An introduction to some of the major perspectives, themes, and issues in the field of Afro-American studies. Our focus is on the economic, social and political aspects of cultural production, and how these inform what it means to read, write about, view and listen to Black culture.

Designed to introduce students to the methods of inquiry used for research in Africana Studies. Through intensive study of a single topic (past examples: Toni Morrison's Beloved, the American South, The Black Seventies) students will consider the formation of the field, engage canonical texts, attend lectures and learn from scholars whose work is based in a variety of disciplines. Focus will be on the challenges and opportunities made possible by doing multi- and interdisciplinary research: how and why scholars ask and approach research questions and have conversations with each other. Students may explore and develop their own research project.

The African continent’s place as the cradle of humanity has made it central to Anthropology however, Anthropology’s imperial origins have long put it at odds with the people of the African Diaspora. This course examines the complexities of the relationship between Anthropology and the African Diaspora. We begin with an exploration of the African Diaspora as space, place, and identity. We then critically examine Anthropology’s history and explore the discipline’s core theories and thinkers. Finally, we turn to broadening our thinking of the discipline’s canon and look to the future, examining key ethnographies of and from the African diaspora. Enrollment limited to 50. (E)
 

This interdisciplinary course explores over two decades of work produced by and about Black Queer Diasporic communities throughout the circum-Atlantic world. While providing an introduction to various artists and intellectuals of the Black Queer Diaspora, this course examines the viability of Black Queer Diaspora world-making praxis as a form of theorizing. We will interrogate the transnational and transcultural mobility of specific Black Queer Diasporic forms of peacemaking, erotic knowledge productions, as well as the concept of “aesthetics” more broadly. Our aim is to use the prism of Blackness/Queerness/Diaspora to highlight the dynamic relationship between Black Diaspora Studies and Queer Studies.

The course introduces students to the main theoretical interpretations of culture in the Caribbean, and gives an overview of Caribbean cultural history. Students will be expected to analyze the impact of colonialism, race, class, gender and sexuality in the formation of Caribbean cultural practices, and to interpret cultural expression in its broadest political sense. Key theoretical terms that are central to any understanding of Caribbean cultural thought – the plantation, diaspora, creolization – will be addressed in detail in the course. These key terms in Caribbean cultural thought are mobilized in order to give students the analytical tools to consider a wide variety of Caribbean cultural practices, identity formations, and ways of interpreting social reality in the region.

What is the nature of the Black radical imagination? This course on the Black Radical Tradition draws on the thought and marronage emblematic of the Black experience of New World coloniality, through speech acts, poetry, essays, historical studies and cultural criticism, students will immerse themselves in an intensive examination of the meaning of Blackness at the beginning of the third decade of an unsettled century. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors & Seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required

Tourism is often lauded as the key to economic development for many countries. However, scholarly work has shown that historical relationships to imperialism and colonialism impact how people and places experience tourism. This course introduces students to debates, methods and conceptual frameworks in the study of race, sex, and tourism. Through a review of scholarly texts, tourism paraphernalia, films, and travelogues we examine the social, political, and ethical considerations inherent in multiple forms of tourism including eco-tourism; wellness or health; sun-sand-sea, heritage, dark, and voluntourism in locales ranging from the Caribbean and the Americas to Africa and Europe. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and Seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

What do Americans want? What do they fear? What is an American? How do we draw the line between those who belong and those who do not? How do we define citizenship, its rights and responsibilities? How do race, gender, class and other differences affect the drawing of these boundaries, and the contents of consciousness? This course introduces some of the exciting and innovative approaches to cultural analysis that have emerged over the last three decades. Students apply these methods to a variety of texts and practices (stories, movies, television shows, music, advertisements, clothes, buildings, laws, markets, bodies) in an effort to acquire the tools to become skillful readers of American culture, and to become more critical and aware as scholars and citizens. Prerequisite: AMS 201 is recommended but not required.

A seventeenth-century engraving imagines an encounter between two men wearing feathers and holding onto the same string of shells: depending on your perspective, this image looks like a scene of trade or one of theft at knife-point. In understanding moments from the past, representation and perspective shape not just interpretation, but sources themselves. Seeing moments as both trade and theft opens them to tellings and analyses from multiple perspectives, exposing overlooked elements and revealing the ways in which histories are made. This course introduces students to Early American history (c1500-1800) through the themes of trade, theft, representation, and perspective. (E)

Comedy has been a primary site for enacting and contesting citizenship in the United States. This course presents a history of comedy from the nineteenth century to the present to analyze the role of humor in shaping racial and gender stereotypes, as well as expressions of solidarity, resistance, and joy among marginalized groups. Case studies include blackface minstrelsy, stand up comedy, sit-coms, satirical news, social media posts, and cancel culture debates. The course applies cultural studies, affect theory, media studies, feminist studies, and critical race studies to analyze the social, political, psychological, and emotional work of comedy.

This is a creative nonfiction writing workshop, wherein we will improve our writing using photography as muse, guide, foil, and inspiration. Our aim is to write long, creative non fiction pieces about current issues in American life, using photography as a method for inspiring, analyzing and improving our prose. We will be taking some photos, and doing a lot of reporting and writing, applying principles of photography such as point of view, depth of field, focus, flatness and timing to help us grapple with the essentials of narrative prose. Our stories will range from blog posts to profiles to fully realized long form, magazine-style, nonfiction articles. This is not a photography course, and if your photography improves as a result of it, that is a happy accident. Please submit a piece of original writing, of approximately 1000 words, of any genre, that you feel represents your current level of expertise. No prior experience with photography is required. Not open to students who have taken ENG 290 Writing Through Photography. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Writing Sample and Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This seminar combines historical, theoretical, and material cultural sources about housing justice, and housing injustice, in the United States. A significant component of the course involves teaching students how to build a tiny house, while critically considering scholarly and popular cultural sources engaging the present, past, and (potential) future roles of small homes in America. In the class, we will pay particular attention to cultural-historical trends in home size and location as a way to better understand race, class, disability, settler colonialism, gender, age, sexuality, “the urban,” nature, sustainability, nation, and other analytics key to cutting-edge American Studies scholarship. Enrollment limited to 10. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required. (E)

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required. Classroom MacLeish Field Station.

