May 15, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalogue 
    
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2020-2021 Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Courses of Instruction

 

Topics Courses   
 

Music
  

  • 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 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, Civic Engagement. 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, Civic Engagement. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application. No alternate grade option.

Philosophy
  

  • PHI 105 - 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 our selves, 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 202 - Ethics (1)

    The nature of moral experience, moral judgments, and moral principles, and the relation of each to the other. Course may consider applications to contemporary moral problems. Readings from some major 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 learn to reason better.  We’ll discuss deductive reasoning, but more emphasis will be placed 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 is a traditional component 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. Offered upon request and subject to availability of faculty. Offered upon request and subject to availability of faculty.
  

  • 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)
  

  • 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. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • 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 while analyzing such issues in a broader philosophical context. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 302 - Ancient Philosophy (1)

    Advanced study of the beginning of Western thought on topics such as the foundation of philosophical and scientific inquiry, the basis of reality, the nature of the human being and how humans ought to live socially, politically and ethically. In-depth analysis of the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 304 - Modern Philosophy: Seventeenth Century (1)

    Critical and historical examination of the modern period of philosophy starting with the background to the Scientific Revolution and ending with advanced theories on the nature of reality achieved by a careful analysis of such philosophers as Galileo, Newton, Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke and Berkeley. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 305 - Modern Philosophy: Eighteenth Century (1)

    Critical examination of the philosophers comprising the middle modern period of philosophy such as George Berkeley, Lady Mary Shepherd, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, Mary Wollstonecraft and Adam Smith. From idealism to skepticism to transcendentalism, we will explore the nature of reality, the limits of our knowledge, and even the way in which we construct our social, ethical, political, and economic systems. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 306 - The History of 19th Century Philosophy (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. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 308 - 20th Century Continental Philosophy (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)
  

  • 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. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • 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, multicultural feminism, and feminist epistemology with application to social debates such as sex-based work, body image, and discrimination. This course also counts towards the GSS major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 353 - Philosophy of Law (1)

    Inquiry into the nature of law, and its relation to morality and society through both classical and contemporary legal theories. Specific issues covered include liberty, justice, responsibility, and punishment employing actual legal cases. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

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

    Intensive study of the work of a major political philosopher, such as A Theory of Justice by John Rawls or Plato’s The Laws. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every third year.
    (Humanities) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • PHI 355 - Philosophy of Religion (1)

    Philosophical examination of the major concepts and claims of the Western religious tradition. Topics to be discussed include the nature and existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature of religious language, the relation between faith and reason, and the possibility of religious knowledge. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
    (Humanities)
  

  • PHI 356 - Philosophy of Science (1)

    Examination of science as a source of information about the world. Topics include the structure of scientific confirmation and explanation, the nature of scientific knowledge and progress, the difference between science and pseudo-science, and the moral evaluation of science. 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)

    Theories about the mind and mental phenomena: the relationship between minds and brains; consciousness; free will; artificial intelligence; and the philosophy of psychology. 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 junior or senior standing or permission of the department.  Alternate years.
    (Writing Intensive)
  
  

Physics
  

  • 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 125 - Science through Film and Fiction (1)

    Scientific topics and issues found in selected novels and feature films are used to investigate the foundations of science and the scientific process. Students will investigate specific scientific concepts and use them as case studies illustrating the historical development of science and the role of science and technology in society. Intended for non-science majors.
    (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 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)
  

  • PHY 511 - Extended Research in Physics (1/4)

    Reading in depth on a topic of current interest and the pursuit of an experimental or theoretical problem related to the topic. Must be taken over four consecutive terms. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
    (CR)
  

Politics
  

  • POL 105 - The War to End War (W) (International Politics) (1)

    HG Wells called the First World War “the war to end war,” but it turned out to be a war that started nearly a century of bloody conflict, tearing apart Europe at the height of its imperial power, redrawing the map of Europe and the Middle East, introducing savage new weapons such as poison gas and mechanized tanks, disrupting social life for a generation, and sowing the seeds of Germany’s renewed aggression under Hitler two decades later. We will explore the First World War through political science, history, film, memoir, poetry, and a day trip visit to the National World War I Museum (there will be no extra fee for the trip, but class will extend beyond normal class hours on that day). Writing assignments will include informal journals and in-class assignments, short writing assignments in various genres, a staged research project involving the use of primary and secondary literature, and peer review workshops. Not open to students who have previously completed a First-Year Writing course.
    (First Year Writing Seminar (FYW)) (Social Science)
  

