May 15, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalogue 
    
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2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Courses of Instruction

  

Topics Courses  
 

Music
  

  • MUS 718 - Cornell Lyric Theatre (1/4)

    Participation in an opera, operetta, or musical theatre production. Open to all students by audition or with permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. No alternate grade option.
    (Fine Arts)
  

  • MUS 719 - Accompanying (1/4)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 720 - Steel Drum Ensemble (1/4)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 728 - Cornell Lyric Theatre (1/4)

    Participation in an opera, operetta, or musical theatre production. Open to all students by audition or with permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. No alternate grade option.
    (Fine Arts)
  

  • MUS 731 - Brass Instruments (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 732 - Brass Instruments (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 733 - Brass Instruments (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 741 - Organ (1/4)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 742 - Organ (1/2)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 743 - Organ (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 751 - Percussion Instruments (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 752 - Percussion Instruments (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 753 - Percussion Instruments (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 760 - Piano Proficiency Preparation (1/4)

    Piano lessons for students preparing for the Piano Proficiency examination. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 761 - Piano (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 762 - Piano (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 763 - Piano (1)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 771 - String Instruments (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 772 - String Instruments (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 773 - String Instruments (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 774 - Guitar (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 775 - Guitar (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 776 - Guitar (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 777 - Harp (1/4)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 778 - Harp (1/2)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 779 - Harp (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 781 - Voice (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 782 - Voice (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 783 - Voice (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 791 - Woodwind Instruments (1/4)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 792 - Woodwind Instruments (1/2)

    Lesson Fees: Please note that students who are not music scholarship recipients ($3,000+) are responsible for paying a lesson fee. These fees are the same for lessons on secondary instruments.  Recipients of music scholarships will not be charged for lessons on their principal (scholarship audition) instrument. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 793 - Woodwind Instruments (1)

    No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 796 - Piano Proficiency Exam

    The Piano Proficiency Requirement must be passed by all students completing the following degrees and majors: the BA Major in Music, the BMus Major in Music Education, the BMus Major in Music Performance, and the BFA Major in Musical Theatre.  Each of these different degrees/majors has different proficiency requirements.
  

  • MUS 797 - Aural Skills Proficiency Exam

    The Aural Skills Proficiency Requirement must be passed by all students completing the following degrees and majors: the BA Major in Music; the BMus Major in Music Education, and the BMus Major in Music Performance.  BA students must pass 3 stages; BMus students must pass 4 stages.
  

  • MUS 798 - Half Recital (1/2)

    25 minutes of music. Required of Music Performance majors. Available to any student with approval of the Department. A pre-recital hearing is required. This course is pre-approved for transcript notation in the Ingenuity in Action category, Creative Expression. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application. No alternate grade option.
  

  • MUS 799 - Full Recital (1)

    50 minutes of music; usually performed in the senior year. Required of Music Performance majors. Available to any student with approval of the Department. A pre-recital hearing is required. This course is pre-approved for transcript notation in the Ingenuity in Action category, Creative Expression. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application. No alternate grade option.

Philosophy
  

  • PHI 106 - The Morals of our Stories (W) (1)

    This course will examine ethical theories and notions embedded in the discourse of storytelling. Moral lessons and norms are conveyed in the pages as the tale unfolds and the characters develop. Through the use of fable, fiction and film, the ethical principles of major philosophical systems, such as relativism, utilitarianism, egoism, deontological and virtue ethics, will be discerned, analyzed, and critically evaluated. This moral foundation will set the stage for the exploration of how such viewpoints are captured in various stories, and what the tales have to tell us about ourselves, our human condition, and our obligations to each other morally, socially and politically. As a seminar in first-year writing, strong emphasis will be placed on the development of academic writing skills through formal and informal writing assignments, guided writing and revision processes, and an exploration of writing techniques and strategies to hone reflective and effective writing skills. Not open to students who have previously completed a First-Year Writing Course.
    (First Year Writing Seminar (FYW)) (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 111 - Introduction to Philosophy (1)

    Problems of philosophy as they are discussed in the writings of major philosophers, including such topics as the nature of reality, problems with knowledge, morality, and the rationality of religious belief. Designed for first year students and sophomores.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 200 - The Philosophy of Home/Homelessness (SYS) (1)

