Justice Brandeis Semester

Last updated: August 15, 2017 at 10:32 a.m.

Objectives

University offers the Justice Brandeis Semester (JBS), an intensive, immersive experiential learning option through which small groups of up to 12-15 students may earn credits while focusing on such varied topics as A Sports Writing Summer in Boston, Health, Law and Justice, and Voice, Web and Mobile Applications. The courses offered as part of these programs include experiential learning components, such as fieldwork, internships, or outside research.

JBS internships, field-based research, creative work or community-engaged learning allow students to:

1. Gain real-world experience through experiential learning.
2. Build close relationships with professors and small groups of students.
3. Acquire skills that will make them stand apart from their peers after Brandeis.

The distinctive elements of a Brandeis education include the intense intellectual engagement students share with our cutting-edge faculty; the rich experiential learning opportunities students encounter in studios, archives, research labs, work settings and the community; and the University's longstanding commitment to global engagement and social justice. All of these elements are embodied in the new Justice Brandeis Semester.

Programs Offered

Current JBS Offerings

Bio-Inspired Design
Health, Law and Justice
Voice, Web and Mobile Applications

Past JBS Offerings

Emerging Powers and the New World Order: The Politics and Culture of Globalization 2.0
Health, Law and Justice
Voice, Web and Mobile Applications

Bio-Inspired Design

BIOL 43bj Comparative Anatomy
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Prerequisite: BIOL 15b or 22b.
Drawing from comparative anatomy and functional morphology, this course is designed to provide an overview of the form and function of organisms and provide a base on which to build further study organismal biology. Students will be introduced to the basics of the development, cellular make-up, evolution and function of the anatomy of many eukaryotes including vertebrates, fungi and plants anatomy. While the focus will be to examine these topics at the level of organs, organ systems and whole organisms, connections will be made to the molecular and cellular levels of organization. It is expected that students who pass this course will understand all concepts such that they may integrate them with each other and apply them to novel situations. Laboratory dissections, an end-of-term oral presentation and short answer tests will aid in this goal. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Miara

BIOL 46aj Biomechanics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 15b and 16a or 23a.
Introduces biomechanics at all scales and within a variety of taxonomic groups. Students will explore fluid and solid mechanics applying their knowledge to understand how physical properties impact our day-to-day lives. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Miara

BIOL 153aj Project Lab in Biomimetics / Bioinspiration
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Prerequisites: BIOL 15b and 16a or 23a.
Explores how the natural world has been used to inspire designs solving real-world problems, identify a problem themselves, learn techniques to plan and build their own bio-inspired designs and present their products in a clear and accessible manner. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Miara

Health, Law and Justice

LGLS 98bj Independent Research
Explores an array of complex issues in depth during the seminars as well as in the "real world"; as they attend public meetings or hearings and actively dialog with stakeholders. We will examine the day-to-day issues faced by stakeholders in the midst of reform efforts. While connecting theory and practice, students will take initiative and actively engage in structured assignments. Offered as part of the JBS program.
Ms. Curi, Mr. Hart, and Ms. Noble

LGLS 114aj American Health Care: Reform
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Five years after the historic passage of the ACA, the United States and our health care system is at a cross roads. While the ACA seems to have weathered most of the significant implementation challenges, even its most ardent supporters acknowledge that the law provides only a partial fix for our nation's health care system. While access should improve appreciably, particularly for those who are currently uninsured, many will still remain without access to needed care. Moreover, among advanced nations our costs are the highest by far and the quality of our care is no better than that found in these less costly nations. We will explore the ACA, the events leading up to its passage, the policies the law was designed to further, and its impacts so far. Offered as part of the JBS program.
Ms. Noble

LGLS 131bj Patient Autonomy: Law, Medicine, and Ethics
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At the heart of our evolving health care system are the doctor and the patient. Related to the doctor-patient relationship are often complex issues related to patient autonomy, life and death treatment decisions, and the cost of and access to care. They implicate questions of justice and the just distribution of care, a key goal of health care reform. We will explore ethical, legal, and social issues (including end-of-life-decision making, physician assisted suicide, procreative liberty, cloning, and genetic therapies) from the micro level of patient care at the patient's bedside to the macro issues of the health care system in which patient care is delivered and financed. Offered as part of the JBS program.
Ms. Curi

Voice, Web and Mobile Applications

COSI 115bj Spoken Dialog Design
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Interactive applications have become ubiquitous around the world on phones and other devices. Since voice is the most natural medium for human communication, spoken dialog is becoming an essential part of the interface. However, creating an effective spoken dialog application requires more than just programming skills. It requires knowledge from many disciplines including linguistics, artificial intelligence, computer-human interaction, and computational linguistics. This course will bring together the essential elements of these fields and the software skills and tools required to build an effective dialog system and guide students through hands-on projects applying that knowledge to real applications. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Meteer

COSI 152aj Web Application Development
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Prerequisites: COSI 11a, 12b, or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to web programming that covers the fundamental languages and tools, including HTML/CSS for page layout, javascript/ajax for client-side integration, and server-side programming in javascript using Node/Express, Mongo, and MySQL. The course also discusses security, scaling/optimization, and multi-tier architectures. Offered as part of JBS program.
Mr. Hickey

COSI 154aj The JBS Incubator
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Prerequisite: COSI 11a.
An introduction to software engineering for web and mobile applications. Covers agile programming techniques, rapid prototyping, source control paradigms, effective software documentation, design of effective APIs, software testing and analysis, software licensing, with an introduction to business plans for software entrepreneurs. Offered as part of JBS program.
Mr. Hickey and Ms. Meteer