Digital Literacy
Last updated: September 19, 2022 at 2:34 PM
Objectives
The ability to engage in the digital world plays an increasingly important role in intellectual life. Every discipline has been affected by the digital revolution in its own way. Students will master the critical digital resources and techniques relevant to the scholarly or creative endeavors of their discipline.
Requirement Beginning Fall 2019
For students entering Brandeis beginning fall 2019, the digital literacy requirement will be fulfilled for most students through coursework taken in the completion of their major, or through other options described in the requirements for the major. Please see the Requirements to Complete a Major for information on fulfilling writing intensive for a specific major.
There is no digital literacy requirement for students entering Brandeis prior to fall 2019.
Courses of Instruction
(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students
AAAS
5a
Introduction to African and African American Studies
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An interdisciplinary introduction to major topics in African and African American studies. Provides fundamental insights into Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas through approaches and techniques of social science and the humanities. Usually offered every year.
Brandon Callender or Faith Smith
ANTH
26a
Communication and Media
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An exploration of human communication and mass media from a cross-cultural perspective. Examines communication codes based on language and visual signs. The global impact of revolutions in media technology, including theories of cultural imperialism and indigenous uses of media is discussed. Usually offered every second year.
Janet McIntosh
ANTH
60b
Archaeological Analysis
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Introduction to archaeological laboratory methods and analyses, emphasizing hands-on experience and research design. Students engage in materials analysis and research working with archaeological artifacts. Course participants will explore the range of theoretical approaches and methodological steps comprising the archaeological process. Topics include considering artifact recovery, analysis, conservation, and eventual publication. The class also considers the challenges of interpreting human behavior from material remains, and the ethical quandaries of debates surrounding cultural heritage that modern archaeologists must consider, including the questions of who narrates and owns the past. Usually offered every second year.
Charlie Goudge
BIOL
39b
Biology of Global Climate Change
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Prerequisites: ENVS 2a, BIOL 16a or BIOL 17b.
Examines the biology of global climate change from how biology informs understanding climate change to the evolutionary and ecological responses to climate change. This course includes an exploration of the primary literature. Usually offered every spring.
Colleen Hitchcock
BIOL
51a
Biostatistics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b.
An introductory level biostatistics class providing an overview to statistical methods used in biological and medical research. Topics include descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, commonly observed distributions, basic concepts of statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression, as well as analysis of variance. Basic statistical analysis using the R software package will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.
Kene Piasta
BUS
6a
Financial Accounting
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Prerequisite: ECON 2a or ECON 10a.
Develops basic concepts and accounts and applies them to income measurement, capital values, and costs. Through the use of cases, develops the basis for rational choice and control of business activity. Usually offered every semester in multiple sections.
Divya Khaitan and Hagit Weihs
BUS
10a
Business Fundamentals
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Prerequisite: BUS 6a. BUS 6a may be taken concurrently with BUS 10a.
Introduces the internal complexity of modern businesses and the various roles they play in society. First examines the internal workings of firms--marketing, operations, finance, and other functions. Subsequently, the relationships between businesses and their context--the economy, social issues, and government are studied. Usually offered every semester in multiple sections.
Philippe Wells
BUS
51a
Introduction to Data Analytics with Excel
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Prerequisite: Bus 6a. May not be taken for credit by students who took BUS 51b in prior years.
Teaches students how to analyze data, how to create data visualizations, and how to use data for basic inference. The course is taught using Microsoft Excel, thus allowing students to also learn the most common piece of software used in the workplace to analyze business data. Usually offered every semester.
Gizem Nemutlu
BUS
71a
Introduction to Finance
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Prerequisite: BUS 6a. Corequisite: BUS 51a. This course cannot be counted as an elective toward the Economics major or minor.
Introduces students to topics and methods in the field of finance. Covers how firms secure financing via equity and debt markets, valuation of stocks and bonds, fundamental analysis techniques, capital budgeting techniques, relationship of risk and return, and the time-value-of-money. Usually offered every semester.
Daniel Bergstresser and Yang Sun
CHEM
18a
General Chemistry Laboratory I
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Corequisite: CHEM 11a. Dropping CHEM 11a necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. Two semester-hour credits; yields half-course credit. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19a in previous years.
Introduction to basic laboratory methods and methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Included in the analytical methods are gas chromatography and infrared measurements. A synthesis project that includes analyzing the product by titration. Calorimetric experiment using probes interfaced with computers. Identification of unknowns based on physical and chemical properties. Analysis of the metal content of substances by atomic absorption. One laboratory lecture per week. One afternoon of laboratory per week. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik
CHEM
18b
General Chemistry Laboratory II
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Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 18a and CHEM 11a. Corequisite: CHEM 11b. Dropping CHEM 11b necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19b in previous years.
The second semester of the general chemistry laboratory program. Continued use of probes interfaced with computers to monitor pH and electrical conductivity changes in titrating weak monoprotic and polyprotic amino acids, to monitor pressure changes as part of a kinetics study, and to monitor voltage changes of electrochemical cells with temperature so as to establish thermodynamic parameters for redox reactions. Also included is identification of unknowns based on selective precipitation. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik
CHEM
19a
Honors General Chemistry Laboratory I
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Corequisite: CHEM 15a. Dropping CHEM 15a necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken CHEM 18a in previous years.
An advanced version of CHEM 18a. One afternoon of laboratory per week. One laboratory lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik
CHEM
19b
Honors General Chemistry Laboratory II
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 15a and CHEM 19a. Corequisite: CHEM 15b. Dropping CHEM 15b necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken CHEM 18b in previous years.
Continuation of CHEM 19a. An advanced version of CHEM 18b. Usually offered every year.
Milos Dolnik
CHEM
29a
Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
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Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 18b or 19b or the equivalent. Corequisite: CHEM 25a. Dropping CHEM 25a necessitates written permission from lab instructor to continue with this course. May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits.
Gives experience in the important techniques of organic chemical laboratory practice of isolation and purification of organic compounds by crystallization, distillation, and chromatography, and their characterization using analytical and instrumental methods. One afternoon of laboratory per week. One ninety-minute laboratory lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Bryan Ingoglia
CLAS
46a
Practicum In Digital Literacy
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Corequisite: One course in Classical Studies and permission of the instructor. Yields half-course credit. Fulfills the digital literacy requirement for Classical Studies majors.
Provides students with subject-specific exposure and training in research and applied use of technology. Specific methods and topics will change according to student interest and technological development. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
COSI
12b
Advanced Programming Techniques in Java
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Prerequisite: COSI 10a or successful completion of the COSI online placement exam.
Studies advanced programming concepts and techniques utilizing the Java programming language. The course covers software engineering concepts, object-oriented design, design patterns and professional best practices. This is a required foundation course that will prepare you for more advanced courses, new programming languages, and frameworks. Usually offered every year.
Staff
COSI
21a
Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing
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Prerequisite: COSI 12b. Graduate students may take this course concurrently with COSI 12b with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.
Focuses on the design and analysis of algorithms and the use of data structures. Through the introduction of the most widely used data structures employed in solving commonly encountered problems. Students will learn different ways to organize data for easy access and efficient manipulation. The course also covers algorithms to solve classic problems, as well as algorithm design strategies; and computational complexity theory for studying the efficiency of the algorithms. Usually offered every year.
Iraklis Tsekourakis
ECON
83a
Statistics for Economic Analysis
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Prerequisite: ECON 2a or 10a. Students must earn a C- or higher in MATH 10a, or otherwise satisfy the calculus requirement, to enroll in this course.
A first course in statistical inference. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, normal and binomial distributions, sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, properties of estimators, hypothesis testing, regression, and analysis of variance. Usually offered every semester.
Linda Bui, Nidhiya Menon, Scott Redenius, and Tymon S'oczy'ski
ENG
14a
Media Stories: Circulating Love, Hate, Revolution
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Examines the possibility that contemporary digital terminology and media theory may help explain how gossip, sentiment, love, news, and art circulated during an earlier transformative period in media history, the eighteenth century. Beginning with an explosion in the number of newspapers, novels, and political tracts, the period ends in a string of revolutions, fomented around human rights and new modes of governance. With an emphasis on race, gender, sexuality, and class, this course explores what earlier literary and practical texts may reveal about media technologies and communication. Special one-time offering, fall 2021.
Jenny Factor
ENG
20b
Literary Games
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Addresses a long durée history of the games through the lens of transmedia. This then is the start pointing to examine how transmedia theory may help unpack issues in what I call 'literary games' from the medieval chess board, dice game, to digital multi-player video games now. Within a discussion of transmedia we will address the various theories about narrative and play that have animated discussions about games from the Middle Ages to contemporary media. This class will also center race, gender, sexuality, disability, class in thinking through the issues of transmedia and the gaming cultures that have most recently been in the political mainstream news in relation to far-right politics. Usually offered every third year.