  • POL 111 - Introduction to Politics (1)

    Although you may not realize it, every one of us is involved in politics on a daily basis. We each have experienced parents and children haggling over the rules governing curfew or use of the car, employees and bosses negotiating behaviors at work, and organized crime families disputing turf wars (ok, maybe not that last one). Yet, in one way or another, politics is a part of our lives regardless of whether we are interested in Congress, political parties, or international negotiations. Politics is the process by which individuals and groups reach agreements on a course of joint action–even if they disagree on the intended goals of that action. This class discusses the problems that groups need to overcome to reach agreements on a joint course of action, and looks at the political institutions and other political processes and incentives that enable groups to overcome those barriers here in the United States and internationally.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 122 - Foundations of the First Amendment (Political Thought) (1)

    Political thought from political practice to political philosophy. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the freedom of expression, the Constitutional background for the Court’s ruling, and the arguments for freedom of expression. Readings include Mill’s On Liberty, Supreme Course cases, works on current legal controversies, and John Milton.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 125 - Ethics and Public Policy (Political Thought) (1)

    Contemporary studies in the standards that apply to political leaders and how they are explained, interpreted, and enforced. When taught off campus, registration entails additional expense.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 142 - International Politics (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    How and why states compete and cooperate internationally. Addresses concepts such as the balance of power between states, collective security through treaties and international organizations, nuclear deterrence, and the growing influence of non-Western states. Typically includes historical and current case studies.
    (Social Science) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • POL 143 - Comparative Politics (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    Various types of political systems, including liberal democracies, current and former communist systems, and mixed systems of the developing world.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 172 - American Politics (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Survey of process and institutions of politics in the United States. Addresses topics in political behavior such as individual political attitudes, political participation in the U.S. context as well as discussing American political institutions such as the presidency, Congress, the judicial system, the bureaucracy, political parties, and interested groups.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 182 - Public Policy (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Introduction to the policy-making process, to the basics of public policy analysis, and to the substance of selected policy debates.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 216 - Education Policy and Practice (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    This course will explore education policies and their relationship to sociological patterns of school resegregation, the rise of credentialism, the end of educational expansion, and inequality of educational opportunity. Students in the course will be introduced to the history of policymaking in education beginning with the education reform policies of Horace Mann. Students will also examine demographic data on educational attainment, analyze the policies that alleviate or reinforce educational inequality, and describe what assumptions lie behind current reform ideas. We will evaluate the dynamics of current debates by referencing the long-standing tensions among the different purposes of schooling we have in our nation. Same course as EDU 216  
    (Social Science) This course is pre-approved for transcript notation in the Ingenuity in Action category, Civic Engagement. To participate and earn notation of completion on your transcript, please complete the Ingenuity in Action application.
  

  • POL 230 - Research Methods in Politics (1)

    Methods and research design in political science to address the causal processes that produce outcomes in politics. Course covers quantitative, experimental, qualitative, and field research methods, research design, and inference.  Prerequisite: STA 201
    Social Science
  

  • POL 244 - Holocaust and Human Rights in Europe (1)

    Addresses the history, politics, sociology, and lived experience of the Holocaust and other significant human rights abuse in Europe, from the points of view of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. We will work to understand why and how human rights come to be abused, how abuse affects the victims, and when and how post-conflict communities work to resolve differences and learn from periods of abuse. Visits Holocaust and other human rights sites - museums, memorials, and sites of violence - in and near European cities such as Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Sarajevo.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 245 - Global Health (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    The course will introduce students to key global health issues. Students will gain an understanding of contemporary global health problems, their determinants, distribution, and prevention/response strategies. Particular attention will be paid to the links between global health and social and economic development. This course focuses on developing countries and on the health of the poor. 
    (International Relations & Comparative Politics) (Social Science)
  

