Greece.
AENG 121 Reading Literature
Introduction to reading literature, with
emphasis on developing critical skills
and reading strategies through the
study of a variety of genres, themes,
historical periods, and national
literatures.
AENG 144 Reading Shakespeare
Introduction to Shakespeare, with
emphasis on developing critical skills
and reading strategies through
detailed study of the plays, from early
comedies to later tragedies and
romances.
AENG 222 World Literature
Introduction to classics of world
literature exploring national, historical
and linguistic boundaries. Texts
chosen will introduce students to
literary traditions and provide a
foundation for English literary studies.
AENG 226 Gay & Lesbian Lit & Film
AENG 226 American Modern 1st Women
Poets
AENG 226 Environmental Lit:
Nature/Env/Identity
AENG 226 Crusoe to Pirates of the
Caribbean
AENG 226 Postmodern Literature
AENG 260 Forms of Poetry
A study of the forms of poetry, such as
the ballad, sonnet and dramatic
monologue, and poetic modes, such as
meditative, lyrical and satiric. Students
will examine why certain forms are
popular at certain times, and how
British and American poets adopt or
change the forms they inherit.
AENG 261 American Literary Traditions
Introduction to representative works in
the American literary tradition,
emphasizing major developments in
American literature.
AENG 291 British Literary Traditions
Introduction to representative works of
British literary tradition, emphasizing
major developments in British
literature.
AENG 295 Classics Western Literature
Introduction to classics of western
literature, emphasizing foundational
works for literary study by tracing the
evolution of Anglophone modern
literary genres from Homeric epics.
May be repeated once for credit when
content varies.
AJST 231 Modern Jewish Thought
An examination of changes over time
in Jewish thought and philosophy from
the seventeenth century to the
present. Focuses on key Jewish
thinkers, philosophers, and
theologians. One-third of the course is
devoted to Jewish thought in the
American context.
AJST 272 Modern Hebrew Lit in Translatn
A Jst 272 introduces the students to
representative works of Hebrew
literature of the last 100 years. The
poetry, short stories and novels
address universal themes as they
reflect the particular period and
conflicts that the Hebrew writers
experienced. The issues and themes of
the literature include the Jewish
encounter with modernity, loss of
faith, two world wars, the holocaust,
the establishment of the state of Israel
and the several wars Israel has fought
with its neighbors. Readings and
discussion conducted in English.
APHI 110 Intro Philosophical Problems
Survey of representative problems in
some of the major areas of
philosophy; topics such as free will,
morality, justice and social order,
knowledge and truth, God and religion,
art, and beauty.
APHI 111 The Mind and the World
A critical examination of contemporary
topics concerning the relation between
the human mind and natural world.
The topics vary with semesters, but
typically include the state of
knowledge about the mind and its
relationship to the brain, the possibility
of a science of the mind, skepticism
about knowledge, free will and
determinism, and the limits of
scientific knowledge.
APHI 112 Critical Thinking
This is a course in informal logic. It
centers on the meaning of claims, and
whether a claim, should be accepted
or rejected, or whether suspension of
judgment is appropriate. This course is
intended to help students think clearly
and effectively.
APHI 114 Morals and Society
Philosophical study of the conflict
between personal values and the
needs of society. Topics include
personal and social values, the nature
of moral reasoning, and ways to
resolve conflicts between values.
Readings from philosophers such as
Plato, Aristotle, Locke and Mill.
APHI 115 Moral Choices
Critical examination of contemporary
moral problems in the light of the most
influential moral theories. The
problems discussed vary with
semesters, but they typically include
such topics as abortion, affirmative
action, animals and the environment,
capital punishment, euthanasia, free
speech and censorship, liberty and
paternalism, sex and love, terrorism,
and world hunger.
APHI 116 World Views
Examination of some of the major
systems of assumptions and values
humans have used in attempting to
understand reality, the meaning of life,
and their dealings with others. World
views studied may vary from semester
to semester. Examples are Greek,
Judeo-Christian, Marxist and
libertarian.
APHI 210 Introduction to Logic
Introduction to classical and modern
logic with an emphasis on the theory
and application of truth functions.
Introduction to quantification;
discussion of the structure and
properties of formal systems of logic.
Students should be prepared to do
daily homework assignments.
ARUS 252 Mstrpcs 20C Russian Literature
Survey of the development of Russian
literature, particularly prose fiction,
from the turn of the century to the
death of Stalin (1953). Readings will
be chosen from short stories and
novels by the following writers:
Chekhov, Gorky, Olesha, Bulgakov,
Babel, Pasternak, Zamyatin,
Sholokhov. Conducted in English.