This course explores the similarities and differences in the cultural patterning of human experience, compares economic, political, religious and family structures in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania and analyzes the impact of the modern world on traditional societies. Several ethnographic films are viewed in coordination with descriptive case studies. Limited to first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 25.

This course explores the similarities and differences in the cultural patterning of human experience, compares economic, political, religious and family structures in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania and analyzes the impact of the modern world on traditional societies. Several ethnographic films are viewed in coordination with descriptive case studies. Limited to first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 25.

This course explores the similarities and differences in the cultural patterning of human experience, compares economic, political, religious and family structures in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania and analyzes the impact of the modern world on traditional societies. Several ethnographic films are viewed in coordination with descriptive case studies. Limited to first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 25.

Offered as ANT 135 and ARC 135. This course studies past cultures and societies through their material remains and explores how archaeologists use different field methods, analytical technique and theoretical approaches to investigate, reconstruct and learn from the past. Data from settlement surveys, site excavations and artifact analysis are used to address economic, social, political and ideological questions across time and space. This course is taught from an anthropological perspective, exploring key transitions in human prehistory, including the origins of food production, social inequality and state-level societies across the globe. Relevance of archaeological practice in modern political, economic and social contexts is explored. Limited to first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 30.

This course introduces students to the variety of methods of inquiry used for research in anthropology. Throughout the semester, students are introduced to methods of locating and analyzing information and sources, developing research questions and writing. Normally taken in the spring of the sophomore or junior year. Prerequisite: ANT 130. Enrollment limited to 20. ANT Majors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a general introduction to anthropological analysis of politics and the political. Through a broad survey of anthropological texts and theories, we explore what an ethnographic perspective can offer to our understandings of power and government. Special emphasis is placed on the role of culture, symbols and social networks in the political life of local communities. Examples are drawn from a number of case studies in Africa, East Asia, Latin America and the United States, and range in scale from studies of local politics in small-scale societies to analyses of nationalism and political performance in modern nation-states. Enrollment limited to 30.

This course offers an overview of the archaeology of South America, from the earliest traces of human occupation over 10,000 years ago to the material culture of the present. We focus on how archaeologists use data collected during settlement surveys, site excavations, and artifact analysis to reconstruct
households and foodways, social and political organization, and ritual and identity over the millennia. Topics also include the relevance of the past in contemporary indigenous rights movements, heritage management strategies, and nationalist projects.

This course looks at the cultural construction of illness through an examination of systems of diagnosis, classification and therapy in both non-Western and Western societies. Special attention is given to the role of the traditional healer, the anthropological contribution to international health care and the training of physicians in the United States. Not open to first years. Enrollment limited to 30.

Offered as MUS 258 and ANT 258. This course analyzes cultural performances as sites for the expression and formation of social identity. Students study various performance genres such as rituals, festivals, parades, cultural shows, music, dance and theater. Topics include expressive culture as resistance; debates around authenticity and heritage; the performance of race, class and ethnic identities; the construction of national identity; and the effects of globalization on indigenous performances. Enrollment limited to 30.

What can anthropologists teach us about religion as a social phenomenon? This course traces significant anthropological approaches to the study of religion, asking what these approaches contribute to our understanding of religion in the contemporary world. Topics include religious experience and rationality; myth, ritual and magic; rites of passage; function and meaning; power and alienation; religion and politics. Readings are drawn from important texts in the history of anthropology and from contemporary ethnographies of religion.

Disability is both a universal human reality and a profoundly embodied, contested, and situated experience. This course explores this tension from a range of methodological and theoretical perspectives, with an emphasis on innovative ethnographic work. Our approach will be insistently transnational and intersectional, taking into account how disabled selves and communities are shaped by geographical and historical context, racial and ethnic identity, class background, gender, and sexuality. We will consider concepts and themes such as embodiment, citizenship and belonging, access and visibility, creativity, medicalization and diagnosis, politics and advocacy, and virtuality and technology. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This is a communication-oriented course in Arabic at the intermediate level, incorporating both Modern Standard and colloquial Arabic and providing students with an opportunity to hone their skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will expand their ability to create with the language while reinforcing fundamentals and expanding their knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and culture. In addition to in-class teamwork, students will produce a variety of essays, presentations and skits throughout the semester. Prerequisite: ARA 101 or its equivalent.

This helps students achieve an advanced level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic with an exposure to one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. Students read within a normal range of speed, listen to, discuss and respond in writing to authentic texts by writers from across the Arab world. Text types address a range of political, social, religious and literary themes and represent a range of genres, styles and periods. All of these texts may include hypothesis, argumentation and supported opinions that covers both linguistic and cultural knowledge. This course covers Al-Kitaab, Book 3, units 1-5 in addition to extra instructional materials. Prerequisite: ARA 202, or the completion of Al-Kitaab, Book 2, or its equivalent. Students must be able to use formal spoken Arabic as the medium of communication in the classroom.

This course aims to enable students to further develop their advanced level of proficiency across the four skills of speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Precise vocabulary will be used to engage in complicated arguments and study abstract topics that will include rich cultural components. Gaining proficiency in writing and in reading original sources in Arabic will receive particular emphasis. The goal of the course is to equip students to make active use of Arabic in a variety of social, educational, and professional contexts. Prerequisite: ARA 301. Enrollment limited to 15.