  • POL 250 - Principles of Advocacy (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    An overview of the United States legal system with an emphasis on the adversarial approach to resolution of conflicts and controversies in federal, state, and local tribunals as well as in alternate forums and venues. Students will gain a general understanding of the roles of the various participants with primary focus on the role of the lawyer as advocate. The course will incorporate aspirational and ethical considerations, practical issues faced by trial attorneys, and the potential for fulfillment and disillusionment fighting the battles of others.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 252 - Religion & Politics (1)

    How, why, and to what extent does religion influence American politics? And has politics shaped American expressions of religion? This course will examine the intersection of religion and politics in American society, from the founding of this nation to modern day. Although the number of people who regularly participate in religious communities decreased in past decades, religious beliefs and values have and continue to inform social activism,  political rhetoric, and policy-making in diverse, complex, and sometimes surprising ways. We will read engaging historical surveys, provocative primary sources, and cutting-edge analysis of modern poll data and statistics to gain a greater grasp on how and why religion and politics mutually influence one another. Same course as REL 267.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 256 - Nature, Functions, and Limits of the Law (Political Thought) (1)

    How the law mediates between individual interests as well as attempts at furthering the common good, often at the expense of individual interests. Addresses how the law resolves disputes, how it maximizes welfare and wealth, how it is structured, who decides what we mean by law and how it functions, who decides what the societal interest is and whether it trumps what an individual wishes to do.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 257 - Topics: Irregular Warfare & Nonviolent Resistance (1)

    Irregular warfare – defined by the Pentagon as “a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant population(s)” – constitutes the vast majority of armed conflict, yet recent research suggests that strategic nonviolence may be even more effective than irregular warfare in attaining political actors’ desires. This seminar will address the motivations and prospects for distinct methods of resistance to unwanted political leadership or occupation, as well as various approaches to counterinsurgency and control of movements, through theoretical readings, case studies, and simulation. (International Relations & Comparative Government)
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 280 - Political Affairs Internship (1)

    Field experience in applied politics. See Additional Academic Opportunities , All-College Independent Study Courses 280/380. Prerequisites: acceptance by a sponsoring agency or individual and approval of a formal prospectus by the faculty sponsor.
    (CR)
  
  
  

  • POL 325 - Anglo-American Constitutional Thought (Political Thought) (1)

    Richard Hooker, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, and other Americans considered as guides to the much admired and imitated American experiment in writing a constitution. Prerequisite: POL 122  or POL 125 .
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 327 - Revolutionary Political Thought (Political Thought) (1)

    Modern writings for and against revolution, including Marx’s Manifesto, Burke’s Reflections, and Hardt/Negri’s Multitude. Prerequisite: POL 122  or POL 125  or permission of the instructor. Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 330 - Women and Politics: A Cross-National Perspective (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    This course examines a variety of issues and debates within the field of Political Science that are particularly relevant to the study of women and politics. The course will examine women’s participation in formal politics in a comparative perspective, by focusing on women’s roles as voters, candidates, and officeholders. Course materials include case studies from various countries. To be taught in India, alternate years. This course also counts towards the GSS major. Prerequisite: POL 143 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 332 - Human Rights (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    Practices and characteristics of governments and non-governmental actors that abuse and protect human rights, history of the concept and treatment of rights, justifications for the protection of rights, differences between categories of rights, prospects for the improved protection of rights through international and domestic action. Prerequisite: junior standing. Alternate years.
    (Social Science) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • POL 333 - International Organizations (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    History, present characteristics, and future prospects of efforts to establish international order through global and regional integration and governance, the development of international law, the activity of internationally-oriented non-state actors and social movements, and resistance thereto. Prerequisite: POL 142 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • POL 334 - Strategies to Alleviate Poverty (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    The course explores the nature of poverty in the developing world. What causes it? What behaviors does it induce? Emphasis is on discussing various institutional factors that lead to poverty. The course will explore strategies and programs designed to alleviate poverty at the international, national and local levels, and analyze the role of the World Bank, national governments and non-governmental organizations in eliminating poverty. Can poverty be eradicated and if so, can the solution be found in capitalism itself? If not, is there a viable alternative? Prerequisite: POL 142  or POL 143 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 341 - Latin American Politics (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    History, present characteristics, and future prospects of political systems in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Addresses decolonization, authoritarianism, democratization, human rights, the political effects of social institutions and economic crises, and foreign relations with the US and other powers. Prerequisite: POL 143 , LAS 141 , or HIS 141 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 346 - Political Economy of Developing Countries (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    Political-economic systems of selected developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Discussions of independence movements, post-independence experiences of civilian rule, civil-military relations, and the evolving relationships between politics and economics in these countries. Prerequisite: POL 143 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 348 - U.S. Foreign Policy (International Relations & Comparative Government and American Politics) (1)