    This course will engage three core questions. What is home? What kind of “place” is it? How, exactly, does “home” construct and deconstruct identities such as “family,” “neighbor,” “host,” “guest,” “friend,” “stranger,” “foreigner,” and “homeless”? Exploring the relationship between these three questions will enable students to confront some of the most interesting tensions and juxtapositions built into meanings of “home” and “homelessness.” In collaboration with local homelessness outreach programs, students will acquire a multidisciplinary and “on the ground” perspective on the social problem and existential condition of homelessness in Iowa and other parts of the world, at this time, and historically. Only open to sophomores.
    (Sophomore Year Seminar (SYS)) (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 202 - Ethics (1)

    This course engages students in the nature and dynamics of ethical reasoning and discourse to foster a set of skills that enables us to think critically and openly about our own and others’ moral values and frameworks. Course considers applications to contemporary moral questions such as sex, gender and race relations, environmental sustainability, human and animal rights and liberties. Readings from ancient, modern, and contemporary moral philosophers.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 203 - Logic and Critical Thinking (1)

    The use of logic and critical thinking ought to equip us to recognize, avoid, and correct errors in our reasoning. We’ll consider what we have learned about reasoning from philosophy and from recent research in the cognitive sciences in order to better understand our tendencies to reason badly and to learn to reason better. We’ll discuss deductive reasoning, but more emphasis will be placed on inductive arguments, on assessing the probability of beliefs relative to the reasons we have for them, and on how the presentation of new evidence ought to affect those beliefs. So, we’ll be thinking about why we believe what we do, whether the reasons we have for beliefs makes them probable, and how to revise our beliefs in light of new evidence. Logic addresses one of our most significant human qualities, our rationality, and so remains at the core of the liberal arts.
    (Quantitative Reasoning Encounter)
  

  • PHI 204 - Symbolic Logic (1)

    An introduction to formal argument analysis, including first order predicate logic and mathematical logic. Logical reasoning is fundamental to all human inquiry.  Symbolic logic focuses specifically on deductive (as opposed to inductive) reasoning, using abstract formal languages to consider the underlying basis of such reasoning.  Such logic is of both theoretical and practical interest. It has been important in the development of contemporary mathematics and computer science, linguistics and psychology.  The study of such logic should enhance skills in analysis and reasoning, contributing to greater success in other courses and in testing that utilizes such skills (the LSAT, for example).
  

  • PHI 213 - Topics: Logic and Reasoning (1)

    We like to think that most of the things we do or believe, we do or believe on the basis of good reasons. Cognitive research shows us quite convincingly that this is false. Humans, on the whole, do not reason well. In this course we will study reasoning with an eye toward improving our own reasoning skills, so that we become more skilled in sorting good reasons from bad. In particular, we will look to theories of logic-the science of correct reasoning-for models of how we should reason to avoid error, and to psychological research to show us which reasoning errors are common and why we tend so often to make them.
  

  • PHI 214 - Topics: Foundations of Social Justice (1)

    While imprisoned for breaking laws in a nonviolent protest against segregation, Martin Luther King Jr. justified his actions by echoing St. Augustine: “An unjust law is no law at all.” Most would agree with this statement, but many would disagree on which laws it would actually have us reject. So, what are these principles of justice to which our laws must conform? In this course we will survey some scholars’ arguments against what they believe are unjust laws, practices, and policies. We will then critically examine attempts to generalize these objections into theories of morality and justice.
    (Humanities) (Intercultural Literacy Encounter) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 220 - Philosophy of Identity: Self, Gender and Race (1)

    This course is an examination of the philosophical notions of identity related to the notions of self, gender and race. After offering a background and framework of philosophical thought on self-identity, one will discern how this is played out in modern notions of gender and race. This philosophical endeavor will lead to an investigation of the personal, social and political implications of considering oneself to be of a certain gender and of a given race. It is where philosophical speculations land themselves firmly into the significant issues of today. This course also counts towards the GSS major/minor.
    (Humanities) (Intercultural Literacy Encounter)
  

  • PHI 223 - Business Ethics (1)

    Through readings and cases, moral issues, encountered in economic life are studied. Topics include the profit motive, justice, business-consumer relations, employer-employee relations, corporate responsibility private ownership and public interest, advertising, and resolutions of disagreements.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 224 - Environmental Ethics (1)