Dorothy Kim
ENG
28a
Environmental Literature in an Age of Extinction
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Explores literature's role in shaping modern understandings of environmental change and damage, as well as the possibility of ecological restoration. Works include environmental classics by Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson as well as contemporary genres including dystopia, the thriller, and climate fiction. Usually offered every third year.
Caren Irr or Jerome Tharaud
ENG
41a
Critical Digital Humanities Methods and Applications
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Introduces critical digital humanities methods and applications. Considers both theory and praxis, the issues of open and accessible scholarship and work, and the centrality of collaboration. We will investigate power relations, inclusivity, and the ethics of social justice. Usually offered every second year.
Dorothy Kim
ENG
58a
Literature and Medicine
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How has literature grappled with illness, healing, and the patient-doctor encounter? How can poetry and storytelling communicate with experience of bodily pain--and how does the body seek to communicate its suffering without language? We examine literary responses to the body's biological vulnerabilities, and seek to contextualize the vulnerable body within the cultural and political fields that shape medical knowledge and practice. Readings in fiction, poetry, essay, and drama will suggest the art, or craftsmanship, involved in the healing sciences, as well as the diagnostic nature of literary criticism. Reading for new approaches, generated by the literary imagination, to controversial issues in medical ethics. Usually offered every third year.
David Sherman
ENG
62b
Contemporary African Literature, Global Perspectives
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What is "African" in African literature when the majority of writers are somehow removed from the African societies they portray? How do expatriate writers represent African subjectivities and cultures at the intersection of Diaspora and globalization? Who reads the works produced by these writers? Usually offered every third year.
Emilie Diouf
ENG
72a
The Caribbean's Asias: Asian Migration & Heritage in the Caribbean
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Studies fiction and theory by and about Caribbean people of South Asian origin, and Caribbean people of Chinese origin from the late nineteenth century to the present. Examines how they have been implicated in discussions of nationalism, hybridity, diaspora, and neoliberalism. Usually offered every third year.
Faith Smith
ENG
79a
Screenwriting Workshop: Beginning Screenplay
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Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Enrollment is by instructor permission after the submission of a manuscript sample. Please refer to the schedule of classes for submission information. May be repeated for credit.
Fundamentals of screenwriting: structure, plot, conflict, character, and dialogue. Students read screenwriting theory, scripts, analyze files, and produce an outline and the first act of an original screenplay. Usually offered every third year.
Marc Weinberg
ENG/HIST
20a
Violent Resistance: American Political Violence and Its Rhetorics
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The history of the United States is, in some respects, a history of political violence. American literature, as a reflection of society, often depicts instances of political violence. Novels, poetry and short stories have a vexed and complicated relationship with history - are they just a representation of society as it is? Or can they be calls to action, provoking movements? In this course, we ask what political violence is and how it operates. Is that violence sometimes justified? If so, what conditions authorize it and what restrictions are there on its use? How much power does literature have to inspire or activate political action? What exactly is violence and what rhetorical and literary strategies are used to describe, validate or negate its use? “Violent Resistance” is envisioned as an introduction to these questions. In the course, we will investigate violent forms of American political protest through the lenses of some of the major theoretical approaches to violence, politics and literature available to us today. This is intentionally constituted as an interdisciplinary, cross listed course because we are fully convinced that interdisciplinary study not only offers a fuller, more rounded approach to the topic, but also because we are committed to the idea that each perspective broadens and deepens the other. As such, this course will incorporate methods from both disciplines. Special one-time offering, fall 2022.
Sarah Beth Gable and Miranda Peery
FA
8a
Introduction to Video Art
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Explores producing moving images as fine art. While a basic overview of Adobe Premiere software is offered, emphasis is on conceptual framework and cultivating methodologies that best suit ideas. Students will experiment with materials, modes of production (performance, experimental documentation, appropriation, non-linear narrative), and exhibition (video monitors, projection, theatrical, installation, Internet) in order to consider the effect of these decisions on generating meaning and to better communicate one's statement through the genre. Usually offered every semester.
lauren woods
FA
9a
Introduction to Digital Photography: Ethics of Photography
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Prerequisite: One studio art course, FA 3a - FA 28a. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the visual forms and concepts of the photographic image. A range of digital techniques is covered along with aspects of the history of photography. Students must provide their own digital camera. Field trips and image presentations supplement the studio aspect of the course. Usually offered every semester.
Sheida Soleimani
FA
23b
Architectural Drawing and Digital Design I
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Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Priority given to Architectural Studies minors. Only Architectural Studies IIM students may take both FA 23b and FA 24a for credit
Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.
Staff
FA
24a
Architectural Drawing and Digital Design II
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Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Priority given to Architectural Studies minors. Only Architectural Studies IIM students may take both FA 23b and FA 24a for credit
Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.
Staff
FA
86b
Museum Studies
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May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 85b in prior years.
An experiential learning seminar focused on the art object in the context of the museum; the history of museums (architecture, educational mission, curatorial presentation); museum ethics and provenance studies; new theories of museums and their expanded role in the community. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
GER
30a
Intermediate German
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Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in GER 20b or the equivalent. Four class hours per week.
In concluding the development of the four language speaking skills--comprehending, writing, reading, and speaking--this course focuses on finishing up the solid grammar foundation that was laid in GER 10a and GER 20b. It also presents additional audio and video material, films, radio plays, and newspaper and magazine articles, as well as a variety of extensive interactive classroom activities. Usually offered every year in the fall.
Sabine von Mering
HISP
85a
Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literatures and Cultures
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Introduces students to U.S. Latinx cultural productions and to the interdisciplinary questions that concern U.S. Latinx communities. Latinxs have played a vital role in the history, politics, and cultures of the United States. U.S. Latinx literary works, in particular, have established important socio-historical and aesthetic networks that highlight Latinx expression and lived experiences, engaging with issues including biculturalism, language, citizenship, systems of value, and intersectional identity. Though the Latinx literary tradition spans more than 400 years, this course will focus on 20th and 21st century texts that decolonize nationalist approaches to Latinidad(es) and therefore challenge existing Latinx literary 'canons.' Taught in English. Usually offered every year.
María J. Durán
HIST
50b
American Transformations: Perspectives on United States History, Origins to the Present
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Investigates U.S. history in a wider world, from its origins to the present, starting with the premise that American History itself is a construct of modern empire. Only by investigating the roots of power and resistance can we understand the forces that deeply influence our world as we live it today. Usually offered every second year.
Abigail Cooper
HIST
80a
Introduction to East Asian Civilization
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A selective introduction to the development of forms of thought, social and political institutions, and distinctive cultural contributions of China and Japan from early times to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Usually offered every year.
Staff
IGS
10a
Introduction to International and Global Studies
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"Globalization" touches us more every day. Introduces the challenges of globalization to national and international governance, economic success, individual and group identities, cultural diversity, the environment, and inequalities within and between nations, regions of the globe, gender, and race. Usually offered every year.
Kerry Chase or Chandler Rosenberger
MATH
16b
Applied Linear Algebra Practicum
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Prerequisite: MATH 15a or MATH 22a. Yields half-course credit.
Introduces fundamental skills for both computing and oral communication in the context of applied linear algebra problems. Includes basics of Python, numpy, and matplotlib. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
MATH
40a
Introduction to Applied Mathematics
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Prerequisites: MATH 15a or MATH 22a and MATH 20a or MATH 22b.
Introduces the problems and issues of applied mathematics, with emphasis on how mathematical ideas can have a major impact on diverse fields of human inquiry. Usually offered every fall.
Tyler Maunu
NEJS
10a
Biblical Hebrew Grammar and Texts
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Prerequisite: HBRW 20b or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. May not be used to satisfy the World Languages and Cultures requirement.
An accelerated grammar course in Biblical Hebrew. Students engage with biblical Hebrew texts from the first class. They build from words and phrases to a literary translation and grammatical analysis of a student’s choice of biblical Hebrew narrative. Topics include: phonology and the Tiberian pronunciation tradition, syllables and stress patterns, nouns, articles, conjunctions, pronouns, adjectives, possession, prepositions, the prefix and suffix conjugations, derived stems, tense and aspect, volitives, infinitives, and irregular roots. The class uses music and digital tools to aid memorization. It builds students’ vocabularies and understanding of the unusual features of biblical grammar and syntax compared with other semitic languages and modern Hebrew.
Staff
PHIL
35a
Philosophy of Science
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Philosophers in the twentieth century have often taken scientific activity to be the ideal source of our knowledge about the world. Discusses the problems involved in the analysis of the principles and methods of scientific activity, with an eye to assessing this claim. Usually offered every second year.