Offered as ANT 135 and ARC 135. This course studies past cultures and societies through their material remains and explores how archaeologists use different field methods, analytical technique and theoretical approaches to investigate, reconstruct and learn from the past. Data from settlement surveys, site excavations and artifact analysis are used to address economic, social, political and ideological questions across time and space. This course is taught from an anthropological perspective, exploring key transitions in human prehistory, including the origins of food production, social inequality and state-level societies across the globe. Relevance of archaeological practice in modern political, economic and social contexts is explored. Limited to first-year students and sophomores. Enrollment limited to 30.

This course explores how art and architecture have profoundly shaped visual experiences and shifting understandings of the past and present. Featuring different case studies, each section includes work with original objects, site visits and writings about art. Unifying themes include: (1) materials, techniques and the patterns deployed to create space; (2) the design, function and symbolism of images and monuments; (3) artistic production and its relation to individual and institutional patronage, religion, politics and aesthetics; (4) issues turning on artists’ fame versus anonymity and uniqueness versus reproducibility; and (5) cross-cultural exchanges. Enrollment limited to 25.

This course explores how art and architecture have profoundly shaped visual experiences and shifting understandings of the past and present. Featuring different case studies, each section includes work with original objects, site visits and writings about art. Unifying themes include: (1) materials, techniques and the patterns deployed to create space; (2) the design, function and symbolism of images and monuments; (3) artistic production and its relation to individual and institutional patronage, religion, politics and aesthetics; (4) issues turning on artists’ fame versus anonymity and uniqueness versus reproducibility; and (5) cross-cultural exchanges. Enrollment limited to 25.

This course explores how art and architecture have profoundly shaped visual experiences and shifting understandings of the past and present. Featuring different case studies, each section includes work with original objects, site visits and writings about art. Unifying themes include: (1) materials, techniques and the patterns deployed to create space; (2) the design, function and symbolism of images and monuments; (3) artistic production and its relation to individual and institutional patronage, religion, politics and aesthetics; (4) issues turning on artists’ fame versus anonymity and uniqueness versus reproducibility; and (5) cross-cultural exchanges. Enrollment limited to 25.

How does conquest by foreigners change the ways that images, civic spaces and objects are created and used? What kinds of hybrids does colonization produce? Is it possible to describe what is “colonial” about art or architecture? Focusing on recent scholarship, this seminar addresses these queries, highlighting the 16th–19th centuries. Among the topics we consider are interpretive work in the field of “colonial studies,” the mapping and construction of colonial spaces, exchanges that brought people and objects into contact (and conflict) with one another, how colonialism can shape the meaning of objects, and the nationalist histories of colonial projects. Enrollment limited to 20.

For more than a thousand years, ink has been maintained as the principal medium of painting and calligraphy in East Asia. This course surveys the continuities and ruptures of East Asian ink art seen through the formal, cultural and political factors. It also unravels the constant re-appropriation of the “archaic” medium. The course embraces art works in various media—paintings, calligraphy, books, woodblock prints, installation, performance and animation—that were created by premodern and modern artists. Sessions will be organized both thematically and according to a rough, chronological sequence. Group A, B

This course presents a global survey of architecture and urbanism since 1945, from post-World War II reconstruction and planning, through critiques of modernism, to postmodernism, deconstruction, critical regionalism and beyond. Major buildings, projects, movements and tendencies are examined in their historical, theoretical and rhetorical contexts. Group B, Counts for ARU

This course examines intersections of art and medicine from the late 18th century to the present. Considering a variety of texts and objects, from wax medical models and public health posters to Mona Hatoum’s cell-like sculptures and photographic coverage of the 2014 Ebola epidemic, we will disentangle how medical understandings of the body filter into artistic production and popular thought and vice versa. While course material is primarily from Europe and the United States, we will attend to the ways medical imaginings of the body engage with imperialism and geopolitical boundaries, as well as race, gender, ability, class, and sexuality. (E)

Everyday objects have often been marginalized in art history. Until fairly recently, when these objects were under consideration—especially in histories of Europe and the United States in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries—they were framed as frivolous indicators of bourgeois taste. This course posits that histories of design, decorative arts, and material culture in the west reveal critical histories of imperialism, spotlighting topics such as migration, violation, appropriation, and indigenous agency. Far from benign indicators of status, then, this course asks students to position objects from the history of design, decorative arts, and material culture as critical historical texts. (E)

Both urban armature and instruments of empire, streets design and shape human existence in a multiplicity of ways. This course will explore the street as a space for social ritual and cultural expression, the varying ideologies which have informed their planning, and their mutability over time. Utilizing cases studies from ancient Rome to modern strip malls, from nineteenth century Paris to late twentieth century Istanbul, from contemporary Los Angeles to Osaka, the course will also consider architectural theory as it relates to urban culture. Students will have the opportunity to do original research on streets of their choice in different chronological and cultural contexts. Enrollment limited to 18. (E)

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, European aristocrats and others undertook journeys abroad, sometimes several years in length, to develop and hone their appreciation of history, culture and the visual arts, with Italy as the privileged destination. While sojourning here and there, tourists sought works of art (printed images importantly among them) that recorded the buildings, paintings and sculptures they had encountered, and artists in Rome and elsewhere strove to turn this demand to account. This seminar explores this and numerous other facets of this striking and consequential form of multicultural education and precursor of modern mass tourism. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

An introduction to the use of digital media in the context of contemporary art practice. Students explore content development and design principles through a series of projects involving text, still image and moving image. This class involves critical discussions of studio projects in relation to contemporary art and theory. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 14.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

An introduction to visual experience through a study of the basic elements of drawing. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 18.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

An introduction to visual experience through a study of the basic elements of drawing. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 18.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