    Moral dilemmas associated with human populations, industrial productivity, a deteriorating environment, and generally, our treatment of the natural world. We will examine the role our conception of ourselves and our relation to the non-human world plays in our exploitation of the environment and its degradation.  We will consider alternatives to traditional “anthropocentric” ethics and discuss the possibility of living in ways consistent with both the protection of the environment and the well-being of all things of moral worth. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 225 - Utopia (1)

    Philosophical study of selected works in Utopian literature such as: Plato’s Republic, More’s Utopia, Perkins-Gilman’s Herland, Hilton’s Lost Horizon, Rand’s Anthem, Clarke’s Childhood’s End, and Lowry’s The Giver.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 230 - Latin American Philosophy (1)

    This course will explore philosophy through the lens of Latin American thought, including essential writings on these topics from Latin America but also from U.S. Latino theorists. It will look closely at some of the most fundamental questions in the history of Latin American thought and culture, including how Latinos have reflected upon issues of race, values, and their own ethnic and cultural identity. The main goal will be to engage in thematic discussions where the views of Latin American thinkers on such questions will be examined and evaluated according to their own philosophical merits. Students will learn that reflecting upon the seminal ideas and arguments of Latin American thinkers is a worthwhile project with its own value in theoretical terms as a contribution to human understanding. For although some of the questions that have puzzled these thinkers do appear familiar within the Western philosophical tradition, Latin Americans have sought to answer them in new ways by introducing novel perspectives that are of interest to any person curious about great ideas. Counts toward the PHI major and the LAS minor. Prereq: Recommended that students have completed one course in philosophy (instructor’s permission not required); sophomore standing.
    (Humanities) (Intercultural Literacy Encounter)
  

  • PHI 261 - Topics: Truth, Lies, and Bullshit (1)

    It is claimed that we live in a post-truth, post-fact world, a world awash in lies and bullshit. Experts are dismissed. Information and misinformation are manipulated to influence beliefs and behaviors. Conspiracy theories proliferate. Newspapers and TV are accused of spreading fake news. Disagreements seem intractable, as if participants live in different worlds. Our question is how we can think and act rationally in such a world. Can we differentiate truth from the bullshit? How can we combat ubiquitous attempts at irrational persuasion? How should we decide what to believe now? We will consider philosophical accounts of rationality and knowledge, as well as research from the social sciences. Our goal is to consider our obligations as rational, morally responsible agents and citizens in a world in which such agency is being actively subverted.
    (Humanities)
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 301 - Asian Philosophy (1)

    Study of Eastern philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism through their classic texts. Examination of the nature of reality and the self, and how humans ought to live to reveal that doing philosophy here is a way of thinking and living attuned with nature. How one views the world and oneself reveals how one should live and be. Analysis of these Eastern ways of thinking and living in a broader philosophical context to see both difference and similarity. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Intercultural Literacy Encounter)
  

  • PHI 302 - Ancient Philosophy (1)

    Advanced study of the development and legacy of Western philosophical thought on topics such as the foundation of natural and scientific inquiry, the basis of reality, the nature of the human being and how humans ought to live socially, politically and ethically. Exploration into evolving human concepts and our desire to gain knowledge about the world, about society, and about ourselves. Examination involves reflections on the good life and finding meaning in living. In-depth analysis of the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 303 - Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant (1)

    Critical and historical examination of the modern period of philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries and its dualist, idealist, skeptical and transcendental movements. Modern philosophers set the stage for contemporary views on science, psychology, morals, law, politics and human nature. Starting with the background to the Scientific Revolution and moving through advanced theories on the nature of reality and the limits of human knowledge, we will explore such philosophers as Galileo, Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. Investigations into the intriguing contribution of women philosophers of this period such as Princess Elisabeth and Cavendish will be part of our exploration into this highly influential time in philosophy’s history of ideas. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 306 - 19th Century Philosophy: From Hegel to Nietzche (1)

    This course explores important European thinkers of the 19th century, an extremely exciting and dynamic period in which great thinkers responded to each other’s work. We will eavesdrop on their conversations with and criticisms of each other, and actively participate. Specifically, this course analyzes the profound philosophical implications of Imannuel Kant’s (1724-1804) work, and provides students with an in-depth consideration of some of the major figures in 19th century European (post-Kantian) philosophy, including, but not limited to: G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831), Karl Marx (1818-1883), Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). The dominant question of this period is how to give our lives meaning, especially in relation to autonomy, history, and religion. We will focus on understanding history as an articulation of reason, critiques of religion and morality, and on notions of human individuality and “life” that became the basis for 20th century philosophical movements including existentialism and phenomenology. This course also counts toward the RUS major/minor. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 308 - 20th Century Continental Philosophy: From Phenomenology to Post-Modernism (1)