Peter Epstein or Eli Hirsch
PHYS
19a
Physics Laboratory I
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May yield half-course credit toward rate-of-work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits.
Laboratory course designed to accompany PHYS 11a and 15a. Introductory statistics and data analysis including use of microcomputers and basic experiments in mechanics. One afternoon or evening of laboratory per week. One one-and-a-half-hour lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Gabriella Sciolla
PHYS
19b
Physics Laboratory II
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May yield half-course credit toward rate-of-work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits.
Laboratory course designed to accompany PHYS 11b and 15b. Basic experiments in electricity, magnetism, and optics. Basic electrical measurements. Determination of several fundamental physical constants. One afternoon or evening of laboratory per week. One one-and-a-half-hour lecture per week. Usually offered every year.
Staff
POL
52a
Basic Statistics for Social and Political Analysis
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Provides a foundation in statistics focusing on descriptive statistics, inference, hypothesis testing and the basics of regression analysis. Becoming familiar with basic statistics will help you to prepare for a career as a social scientist. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles
POL
53b
Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis
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Prerequisite: POL 52a or equivalent statistics course, or permission of the instructor.
Examines the most common empirical methods used by policy analysts in the study of public policy. Emphasis on descriptive statistics, regression and textual analysis, research design and data collection, and the substantive components of policy analysis. Students will be introduced to and develop proficiency in the R statistical program/language. Usually offered every year.
Zachary Albert
PSYC
51a
Statistics
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Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or the permission of the instructor. This course normally should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
Covers the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics. Techniques useful in the behavioral sciences will be emphasized. Students learn the theory of statistical decisions, practical application of statistical software, and how to analyze journal articles. Usually offered every semester.
Paul DiZio
PSYC
55b
Technology Use and Well-Being: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
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Prerequisite: PSYC 10a Introduction to Psychology. PSYC 52a recommended.
Drawing on perspectives from psychology, neuroscience, computer-human interaction, and public health, this course explores the positive and negative impact of technology usage on our well-being across the lifespan and how these technologies influence social life, adult development/aging, and health/health behavior. Special one-time offering, spring 2022.
Xin Yao Lin
RUS
29b
Russian Language for Russian Speakers
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One additional hour of recitation required.
For students who grew up speaking Russian at home but have received no or minimal formal education in the language. Students will develop or improve their reading skills, acquire the foundations of writing in Russian, and expand their speaking ability through developing attention to linguistic form and dramatically expanding their vocabulary to include complex topics. Learning is enhanced by interactive online learning modules and authentic communicative tasks. Students will also engage in critical thinking about their bilingualism and multiculturalism. Active participation is essential. Usually offered every fall.
Staff
RUS
30a
Intermediate Russian I
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Prerequisite: RUS 10a and RUS 20b or the equivalent. Not intended for Russian-English bilinguals; please contact language program director, Irina Dubinina, with questions about placement. Four class hours and one recitation hour per week.
Students will develop their proficiency in Russian to the intermediate level which will allow them to participate meaningfully in spontaneous spoken or written exchanges and make presentations on a variety of familiar and everyday topics. Students will also continue developing their reading and listening comprehension skills and growing their knowledge of Russian culture. Learning is enhanced by students' participation in a digital story project on a Russian-speaking city of interest. Active participation is essential. Usually offered every fall.
Staff
SOC
18a
Observing the Social World: Doing Qualitative Sociology
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May not be taken for credit by students who took SOC 118a in prior years.
Observation is the basis of social inquiry. What we see--and by extension, what we overlook or choose to ignore--guides our understanding of social life. This class focuses on how to conduct a qualitative research study, including literature review, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and coding and analysis. Usually offered every year.
Wendy Cadge or Sara Shostak
SOC
36b
Historical and Comparative Sociology
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May not be taken for credit by students who took SOC 136b in prior years.
Explores the relationship between sociology and history through examples of scholarship from both disciplines. Using historical studies, the course pays close attention to each author's research strategy. Examines basic research questions, theoretical underpinnings and assumptions, and uses of evidence. Usually offered every third year.
Chandler Rosenberger
SOC
46b
Geographies of Inequality: Exploring Power and Space in the United States
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Through discussions focusing on the spatial nature of social life, and labs teaching students to create maps using GIS software, this course will give students the tools to ask and answer questions about society using a spatial lens. Special one-time offering, spring 2021.
Jennifer LaFleur
SOC
81a
Methods of Social Inquiry
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May not be taken for credit by students who took SOC 181a in prior years.
Introduces students to qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research. Throughout the course emphasis is on conceptual understanding, with hands-on applications and exercises. No statistical or mathematical background is necessary. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Shostak
SOC
82a
Applied Research Methods
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May not be taken for credit by students who took SOC 182a in prior years.
Provides an introduction to research methods and quantitative analysis commonly used in sociology. Using quantitative data, the class explores how higher education reflects the social stratification found in U.S. society. Participants will read peer-reviewed journal articles; design their own survey and analyze the results; and conduct analysis on a national data set focused on education. The course assumes no prior knowledge of research methods, but it does assume a curiosity about why we conduct research, how research studies are designed, and a willingness to analyze the results of different research studies. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
THA
70a
Directing: Imagination in Action
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Examines the art of theater from the director's perspective. Focuses on how theory and practice meet in the crucible of actual rehearsal, production, and performance from the director's point of view. Usually offered every year.
Dmitry Troyanovsky
WGS
5a
Women, Genders, and Sexualities
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This interdisciplinary course introduces central concepts and topics in the field of women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Explores the position of women and other genders in diverse settings and the impact of gender as a social, cultural, and intellectual category in the United States and around the globe. Asks how gendered institutions, behaviors, and representations have been configured in the past and function in the present, and also examines the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with many other vectors of identity and circumstance in forming human affairs. Usually offered every fall.
ChaeRan Freeze, Sarah Lamb, or Harleen Singh
WGS
6b
Sexuality and Queer Studies
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May not be taken for credit by students who took SQS 6b in prior years.
Examines cross-cultural and historical perspectives on sexual meanings, experiences, representations, and activist movements within a framework forged by contemporary critical theories of gender and sexuality. Usually offered every year.
V Varun Chaudhry
(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students
AAAS
104a
Colorism in Paradise
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Introduces the concept of colorism, its relationship to racism, and consider the prevalence of color over race as a preferred identity and socio-political category across Latin America and the Caribbean. The course requires students to read interdisciplinary academic texts and utilize critical race and social praxeology theory to interrogate specific, national contexts within the Latin American and Caribbean region. Special one-time offering, Fall 2021.
Rachel Cantave
AAPI/HIS
163a
Asian American History
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Explores the history of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States with a focus on their lived experiences and contributions to U.S. society. Course culminates in a final AAPI digital oral history project. Usually offered every second year.
Yuri Doolan
AMST
100b
Twentieth-Century American Culture
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Prerequisite: AMST 100a.
The democratization of taste and the extension of mass media are among the distinguishing features of American culture in the twentieth century. Through a variety of genres and forms of expression, in high culture and the popular arts, this course traces the historical development of a national style that came to exercise formidable influence abroad as well. Usually offered every spring.
Staff
AMST/JOU
109b
Reinventing Journalism for the 21st Century
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Technology has transformed journalism into a genuinely multimedia enterprise. This fast-paced course examines innovation at work, from digital storytelling to data visualization, at both start-up and legacy media outlets. It also explores the political, sociological, legal and ethical issues raised by these new technologies and the impact of business pressures on journalism's watchdog role in our democracy. Usually offered every year.
Neil Swidey
ANTH
129a
Culture in 3D: Theory, Method, and Ethics for Scanning and Printing the World
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Designed to train students in the methods needed for the successful application of 3D modeling and printing for the documentation, conservation, and dissemination of cultural patrimony. Students will acquire the technical skills and engage in the ethical debates surrounding ownership and reproduction of such patrimony. Usually offered every second year.
Charles Golden and Ian Roy
ANTH
130a
Filming Culture: Ethnographic and Documentary Filmmaking
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Introduces the history, theory and production of ethnographic and documentary filmmaking. This course traces how ethnographic and culturally-inflected filmmakers have sought to depict cultural difference, social organization, and lived experiences. Students will learn the basics of non-fiction film production. Usually offered every second year.
Patricia Alvarez Astacio
ANTH
130b
Visuality and Culture
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Introduces students to the study of visual, aural, and artistic media through an ethnographic lens. Course combines written and creative assignments to understand how culture shapes how we make meaning out of images and develop media literacy. Topics include ethnographic/documentary film, advertising, popular culture, viral videos and special effects, photography, art worlds, and the technological development of scientific images. Usually offered every second year.