An introduction to visual experience through a study of the basic elements of drawing. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 18.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

An introduction to visual experience through a study of the basic elements of drawing. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 18.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This cross-disciplinary studio course involves two-dimensional, three-dimensional and time-based approaches. Students are introduced to a range of conceptual and practical frameworks for making and thinking about art. This course is strongly recommended for students considering the art major. By emphasizing visual thinking, risk-taking and critical reflection, this course also has relevance for other disciplines. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Priority given to first-year students.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This cross-disciplinary studio course involves two-dimensional, three-dimensional and time-based approaches. Students are introduced to a range of conceptual and practical frameworks for making and thinking about art. This course is strongly recommended for students considering the art major. By emphasizing visual thinking, risk-taking and critical reflection, this course also has relevance for other disciplines. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Priority given to first-year students.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This cross-disciplinary studio course involves two-dimensional, three-dimensional and time-based approaches. Students are introduced to a range of conceptual and practical frameworks for making and thinking about art. This course is strongly recommended for students considering the art major. By emphasizing visual thinking, risk-taking and critical reflection, this course also has relevance for other disciplines. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Priority given to first-year students.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This course builds working knowledge of multimedia digital artwork through experience with a variety of software, focusing on video and time-based media. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 14. No prerequisites.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

Various spatial and pictorial concepts are investigated through the oil medium. Prerequisite: ARS 163 or permission of the instructor. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 18.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

The human figure and other natural forms. Work in modeling and plaster casting. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ARS 163, 172, or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This course introduces students to different installation strategies (e.g., working with multiples, found objects, light and site-specificity, among others). Coursework includes a series of projects, critiques, readings and a paper. Students may require additional supplies and are responsible for purchasing them directly. Enrollment limited to 12. Prerequisite: ARS 172, or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

(1) Investigates the structure of the book as a form; (2) provides a brief history of the Latin alphabet and how it is shaped calligraphically and constructed geometrically; (3) studies traditional and non-traditional typography; and (4) practices the composition of metal type by hand and the printing of composed type on the SP-15 printing presses. A voluntary introduction to digital typography is also offered outside class. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 12.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

Relief printing from carved woodblocks can create images that range from precise and delicate to raw and expressionistic. It is a direct and flexible process that allows for printing on a variety of materials at large and small scales. We will use both ancient and contemporary technologies to produce black and white and color prints from single and multiple blocks. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ARS 163 or 172, or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

In nurturing architecture’s foundational principles of visual, material and conceptual experimentation, ARS 280 lays the foundation for subsequent studios, lifelong learning and curiosity for architectural design processes. It probes the material, organizational and spatial qualities of the ground, a shared horizontal territory inhabited by plants, people and buildings--one that is as much cultural as it is natural. Through iterative and analog processes, students integrate drawing and making to construct and reconstruct lines in the ground. Probing the physical and conceptual ground for natural or constructed patterns, students develop foundation-level design skills within the context of larger environmental and cultural discourses. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ARH 110 or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

An introduction to visual experience through a study of the basic elements of photography as an expressive medium. Each section involves either black and white or a combination of darkroom and digital processes. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ARS 162, 172 or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

Advanced problems in painting. Emphasis on thematic self direction and group critical analysis. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 12. Prerequisites: ARS 362. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This course is an opportunity for students to expand upon their existing printmaking knowledge and
learn how to combine multiple processes such as intaglio, relief, monotype, and lithography. We’ll
explore printmaking as a transformative process that creates rich, layered color relationships, builds
and responds to texture, and converts information into multiples. We will have the chance to work at
ambitious scales, including using print media to create installations, three-dimensional forms, or
distributable public projects. Hand-drawn, digital, and photographic approaches will be available. Core
studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required
for individual projects. Prerequisite: one 200-level printmaking course. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This research-based architectural design studio utilizes digital processes to analyze and reinterpret canonical architectural precedents, linking the digital to fluid conceptual ideas which are both historic and contemporary. In particular, the studio probes the spatial qualities of the moving body—as a site of both deep interiority and hyper-connectivity. In a return to the territory of the ground (see ARS 280), and within the larger context of ecologically and geopolitically induced migration and displacement, this studio investigates themes related to mobility and transience and the ways in which the body traverses territories of ground. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisites: ARS 280 and ARS 281 or permission of the instructor.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

This capstone course is required for all senior ARS majors. Students will use the framework of the course to focus, challenge and re-conceptualize their studio work in media of their choice. Critiques, readings, written assignments, presentations and discussions will support the development of an inventive and rigorous independent art practice. The semester will culminate in a group exhibition. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Enrollment limited to Smith College Senior ARS majors.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course is a permissions course, meaning all students are initially placed on the waitlist. Please read the course description to ensure you meet the listed prerequisites (if any). During November/April registration: The instructor will approve the class roster and be in touch once all students have had a chance to register. There is nothing else you need to do in the meantime. Please do not submit a course waiver unless requested. During add/drop (Jan/Sept): You may register to the waitlist and contact the instructor about attending the first day of class. If you receive permission to take the course, you should submit a Course Eligibility Waiver.

Discover how the forces of nature shape our understanding of the cosmos. Explore the origin, structure and evolution of the Earth, moons and planets, comets and asteroids, the Sun and other stars, star clusters, the Milky Way and other galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the universe as a whole. Designed for nonscience majors.

Discover how astronomers know about the universe by observing the light that comes to us from distant objects. View the sky with your naked eye, binoculars, and a small telescope. Take pictures with a professional telescope, and examine astronomical images. Designed for non-science majors. Enrollment limited to 20 students per section.

A comprehensive introduction to the study of modern astronomy, covering planets their origins, orbits, interiors, surfaces and atmospheres; stars their formation, structure and evolution; and the universe its origin, large-scale structure and ultimate destiny. This introductory course is for students who are planning to major in science or math. Prerequisite: MTH 111 or the equivalent.