    Now that it has drawn to a close, we can begin to make sense of philosophy in the 20th Century. What makes it distinctive? Which topics and figures dominated it and why? How does it carry forth ideas from the 19th Century, and what might it be pointing towards in the future? In this course, we will focus on Continental thought which arises primarily in continental Europe, rather than Analytic philosophy which is more common in Anglo-American departments. We will read about major philosophical movements from the 20th century, including phenomenology, existentialism and black existentialism, feminist phenomenology, and postmodernism as represented by thinkers such as Martin Heidegger, Simone de Beauvoir, Franz Fanon, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Derrida. Among other key topics to be covered, we will focus on existence, anxiety, death, and meaning. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every second or third year.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 309 - Existentialism (1)

    The course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the work of some of the greatest thinkers in the Existentialist tradition, including, but not limited to: Friedrich Nietzsche, Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, Jean Paul Sartre, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Each of these thinkers has tried to understand what life can and should amount to in our modern world. In the light of what these philosophers say, we shall explore such questions as: the loss of faith in a secularized world, the possibility of commitment, the question of what we can know, the ultimate nature of reality, the limits of science, the place of the individual in society, the possibility of authentic existence, the nature of love, the human capacity for free will, and the limitations of morality in determining how we should act. This course also counts toward the RUS major/minor. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 352 - Philosophy of Feminism (1)

    Exploration of philosophical theories on the nature of women, feminist critiques of Western philosophy, and current issues in feminist ethics, global and multicultural feminism, and feminist epistemology with application to social debates such as sex-based work, body image, power relations and gender equity. Starting with the history of ideas on women, critical investigation into how differences in sex, gender, and position developed, shifted and were constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed. Real world examples of social, political, economic, and personal issues will offer the framework for our philosophical discourse. This course also counts towards the GSS major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Intercultural Literacy Encounter)
  

  • PHI 353 - Philosophy of Law (1)

    Inquiry into the foundation and nature of law, and its relation to morality and society through both classical and contemporary legal theories. Specific issues covered include the notions of the scope and limits of individual liberty, the concept  and workings of legal justice, the role of legal responsibility, and the purpose of punishment through the analysis of legal cases and judicial interpretation. In discussing these topics, issues regarding how gender and race play a role in legal practice will also be addressed. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 354 - Political Philosophy & Social Justice (1)

    Investigation into the foundation and nature of the political state concerning such concepts as legitimate authority, individual and collective rights, notions of fairness, justice and equality and how such notions play out in social, political, and economic systems. We will examine divergent philosophical theories on how best to structure the political realm in order to achieve a diverse array of purposes and goals from common happiness of the whole to individual liberty to distributive equality and goods for all. Specific social justice issues concerning wealth distribution, social and political opportunity and equality will be addressed. This will involve critical examination of major political philosophers from ancient times to contemporary views such as Plato, Confucius, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Robert Novick, Isaiah Berlin and Martha Nussbaum. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every third year.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 355 - Philosophy of Religion: Rationality and Religions Beliefs (1)

    Religion is a pervasive feature of human cultures.  Philosophy of religion is concerned with examining the rational basis of religious beliefs.  Questions to be addressed include: Are there good reasons for belief or faith about gods? Are there reasons for regarding religions claims as false? Do religious beliefs even require reasons or evidence? Is faith a kind of knowledge?  How are such beliefs related to scientific claims or claims about more ordinary concerns? How are the claims of different religions related to each other? What does it mean to be “spiritual but not religious”? Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 356 - Philosophy of Science: Science and Knowledge of Reality (1)

    Science is often regarded as our most successful effort at explaining reality, providing knowledge of the history of the universe and of Earth, of the nature of living things and their features, of the physical-chemical nature of matter.  We will consider how is such knowledge is possible, how scientific theorizing is supported, whether science provides objective truths or theories biased by the perspectives of its practitioners, whether the history of past discarded scientific theories gives us reason to be skeptical of current science, how different sciences are related to each other and to other possible sources of knowledge  (history or literature, religion or extrasensory perception), how the authority of science as a source of knowledge about the world be maintained against the onslaught of skepticism from creationists, anti-vaxxers, climate change deniers and so on. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 357 - Philosophy in Film and Literature (1)