Patricia Alvarez Astacio or Ellen Schattschneider
ANTH
137a
GIS: Mapping Culture from Land, Air and Space
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An introduction to the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sense (RS) technologies that are fundamental for mapping and analyzing spatial data. This course is grounded in archaeological applications, but provides training and research pathways for exploring urban landscapes, environmental dynamics, and more in modern settings. No previous knowledge of GIS or RS is required. Usually offered every third year.
Charles Golden
ANTH
138a
Digital Cultures
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Examines how anthropology can contribute to the understanding of new media as transformative social-cultural forces. Explores various forms of computer-mediated and digital communication (e.g., instant messaging, blogging, social media, on-line dating) and the ways in which people interact in these different contexts of cyberspace. Explores how new forms of digital technologies are shaping forms of identity, community and society today. Involves participatory research projects with a digital public-facing life. Usually offered every third year.
Patricia Alvarez Astacio or Brian Horton
ANTH
156a
Power and Violence: The Anthropology of Political Systems
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Political orders are established and maintained by varying combinations of overt violence and the more subtle workings of ideas. The course examines the relationship of coercion and consensus, and forms of resistance, in historical and contemporary settings. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Ferry
ANTH
158a
Urban Worlds
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Explores some of the essential concepts of urban theory and conducts an in-depth study of urban experiences around the world. Topics include the city and marginality, urban modernity, gender and public space, gentrification, suburbanization, transgression, and urban nature. Case studies may be from cities such as Mumbai, Lagos, New York, Paris, Dubai, and Rio de Janeiro. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Anjaria
ANTH
161a
Anthropology of Infrastructure
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There's a problem with infrastructure ' electricity networks, water supply systems, pipelines, ports, roads, and railroads. Most of us would agree that infrastructure should be a public thing, serve society, and allow for better life, communication, and activity. Yet infrastructures are often hidden, subterranean, and therefore prone to exploitation and hijacking. The anthropology of infrastructure aims in part at making it more visible and at deciphering the complex interaction between things, society, and politics. But anthropologists end up unearthing more than utility networks and urbanism plans. They stumble upon the very power of inanimate things to orient our experiences, from the most intimate (having sex) to the least material of them (browsing the internet). From politics to ethics and back, this course will explore our relationship to infrastructure. Usually offered every second year.
Pascal Menoret
ANTH
167a
Sports, Society and the Body
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Examines sports from an anthropological perspective. Students will study sports cultures globally and historically. Topics include: sports and colonialism, doping controversies, gender, nationalism, spectacle, pain and ideas of the body. This course also emphasizes hands-on research and documentation of diverse sports cultures through writing and film. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Anjaria
ANTH
171b
Cities and Bodies: Mapping the Boston Metropolitan Trail
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deis-us
dl
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Introduces urban design anthropology that takes the Boston suburbs as its prime object of investigation. Students will participate in the design of the Boston Metropolitan Trail (BMT), a projected grid of eight trails connecting sixteen bus, subway, and commuter rail stations around Boston. The BMT is an art installation that critiques and displaces the image of Boston, still dominated today by settler colonial fantasies centered on the Boston peninsula. The BMT is therefore an anti-Freedom Trail. It is also a slow transportation infrastructure that connects some of the main public transit nodes of the greater Boston area. Usually offered every third year.
Pascal Menoret
BCHM
102a
Quantitative Approaches to Biochemical Systems
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Prerequisite: BCHM 100a or equivalent and Math 10a and b or equivalent.
Introduces quantitative approaches to analyzing macromolecular structure and function. Emphasizes the use of basic thermodynamics and single-molecule and ensemble kinetics to elucidate biochemical reaction mechanisms. Also discusses the physical bases of spectroscopic and diffraction methods commonly used in the study of proteins and nucleic acids. Usually offered every year.
Maria-Eirini Pandelia
BCHM
104b
Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules II
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Prerequisites: BCHM 100a, and one of the following: BCHM 104a, CHEM 141a, or Phys 40a, and Math 10a and b or equivalent.
Illustrates the basic principles on which biological macromolecules are constructed and by which they function. Describes overall structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes in terms of the underlying molecular forces: electrostatics, hydrophobic interactions, and H-bonding. The energetics of macromolecular folding and of the linkage between ligand binding and conformational changes will also be discussed. Usually offered every year.
Julia Kardon
BIOL
107a
Data Analysis and Statistics Workshop
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The interpretation of data is key to making new discoveries, making optimal decisions, and designing experiments. Students will learn skills of data analysis and computer coding through hands-on, computer-based tutorials and exercises that include experimental data from the biological sciences. Knowledge of very basic statistics (mean, median) will be assumed. Usually offered every year.
Stephen Van Hooser
CLAS
113a
Pots, Processes, and Meaning: A Practicum in Archaeological Ceramics
[
dl
hum
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Before plastic, there was pottery'pots and pans, bowls and dishes, jugs and jars'in every place and every society. Pottery lets us see people: it makes their actions and choices visible, anytime, anywhere. Pottery is also a thoroughly human product. Every aspect reflects a purposeful choice: material, mode of manufacture, shape and finish, place and way of use. And pottery is ' and was ' everywhere: it is the single most abundant type of artifact found on almost all archaeological sites. Archaeologists use pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to broad social, economic, and political developments. In this course you learn how to identify, classify, analyze, and interpret pottery in order to better understand the people who made and used it, and the worlds in which they lived. Usually offered every third year.
Alexandra Ratzlaff
CLAS/ENG
153b
Race Before Race: Premodern Critical Race Studies
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Provides an introduction to ancient and medieval attitudes towards race and ethnicity through the theoretical lens of premodern critical race studies. Special one-time offering, fall 2020.
Caitlin Gillespie and Dorothy Kim
COML
100a
Introduction to Global Literature
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Core course for COML major and minor.
What is common and what is different in literatures of different cultures and times? How do literary ideas move from one culture to another? In this course students read theoretical texts, as well as literary works from around the world. Usually offered every year.
Staff
COSI
114a
Fundamentals of Natural Language Processing I
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Prerequisite: COSI 12b or enrollment in the Master of Science in Computational Linguistics program. LING 100a is recommended but not required.
Explores the computational properties of natural language and the foundations of the algorithms used to process it. Students will develop an understanding of basic statistical natural language processing (NLP) methods by implementing language analysis and classification algorithms in Python. Topics include corpus statistics, text classification, language modeling, and the computational techniques needed to support these tasks, with a focus on generative models (e.g., naive Bayes, hidden Markov models). Usually offered every year.
Constantine Lignos
COSI
114b
Fundamentals of Natural Language Processing II
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Prerequisites: COSI 114a, plus at least one of LING 160b, MATH 10a, MATH 10b, MATH 15a, MATH 20a, MATH 22a, or equivalent knowledge.
Provides a fundamental understanding of the problems in natural language understanding by computers, and the theory and practice of current computational linguistic systems. Of interest to students of artificial intelligence, algorithms, and the computational processes of comprehension and understanding. Usually offered every year.
James Pustejovsky
COSI
131a
Operating Systems
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Prerequisites: COSI 21a.
Fundamental structures of a computer system from hardware abstractions through machine and assembly language, to the overall structure of an operating system and key resource management abstractions. Usually offered every year.
Mitch Cherniack, Olga Papaemmanouil, or Liuba Shrira
COSI
155b
Computer Graphics
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Prerequisite: COSI 12b.
An introduction to the art of displaying computer-generated images and to the design of graphical user interfaces. Topics include graphic primitives; representations of curves, surfaces, and solids; and the mathematics of two- and three-dimensional transformations. Usually offered every third year.
Timothy Hickey
COSI
164a
Introduction to 3-D Animation
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May not be taken for credit by students who took COSI 65a in prior years.
Covers the fundamental concepts of 3-D animation and teaches both the theory underlying 3-D animation as well as the skills needed to create 3-D movies. Students demonstrate their understanding of the concepts by creating several short animated movies. Usually offered every third year.
Timothy Hickey
COSI
178a
Computational Molecular Biology
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Open to advanced undergraduate students and graduate students.
Information and computing technologies are becoming indispensable to modern biological research due to significant advances of high-throughput experimental technologies in recent years. This course presents an overview of the systemic development and application of computing systems and computational algorithms/techniques to the analysis of biological data, such as sequences, gene expression, protein expression, and biological networks. Hands-on training will be provided. Usually offered every other year.
Pengyu Hong
ECON
184b
Econometrics
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Prerequisites: ECON 83a. Corequisite: ECON 80a or permission of the instructor. Students must earn a C- or higher in MATH 10a, or otherwise satisfy the calculus requirement, to enroll in this course. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have previously taken or are currently enrolled in ECON 185a, ECON 213a, or ECON 311a.
An introduction to the theory of econometric regression and forecasting models, with applications to the analysis of business and economic data. Usually offered every year.