A calculus-based introduction to the properties, structure, formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. The laws of gravity, thermal physics and atomic physics provide a basis for understanding observed properties of stars, interstellar gas and dust. We apply these concepts to develop an understanding of stellar atmospheres, interiors and evolution, the interstellar medium, and the Milky Way and other galaxies. Prerequisites: two semesters of college-level physics and second-semester calculus.

In this section of AST 337 we provide an introduction to the techniques of gathering and analyzing astronomical data, with an emphasis on optical observations related to studying stellar evolution. Students use Smith’s telescopes and CCD cameras to collect and analyze their own data, using the Python computing language. Topics covered include astronomical coordinate and time systems; telescope design and optics; instrumentation and techniques for imaging and photometry; astronomical detectors; digital image processing tools and techniques; atmospheric phenomena affecting astronomical observations; and error analysis and curve fitting. Prerequisites: at least one of AST 224, 225, 226 or 228, and one physics course at the 200-level. Previous experience in computer programming is strongly recommended.

Chemical dynamics in living systems. Enzyme mechanisms, metabolism and its regulation, energy production and utilization. Prerequisites: BCH 252 and CHM 224. Laboratory (353) must be taken concurrently by biochemistry majors; optional for others.

Investigations of biochemical systems using experimental techniques in current biochemical research. Emphasis is on independent experimental design and execution. BCH 352 is a prerequisite or must be taken concurrently.

Investigations of biochemical systems using experimental techniques in current biochemical research. Emphasis is on independent experimental design and execution. BCH 352 is a prerequisite or must be taken concurrently.

A course dealing with current topics in biology that are important in understanding important issues in today’s modern world. Many of these issues present important choices that must be made by individuals and by governments. Topics include cloning of plants and animals, human cloning, stem cell research, genetically modified organisms, CRISPR, bioterrorism, emerging infectious diseases such as coronavirus, Ebola, Zika and West Nile, gene therapy, DNA diagnostics and forensics, genome projects, human origins, human diversity, species extinction and de-extinction and others. The course includes outside readings and in-class discussions.

Experiential, field-based course that seeks to ground students in the planted landscape and nurture a sense of place. Identification, morphology and uses of landscape plants including annuals, perennials, woody shrubs and trees, evergreens and groundcovers. Horticultural practices such as pruning, division, hybridizing, bulb planting, close observation, and design basics. Discussions will consider equity and access, local food systems, ecosystem services, urban greening, and climate/sustainability. Field trips (remote only in 2020) are an important component of the course. Projects include a field journal, short skill-share presentations, and a landscape design activity. Students who have already taken BIO 120/121 are not eligible to take BIO 125. Enrollment limited to 15 per section.

Experiential, field-based course that seeks to ground students in the planted landscape and nurture a sense of place. Identification, morphology and uses of landscape plants including annuals, perennials, woody shrubs and trees, evergreens and groundcovers. Horticultural practices such as pruning, division, hybridizing, bulb planting, close observation, and design basics. Discussions will consider equity and access, local food systems, ecosystem services, urban greening, and climate/sustainability. Field trips (remote only in 2020) are an important component of the course. Projects include a field journal, short skill-share presentations, and a landscape design activity. Students who have already taken BIO 120/121 are not eligible to take BIO 125. Enrollment limited to 15 per section.

Students in this course investigate the origin, nature and importance of the diversity of life on Earth; key ecological processes and interactions that create and maintain communities and ecosystems; principle threats to biodiversity; and emerging conservation strategies to protect the elements and processes upon which we depend. Throughout the semester, we emphasize the relevance of diversity and ecological studies in conservation. Laboratory (BIO 131) is recommended but not required.

Pull on your boots and come explore local habitats that may include the Mill River, MacLeish Field Station, Smith campus Botanic Gardens, and local hemlock forests. Students will gain experience with a diversity of organisms by conducting research projects that can enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Students will practice the scientific process and document their work in a lab notebook. Research skills developed will include hypothesis development, data collection, statistical analysis, and presentation of results. Because research projects will vary seasonally, please see the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information. Enrollment limited to 16. BIO 130 is recommended as a prerequisite or co-requisite but is not required. (E)

Pull on your boots and come explore local habitats that may include the Mill River, MacLeish Field Station, Smith campus Botanic Gardens, and local hemlock forests. Students will gain experience with a diversity of organisms by conducting research projects that can enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Students will practice the scientific process and document their work in a lab notebook. Research skills developed will include hypothesis development, data collection, statistical analysis, and presentation of results. Because research projects will vary seasonally, please see the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information. Enrollment limited to 16. BIO 130 is recommended as a prerequisite or co-requisite but is not required. (E)

Pull on your boots and come explore local habitats that may include the Mill River, MacLeish Field Station, Smith campus Botanic Gardens, and local hemlock forests. Students will gain experience with a diversity of organisms by conducting research projects that can enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Students will practice the scientific process and document their work in a lab notebook. Research skills developed will include hypothesis development, data collection, statistical analysis, and presentation of results. Because research projects will vary seasonally, please see the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information. Enrollment limited to 16. BIO 130 is recommended as a prerequisite or co-requisite but is not required. (E)

Pull on your boots and come explore local habitats that may include the Mill River, MacLeish Field Station, Smith campus Botanic Gardens, and local hemlock forests. Students will gain experience with a diversity of organisms by conducting research projects that can enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Students will practice the scientific process and document their work in a lab notebook. Research skills developed will include hypothesis development, data collection, statistical analysis, and presentation of results. Because research projects will vary seasonally, please see the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information. Enrollment limited to 16. BIO 130 is recommended as a prerequisite or co-requisite but is not required. (E)

Students in this course investigate the structure, function and physiology of cells; the properties of biological molecules; information transfer from the level of DNA to cell-cell communication; and cellular energy generation and transfer. The development of multicellular organisms and the physiology of selected organ systems is also explored. In addition to attending lectures, each student participates in discussion sections that focus on data analysis and interpretation while integrating mechanisms across scales. Laboratory (BIO 133) is recommended but not required.