ATHR 225 American Theatre History
Development of theatre and drama in
the United States from its 17thcentury beginnings to the present.
RPOS 103 Political Theory
An introductory course in the history of
political theory with an emphasis on
understanding political ideas and
concepts and applying them to
perennial issues of political life.
US History
RPOS 101 American Politics
Social Sciences
AANT 104 Archaeology
Introduction to the study of politics,
focusing on American national
government. Includes some discussion
of theoretical questions (such as
authority, representation and consent)
and some illustrative examples from
the area of comparative and
international politics.
Introduction to the methods used by
archaeologists to study ancient sites
and artifacts. Topics include
archaeological fieldwork, laboratory
analysis, dating, interpretation of
artifacts, and the reconstruction of
past cultural patterns. Examples
include studies of ancient and recent
societies.
AANT 108 Cultural Anthropolgy
Survey of the theory, methods, and
goals of cultural anthropology,
emphasizing the nature of culture and
the varied forms in which it is
expressed among the peoples of the
world.
AANT 220 Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to the study of language,
including examination of the
characteristics and structural principles
of natural language. After exploring
the basic characteristics of sound,
word formation and sentence
structure, these principles are applied
to such topics as: language variation,
language change, psycholinguistics,
pragmatics, and animal
communication.
ACOM 100 Language and Social Action
Introduction to human communication
in terms of an examination of the
communication needs, processes, and
results that typically occur in different
social settings.
AECO 110 Prin Eco I: Microeconomics
Analysis of supply and demand in
markets for goods and markets for the
factors of production. Study of various
market structures, price determination
in perfectly competitive and
imperfectly competitive markets.
AGOG 102 Place, Space, and Landscape
Introduction to the main fields of
human geography, (including
population, cultural, economic, urban,
and political geography), focusing on
the disciplinary themes of place, space
and landscape. The themes are applied
at a variety of scales, from local to
global.
AGOG 160V China in the Post-Utopian Age
An introduction to the human and
physical geography of China. After a
brief survey of China’s historical
geography and development, the
course focuses on post-liberation
China and the urban, economic, social
and demographic problems associated
with modernization.
AGOG 220 Introductory Urban Geography
Introductory survey of findings and
theory of urban geography, which
deals with the form and function of
cities. Major themes include: history of
urban form; spatial structure of
modern urban systems; and the
internal structure of the city,
emphasizing social and economic
patterns.
ALIN 220 Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to the study of language,
including examination of the
characteristics and structural principles
of natural language. After exploring
the basic characteristics of sound,
word formation and sentence
structure, these principles are applied
to such topics as: language variation,
language change, psycholinguistics,
pragmatics, and animal
communication.
APLN 220 Introductory Urban Planning
Introduces the basic concepts and
techniques of urban planning and
provides an overview of planning
history. Covers land use,
transportation, environment, urban
design, economic development and
social issues. Explores the connections
between planning and politics,
economic restructuring, social change,
and competing ideologies of urban
form.
APSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
The basic methods and points of view
in the scientific study of human
behavior. Topics include biological
bases of behavior, personality
organization, intelligence, motivation,
emotions, learning, and social
relations.
ASOC 115 Introduction to Sociology
Nature of culture and of human
society, personality development,
groups and group structure, social
institutions, the processes of social
change.
ASOC 180 Social Problems
Applies the concepts, methods, and
ethics of sociology to the analysis of
“social problems.”
RPOS 101 American Politics
Introduction to the study of politics,
focusing on American national
government. Includes some discussion
of theoretical questions (such as
authority, representation and consent)
and some illustrative examples from
the area of comparative and
international politics.
RPOS 102 Comparative + Intrntl Politics
The characteristics and development of
statehood and power; conditions of
stability; constitutions and the
comparative political processes; the
international order and the nationstate system.
RPOS 103 Political Theory
An introductory course in the history of
political theory with an emphasis on
understanding political ideas and
concepts and applying them to
perennial issues of political life.
RPOS 140 Intro to Pub Policy
Introduction to theories of how
democracies make public policy.
Describes the roles of government
institutions, the media, and interest
groups in the policy process. Reviews
current theories of how problems are
identified and how policies are
formulated, enacted, and implemented
to address public problems.
Natural Science
AANT 110 Introduction Human Evolution
AANT 111 Introduction To Primates
Introduction to human evolution. This
course spans the human fossil record
from “Lucy” to Cro-Magnon. Topics
include our primate past and the
evolution of upright walking. The
steady increase in our ancestors’ brain
size is explored along with the cultural
correlates of biological evolution such
as stone tools, language origins and
cave art.