    This course explores different ways of understanding the self and its relation to the world as these appear in a wide range of literary works and films. The presentation will be roughly historical, tracing outlooks and conceptions of reality as they evolve from traditional and theocentric views through modern, secularized Enlightenment, romantic and naturalist views to postmodern and post-postmodern outlooks. Philosophical themes include: conceptions of the good life, different conceptions of cosmic order, our relation to nature, the limits of science, the question of free will, the distinctive characteristics of life, time, space, and issues concerning commitment, personal identity, community, faith, gender, authenticity, the significance of death, and the loss of meaning in the modern world. The ideas of major philosophers will be discussed as background for understanding the works.  Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 358 - Philosophy of Mind (1)

    Science increasingly provides us with an understanding of the universe in purely material or physical terms.  How does that “physicalist” account of reality relate to our understanding of ourselves? We often talk as if minds and brains were identical, but understanding how that could be possible generates a number of difficult philosophical questions: How could a physical system possess beliefs or be conscious-i.e., how could a complex collection of non-conscious, unthinking neurons be a conscious, thinking thing, be me? Is such a physicalist understanding of ourselves compatible with free will and morality, with the possibility of an afterlife? Are minds uniquely human phenomena or are they also possessed by some or all other living (or non-living) things? We will examine various accounts of physicalism and the answers they provide to these questions.  We will also consider the intuitive attraction of dualism, the idea that we are not merely complex physical machines, but also composed of some non-material soul-like stuff. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 360 - Evolution and Philosophy (1)

    An examination of the theory of evolution–what it says, what support it has, what it can (and cannot) explain-in order to see what (if any) implications it has for religion, morality, philosophy, and the understanding we have of ourselves and our world. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 362 - Advanced Topics: Philosophy & Slavery (1)

    Slavery not only persists as a practical problem, but also calls for philosophical reflection on many questions. What is enslavement? What is slavishness? What is mastery? What is freedom? What is liberation? Is slavery always unjust? Does the fulfillment of some require the oppression of others? Is everyone capable of true freedom? How are the identities and aspirations of participants in profoundly unequal power relations affected by those relations? How do systems of enslavement intersect with questions of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and physical and mental ability? These are among the problems raised by the ancient and modern texts we will read, including two written by former slaves and one by a slave owner. In this course you will learn to discuss such questions from various philosophical perspectives, using concepts from our readings, and bring these perspectives into dialogue with each other. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
    (Humanities)
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 485 - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy (1)

    Capstone Seminar in Philosophy: Advanced focus on an issue or movement or problem in philosophy, or on a particular philosopher. Prerequisites: at least three 300-level course in Philosophy, a major or minor in Philosophy, and senior standing or permission of the department.
    (Writing Intensive)
  
  
  

  • PHI 502 - Ethics Bowl (.25)

    Participation in ethics bowl debate preparation and/or annual competition involving weekly discussions of ethics bowl cases. Participation develops ethical analysis, critical reasoning, civil discourse, as well as practical skills of presentation and debate. Students will understand the methods of avoiding rigid moral debate using ethical creativity: reframing problems and articulating elements of agreement and compromise. This course is pre-approved for transcript notation in the Ingenuity in Action category, Professional Exploration. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application.

Physics
  

  • PHY 118 - Topics: Introduction to Physics (1)

    This class is intended to be an introduction to physics for students who want to pursue an engineering or physics major, but who had limited or no experience with physics in high school.  In this class, we will study fundamental concepts in physics that are necessary for an engineering major. The class will use guided inquiry, hands-on activities, quantitative analysis, and mathematical analysis.  In addition to learning physics concepts, students will develop and practice skills in teamwork, written and verbal communication, and algebra and trigonometry. Students should have completed two years of high school algebra, including trigonometry.
    (Science) (Quantitative Reasoning Intensive)
  

  • PHY 121 - Astronomy (1)

    This class focuses on what astronomers have learned about our universe and how they learned it.  We will discuss what the universe is made of, how it is structured, and how it has evolved. We will study scientific principles from chemistry, physics, and mathematics that are needed to understand our universe, and we will use those principles to calculate important quantities, such as the distances and masses of planets and stars.  
    (Science)
  