Students in this course investigate the structure, function and physiology of cells; the properties of biological molecules; information transfer from the level of DNA to cell-cell communication; and cellular energy generation and transfer. The development of multicellular organisms and the physiology of selected organ systems is also explored. In addition to attending lectures, each student participates in discussion sections that focus on data analysis and interpretation while integrating mechanisms across scales. Laboratory (BIO 133) is recommended but not required.

Students in this course investigate the structure, function and physiology of cells; the properties of biological molecules; information transfer from the level of DNA to cell-cell communication; and cellular energy generation and transfer. The development of multicellular organisms and the physiology of selected organ systems is also explored. In addition to attending lectures, each student participates in discussion sections that focus on data analysis and interpretation while integrating mechanisms across scales. Laboratory (BIO 133) is recommended but not required.

Students in this course investigate the structure, function and physiology of cells; the properties of biological molecules; information transfer from the level of DNA to cell-cell communication; and cellular energy generation and transfer. The development of multicellular organisms and the physiology of selected organ systems is also explored. In addition to attending lectures, each student participates in discussion sections that focus on data analysis and interpretation while integrating mechanisms across scales. Laboratory (BIO 133) is recommended but not required.

Students in this course investigate the structure, function and physiology of cells; the properties of biological molecules; information transfer from the level of DNA to cell-cell communication; and cellular energy generation and transfer. The development of multicellular organisms and the physiology of selected organ systems is also explored. In addition to attending lectures, each student participates in discussion sections that focus on data analysis and interpretation while integrating mechanisms across scales. Laboratory (BIO 133) is recommended but not required.

This Laboratory Course introduces students to biological discovery and the biological research process. Students will gain hands-on experience with the use of modern biological research methods by participating in ongoing research with a variety of organisms. This includes scientific discovery, hypothesis development, data collection and analysis, as well as presentation of your own discoveries and results. Research projects vary with each Instructor. Corequisite: BIO 132.

This Laboratory Course introduces students to biological discovery and the biological research process. Students will gain hands-on experience with the use of modern biological research methods by participating in ongoing research with a variety of organisms. This includes scientific discovery, hypothesis development, data collection and analysis, as well as presentation of your own discoveries and results. Research projects vary with each Instructor. Corequisite: BIO 132.

This Laboratory Course introduces students to biological discovery and the biological research process. Students will gain hands-on experience with the use of modern biological research methods by participating in ongoing research with a variety of organisms. This includes scientific discovery, hypothesis development, data collection and analysis, as well as presentation of your own discoveries and results. Research projects vary with each Instructor. Corequisite: BIO 132.

This Laboratory Course introduces students to biological discovery and the biological research process. Students will gain hands-on experience with the use of modern biological research methods by participating in ongoing research with a variety of organisms. This includes scientific discovery, hypothesis development, data collection and analysis, as well as presentation of your own discoveries and results. Research projects vary with each Instructor. Corequisite: BIO 132.

In this course you will learn how animal bodies function from the molecular to the organismal level and how the physiology of animals, including humans, has been shaped by evolution to enable survival in a wide range of environments. Course content is organized by body system (cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, etc.). Assignments provide opportunities for students to practice applying their knowledge of physiology to real-life situations, predicting the outcomes of experiments, and interpreting and writing about the primary literature. Prerequisites: BIO 132/133 and CHM 111 or CHM 118. Laboratory (BIO 201) is recommended but not required. Enrollment limited to 30.

In this course you will learn how animal bodies function from the molecular to the organismal level and how the physiology of animals, including humans, has been shaped by evolution to enable survival in a wide range of environments. Course content is organized by body system (cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, etc.). Assignments provide opportunities for students to practice applying their knowledge of physiology to real-life situations, predicting the outcomes of experiments, and interpreting and writing about the primary literature. Prerequisites: BIO 132/133 and CHM 111 or CHM 118. Laboratory (BIO 201) is recommended but not required. Enrollment limited to 30.

In this course you will learn how animal bodies function from the molecular to the organismal level and how the physiology of animals, including humans, has been shaped by evolution to enable survival in a wide range of environments. Course content is organized by body system (cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, etc.). Assignments provide opportunities for students to practice applying their knowledge of physiology to real-life situations, predicting the outcomes of experiments, and interpreting and writing about the primary literature. Prerequisites: BIO 132/133 and CHM 111 or CHM 118. Laboratory (BIO 201) is recommended but not required. Enrollment limited to 30.

This course provides students with the opportunity to design and conduct experiments in human and animal physiology. Emphasis is on developing hypotheses, designing experiments, graphing data, interpreting results, and writing in the scientific style. Prerequisite: BIO 200 (normally taken concurrently).

This course provides students with the opportunity to design and conduct experiments in human and animal physiology. Emphasis is on developing hypotheses, designing experiments, graphing data, interpreting results, and writing in the scientific style._x000D_ Prerequisite: BIO 200 (normally taken concurrently).

The structure and function of eukaryotic cells. This course examines contemporary topics in cellular biology: cellular structures, organelle function, membrane and endomembrane systems, cellular regulation, signaling mechanisms, motility, bioelectricity, communication and cellular energetics. This course is a prerequisite for Biochemistry I (BCH 252). Prerequisites: BIO 132/133 and CHM 222. Laboratory (BIO 203) is recommended but not required.