Survey of the basic morphology and
behavior of nonhuman primates.
Prosimian and anthropoid primates are
studied in terms of their comparative
morphology and behavior, with
reference to these same features
among humans.
AATM 102 Science & Major Environ Issues
Study of the role of science in
creating, defining, evaluating, and
resolving major issues relating to
energy production and its use and
impact on the physical environments;
case studies of such issues as change
in climate, air pollution, the
fluorocarbon/ozone link, etc.
AATM 107 The Oceans
Introductory survey of the physical,
chemical, geological, and biological
processes in the marine environment;
promise and problems of the oceans
as a natural resource.
ABIO 102 General Biological Sciences
Introduction to the major concepts in
biology and a survey of the common
structures of organisms, including
humans, and their functions at the
molecular, cellular, organismal and
population levels. Emphasis placed on
principles of ecology, inheritance,
evolution and physiology relevant to
human society. Does not yield credit
toward the major in biology.
ABIO 111Z General Biology II
Second course in a two-semester
sequence which offers a
comprehensive survey of the
structures and functions common to all
living systems at the molecular.
cellular, organismal, and population
levels. This course emphasizes
structure and function at the cellular
level as a basis for understanding
function at the organismal level.
ABIO 209 The Human Organism
An introduction to the human
organism focusing on evolution,
development and behavior, and
emphasizing applications and
implications for modern life and human
society. Yields credit toward the major
in human biology but not towards the
major in biology.
ACHM 120 General Chemistry I
Atomic theory, quantitative
relationships in chemical change,
electronic structure of atoms and
chemical periodicity, chemical bonding,
and states of matter.
ACHM 121 General Chemistry II
Elementary principles of chemical
equilibrium, thermodynamics, and
kinetics; electrochemistry; descriptive
chemistry of the elements and their
compounds.
ACHM 131 Adv. Gen. Chem II
Chemical kinetics, chemical
equilibrium, spontaneity, entropy, free
energy, electrochemistry, transition
metals, coordination chemistry,
organic and biochemical molecules.
AENV 105 Intro to Envir Sci
Survey of contemporary environmental
issues related to health and disease,
nuclear waste disposal, water
resources, energy use and
conservation, land reclamation, global
climate change, and industrial
pollution. Scientific principles and
data needed for gaining an
understanding of environmental
challenges on local, regional, and
global scales will be emphasized.
APHY 103 Exploration of Space
The solar system, modern
developments in planetary and space
science; human exploration of space;
space travel and future colonization
APHY 105 General Physics I
Vectors, kinematics, dynamics,
vibrations and waves, sound, fluids,
and thermodynamics.
APHY 108 General Physics II
Electrostatics, circuit electricity,
magnetism, geometrical and physical
optics, atomic and nuclear
phenomena.
APHY 150 Physics Il (Calc-based)
An introduction to the fundamentals of
physics: Electrostatics and magnetism,
including the concepts of the electric
and magnetic fields, electric potential
and basic circuits. The laws of Gauss,
Ampere, and Faraday: Maxwell’s
equations. Geometrical optics.
APHY 151 Honors Phy II
Course content will follow A Phy 150.
However, topics will be covered in
more depth and at a somewhat more
advanced level. Students with a strong
interest in physical sciences should
consider taking A Phy 151 instead of A
Phy 150.
US DIVERSITY AND PLURALISM
AAAS 142 Afro/Afro-Amer Literature
Survey of Black authors from diverse
cultures and an analysis of their
relationship to Black thought.
ALCS 201 Hispanic Cultures in U.S
Intensive examination of Hispanic
American society. Major Hispanic
groups (e.g., Puerto Ricans, MexicanAmericans, Cubans) will be studied
with emphasis on interaction between
these groups and mainstream society,
culture and value change in contact
situations, and efforts to deal with
prejudice and discrimination.
AWSS 101 Introduction to Feminisms
The origins and development of
feminist thought, with emphasis on the
political, social, and economic
conditions of contemporary women’s
lives in the United States and abroad.
Emphasis on student exploration of
issues that confront women and men
across the range of their differences in
race, class and sexual orientation, and
that produce multiple orientations to
feminism.