Elizabeth Brainerd, James Ji, and Yinchu Zhu
ECS
100a
European Cultural Studies Proseminar: Modernism
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dl
hum
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Explores the interrelationship of literature, music, painting, philosophy, and other arts in the era of high modernism. Works by Artaud, Baudelaire, Benjamin, Mann, Mahler, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Kandinsky, Schiele, Beckett, Brecht, Adorno, Sartre, Heidegger, and others. Usually offered every fall semester.
Stephen Dowden
ED
165a
Reading (and Talking Back to) Research on Education
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Open to education studies majors only.
In this required capstone course for education studies majors, students will review quantitative and qualitative research through disciplinary lenses. Students pursue some topic of inquiry by either reviewing and synthesizing educational research, or conducting some empirical research. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ENG
119b
Poetry Workshop: Special Topics in Poetry
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dl
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Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Enrollment is by instructor permission after the submission of a manuscript sample. Please refer to the schedule of classes for submission information. May be repeated for credit.
For those who wish to improve as poets while broadening their knowledge of poetry, through a wide spectrum of readings. Students' poems will be discussed in a "workshop" format with emphasis on revision. Remaining time will cover assigned readings and issues of craft. Usually offered every year.
Elizabeth Bradfield or Visiting Poet
ENG
120a
Thirties Movies
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Explores how 1930s Hollywood invented modern movies and their techniques -- Romcom, horror, suspense, crime, melodrama, feature-length animation, musicals -- responding to and profoundly altering social, political, industrial, cultural, and economic history, from the Depression to the beginning of World War II. Usually offered every third year.
William Flesch
ENG
123a
Violence and the Body in Early Modern Drama
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dl
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May not be taken for credit by students who took ENG 23a in prior years.
Explores early modern understandings of the body, with particular attention to gender, sexuality, race, and nation. Considers the role of violence in determining who counts as fully human, who can be reduced to a body, and whose bodies can be severed from citizenship, recognition, and value. Explores as well the claims of the body and voice to memorialization and belonging, and the evidence of actors' bodies on the stage. Usually offered every third year.
Thomas King
ENG
137b
Women and War
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Examines how African women writers and filmmakers use testimony to bear witness to mass violence. How do these writers resist political and sociocultural silencing systems that reduce traumatic experience to silence, denial, and terror? Usually offered every third year.
Emilie Diouf
ENG
139a
Publishing Workshop: Literary Editing and Publishing
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Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Students will be selected after the submission of an introductory letter including student's major, writing/editing experience, why publishing is of interest to them, any experimental literary publications/performances they've experienced. This course fulfills a workshop requirement for the Creative Writing major and minor. Please refer to the Schedule of Classes for submission formats and deadlines within the Registration periods.
Editing and publishing a literary journal -- either digital, print, or in more experimental forms -- can be an important component of a writer's creative life and sense of literary citizenship. This experiential learning course will engage students with theoretical and historical reading as well as provide practical hands-on tools for literary publishing. Broadsided Press (www.broadsidedpress.org) will be used as a case study. A group publishing project will be part of the coursework, and this can be tied into journals already being published on campus. By the end of the semester, students will have a fuller sense of the work, mindset, difficulties, strategies, and values of a literary publisher. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Bradfield
ENG
143a
The History of Mediascapes and Critical Maker Culture
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Class has a required lab component and yields six semester-hour credits towards rate of work and graduation.
To consider how to decolonize book history and “maker culture,” the class examines colonial erasure, colonial knowledge production, race, gender, disability, neurodiversity, sexuality in making an alternative book history that includes khipu, girdle books, wampum, pamphlets, zines, and wearable media technology. Usually offered every third year.
Dorothy Kim
ENG
143b
Chaucer's "Global and Refugee Canterbury Tales"
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deis-us
djw
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Focuses on situating Chaucer, and particularly the Canterbury Tales, as a global
work. We will examine black feminist writers, playwrights, and poets of the African diaspora who have revised, adapted, extrapolated, and voiced the Canterbury Tales in Jamaican patois, Nigerian pidgin, and the S. London dialects of Brixton. Usually offered every second year.
Dorothy Kim
ENG
144a
Medieval Travel Writing
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Examining medieval travel literature from the Old English period to the early accounts of sixteenth-century explorers in the New World, this class will consider how the area of medieval travel writing exposes how race is framed in relation to gender, disability, multifaith encounters, critical animal studies, and thick mapping. Usually offered every third year.
Dorothy Kim
ENG
146a
Reading the American Revolution
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Explores the role of emerging literary forms and media in catalyzing, shaping, and remembering the American Revolution. Covers revolutionary pamphlets, oratory, the constitutional ratification debates, seduction novels, poetry, and plays. Includes authors Foster, Franklin, Jefferson, Paine, Publius, Tyler, and Wheatley. Usually offered every third year.
Jerome Tharaud
ENG
149a
Screenwriting Workshop: Writing for Television
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dl
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Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Enrollment is by instructor permission after the submission of a manuscript sample. Please refer to the schedule of classes for submission information. May be repeated for credit.
Introduces students to the craft of writing for a variety of television programming formats, including episodic, late-night, and public service announcements. Students will read and view examples and create their own works within each genre. Usually offered every second year.
Marc Weinberg
ENG
151b
Performance Studies
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Explores paradigms for making performance inside and outside of institutionalized theater spaces, with an emphasis on the performance of everyday life. Students read theories of theater and performance against paradigmatic dramatic texts and documents of social performance. Combining theory with practice, students explore and make site-specific and online performances. Usually offered every third year.
Thomas King
ENG
152a
Indian Love Stories
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Introduces students to writings on love, desire and sexuality from ancient India to the present. Topics include ancient eroticism, love in Urdu poetry, Gandhi's sexual asceticism, colonial regulation of sexuality, Bollywood, queer fiction and more. Usually offered every third year.
Ulka Anjaria
ENG
152b
Arthurian Literature
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dl
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A survey of (mostly) medieval treatments of the legendary material associated with King Arthur and his court, in several genres: bardic poetry, history, romance, prose narrative. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
ENG
168b
Plotting Inheritance
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dl
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Examines novels published in the last two decades set during slavery and indenture in the British Caribbean, alongside (and as) theorizations of accumulation, inheritance, and freedom. How does fiction account for and plot material, moral and emotional worth? Usually offered every third year.
Faith Smith
ENVS
100b
GIS Methods
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dl
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A skills and methods course that trains students in geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool for understanding the ecology, economics, history, and conservation of landscapes. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
FA
169a
Ecology and Art
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ca
dl
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Provides a theoretical foundation and art historical background for discussion of contemporary art that draws attention to the ecologies, primarily natural but also cultural, of which it and we are a part. Usually offered every third year.
Peter Kalb
FA
181a
Housing and Social Justice
[
ca
deis-us
dl
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Employs housing as a lens to interrogate space and society, state and market, power and change, in relation with urban inequality and social justice. It trains students to become participants in the global debates about housing. In doing so, it teaches students about dominant paradigms of urban development and welfare and situates such paradigms in the 20th century history of capitalism. It will explicitly adopt a comparative and transnational urban approach to housing and social justice, showing how a globalized perspective provides important insights into local shelter struggles and debates. Usually offered every second year.
Muna Guvenc
FA
199a
Methods and Approaches in the History of Art
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ca
dl
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Explores various ways of analyzing works of art and provides an overview of the historical development of the discipline. Designed specifically for junior and senior art history majors. Usually offered every year.
Charles McClendon
FILM
110a
Film Production I
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ca
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Preference given to Film,Television and Interactive Media majors and minors.
An introduction to the basic principles and techniques of fictional narrative motion picture production. Each student will produce three short films. The films will emphasize dramatic development and creative storytelling through image composition, camera movement, editing, and sound. Usually offered every year.
Staff
FILM
110b
Motion Picture Editing
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dl
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Preference given to Film, Television and Interactive Media majors and minors.
Students will develop visual literacy through a study of the editor's role in cinematic storytelling. The course provides an overview of the craft's history and theory and offers practical training in editing digital video with Adobe Premiere Pro. Usually offered every year.
Staff
FILM
120a
Cinematography
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ca
dl
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Gives students the ability learn lighting, media capture techniques, camera and subject movement choreography in both analog and digital formats. They will gain knowledge of axis and frames, dynamic editing points and creating a motion picture as an essay tapestry. Usually offered every year.
Staff
FREN
106b
Writing Workshop
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Prerequisite: FREN 105a or the equivalent. Students enrolling for the first time in a French and Francophone Studies course at Brandeis should refer to http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/newstudent/testing.html#frentest.
Innovative strategies and online tools enable students to improve their creative and analytical writing skills. Students examine different types of texts, exploring their literary style, determining their authority, and exploring how words and images may move and manipulate readers and viewers. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
GER
106b
Migration, Kultur, Synergie
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dl
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Prerequisite: GER 30a.