Inquiry-based laboratory using techniques such as spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics, bright field and fluorescence light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The emphasis is on student-designed projects. This course is a prerequisite for Biochemistry I Laboratory (BCH 253). Corequisite: BIO 202.

Inquiry-based laboratory using techniques such as spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics, bright field and fluorescence light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The emphasis is on student-designed projects. This course is a prerequisite for Biochemistry I Laboratory (BCH 253). Corequisite: BIO 202.

Inquiry-based laboratory using techniques such as spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics, bright field and fluorescence light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The emphasis is on student-designed projects. This course is a prerequisite for Biochemistry I Laboratory (BCH 253). Corequisite: BIO 202.

Inquiry-based laboratory using techniques such as spectrophotometry, enzyme kinetics, bright field and fluorescence light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The emphasis is on student-designed projects. This course is a prerequisite for Biochemistry I Laboratory (BCH 253). Corequisite: BIO 202.

This general ecology course provides a conceptual foundation for understanding ecological processes
from population dynamics to ecosystem function. Fundamental ecological concepts are covered within
the context of current environmental challenges arising from global change. This framing illuminates
how population dynamics, community composition and trophic interactions affect ecosystem function
and ecosystem services. Prerequisites: Bio 130 or an equivalent course in ecology or environmental
science.

This general ecology laboratory course provides hands-on experience in the execution of ecological experiments in the field. Students will participate in study design, data curation, analysis, and interpretation. All statistical analyses will be conducted in R. Enrollment limited to 18. Corequisite: BIO 266.

The oceans cover over 75 percent of the Earth and are home to enormous biodiversity. Marine Ecology explores a variety of coastal and oceanic systems, focusing on natural and human-induced factors that affect biodiversity and the ecological balance in marine habitats. Using case studies, we study some successful conservation and management strategies, including Marine Protected Areas. This course uses a variety of readings, group activities and short writing assignments to develop vital skills such as effective oral, graphical and written communication; critical thinking; and problem solving. Enrollment limited to 24. Laboratory (BIO 269) must be taken concurrently and includes two field trips.

The laboratory applies concepts discussed in lecture and uses several small-group projects in the field and laboratory to develop relevant skills for conducting marine-related research. Students learn to design and analyze experiments, and to write in the scientific style. Field trips to Maine and Cape Cod, Mass., provide hands-on experience with marine organisms in their natural habitats. Corequisite: BIO 268, which must be taken concurrently.

The laboratory applies concepts discussed in lecture and uses several small-group projects in the field and laboratory to develop relevant skills for conducting marine-related research. Students learn to design and analyze experiments, and to write in the scientific style. Field trips to Maine and Cape Cod, Mass., provide hands-on experience with marine organisms in their natural habitats. Corequisite: BIO 268, which must be taken concurrently.

Students design and carry out their own experiments focused on neural and muscle development using zebrafish as a model system. Techniques covered include embryology, indirect immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, microinjection of RNA for gain or loss of function studies, pharmacological analysis, GFP-transgenics, an array of microscopy techniques. This laboratory is designed as a true research experience and thus requires time outside of the normally scheduled lab period. Enrollment limited to 18. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

Students design and carry out their own experiments focused on neural and muscle development using zebrafish as a model system. Techniques covered include embryology, indirect immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, microinjection of RNA for gain or loss of function studies, pharmacological analysis, GFP-transgenics, an array of microscopy techniques. This laboratory is designed as a true research experience and thus requires time outside of the normally scheduled lab period. Enrollment limited to 18. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

Molecular level structure-function relationships in the nervous system. Topics include development of neurons, neuron-specific gene expression, mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in learning and memory, synaptic release, molecular biology of neurological disorders, and molecular neuropharmacology. Prerequisites: BIO 200 and NSC 210 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20.

An investigation of the emerging fields of synthetic biology and bionanotechnology drawn from semi-popular and primary research literature. In this seminar, we focus on the central question of what can be achieved by approaching biology from an engineering mindset. Specifically, what can be learned by treating biological components (proteins and nucleic acids) and systems (signaling and metabolic networks) as interchangeable machine-like parts? We study examples of this intellectual and experimental approach and how its application has enhanced our understanding of cell biology. Harnessing biological systems for the production of pharmaceuticals and hydrocarbon fuel sources is also considered. Finally, we explore the prospect of affecting and interacting with cells using engineered nanoscale devices made from biological building blocks and the potential application of these techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Prerequisite: BIO 202 or 230. Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course focuses on methods and approaches in the emerging fields of bioinformatics and molecular evolution. Topics include the quantitative examination of genetic variation; selective and stochastic forces shaping proteins and catalytic RNA; data mining; comparative analysis of whole genome data sets; comparative genomics and bioinformatics; and hypothesis testing in computational biology. We explore the role of bioinformatics and comparative methods in the fields of molecular medicine, drug design, and in systematic, conservation and population biology. Prerequisite: BIO 132, or BIO 230, or BIO 232, or permission of the instructor. Laboratory (BIO 335) is strongly recommended but not required.

This lab introduces the computational and quantitative tools underlying contemporary bioinformatics. We explore the various approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction using molecular data, methods of data mining in genome databases, comparative genomics, structure-function modeling, and the use of molecular data to reconstruct population and evolutionary history. Students are encouraged to explore datasets of particular interest to them. Prerequisite: BIO 334 (normally taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 14.

This lab introduces the computational and quantitative tools underlying contemporary bioinformatics. We explore the various approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction using molecular data, methods of data mining in genome databases, comparative genomics, structure-function modeling, and the use of molecular data to reconstruct population and evolutionary history. Students are encouraged to explore datasets of particular interest to them. Prerequisite: BIO 334 (normally taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 14.