Foreign Language
AARA 102 Elementary Arabic II
ACLL 102 Elementary Latin II
ADCH 102 Elementary Dutch II
AEAC 102 Elementary Chinese II
AEAJ 102 Elementary Japanese II
AEAK 102 Elementary Korean II
AFRE 102 Beginning French II
AGER 102 Elementary German II
AHEB 102 Elementary Hebrew II
AITA 101 Elementary Italian II
APOR 101 Elementary Portuguese II
ARUS 102 Elementary Russian II
ASPN 101 Elementary Spanish 2
A Yid 102 Elementary Yiddish II
Mathematics and Statistics
AMAT 101 Algebra and Calculus I
An integrated approach to pre-calculus
and calculus. Elements of algebra and
analytic geometry necessary to study
calculus of one variable. Functions,
limits, continuity, differentiation of
algebraic functions, applications of
differentiation. May not be taken for
credit by students with credit for A Mat
100, 106, 112 or 118.
AMAT 106 Survey of Calculus
An intuitive approach to differentiation
and integration of algebraic and
transcendental functions, intended
only for students who plan to take no
more calculus. Does not yield credit
toward the major or minor in
mathematics.
AMAT 108 Elementary Statistics
Frequency distributions, measures of
central tendency and dispersion,
probability and sampling, estimation,
testing of hypotheses, linear
regression and correlation.
AMAT 112 Calculus I
Calculus of one variable. Limits,
continuity, differentiation of algebraic
functions, applications of
differentiation, anti-derivatives, the
definite integral, transcendental
functions.
APHI 210 Introduction to Logic
Introduction to classical and modern
logic with an emphasis on the theory
and application of truth functions.
Introduction to quantification;
discussion of the structure and
properties of formal systems of logic.
Students should be prepared to do
daily homework assignments.
Global
AANT 108 Cultural Anthropolgy
Survey of the theory, methods, and
goals of cultural anthropology,
emphasizing the nature of culture and
the varied forms in which it is
expressed among the peoples of the
world.
ACAS 103 Perspectives on Globalization
An introduction to multidisciplinary
perspectives on globalization
processes including, among other
topics, the economic configuration of
the world economy, the changing
nature of the state, the transformation
of home and households in
transnationalism, biological constraints
and environmental problems, and the
impact of and responses to
globalization throughout the world.
The course presents the perspectives
of the social sciences, humanities and
natural sciences, and encourages
discussion and critical thinking.
AGOG 102 Place, Space, and Landscape
Introduction to the main fields of
human geography, (including
population, cultural, economic, urban,
and political geography), focusing on
the disciplinary themes of place, space
and landscape. The themes are applied
at a variety of scales, from local to
global.
AJST 150 Survey of Jewish Civilization
Basic orientation into the Jewish
tradition from the biblical period to the
present. Emphasizes the history and
philosophy of Jewish culture and
religion. Required for Judaic studies
majors and recommended preparation
for other A Jst courses in history and
philosophy.
AJST 291 Messiah & Messianism
Origins of Jewish and Christian
messianism in the Old and New
Testaments and related literature.
Topics include the projection of a
society’s ultimate values, and the
tension caused by the actual attempts
to realize those values; i.e., to achieve
salvation through messianic
movements.
ALCS 225 Global Mig. & Transnationalism
The course is an introduction to global
and regional migration patterns since
the sixteenth century with a
concentration on post-World War II
patterns. It has three modules: (1)
Introduces basic concepts and
approaches related to migration
studies; (2) Examines global and
regional historical patterns and major
forces shaping them since the
sixteenth century; (3) Emphasizes
strategies launched by individuals,
households, and enterprises related to
the process of international migration.
Geographically, the course covers
several areas of the world, including
the Americas, Western and Eastern
Europe, and South East Asia.
RPOS 102 Comparative + Intrntl Politics
The characteristics and development of
statehood and power; conditions of
stability; constitutions and the
comparative political processes; the
international order and the nationstate system.
Regions Beyond Europe
AAAS 287 Africa in the Modern World
Africa since 1800: exploration. the end
of the slave trade, the development of
interior states, European partition, the
colonial period, and the rise of
independent Africa.
ALCS 100 Cultures of Latin America
Survey of the diverse pre-Columbian
and New World societies and cultures
of Spanish and Portuguese America
from the pre-conquest period to the
present. Broadly interdisciplinary
introduction to the historical
development of Latin American
society, culture, politics, and
economics with a special emphasis on
elements such as race, gender, and
class.
Europe
AHIS 131 His Europe Civil 2
Survey of the political, economic,
social, and cultural history of the West
from the 18th century to the present.
RPOS 103 Political Theory
An introductory course in the history of
political theory with an emphasis on
understanding political ideas and
concepts and applying them to
perennial issues of political life.