  • PHY 123 - Acoustics, Music, Audio Systems (1)

    Application of elementary physics principles to sound waves and vibrations, including the physics of musical instruments, room acoustics, hearing, harmonic analysis, and electronic production of sound. Intended for non-science majors. Alternate years.
    (Laboratory Science)
  

  • PHY 141 - Introductory Physics I (1)

    Non-calculus treatment of elementary physics covering the topics of forces, energy, momentum, fluids, and waves. Emphasis on conceptual understanding and problem solving.  Includes lecture and labs. Prerequisite: two years of high school algebra including trigonometry.
    (Laboratory Science)
  

  • PHY 142 - Introductory Physics II (1)

    Continuation of PHY 141  covering electricity, magnetism, light, and nuclear physics. Emphasis on conceptual understanding and problem solving. Includes lecture and labs. Prerequisite: PHY 141 .
    (Laboratory Science)
  

  • PHY 155 - Topics: Electronics for Everyone (1)

    Students will explore the creative side of science through experimentation with, and creation of, simple electronic devices such as radios and electronic musical instruments. Students will also read relevant papers and discuss both physical principles and the impact of technology on society. Students will conduct a major design project and present their findings to the class. Although prior experience with physics and math is useful, it is not a requirement for this course.
    (Science) (Quantitative Reasoning Encounter)
  

  • PHY 161 - General Physics I (1)

    Introduction to physics intended for physical science majors. Topics include Newton’s laws of motion, concepts of work and energy, rotational motion, and conservation laws. Prerequisite: MAT 120  or MAT 121 .
    (Science)
  

  • PHY 162 - General Physics II (1)

    Continuation of PHY 161 . Topics include electricity, magnetism and waves. Prerequisite: PHY 161 .
    (Science)
  

  • PHY 263 - Laboratory Physics (1)

    A laboratory experience designed to complement the general physics sequence (PHY 161  and PHY 162 ). Techniques of experimental measurement and analysis, with experiments drawn from all areas of introductory physics.  Prerequisite: PHY 162 .
    (Laboratory Science) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHY 265 - Modern Physics (1)

    Experimental and theoretical foundations of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Topics include particle and wave behavior of light and electrons, electron spin, the Schrödinger equation, atomic and nuclear physics, and sub-atomic particles, concepts of temperature, entropy, and work. Prerequisites: MAT 122 , PHY 162 , and PHY 263 .
  
  
  
  

  • PHY 305 - Waves (1)

    Study of physical wave phenomena, especially optical and mechanical waves. Topics include superposition, reflection, refraction, dispersion, interference, diffraction, polarization phenomena, and the wave equation. Prerequisites: MAT 122  and PHY 162 .  Alternate years.
  

  • PHY 312 - Advanced Experimental Physics (1)

     

    An in-depth investigation of a physics experiment chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Includes design, construction, collection of data, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of the experiment. Prerequisite: EGR 270 , PHY 265 , one other 300-level Physics course and permission of instructor.

  

  • PHY 315 - Astrophysics (1)

    The astrophysics of stars and stellar systems with an emphasis on the physical principles underlying the observed phenomena. Topics include the techniques of astronomy, structure and evolution of stars, binary stars, star clusters, and end states of stars such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Prerequisite: PHY 265  or PHY 303. Alternate years.
  

  • PHY 321 - Mechanics (1)

    Newtonian, Lagrangian, and Hamiltonian mechanics covering the motion of single particles, rigid bodies, systems of particles, fluid mechanics, and complex analysis. Prerequisites: MAT 221  and PHY 162 . Alternate years.
  

  • PHY 322 - Electricity and Magnetism (1)

    Electric and magnetic fields and their sources, magnetic and dielectric materials, and Maxwell’s equations. Prerequisites: MAT 122 , PHY 162 , and either MAT 221  or PHY 305 . Alternate years.
  

  • PHY 334 - Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (1)

    Development of the Schrödinger wave equation and its solution for the harmonic oscillator and Coulomb potentials. Orbital and spin angular momenta, and applications to simple atomic and molecular systems. Prerequisites: MAT 221 , PHY 265 , and either PHY 305  or PHY 321 . Alternate years.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  • PHY 501 - Advanced Laboratory (1/4)

    Experiments of an advanced character, permitting the student to work relatively independently. Must be taken over four consecutive terms. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
    (CR)
 

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