Investigates the experience of refugees and immigrants in present-day Germany and discusses processes of social transformation. Through fictional and non-fictional texts and film, we gain an understanding of their cultural, economic, political and artistic contributions and of cross-cultural collaborations. Usually offered every second year.
Kathrin Breuer
HBRW
124a
Hebrew for Business, Doing Business in Start-Up Nation
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Prerequisite: Any 30-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.
Provides students with tools and competence to deal with the Israeli business community. For advanced-intermediate Hebrew students who wish to gain cultural understanding and business language speaking skills. Usually offered every second year.
Sara Hascal
HBRW
167b
The Sleeping Beauty: The Revival of Modern Hebrew
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Prerequisite: Any 40-level Hebrew course or permission of the instructor.
An advanced course that surveys the origins of the Hebrew language and its development throughout the centuries, focusing on its major stages (biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern). Explores the unique phenomenon of its revival as a spoken language and its adaptation to the modern world. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
HISP
198a
Experiential Research Seminar in Literary and Cultural Studies
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May be taught in English or Spanish.
A research seminar in which each student has the opportunity to become an 'expert' in a Hispanic literary or cultural text/topic that captures her or his imagination, inspired by a study abroad experience; an earlier class in Hispanic Studies; community-engaged learning; etc. Instruction in literary/cultural theory, researching a subject, and analytical skills necessary for developing a scholarly argument. Students present research in progress and write a research paper of significant length. Usually offered every year.
Fernando Rosenberg or Staff
HIST
111b
The Iranian Revolution in Global Context
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An examination of the roots of the Iranian revolution of 1979, the formation of the Islamic Republic, and its evolution over the past 30 years. Usually offered every second year.
Naghmeh Sohrabi
HIST
118a
The History of American Advertising
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dl
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Considers American advertising from the eighteenth century to the present to understand the growing role of consumerism in our lives. We will begin by examining how the professionalization of advertising and a rise of a new occupation, the advertising agent, created the national market and assisted in the transition of American society from a rural to urban society in the nineteenth-century U.S. We will follow this discussion by identifying the role of advertising in shaping the normative foundations of American identity in terms of race, class, and gender. Finally, we will use advertising as a starting place for researching the ways popular protests emerge under consumer and corporate capitalism. This course will foster the development of incisive analysis and advanced digital literacy skills by exploring a range of primary sources, engaging in structured forum discussions, and conducting independent research. Usually offered every year.
Nataliia Laas
HIST
140a
A History of Fashion in Europe
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Looks at costume, trade in garments, and clothing consumption in Europe from 1600 to 1950. Topics include sumptuous fashion, class and gender distinctions in wardrobe, and the rise of department stores. Usually offered every third year.
Alice Kelikian
HIST
147a
Russian Empire: Gender, Minorities, and Globalization
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Examines the processes and problems of modernization--state development, economic growth, social change, cultural achievements, and emergence of revolutionary and terrorist movements. Usually offered every year.
Gregory Freeze
HIST
147b
Twentieth-Century Russia
[
dl
ss
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Russian history from the 1905 revolution to the present day, with particular emphasis on the Revolution of 1917, Stalinism, culture, and the decline and fall of the USSR. Usually offered every second year.
Gregory Freeze
HIST
153b
Slavery and the American Civil War: #1619 Project
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deis-us
dl
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A hard look at American slavery from the Middle Passage to Mass Incarceration, plus an investigation into the Civil War through the lens of Black self-emancipation. Uses the tools and insights from #1619 Project. Usually offered every second year.
Abigail Cooper
HIST
157b
Marginalized Voices and the Writing of History
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deis-us
dl
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Seeks to understand not only the system but the inner lives and cultures of slaves within that system. This course is a reading-intensive seminar examining both primary and secondary sources on American slaves. Focuses on the American South but includes sources on the larger African diaspora. Usually offered every second year.
Abigail Cooper
HIST
158b
Social History of the Confederate States of America
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deis-us
dl
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An examination of the brief life of the southern Confederacy, emphasizing regional, racial, class, and gender conflicts within the would-be new nation. Usually offered every third year.
Abigail Cooper
HIST
162a
Writing on the Wall: Histories of Graffiti in the Americas
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djw
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Focuses on the history of graffiti in the U.S. from 1960s forward. Includes the historical role of Caribbean migration, the impact of criminology and economic recession of the 1970s on graffiti culture, and the relationship between private property, public space, and graffiti. Usually offered every second year.
Gregory Childs
HIST
170a
Italian Films, Italian Histories
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dl
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Explores the relationship between Italian history and Italian film from unification to 1975. Topics include socialism, fascism, the deportation of Jews, the Resistance, the Mafia, and the emergence of an American-style star fixation in the 1960s. Usually offered every second year.
Alice Kelikian
HIST
173b
Digital History, Digital Historians: What's it All About?
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"Digital Humanities" are becoming widespread as a research approach to history. These qualitative and quantitative methods offer historians new research insights and efficiencies. This course explores Digital Humanities through reading, discussion, and experimentation to discover their strengths and weaknesses. Usually offered every year.
Amy Singer
HIST
174b
History Lab: Research and Writing in History
[
dl
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Offers a unique opportunity to engage in real historical research. Through research into key themes in history, it introduces components of the historian's craft, opens up archives and exposes students to the exciting field of digital humanities research. Usually offered every second year.
Hannah Muller
HIST
186a
Europe in World War II
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dl
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Examines the military and diplomatic, social and economic history of the war. Topics include war origins; allied diplomacy; the neutrals; war propaganda; occupation, resistance, and collaboration; the mass murder of the Jews; "peace feelers"; the war economies; scientific warfare and the development of nuclear weapons; and the origins of the Cold War. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
HIST/WGS
120b
Queer History in the United States
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deis-us
dl
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Traces shifting concepts and practices of gender and sexual deviance in the United States from the colonial period to the present. We will treat queer identity and experience as a topic of historical inquiry as well as a theoretical problem, following the way that currently distinct concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality historically defined each other in shifting configurations. Topics include: queer life and concepts of gender and sexuality before Stonewall; the emergence of the categories of heterosexuality and homosexuality, and later transgender identity; the dependence of gender and sexual categories on class and racial categories; the mechanisms of state and informal policing of gender and sexual norms; the creation of social movements around queer an0d gender-nonconforming identities; attitudes towards gender nonconformity in the gay rights and feminist movements of the seventies; the AIDS Crisis and activist responses to it; and the politics of contemporary representations of the history of queer and transgender struggle. Usually offered every year.
AJ Murphy
HSSP
100b
Introduction to Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Population Health
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Core course for the HSSP major and minor. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Provides an orientation to the science of epidemiology, the quantitative foundation for public health policy. As a comprehensive survey course, students from varying academic backgrounds are introduced to biostatistics and major epidemiological concepts, and provided with training in their application to the study of health and disease in human populations. Case studies examine how environmental, physical, behavioral, psychological, and social factors contribute to the disease burden of populations. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
JOUR
111b
Advanced Multimedia Storytelling Workshop
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dl
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Prerequisite: EL 12b, EL 13a, JOUR 12b, JOUR 13a, JOUR 109B, or JOUR 113A, or permission of the instructor.
In their highest form, podcasts can envelop us in narratives that rival the richness of character and incident in the best documentary films. This course connects these two media and invites students to produce multiple episodes of narrative non-fiction in audio (and optionally visual) storytelling modes, developing a central theme or concept of their own devising. Usually offered every semester.
Mark Dellelo
JOUR
113a
Long-form Journalism: Storytelling for Magazines and Podcasts
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What makes for a great story? This course will examine the hallmarks of successful narrative nonfiction, in both written and audio form. Students will analyze award-winning magazine stories as well as reporting-based podcasts that have injected new energy and financial success into the journalism world. They will learn story structure and techniques to capture and hold the audience's attention. And they will learn by doing, producing their own podcasts and written pieces. his course fulfills the Reporting requirement of the Journalism minor. Usually offered every year.
Neil Swidey
JOUR
130b
Science Journalism, the Pandemic, and Disinformation
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What is the best way to communicate real science in the age of fake news? Students will learn the hallmarks of sound science and medical writing and the dangerous public-health consequences of disinformation and misinformation, with a particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include the growth of vaccine denial and the challenges of interpreting scientific studies while avoiding spin. Usually offered every second year.
Neil Swidey
LING
105a
Phonetics
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Prerequisite: LING 100a.
Introduces the production and perception of the sounds of human speech in the world's languages. Covers the transcription of speech, articulatory phonetics (anatomy and physiology of speech), acoustic phonetics (transmission of speech), and auditory phonetics (perception of speech). Usually offered every second year.