This seminar focuses on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), parasitic and viral diseases other rare diseases that are a public health concern, including Ebola, Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, West Nile, SARS, avian influenza, malaria, river blindness, anthrax and smallpox. We look at pandemics of the past (the influenza of 1918, the Black Death of the Middle Ages, the typhus epidemic of 1914–21) and modern biotechnology. The challenges are great, but new tools of molecular biology (genomics, proteomics, RNA interference, next-generation sequencing, etc.) provide an unprecedented opportunity to understand and develop new strategies for their elimination. Prerequisite: BIO 230. Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course surveys the environmental factors, historical processes and ecological interactions that influence the distribution and abundance of plant species in the landscape. The class examines how plant communities are assembled and what processes influence their structure and diversity, including past and present human activities. We focus in particular on plant communities of the Northeast, using examples from the local landscape to illustrate key ecological concepts. Prerequisite: a course in plant biology, ecology or environmental science; statistics is recommended (e.g., MTH 220). BIO 365 must be taken concurrently. Enrollment limited to 20.

This lab course involves field and laboratory investigations of plant ecology, with an emphasis on Northeastern plant species and plant communities. The labs explore interactions between plants and insects, visit wetland and upland habitats, and investigate plant population dynamics at sites around western Massachusetts. Students gain hands-on experience with descriptive and experimental research approaches used to investigate ecological processes in plant communities. BIO 364 must be taken concurrently. Enrollment limited to 20.

Understanding human induced climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. This course approaches the topic from two different ways of knowing: plant biology and the arts. These paired approaches ground this course in the scientific underpinnings of climate change and its impact on biological life, creating a space to engage with what climate change means—for us, for the greater human community and for the earth. At the same time, we will explore how complex scientific content and deep existential challenges can be effectively communicated to the broader public. We will learn how plants physiologically interact with and respond to environmental change, read/discuss primary literature and relevant art works, and create/workshop art, popular science articles and/or data visualizations centered on climate change and its consequences. Prerequisite: BIO 130 & 132. Enrollment limited to 15. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

Through this lab students will (1) become familiar with using tools to measure physiological processes (e.g. Li-Cor 600 to measure stomatal behavior, Osmometer to measure leaf water stress, PMS Pressure Chamber to measure plant water stress), (2) in groups, design an experiment investigating plant biological responses to climate change (e.g. drought, increased CO2 or temperature) to implement in growth chambers or a greenhouse, (3) execute the project and present the findings to the class and public through presentations of scientific findings and artistic interpretations of the findings through art or communication projects. Prerequisites: BIO 130 & 132. Corequisite: BIO 368. Enrollment limited to 15.

Conservation biology combines ecological and evolutionary principles with resource management, the social sciences, and ethics to understand, manage and maintain biodiversity. This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the questions conservation biologists ask and the methods they use to conserve life on Earth. Students engage in problem-solving exercises that examine conservation-related questions at the genetic, population, community, landscape or ecosystem levels and employ suitable analytical techniques or strategies to address the questions. Students discuss a related article from the primary literature to illustrate the use of each technique. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

This course introduces students to the academic study of Buddhism through readings, lectures by Smith faculty and guests, and trips to local Buddhist centers. We critically examine the history of Buddhist studies within the context of numerous disciplines, including anthropology, art, cultural studies, gender studies, government, literature, philosophy and religion, with a focus on regional, sectarian and historical differences. Materials to be considered include poetry, painting, philosophy, political tracts and more. This course meets during the first half of the semester only. S/U only.

First half of semester course.

Offered as SWG 245 and CCX 245. This course is designed to introduce students to key concepts, debates and provocations that animate the world of community, labor, and electoral organizing for social change. To better understand these movements’ visions, we will develop an analysis of global and national inequalities, exploitation and oppression. The course explores a range of organizing skills to build an awareness of power dynamics and learn activists’ tools to bring people together towards common goals. A central aspect of this course is practicing community-based learning and research methods in dialogue with community-based activist partners. Prerequisite: CCX 120 or SWG 150. Enrollment limited to 18.

Continued emphasis on the development of oral proficiency and functional literacy in modern Mandarin. Conversation and narrative practice, reading exercises, short composition assignments, and work with audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: 111 or permission of the instructor.

Continued emphasis on the development of oral proficiency and functional literacy in modern Mandarin. Conversation and narrative practice, reading exercises, short composition assignments, and work with audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: 111 or permission of the instructor.

Continued emphasis on the development of oral proficiency and functional literacy in modern Mandarin. Conversation and narrative practice, reading exercises, short composition assignments, and work with audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: 111 or permission of the instructor.

Continued emphasis on the development of oral proficiency and functional literacy in modern Mandarin. Conversation and narrative practice, reading exercises, short composition assignments, and work with audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: 111 or permission of the instructor.

Building on the skills and vocabulary acquired in Chinese II, students learn to read simple essays on topics of common interest and develop the ability to understand, summarize and discuss social issues in contemporary China. Readings are supplemented by audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: CHI 221 or permission of the instructor.

Development of advanced proficiency in four skills through the study and discussion of selected modern Chinese literary and cinematic texts. Students explore literary expression in original works of fiction, including short stories, essays, novellas and excerpts of novels as well as screenplays. Prerequisite: CHI 302 or permission of the instructor. With the instructor’s permission, advanced language courses may be repeated when the content changes.

The first semester of our core chemistry curriculum introduces the language(s) of chemistry and explores atoms, molecules and their reactions. Topics covered include electronic structures of atoms, structure shape and properties of molecules; reactions and stoichiometry. Enrollment limited to 16 per lab section. Multiple sections are offered at different times, as detailed in the Schedule of Classes. At the time of registration students must register for both a lecture and a lab section that fit their course schedule. Corequisite: CHM 111L