    Process by which U.S. foreign policy is made and implemented, focusing on contemporary cases. Emphasis on how the political process and distribution of authority affect policy. Prerequisite: POL 142 .
    (Social Science) (Writing Encounter)
  

  • POL 349 - International Political Economy (International Relations & Comparative Government) (1)

    This class uses methods and theorems central to international economics in the areas of trade and money (such as comparative advantage, factor and sector models, partial and general equilibrium, the Heckscher-Ohlin model, imperfect competition, import-substitution vs. export-orientation, strategic trade theory, balance of payments, aggregate demand, the Stolper-Samuelson theorem, and other concepts, methods, and theorems) to sustain an economically informed discussion of the political constraints upon and political implications of international exchange of goods and currencies. I have often noted that the class covers a large part of the same economic material as ECB 223  (International Economics), though we constantly direct our attention to the questions of what political constraints preclude or modify the outcomes economists expect and how economic developments favor and constrain the desires of domestic political actors. The class also has a substantial focus upon the political constraints upon economic development, that highlights the very important interactions between these economic and political science concepts in a particular policy area that is often of interest to students. Thus, the focus of the class is upon questions that are of interest to both economists and political scientists, and my hope is that our attention to the interaction between economics and politics - each viewed through the disciplinary lenses best adapted to understanding them - will help my students understand the value of using multiple disciplinary approaches to approach problems. Prerequisites: POL 142  and ECB 101 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 358 - Political Behavior, Participation and Activism (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Political behavior is the study of the way people think, feel about politics, and how and why they act (or choose not to act) on those thoughts and feelings.It is also about understanding how different actors such as parties, interest groups, the media, and political elites influence the decisions of individuals to participate in the process. Democratic theory is built on the principle that citizens can make informed and rational choices. This course looks at the opinion formation of individuals and how these individuals become engaged in the political process.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 361 - Race, Sex, and the Constitution (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Exploration of Constitutional principles including equal protection of the laws, privacy, and freedom of speech as they apply to issues of race, gender, and ethnicity: race and sex discrimination, equal opportunity, affirmative action, abortion, pornography, privacy rights, hate speech, political correctness, etc. This course also counts towards the GSS major. Prerequisites: POL 172  and junior standing. Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 363 - Campaigns and Elections (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Examination of the electoral process in the U.S. This course also addresses in depth the factors that contribute to voting behaviors of citizens examined from the point of view of both citizens and campaigns and how these aspects contribute to electoral success or failure. Prerequisite: POL 172 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 364 - Congress and the Presidency (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    In-depth study of the central institutions of the American political system and the evolving relationship between them. Prerequisite: POL 172 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 365 - Constitutional Law: The American System (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Structure and function of the American judicial system and its role in constitutional interpretation. The court’s role in three great conflicts that have shaped the American experience: (1) nation vs. states-the struggle for sovereignty, (2) Congress vs. President-the struggle for supremacy over national policy, and (3) government vs. business-the struggle over government regulation of the economy. Prerequisites: POL 172  and junior standing. Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 366 - Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Rights of individuals in America. The court’s role in three broad areas: (1) criminal prosecution, (2) free expression, and (3) race and sex discrimination. Prerequisites: POL 172  and junior standing. Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
  

  • POL 367 - Urban Politics and Policy (American Politics & Public Policy) (1)

    Government in urban America. Issues of public policy, and their consequences for city dwellers and the nation. Feasibility and desirability of various solutions. Prerequisite: POL 172  or POL 182 . Alternate years.
    (Social Science)
 

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