Keith Plaster
LING
140a
Discourse and Pragmatics
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Prerequisite: LING 100a, enrollment in the Master of Science in Computational Linguistics program, or permission of the instructor.
Assuming a theory of sentence-level linguistic competence, what phenomena are still to be accounted for in the explication of language knowledge? The class explores topics in language use in context, including anaphora, deixis, implicature, speech acts, information packaging, and pragmatics of dialogue. Usually offered every second year.
Sophia Malamud
LING
195a
Introduction to Research in Linguistics and Computational Linguistics
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Prerequisite: either (a) Two of LING 110a, LING 120b, LING 130a, or LING 140a, or (b) COSI 114b and concurrent enrollment in COSI 134a.
Introduction to researching a topic of interest from the primary literature and doing independent research in linguistics or computational linguistics. In short assignments, class presentations, and a final research paper, students gradually complete the initial stages of a research project. In the process, the course explores scholarly and scientific approaches to research in various areas of linguistics and computational linguistics, including the relevant terminology, concepts, and procedures associated with academic writing and research in these areas. Usually offered every year.
Lotus Goldberg
LING
197a
Language Acquisition and Development
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Open to all students.
The central problem of first language acquisition is to explain what makes this formidable task possible. Theories of language acquisition are studied, and conclusions are based on recent research in the development of syntax, semantics, and phonology. The overall goal is to arrive at a coherent picture of the language learning process. Usually offered every second year.
Sophia Malamud or Keith Plaster
MATH
122a
Numerical Methods and Big Data
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Prerequisites: MATH 15a or MATH 22a and MATH 20a or MATH 22b, and basic proficiency with a programming language such as Python or Matlab.
Introduces fundamental techniques of numerical linear algebra widely used for data science and scientific computing. The purpose of this course is to introduce methods that are useful in applications and research. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MATH
124a
Optimization
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Prerequisites: MATH 15a or MATH 22a, MATH 20a or MATH 22b, MATH 23b, and basic proficiency with a programming language such as Python or Matlab, or permission of the instructor.
Explores the theory of mathematical optimization and its fundamental algorithms, emphasizing problems arising in machine learning, economics, and operations research. Topics include linear and integer programming, convex analysis, and duality. Usually offered every second year.
Tyler Maunu
MUS
101a
Western Classical and Popular Music I: How It's Made, Part 1
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Admission by placement exam to be given in class on the first day of instruction. Corequisite: MUS 102a must be taken at the same time as MUS 101a.
A first course for students who already read music, but wish to develop a deeper involvement. Students investigate how music "works" by composing exercises based on examples of tonal music and literature that students are practicing for performance. Focuses on elementary harmony and voice-leading, counterpoint, analysis, and model composition. In the required one-hour lab (MUS 102a), students practice sight-singing and dictation, skills essential to music literacy. Usually offered every year.
Justin Casinghino
MUS
101b
Western Classical and Popular Music I: How It's Made, Part 2
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Prerequisite: MUS 101a. Corequisite: MUS 102b must be taken at the same time as MUS 101b.
The second semester introduces broad concepts of theory and begins the process of learning to write and analyze music. By the end of the year, students will gain experience in counterpoint, harmony, and formal analysis, and will compose in a simple form. Throughout the year, the relationship of repertoire and theory is stressed. The required ear-training and keyboard lab meets separately. Usually offered every year.
Yu-Hui Chang
MUS
103a
Western Classical and Popular Music II: How It's Made, Part 1
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Prerequisites: MUS 101a,b and 102a,b. Corequisite: MUS 104a must be taken at the same time as MUS 103a.
This course builds on MUS 101. Chromatic tonal harmony is covered, and short pieces of nineteenth century music are analyzed in depth. Students will analyze pieces on their own and write analytical papers. Students will also harmonize various chorale melodies. The required ear training and keyboard lab meets separately. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
103b
Western Classical and Popular Music II: How It's Made, Part 2
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Prerequisite: MUS 103a. Corequisite: MUS 104B must be taken at the same time as MUS 103b.
A continuation of MUS 103a. Twentieth century styles and techniques are covered, including extended tonality and atonality. Several compositional projects are assigned and performed in class. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
107a
Introduction to Electro-Acoustic Music
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Prerequisite: Any music course or permission of the instructor.
A course designed to give students basic studio skills and a context for listening to and working in electronic music. Topics include basic acoustics, sound design, digital and analog recording techniques, and assignments on the pioneers and current practitioners of electro-acoustic music. Involves hands-on experience in the use of MIDI-controlled synthesizers, samplers, production equipment, and includes individual studio projects based on individual studio time. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
160b
Electronic Music Composition and Production
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Preference given to students who have taken MUS 107a or have permission of the instructor. Intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
Builds upon topics from MUS 107a and develops these into the professional skills of recording, production, and electronic composition. Students will refine these skills in both individual and collaborative projects. Work is carried out in BEAMS (Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio), but every effort will be made to equip students to compose on their own computers and to work collaboratively using contemporary tools, especially the Internet. Foundational concepts and approaches for this course will be drawn from both 20th century Avant Garde electronic composition and the commercial/popular music industry. Usually offered every other year.
Staff
MUS
161a
Electro-Acoustic Music Composition
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Prerequisite: MUS 107a or MUS 160b, or permission of the instructor. Intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
Composing for electronic media. Advanced topics in software synthesis, sound design, studio production. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
175a
Instrumentation and Orchestration
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Prerequisites: MUS 101a and b.
Technical projects in the art of writing for instruments and for groups of instruments, from chamber groups of various sizes to full orchestra. Score study of examples from 1770 to the present. Additional focus on notation and on rules for instrumental parts. Usually offered every second year.
David Rakowski
MUS
180b
Proseminar in Digital Musicology
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Digital musicology, a relatively new subfield of the discipline of musicology, deploys music information retrieval and analysis methods to answer questions of significance to musicologists. This hands-on proseminar, suitable for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, will teach the standards for encoding music data, and will introduce the various analytical methodologies used to answer a variety of music research questions (searching, pattern recognition, and analysis using toolkits and software such as music21, Humdrum, and jSymbolic). In addition, we will survey some general digital humanities tools and techniques (distant reading, text analysis, network analysis, and visualization), and read about some important debates in the field (rebalancing the canon, access and accessibility, and sustainability). Students who complete the course will understand how to discover digital musicology projects and how to evaluate them, and develop music research questions and answer them using the tools and approaches covered in this course. No prior programming knowledge required, although students are expected to have a basic understanding of music notation. This course satisfies the Digital Literacy component of the Brandeis core curriculum. Usually offered every third year.
Karen Desmond
NBIO
136b
Computational Neuroscience
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Prerequisites: MATH 10a or MATH 10b or MATH 15a and either NBIO 140b or PHYS 10b or PHYS 11b or COSI 11a.
An introduction to concepts and methods in computer modeling and analysis of neural systems. Topics include single and multicompartmental models of neurons, information representation and processing by populations of neurons, synaptic plasticity and models of learning, working memory, decision making and neural oscillations. The course will be based on in-class computer tutorials, assuming no prior coding experience, with reading assignments and preparation as homework. Usually offered every second year.
Paul Miller
NEJS
123a
Maps, Graphs and Timelines: Technology and Design in Historical Research
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Learn the practical skills to represent data digitally as graphs, maps, timelines and other models. Students will develop their own research projects in topics of their interest and learn to think critically about the opportunities and pitfalls that digital methods pose, for scholarship, inclusion and for social justice. The course will include extensive practical instruction. Usually offered every second year.
Alexander Kaye
NEJS
186a
Introduction to the Qur'an
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Traces the history of the Qur'an as text, its exegesis, and its role in inter-religious polemics, law, theology, and politics. Examines the role of the Qur'an in Islamic teachings and its global impact. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
PHIL
107b
Kant's Moral Theory
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An examination of the main philosophical issues addressed in Kant's Critique of Practical Reason from the perspective of their relation to works specifically belonging to his ethical theory: the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and the Metaphysics of Morals. Usually offered every second year.
Kate Moran
PHIL
138b
Philosophy of Mathematics
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Prerequisite: A course in logic or permission of the instructor.
Basic issues in the foundations of mathematics will be explored through close study of selections from Frege, Russell, Carnap, and others, as well as from contemporary philosophers. Questions addressed include: What are the natural numbers? Do they exist in the same sense as tables and chairs? How can "finite beings" grasp infinity? What is the relationship between arithmetic and geometry? The classic foundational "programs," logicism, formalism, and intuitionism, are explored. Usually offered every second year.
Palle Yourgrau
POL
119a
Seminar: Red States, Blue States: Understanding Contemporary American Voters and Parties
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What are the root causes of contemporary partisan polarization and how do we explain the observed differentiation in partisan leanings across red and blue states? In this seminar, students will pursue guided, independent research on voter and party behavior. Because of the focus on primary research, students are encouraged, although not required, to have taken POL 52A (or an equivalent) prior to enrolling in POL 119. Usually offered every year.
Lucy Goodhart
POL
123a
Seminar: Political Psychology
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Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
Explores public opinion, political socialization, and political behavior through the lens of psychology. Applying psychological theory to traditional topics in political science is emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Jill Greenlee
POL
129b
Internet and Politics
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Prerequisite: POL 10a, POL 11b, POL 14b, or POL 15a.
Explores the effects of the Internet on politics and society. Covers issues of Internet governance and institutions, the rise of the global network economy, and the effects of the Internet on social identity. Contemporaneous events and issues such as the digital revolutions, the digital divide, fake news, and coordinated disinformation campaigns are also covered in detail. Usually offered every year.
Steven Wilson
POL
137b
Seminar: Psychology of Political Violence
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Why do people become terrorists? Social scientists argue that organizations use terrorism because it is a rational means for obtaining their objectives. But why do individuals sacrifice themselves for a cause? Drawing on behavioral economics and criminal psychology in addition to political sociology, the course will review new approaches to the study of extreme political violence. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen
POL
141a
Elections and Electoral Systems in Comparative Perspective
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Introduces students to the scientific study of elections and electoral systems from a comparative standpoint. Students will be exposed to social scientific literature on elections, analyze these processes from a comparative perspective, and learn how to use digital tools, such as ArcGIS and online mapping software (GIS) to analyze electoral processes. Usually offered every year.
Alejandro Trelles
POL
160a
The War on Global Terrorism
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Intended for juniors and seniors, but open to all students.
Explores how 9/11 changed our lives. The course surveys the build-up of Al Queda leading up to the 9/11 attacks and ten years of counter terrorism. Students are given an introduction to Jihadist doctrines and Al Queda's structure, as well as theories about the cause of terrorism. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen
POL
163a
Seminar: The United Nations and the United States
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Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
Investigates the United Nations organization and charter, with an emphasis on the integral role of the United States in its founding and operation. Using archival documents and other digitized materials, explores topics such as UN enforcement actions, the Security Council veto, human rights, and the domestic politics of US commitments to the UN. Usually offered every second year.
Kerry Chase
POL
165a
Dilemmas of Security Cooperation
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States regularly cooperate in the security domain. They can choose to band together in alliances, rely on stronger states for defense, or improve weaker actors' capacity to fight or defend themselves by providing arms and training. Security cooperation is a major feature of international relations, with powerful actors like the United States spending billions each year on efforts to arm, equip, and train partner militaries around the world. But security cooperation contains many dilemmas where states face difficult choices between alternatives without clear answers. Efforts to increase security can lead to unintended consequences, both for states and for the people who live in them. This course explores different dilemmas across a range of topics, considering both the causes and consequences of security cooperation. Topics include alliances, proxy warfare, arms transfers and military aid, peacekeeping, and security outcomes ranging from combat effectiveness to political violence and human rights. Usually offered every third year.
Renanah Joyce
RECS
100a
Russian Soul: Masterworks of Modern Russian Culture
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Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian. Satisfies the Proseminar requirement for the Russian Studies major.
Examines masterpieces of modern Russian culture in literature, film, philosophy, art, music, theater, opera and ballet. How has Russian culture treated such common human themes as life, death, love, language, identity, and community? What makes Russian cultural tradition unique? Usually offered every second year.
David Powelstock
RUS
105a
Russia Today: Advanced Language Skills through Contemporary Culture
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Prerequisite: RUS 40b with a grade of C- or higher, or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Taught in Russian.
For advanced students of Russian language (non-heritage learners) who strive for advanced-level proficiency in all four modalities (listening, reading, speaking and writing). Explores aspects of contemporary Russian society and culture, including such topics as education, social media, religion, gender relations, environment and others. Usually offered every fourth year.
Irina Dubinina
RUS
106b
Advanced Russian Language through Film
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Prerequisite: RUS 29b or RUS 40b with a grade of C- or higher, or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Taught in Russian.
For advanced and heritage students of Russian who wish to enhance their proficiency and accuracy in speaking, listening and writing, and learn about Russian/Soviet culture. Course activities focus on discussions of Russian and Soviet societies as portrayed in Russian/Soviet films; oral presentation assignments help students develop their public speaking skills. Usually offered every fourth year.
Irina Dubinina
RUS
115b
Topics in Russian Culture and Society
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Prerequisite: Advanced Russian language skills.
For heritage and advanced students of Russian who wish to enhance their proficiency and accuracy in speaking, reading and writing. Introduces students to issues central to Russian folklore. Through an analysis of chronicles, icons, epic tales, and folktales, discussions will explore the roots of Russian cultural values and beliefs. Students will examine structures and archetypes in folktales and magic tales. Usually offered every fourth year.
Irina Dubinina
RUS
150b
Advanced Russian Language through 20th Century Literature
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Prerequisite (heritage speakers): RUS 29b with a grade of C- or higher, or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Prerequisite (non-heritage speakers): RUS 40b or the equivalent. Taught in Russian. Course may be repeated for credit with instructor's permission.
A seminar for continuing students of Russian who wish to enhance their proficiency and accuracy in speaking, reading and writing. Focusing on the close study of Russian literature in the original Russian and the development of Russian oral and written language skills needed for the close reading and discussion of literature. Usually offered every second year.
Irina Dubinina
RUS
153a
Advanced Russian Language through 19th Century Literature
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Prerequisite: RUS 29b or RUS 40b with a grade of C- or higher, or the equivalent as determined by placement examination. Taught in Russian.
An undergraduate seminar for heritage and advanced students of Russian. Focus on the study of 19th-century Russian literature in the original and development of Russian oral and written skills needed for the close reading and discussion of literature. Usually offered every fourth year.
Irina Dubinina
RUS
160b
Russian/Soviet Jews: Dual Identities in Text, Image and Music
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Prerequisite: Advanced Russian language skills.
An undergraduate seminar introduces heritage and advanced students of Russian to a number of Russian Jewish artists and writers who created in the Russian language and who made significant contributions to 20th-century Soviet and Russian literature, cinema, theater, and music. Through analyses and discussions of texts, images and music created by Russian-speaking Jews, students will explore the role Russian Jews played in shaping the Soviet and modern Russian culture. Usually offered every fourth year.
Irina Dubinina
SOC
110a
Latinx Sociology
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Focuses on the sociology of Latinx communities within the United States. The course will cover a variety of topics that are of interest to sociologists, including race, gender, sexuality, class, family, immigration, and activism. Usually offered every third year.
Sarah Mayorga
SOC
140a
Investigating the Past: Historical Methods in Sociology
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Examines the ways historical questions are posed and answered within sociology. Using the case of U.S. history, it evaluates sources of evidence from the federal government, land maps, Native American accounts, African American oral histories, written documents and personal narratives. Usually offered every third year.
Karen V. Hansen
THA
125b
The Art of Scenography: Scenic Design and Invention for Performance
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May be repeated for credit if taught by different instructors. Open to non-majors.
Introduces students to the process of creating evocative and imaginative designs for the stage. This course is designed for students of all majors and years who want to learn about scenic design. Working with a variety of source material, students will explore how to develop ideas and striking theatrical images that tell the story of the text. How can we create a psychological visual environment that transports the viewer to another time and space? How do textures, colors, and composition work on the mind? We will use installation art, sculptural thinking, and creative writing to inspire our environments. We will examine the body and the space it inhabits to create new interdisciplinary possibilities. How can new technologies such as video and projection inform our process? Working in a studio setting, students will be introduced to methods and craft of set design - including research, sketching, model making and drafting. Above all, students will be asked to take risks, and begin to develop their artistic vision. Of interest to designers, directors, film-makers, fine artists, and anyone interested in the process of creating a visual story line. Students are required to purchase materials. Usually offered every year.
Cameron Anderson
(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students
HS
263f
Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Prerequisite: HS 297f or permission of the instructor.
Designed for students wishing to receive advanced training in GIS. Instruction includes geospatial data management and archiving, raster and vector analysis techniques, and basic GPS instruction. Emphasis is on 'hands-on' training using ARCView GIS software; qualitative skills in data gathering, analysis, and presentation; and understanding the potential of GIS as a tool for planning and evaluating development projects. Includes a computer lab. Usually offered every year.
Ravi Lakshmikanthan
HS
297f
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
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Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
A primer for non-specialists on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its capabilities as a tool for planning and monitoring. Students learn how to determine an organization's GIS requirements, focus on those requirements during planning, and apply the requirements to assess the size and scope of the system needed. Includes a computer lab. Usually offered every semester.
Staff